Month: October 2023

The governments of Ghana and South Africa have reached a visa waiver agreement to allow citizens of both countries to travel visa-free.

This was made known by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration in a post made on the social networking platform, X, where it said both countries have entered into an “agreement on a visa waiver regime for holders of ordinary passports.”

“Travellers may transit through, depart from and stay in the territory of both countries for a cumulative period of up to 90 days without recourse to work.

According to the post, the agreement takes effect from 1 November.

South Africa also reached a similar agreement with Kenya in January.

South Africa is Africa’s second-largest economy, after Nigeria. However, the two African giants have no such visa waiver agreement. There is also no indication that such an agreement is in the works between both countries.

South Africa emerged victorious in a thrilling quarter-final clash at the World Cup against France on Sunday in Saint-Denis (29-28). They will now face England in the semi-finals, following England’s victory in a less intense match against Fiji (30-24) in Marseille.

The match scheduled for next Saturday at the Stade de France already appears to favor the defending champions on paper, as does the other semi-final, which saw New Zealand, making a resurgence, face off against Argentina the previous day.

The Springboks decisively pulled ahead in the final quarter of a match filled with intense moments. They secured their lead with a powerful try, their fourth of the game, thanks to second-row Eben Etzebeth. Despite the support of their 80,000 spectators, the French team narrowly missed out.

The first half was an action-packed spectacle with no fewer than six tries, three by the French (Baille twice and Mauvaka) and the same number for the South Africans (Arendse, De Allende, Kolbe). With a 22-19 deficit at halftime, the Boks, who had been initially dominated, capitalized on the French’s mistakes, particularly in handling high balls.

The elimination is a massive disappointment for the French team, who had aimed for their first-ever World Cup title. Their hopes had been further bolstered by their impressive victory in the opening match against the All Blacks.

However, the outcome isn’t entirely surprising, given the pedigree of their opponent, a three-time world champion (1995, 2007, 2019), and now the top favorite for a fourth title.

While the South Africans suffered one loss in the pool stage to Ireland (13-8), it was mainly due to issues with their kicker, which they didn’t face on Sunday.

The French, boosted by the return of their scrum-half and captain Antoine Dupont, who played just three weeks after surgery for a fractured cheekbone sustained during the match against Namibia, entered the game with confidence. They also remembered their victory over the South Africans in a test match last November.

However, the presence of their star scrum-half was insufficient against the overpowering might of the Springboks, who physically dominated towards the end of the match and nearly extended their lead.

– Farrell’s Kicking Boots –

The South Africans will be the clear favorites against England in the semi-final next Saturday at the Stade de France. This match will be a repeat of the final from the World Cup in Japan four years ago, but the balance of power has shifted significantly in their favor since then.

For England, reaching the semi-finals is an unexpected outcome, considering the state of the team before the World Cup.

The Rose’s XV was unconvincing in the pool stage, narrowly avoiding a loss to Samoa. On Sunday, they didn’t provide much reassurance, especially against Fiji, another Pacific nation, who gave them a tough time.

Steve Borthwick’s team had scored two early tries through their centers, Tuilagi (14) and Marchant (23), but the Fijians also scored three (Mata, Ravai, Botitu), with the latter two completely reigniting the suspense just fifteen minutes before the final whistle.

Owen Farrell’s kicking was the difference-maker. However, much more will be required to challenge the Springboks.

Tens of thousands of Moroccans took to the streets of Rabat over the weekend in support of the Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

Crowds stretching for two kilometres marched through the capital in the rally called for by an alliance of Islamist parties and a left-wing coalition.

It was the biggest demonstration in the North African kingdom since it normalised ties with Israel in 2020 in a US-sponsored deal.

“This march firmly expresses our support for the people of Palestine and their courageous resistance,” said Moroccan activist Abderrahim Chikhi.

“It also represents the Moroccan voice refusing normalisation of ties with Israel and rejecting the Zionist regime, thus reaffirming commitment to the Palestinian cause,” he said.

The march came as Israel continued its intense reprisals against the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, launched an attack on southern Israel from the enclave 10 days ago.

Thousands of people have been killed on both sides.

“These are crimes against humanity and we’re here to express our solidarity. We want peace, we want international organisations to ensure that the Palestinian people regain their rights,” said Moroccan politician, Nabila Mounib, who took part in the march.

She added that they were also demanding of the Moroccan state “that no relations should be established with the Zionist state”.

Until now, Morocco’s anti-normalisation movement has only been able to mobilise, at most, a few hundred people.

The treaty with Israel has been of great importance to Rabat as it came in exchange for Washington recognising Morocco’s sovereignty over the disputed region of Western Sahara.

Morocco maintains that the territory, a former Spanish colony under its control, is an integral part of the kingdom.

The Polisario Front, which campaigns for Western Sahara’s independence with the support of Algeria, demands a referendum on self-determination.

Israel and Morocco have strengthened their economic and security cooperation following the deal.

Some 130 leaders from Africa, South America and other emerging markets are gathering in China for a meeting organized by the Chinese government that will mark the 10th anniversary of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Denis Sassou N’guesso of The Congo, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed and Nigeria’s Kashim Shettima arrived Monday (Oct. 16) in Beijing.

Other leaders who arrived on Monday included Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday. Others are coming on Tuesday.

The summit kicking off on October 17th, is the third Belt and Road Forum for international cooperation.

The BRI is a plan that China launched a decade ago. Under the initiative, a signature policy of president Xi Jinping, Chinese companies have built infrastructures including ports, roads and power plants around the world in a bid to boost trade and economic growth.

One decade down the line, some observers say the Initiative may be losing steam as Beijing becomes more averse to risk and as the domestic economy struggles to bounce back to pre-pandemic growth levels.

The main events of the two-day meeting are scheduled on Wednesday. Global organizations will also be in attendance.

Over 4,000 residents in Ghana’s southeastern region have been forced to abandon their homes due to widespread flooding.

This crisis has been triggered by the overflowing of the Akosombo Dam, resulting in the devastating destruction of homes and farmlands along the banks of the River Volta.

The deluge has led to the disruption of essential services, leaving some areas without access to water and electricity. The Ghanaian government, in an official statement on Friday, confirmed that thousands of people in at least nine districts have been displaced as a direct consequence of the flooding, local media reported.

The Global Disaster and Coordination System, affiliated with the United Nations, reported seven injuries in connection with the disaster.

Prior to the inundation, the Volta River Authority had issued advisories urging residents to relocate to higher ground. This recommendation came in response to the rising water levels upstream of the Akosombo Dam, primarily driven by heavy rainfall in the region.

A judge in the southern town of Ziguinchor on Thursday evening overturned the removal of imprisoned opposition politician Ousmane Sonko from Senegal’s electoral rolls, preventing him from standing as a presidential candidate, his lawyers and his dissolved party said.

Lawyers for Mr. Sonko, who came third in the 2019 presidential election, said their client could once again stand for election in February 2024. In a statement published by news websites, however, the State’s judicial agent said that the State would appeal against the judge’s decision and that Mr. Sonko could still not be a candidate.

On Thursday, Mr. Sonko’s lawyers challenged his disbarment before a court in Ziguinchor, the town where he is mayor and where he was registered. This action was presented by part of the press as representing the opponent’s last chance to stand as a candidate.

The court “declared Mr. Ousmane Sonko’s removal from the electoral rolls null and void and ordered his reinstatement, which should take immediate effect”, one of his defenders, Me Ciré Clédor Ly, said in a message on Friday.

“The Ziguinchor district court ruled on the law and only on the law  There was no justification for removing President Ousmane Sonko from the electoral rolls,” said El Malick Ndiaye, a leading figure in Mr. Sonko’s dissolved party.

Mr. Sonko was found guilty on June 1 of debauching a minor and sentenced to two years in prison. Having refused to appear at the trial, which he denounced as a plot to keep him out of the election, he was sentenced in absentia.

Mr. Sonko was imprisoned at the end of July on other charges, including calling for insurrection, criminal association in connection with a terrorist enterprise and undermining state security.

The authorities are questioning his responsibility in a series of protest episodes since 2021 – the most serious in June – which have resulted in several deaths.

Former Gabonese First Lady, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, has been incarcerated at the central prison in Libreville, Gabon. She had been under house arrest since the military coup in late August, which accused her of embezzling public funds.
On September 28th, she was formally charged with “money laundering and forgery” and subsequently placed in provisional detention after a lengthy interrogation by a magistrate.

Sylvia Bongo’s lawyer, Me Gisèle Eyue-Bekale, obtained a ten-day postponement for a hearing to argue for her release. This development comes in the midst of an extensive investigation into alleged massive misappropriation of public funds involving Sylvia Bongo and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, who is already in custody, along with six former senior officials from the presidential cabinet, according to consistent judicial sources.

The military that overthrew President Ali Bongo’s regime following accusations of election fraud publicly suspected the former First Lady and Noureddin of “manipulating” the former president, who suffered severe consequences from a stroke in 2018, and of being the “actual” de facto leaders of the country for the past five years.

The coup occurred on the night of August 30th, less than an hour after the announcement of Ali Bongo Ondimba’s reelection. The army declared the “end of the regime,” and General Brice Oligui Nguema, the coup leader, was proclaimed the president of the Transition two days later.

World Cup-winning former Spain coach Jorge Vilda has been appointed as the new boss of the Morocco women’s team.

The 42-year-old was sacked amid the fall-out after former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy ceremony in Australia.

Vilda was a controversial figure, with a number of Spain players refusing to be part of the World Cup squad under his management, and he was criticised for applauding Rubiales when he tried to defend himself before eventually resigning.

Vilda was strongly backed by Rubiales and had been rewarded for the World Cup success with a new contract before the pressure on both eventually told.

Morocco made their World Cup debut this year and reached the knockout stages, beating South Korea and Colombia before losing to France, but the services of coach Reynald Pedros have not been retained.

A statement on frmf.ma read: “The Royal Moroccan Football Federation contracted with the Spanish coach, Mr (Jorge Vilda), to coach the women’s national football team in the next stage, succeeding Mr Reynald Pedros, whose duties ended, with thanks extended to him for the work he accomplished during his mission at the helm of the women’s national football team, especially the qualification to the second round of the World Cup tournament.”

Since 2022, Morocco have recorded great success in football became the first African and Arab nation to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final, while its women’s team reached their first-ever Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final. Moroccan clubs won all the continental cups on offer — in both men’s and women’s football.