Author: Jideofor Elumogo

Somalia has issued a warning to suspend all Ethiopian Airlines flights to its territory due to an ongoing territorial dispute.

The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) announced on August 21, 2024, that the airline has failed to respond to concerns related to Somali sovereignty.

The dispute escalated after Ethiopia signed an agreement in January 2024 with the separatist region of Somaliland, securing access to 20 kilometers of Somaliland’s coastline for 50 years in exchange for recognizing the territory.

Somalia views this deal as a direct violation of its sovereignty, heightening tensions between the two countries.

The SCAA also expressed frustration over Ethiopian Airlines’ recent actions, including the removal of Somali destination names from its systems, which the SCAA believes undermines Somalia’s sovereignty.

Ethiopian Airlines has been given a deadline of August 23, 2024, to address these issues, or all flights to Somalia will be suspended.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have petitioned the president of the UN Security Council to denounce what they call the Ukrainian government’s “open support for international terrorism” in the Sahel.

A letter dated August 19 and signed by the envoys to the UN of the three Sahelian countries was released on Tuesday (Aug. 20).

The move follows recent comments by Ukrainian officials who said that Kyiv had played a role in attacks by separatist rebels in Tinzawaten, northeastern Mali.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military spy agency, mentioned on television that Malian rebels received the “necessary” information to carry out the attack.

In late July, Tuareg rebels claimed responsibility for the losses inflicted on the Malian armed forces. They claimed killing at least 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers.

Andriy Yusov later on retracted his remarks.

In the letter sent to the UN security Council president, the foreign ministers of the Alliance of the Sahel States (AES) countries are urging the Security Council to act to prevent new subversive and destabilizing actions.

They said the comments by Ukrainian officials some states play in the expansion of terrorism in the Sahel.

The United Nations Charter gives the Security Council primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security.

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko officially set up Monday (Aug. 19) a commission tasked with reviewing the oil and gas contracts the country signed with multinational corporations.

The PM made the announcement on national TV insisting that the team of legal, tax, and energy sector experts will work meticulously to make sure all legal aspects are carefully examined.

Sonko brushed off rumours of nationalization reiterating his government’s ambition to rebalance the energy contracts in the national interest.

The move comes after Senegal became an oil producer. Australia’s Woodside Energy announced in June that its Sangomar oil and gas field had produced its first oil.

Gas production from the GTA project should also kick off this year.

It remains to be seen what the commission’s recommendations will be and in the event of negotiations if the expected changes can be implemented.

The move was a campaign promise of the Faye administration.

Ukraine’s attack on Russia’s Kursk region has ended “any possibility” of peace negotiations, said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry during her briefing in Moscow on Wednesday.

“Who will negotiate with them after this, after the atrocities, the terror that they are committing against peaceful residents, the civilian population, civilian infrastructure and peaceful facilities? This attempt by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to invade our territory a priori, I will emphasize once again what was said by the Russian leadership, a priori, annuls any possibility of any negotiations with the bandit junta,” she asked.

On Aug. 6, Ukrainian forces made a lightning push into the region, seizing villages, taking hundreds of prisoners and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians.

Russia was caught unprepared by the offensive and reportedly is drafting conscripts to repel some of Ukraine’s most battle-hardened units.

Russian cities have come under drone attacks and shelling from Kyiv’s forces.

China on Wednesday urged the European Union to stop “politicizing” trade issues after the EU released a draft decision to finalize tariffs on electric vehicles made in China.

The EU’s draft decision on final EV tariffs made mostly minor modifications to the provisional rates announced last month.

Autos exported by BYD, the largest EV maker in China, would face a 17% tariff, while those from Shanghai-based SAIC Motor would be hit with the highest rate of 36.3%.

In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning once again denounced the tariff plan, saying it was politically motivated.

The tariffs are subject to the approval of the EU member states. A final decision must be made by early November, four months after the July 5 effective date of the provisional tariffs.

At the daily briefing, Mao said China was “seriously concerned” about a reported approval by the Biden administration of a secret nuclear strategic paper with a focus on China.

The classified paper passed in March underscored China’s rapid expansion in its nuclear arsenal which would soon compete with that of the US and Russia in terms of size and diversity, according to an American media report.

Separately, Mao pushed back against Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s criticisms of China’s “military aggression” in the seas surrounding Taiwan at a forum Wednesday.

Mao also commented on a report that Beijing began requiring Hong Kong-based foreign consular officials to seek Chinese authorities’ approval ten days ahead of their business visit to the Greater Bay Area, including Macao and southern Guangdong province.

Without confirming the report directly, Mao said foreign consular officials should obtain China’s “consent in advance” if they planned to visit areas outside their consular district for business purposes according to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Hong Kong media said the new rule could complicate the diplomat’s business visit since they would be asked to explain the reason for the trips, the personnel, times and venues involved, and any department that foreign officials plan to visit to get the permit.

To prevent mpox from entering the country, Uganda has intensified surveillance in its border areas with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is a hotspot for the virus.

Currently, Uganda has no active cases of mpox, according to the country’s Ministry of Health. The two imported cases in late July have been treated and resolved without complications.

Up to now, the ministry has designated more than 20 districts along its border with the DRC as high-risk areas for mpox transmission. Uganda’s health authorities also rolled out a nationwide training program for health workers to help them better detect and isolate suspected cases.

“We have already intensified our risk communication for prevention, we have also ensured that our laboratory systems are triggered to ensure that they are quick to pick any suspected cases for testing,” said Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a senior public relations officer at the ministry.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared last Wednesday that mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a public health emergency of international concern, raising alarms about its potential for increased global transmission.

Now, Uganda is in touch with WHO to access potential life-saving mpox vaccines, as part of the country’s preparedness and response plan against the viral disease.

“Uganda is a known leader as far as responding to re-emerging and emerging epidemic diseases. We have demonstrated this during the Ebola and Marburg outbreaks. So, the mpox finds a very resilient system that will be able to prevent its transmission internally,“ said Ainebyoona.

According to WHO, the current mpox outbreak, spreading from the DRC, has been exacerbated by the emergence of a more lethal new variant of the virus, Clade 1b, which has a mortality rate estimated at 3.6 percent, significantly higher than previous strains.

According to the African Union’s health agency, the number of new mpox cases reported in 2024 represents a 160 percent increase compared with the same period in 2023.

A 22-year-old man has been arrested after stabbing and killing his mother. The incident left his 17-year-old sister and brother both injured and currently in critical condition at the hospital.

The incident occurred on Sunday at a home on Barnard Road in Gorton, near Longsight, according to Manchester Police.

The deceased has been identified and confirmed by Manchester policed as Alberta Obinim, a 43-year-old known by many in Manchester as Mother for All.

Police responded to multiple emergency calls and quickly arrested the suspect on suspicion of murder. He is currently in custody for questioning.

Detectives have cordoned off the area as they gather evidence and speak to witnesses. Police believe the suspect was known to the victims and are treating it as an isolated incident.

Detective Superintendent Toby Facey expressed sympathy for those affected, noting the community’s shock and concern. He urged anyone with information or dashcam footage from the area around 11 p.m. on Sunday to come forward to assist the investigation.

Increased police patrols will remain in the area to provide reassurance to residents.

US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken was in Cairo on Tuesday where he met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and top diplomats meditating talks between Israel and Hamas.

The discussions are part of the latest effort to broker a Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Palestinian group, Hamas.

Blinken’s ninth trip to the region since the start of the conflict comes amid fears it could widen into a deeper regional war.

After meeting yesterday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken said Israel has accepted a US “bridging proposal” aimed at narrowing differences between the two sides.

He urged Hamas to do the same, as a basis for further talks.

The militant group has not explicitly rejected the proposal, but said in a statement that it overturns what was previously agreed on.

However, experts believe a ceasefire in Gaza is more likely now because of pressure imposed on various parties, including the threat of Iran and its allies attacking Israel.

Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow at the prestigious British think tank Chatham House, said US President Joe Biden was also under pressure to make the latest round of negotiations work.

She believes Washington has “lost patience with its ally’s behaviour”.

“I think Blinken is willing to expose Netanyahu if he is not going to agree, if he’s going to mount conditions, new conditions, if he’s not going to stick to the Biden ceasefire proposal and the Security Council resolution proposal,” she said.

“And if he insists on new conditions, which he knows, Hamas is not going to be able to, accept, I think that’s what we should be watching for.”

Bar-Yaacov said that, as well as Blinken’s visit coinciding with the Democratic convention, it also comes as the threat of an attack from Iran or its proxies grows.

“The clock is ticking with Iran and Hezbollah, and potentially all of Iran’s proxies of which there are many, organising a coordinated attack or some horrific attack and in an unprecedented fashion against Israel,” she said.

Iranian officials last week said only a ceasefire deal in Gaza would hold it back from direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil.

“If leverage isn’t exercised, sufficient leverage, serious leverage and cost on Israel by the United States and on Hamas by Qatar – it takes two to tango – then we’re not going to see a deal,” said Bar-Yaacov.

After Egypt, Blinken will travel to Qatar for further negotiations following meetings in Israel on Monday.