Month: December 2023

In the aftermath of a tragic explosion and deadly fire at the main fuel depot in Conakry, Guinea, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, the leader of the military in power, declared a three-day national mourning period on Wednesday. The incident, occurring from Sunday night to Monday, left the capital’s downtown area paralyzed.

“Faced with this painful ordeal, I declare a three-day national mourning starting from Thursday,” announced Colonel Doumbouya in a televised address on Guinean public television. The mourning is in honor of the 18 lives lost and over 200 individuals injured in the disaster. Colonel Doumbouya, who seized power in September 2021, replacing President Alpha Condé, emphasized the focus on the well-being of the masses.

The explosion had a severe impact on the Kaloum commune, the central hub of business in Conakry, causing significant material damage and halting economic activities. Despite the announcement of a “minimal” reopening of offices more than two days after the explosion and fire at Guinea’s main fuel depot, downtown Conakry remained paralyzed on Wednesday.

The aftermath of the incident was evident at Galaxie Communication, a communication and consulting company, where the devastation was palpable. Mamadou Dian Diallo, the CEO, expressed disbelief, contemplating the potential devastation had the explosion occurred during a regular working day.

Nearby, the seven-story building housing the Guinean Advertising Office resembled a gutted skeleton, with blown-out windows. Employees worked to clean offices littered with shards of glass and pieces of wood.

In the Coronthie neighborhood, the epicenter of the explosion, even the central prison of Conakry, with its more than ten-meter-high wall, was not spared from the violence of the blast. Charles Alphonse Wright, the Minister of Justice, reported 33 injuries, including four severe cases, during his visit to the site on Tuesday.

A judicial investigation into alleged “willful arson” has been initiated by the Attorney General to determine the causes of the disaster and establish accountability. As of now, no information is available regarding the origin of the fire.

International reactions and expressions of solidarity continued to pour in on Wednesday. Pope Francis conveyed his closeness to the families of the deceased and the injured during his weekly general audience at the Vatican, stating, “May God support and keep them in hope.”

Moussa Faki Mahamat, the President of the African Union Commission, expressed his sincere condolences and deep compassion to the families of the explosion victims. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called on its member countries and the international community to provide support to Guinea during these challenging times.

Out of the 212 individuals admitted to healthcare facilities, 127 have returned home, while 85 remain hospitalized, including four in intensive care, as of Tuesday night, according to the government. The government also announced the resumption of diesel supply in the country, although tanker restrictions are still in place.

On Wednesday morning, taxi drivers and motorcycle riders demanded fuel at several locations, leading most fuel stations to remain closed for fear of attacks. This resulted in a significant increase in gasoline prices on the black market.

In a bid to alleviate the financial strain associated with holiday travels, the Nigerian government has introduced measures to provide relief to its citizens during the festive season. The announcement, made on Wednesday, includes free train rides and a 50% reduction in public bus fares across the country.

Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development and head of the inter-ministerial committee on presidential intervention, emphasized that the initiative aims to enable domestic travelers to visit their loved ones and hometowns “without stress and the extra burden imposed by the high cost of transport around this period.” The move is seen as a gesture to enhance the well-being of citizens during the festive season.

The discounted inter-state fares and complimentary train rides, slated to be in effect from December 21 to January 4, are part of a collaborative effort with companies operating luxury buses across 22 routes nationwide. President Bola Tinubu has given his approval to this initiative, which notably focuses on the masses, as highlighted by Mr. Alake.

Transport Minister Sa’idu Alkali expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the substantial reduction in bus fares and the provision of free train rides will allow “every Nigerian to partake in the joy of the season without the burden of exorbitant transportation costs.” This move is poised to make holiday travel more accessible and affordable for the general population.

Segun Falade, the spokesperson for the National Union of Road Transport Workers, confirmed that bus operators would adhere to the agreed-upon fare subsidy, as reported by local media. This collaborative effort between the government and transportation stakeholders aims to ease the financial strain on citizens during what is traditionally the busiest month for travel in Nigeria, with the highest number of air, road transport, and railway passengers recorded in December.

Justice Joy Uwanna, a distinguished high court judge in Nigeria, was kidnapped while returning from a court session on Monday night in southern Akwa Ibom state.

The incident occurred along Uyo-Okoboin in Oron town, where unidentified gunmen ambushed the judge’s vehicle.

Tragically, the assailants not only kidnapped Justice Uwanna but also fatally shot her police guard during the abduction. The incident unfolded as the gunmen opened fire, targeting the judge’s security detail before swiftly taking Justice Uwanna and her driver away.

The police spokesperson in Akwa Ibom state, Odiko Macdon, termed the incident as “unfortunate” and confirmed that security forces are actively investigating the matter.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. However, it’s noteworthy that criminal gangs frequently engage in abductions for ransom in certain regions of Nigeria.

The abduction of Justice Joy Uwanna highlights the ongoing security challenges in the country, prompting intensified efforts by law enforcement agencies to address and prevent such incidents.

A former Rwandan doctor has been jailed for 24 years by a French court for his involvement in the 1994 genocide.

Sosthene Munyemana was on Wednesday found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and participation in a conspiracy to prepare these crimes.

The 68-year-old former gynaecologist was accused of helping draft a letter for the interim government that supervised the killings of Tutsis.

He was also accused of participating in meetings that organised roundups of Tutsi civilians in the southern Rwandan prefecture of Butare, where he lived at the time.

Mr Munyemana, who moved to France months after the genocide, denied any wrongdoing and his lawyers said they planned to appeal the verdict.

The public prosecutor had sought a sentence of 30 years during the six-week-long trial at the Assize Court in Paris.

Elsewhere, a court in Brussels on Tuesday also found two Rwandans guilty of genocide and war crimes committed in their native country.

Séraphin Twahirwa and Pierre Basabosé were found to have committed multiple murders and attempted murders of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Kigali between April and July 1994.

Their sentencing is set for Wednesday

Burkina Faso’s ruling military regime on Monday accused jihadist groups of carrying out massacres against civilians in the north of the country, urging people to “give no credence” to images of abuses committed by armed men portrayed as Burkina Faso soldiers.

Since the beginning of December, several videos have been widely posted on social networks accusing the army of committing acts of violence against civilians in the Djibo area (north).

“The government invites the population not to give any credence to the video images currently circulating on social networks”, wrote the government spokesman and Minister for Communication, Jean Emmanuel Ouédraogo, in a press release.

These videos “attempt to make people believe that massacres of civilians have been perpetrated by Burkina Faso’s fighting forces”, he added, denouncing a “communication campaign fuelled by the terrorists”, concerning “massacres that they themselves have perpetrated”.

“These are treacherous fabrications designed to discredit the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) and the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP, civilian auxiliaries to the army), who put up heroic resistance to the onslaught of terrorists who failed miserably to take control of the Djibo camp on 26 November”, he said.

On that day, jihadists carried out a massive attack against an army detachment in Djibo, killing several soldiers, according to security sources. No official figures were released, but the state media claimed that the army’s response had “neutralised more than 400 terrorists”.

At least 40 civilians were also killed and 42 wounded, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. On Monday, the government spokesman also assured that “Burkina Faso’s fighting forces are acting with professionalism and respect for human rights”.

Djibo, close to the so-called three-border zone between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali where jihadist groups are active, has been under siege for months. Several convoys seeking to supply the area have been attacked.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has been caught up in a spiral of violence perpetrated by jihadist groups affiliated to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which has left a total of more than 17,000 civilians and soldiers dead.

A Ugandan constitutional court on Monday began hearing the first challenge to an anti-gay law that has triggered criticism from the United Nations and led to US visa restrictions on government officials.

The East African nation adopted one of the world’s harshest laws against homosexuality in May, prompting an uproar by rights advocates and Western powers, with US President Joe Biden threatening to cut aid and investment to Kampala.

But President Yoweri Museveni’s government has struck a defiant tone, with officials accusing the West of trying to pressure Africa into accepting homosexuality.

“We agreed to proceed with written submissions as opposed to oral submissions,” Nicholas Opiyo, the lawyer representing the petitioners, told the court in Kampala on Monday.

“Court shall give judgement on notice,” Uganda’s deputy chief justice Richard Buteera, who is heading the panel of five judges at the constitutional court, said during Monday’s hearing.

The petitioners calling for the law to be overturned include several human rights activists, two law professors from Makerere University in Kampala and two legislators from Museveni’s National Resistance Movement party.

No date has been set for the ruling.

Washington this month imposed visa bans on unnamed officials deemed responsible for “undermining the democratic process” in Uganda and abusing human rights, including those of the LGBTQ community.

The United States has also announced plans to remove the country from the African Growth and Opportunity Act(AGOA) trade pact from January 2024.

The legislation contains provisions making “aggravated homosexuality” a capital offence and imposes penalties for consensual same-sex relations of up to life in prison.

The US, the European Union and UN chief Antonio Guterres have slammed the legislation, warning that foreign aid and investment for Uganda could be jeopardised unless the law is repealed.

But the law enjoys broad support in the conservative country, where lawmakers have defended the measures as a necessary bulwark against Western immorality.

Ugandan state minister for foreign affairs Henry Okello Oryem told our journalist earlier this month that the West was seeking “to coerce us into accepting same-sex relationships using aid and loans.”

The World Bank announced in August it was suspending new loans to Uganda over the law, which “fundamentally contradicts” the values espoused by the US-based lender.

In 2014, international donors slashed aid to Uganda after Museveni approved a bill that sought to impose life imprisonment for homosexual relations, which was later overturned.