Category: LATEST NEWS

Namibia’s main opposition party said on Saturday that it plans to file a legal challenge against the results of last month’s disputed election.

The announcement by the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) came a day after a court granted it and another opposition party the right to inspect material from the polls.

They have claimed there were irregularities in the presidential and parliamentary polls held on 27 November.

Namibia’s ruling South West Africa People’s Party (SWAPO) won both the votes, extending its 34-year grip on power.

The IPC says the data will help it to substantiate their allegations ahead of the main court application on 23 December challenging the validity of the election.

Following Friday’s ruling, the court ordered the electoral commission to provide the parties with the information by next week.

This includes documentation of the number of votes cast and counted at each polling station.

The election was marred by a shortage of ballot papers and technical challenges which resulted in polling stations staying open for up to three days in some areas.

Namibia’s electoral commission declared the vote free and fair.

President-elect Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has also dismissed allegations that the election was flawed. She is due to take office in March, becoming the country’s first female president.

Opposition groups in Guinea say they are outraged at an announcement by the junta that the transition to democratic rule will extend beyond the end of the year.

A spokesperson for the ruling authority said conditions for the transitional period to end have not yet been met.

In negotiations with the regional bloc, ECOWAS, the junta which seized power in a coup in September 2021 had promised a return to elections and civilian rule within two years.

In July, it presented citizens with a draft of a new constitution which imposes a strict two-term limit for the presidency, each for five years.

It would also potentially allow current military leader Mamady Doumbouya to participate in the next presidential poll.

But the promised referendum on the document, expected to pave the wave for a return to constitutional rule, is yet to take place.

And the junta has shown little sign of moving to organise an election.

A committee of Guinean opposition groups, civil society organisations, and activists known as the Forces Vives, says it will no longer recognise the legitimacy of the transitional authority after 31 December.

The organisation on Friday called for the mobilisation of the Guinean diaspora in Europe to take part in a demonstration in Paris on 28 December, to demand the junta’s departure from power.

Cyclone Chido struck Mozambique on Sunday, unleashing powerful winds and raising alarms about potential devastation after traversing islands in the southeastern Indian Ocean.

Footage shared by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed boats wrecked along the shore and palm trees bending under the force of the winds.

Cabo Delgado province, which is home to approximately 2 million residents, has suffered significant damage, according to the agency.

Guy Taylor, the chief advocacy and communications officer for UNICEF Mozambique, shared his observations from Pemba, the capital of Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique.

This morning, Cyclone Chido made landfall as a powerful tropical cyclone, unleashing severe winds and heavy rainfall.

“UNICEF is concerned about the immediate impacts of this cyclone: the loss of life, the damage to schools, to people’s homes, to health care facilities. We’re also worried about the longer term impacts: children potentially being cut off from learning for weeks on end, people unable to get access to health care and the potential spread of waterborne diseases like cholera and malaria,” he said.

Taylor added in a video, that communities might find themselves isolated from schools and healthcare services for an extended period.

The storm has claimed at least 11 lives in the French territory of Mayotte, with the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar also feeling its impact.

The cyclone season in the southeastern Indian Ocean runs from December to March, and southern Africa has faced a series of intense storms in recent years.

Cyclone Idai in 2019 resulted in over 1,300 fatalities across Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe.

Last year, Cyclone Freddy caused more than 1,000 deaths across multiple countries.

These cyclones pose threats of flooding and landslides, and the stagnant water left behind can lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases like cholera, as well as dengue fever and malaria.

Research indicates that the severity of these cyclones is increasing due to climate change.

This situation forces impoverished nations in southern Africa, which contribute minimally to global warming, to confront significant humanitarian crises, highlighting their urgent need for assistance from wealthier countries to address the effects of climate change.

West Africa’s regional organization, ECOWAS, has set an exit timeline for three nations affected by coups, following nearly a year of mediation efforts aimed at preventing a significant fracture within the bloc.

Omar Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission, announced that the transitional period will run from January 29, 2025, to July 29, 2025, while keeping the door open for the three countries during this time.

At the summit’s opening, Touray expressed that the decision was “disheartening.”

In January, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger declared their intention to withdraw from ECOWAS, citing the bloc’s sanctions and its failure to address their ongoing security challenges.

Membership in ECOWAS offers significant advantages, such as visa-free travel among member states, and it remains uncertain how this will be affected once the three nations exit the organization.

In a historic move for the nearly 50-year-old bloc, the military governments of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have firmly rejected ECOWAS’ attempts to persuade them to reconsider their departure, and they are exploring the possibility of issuing their own travel documents and forming a separate alliance.

The one-year notice period for their exit is expected to conclude as planned.

Touray praised the dedication of the bloc’s envoys in their efforts to address the ongoing crisis.

“These initiatives highlight your shared commitment to maintaining peace and unity in our region,” he remarked.

Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s president and chairman of ECOWAS, emphasized that the global and regional challenges test their collaborative spirit.

“We must remain focused on our primary duty, which is to safeguard our citizens and foster an environment where they can thrive,” he stated.

One significant advantage of being part of ECOWAS is the ability to travel freely among member states, and it remains uncertain how this will be affected by the departure of three countries from the bloc.

When questioned about the potential consequences in July, the president of the ECOWAS commission noted, “Exiting an agreement… particularly one concerning free trade and the movement of people, carries the risk of losing those benefits.”

On Saturday, the three nations issued a joint statement declaring that while their territories would continue to be accessible without visas for other West African citizens, they “reserve the right … to deny entry to any ECOWAS national categorized as inadmissible immigrants.”

Since its establishment in 1975, ECOWAS has been West Africa’s leading political authority, and this division represents its most significant challenge to date, according to Babacar Ndiaye, a senior fellow at the Timbuktu Institute for Peace Studies in Senegal.

The likelihood of ECOWAS successfully reintegrating the three countries is low, primarily because the bloc seeks a swift return to democratic governance, which the military juntas have not pledged to uphold, explained Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.

Allowing the juntas to maintain power “could lead to further regional fragmentation,” while acknowledging them as legitimate authorities would signify “a serious deviation from ECOWAS’s founding principles,” Durmaz added.

He also pointed out that the regional bloc has not effectively managed the situation.

Durmaz remarked that the bloc’s varied reactions to coups in the area suggest that its position is shaped more by the political aspirations of its member states rather than by its core mission of fostering democratic governance.

Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia, inaugurated its new president following last month’s election, which strengthened its quest for international recognition.

This event occurred just a day after Somalia and Ethiopia reached an agreement in Turkey to engage in “technical talks” regarding a dispute arising from a deal between Somaliland and Ethiopia.

As the sixth president of Somaliland, Abdullahi, sets the record straight during his inaugural speech

Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, the President of Somaliland, stated that “My new government’s first job is to renew its relations with the rest of the world in order for us to be able to create a new Somaliland that will help the security of the entire region, including the Red Sea.”

Abdullahi, 69, from the opposition Waddani Party, won over 50% of the votes in the presidential election held on November 13, defeating Bihi, who was aiming for a second term after seven years in office.

The electoral commission verified the results, emphasizing the significant voter turnout and the peaceful nature of the election as evidence of Somaliland’s democratic strength.

Richard H. Riley, the U.S. ambassador to Somalia, conveyed, “On behalf of the United States of America and President Joseph Biden and all of the American people, we want to extend to you our warmest congratulations on this event today… on behalf of the entire diplomatic service corps here in Somaliland… I can convey to you on their behalf… their warmest congratulations as well. You have many friends in the international community.”

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia over 30 years ago, yet it remains unrecognized by the African Union, the United Nations, or any other nation as a sovereign state.

Somalia continues to view Somaliland as part of its territory.

Throughout the years, Somaliland has been praised for its stable political climate, which stands in stark contrast to Somalia’s persistent issues with violence, particularly from the al-Qaida-affiliated militant group al-Shabab.

Since 1991, Somaliland has operated its own government, currency, and security forces.

In its pursuit of international recognition, Somaliland entered into a memorandum of understanding with Ethiopia in January to lease coastal land for a marine base.

In exchange, Ethiopia would acknowledge Somaliland’s independence, a move that Somalia claims violates its sovereignty.

This agreement became a significant topic during Somaliland’s election campaign, with Abdullahi criticizing it for a perceived lack of transparency.

He has vowed to reassess such agreements to ensure they serve Somaliland’s strategic interests and its aspirations for recognition.

Abdullahi’s leadership is now tasked with tackling the clashes in Somaliland’s Sool region, and the pursuit of international recognition, alongside a reassessment of its regional agreements, notably with Ethiopia.

Niger’s authorities suspended the BBC for three months over the broadcaster’s coverage of an extremist attack that allegedly killed dozens of Nigerien soldiers and civilians, authorities said Thursday.

“BBC broadcasts false information aimed at destabilizing social calm and undermining the troops’ morale,” communications minister Raliou Sidi Mohamed said in letters to radio stations that rebroadcast BBC content. Mohamed asked the stations to suspend BBC’s programs “with immediate effect.”

The BBC said it had no comment on the suspension.

Popular BBC programs, including those in Hausa — the most-spoken language in Niger — are broadcast in the Central African country through local radio partners to reach a large audience across the region.

The British broadcaster had reported on its website in Hausa on Wednesday that gunmen had killed more than 90 Nigerien soldiers and more than 40 civilians in two villages near the border with Burkina Faso.

The French broadcaster Radio France International, also known as RFI, also reported on the attack, calling it a jihadi attack and citing the same death toll.

Niger’s authorities denied that an attack happened in the area in a statement read on state television and said it would file a complain against RFI for “incitement to genocide.”

Niger, along with its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance.

The foreign ministers of Egypt and China held talks in Beijing on Friday on increasing cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

This includes the economic and financial sectors, as well advancing the joint manufacturing process and the localisation of industry in Egypt, especially in priority sectors.

Cairo’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, said this included the “localisation of the solar panel industry to generate new and renewable energy, as well as the electric car industry in Egypt”.

Following the fall of Damascus on Sunday, Abdelatty said he also discussed the situation in Syria with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

The rebels toppled the government of President Bashar al-Assad after a sudden and rapid offensive which saw them enter the capital in 10 days.

Abdelatty said Cairo and Beijing’s views “converged on the great importance of having a comprehensive political process in Syria”.

He said it was important to establish an inclusive government that reflects the “sectarian, religious, ethnic, and racial diversity within Syria”.

Cairo’s top diplomat also condemned “in the strongest terms” Israel’s attacks on Syria following the fall of the Assad government.

“The destruction of various infrastructure and military sites in flagrant violation of international law, as well as the Israeli incursion and occupation of a very large part of the buffer zone in flagrant violation of the Disengagement Agreement signed in 1974.”

China on Thursday criticized the U.S. for “politicising” trade issues as the latter considers providing over $3 billion to U.S. telecom companies to remove Chinese telecom equipment.

“The United States’ claim that Chinese information and communication products pose security risks is completely baseless”, said He Yadong, the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Commerce, at a regular press briefing.

“China firmly opposes the U.S. overstretching the concept of national security, violating the principles of market economy and fair competition, and interfering with the normal economic and trade cooperation between Chinese and American enterprises.

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defence Authorization Act, a defence policy bill that includes $3 billion fund to remove telecom equipment provided by Chinese firms, including Huawei and ZTE, from U.S. networks.

The bill will move to the U.S. Senate and the U.S. President for further approval before becoming law.

“We hope that the U.S. will respect facts and stop politicising and weaponizing economic and trade issues. China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises,” He said.

Chinese manufacturers recently started to limit the exports of key parts used for drones, according to media reports.

He did not confirm the reports directly but said China has always strictly controlled the exports of dual use items including drones.

Cameroon has become the first foreign buyer of petroleum from the Dangote refinery.

The first export of 60,000 tonnes of refined petroleum went to Neptune Oil, a major distributor and retailer in Central Africa.

The company said it was working with the refiner to establish ‘a reliable supply chain that will help stabilize fuel prices and opportunities’ across the region.

Aliko Dangote plans to export 56% of his total fuel production, even as crude supply difficulties threaten to bog down the refinery’s operations.

The 650,000 b/d facility began selling gasoline domestically in September, with Nigeria’s state-owned oil company as the sole buyer.

The Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has relied heavily on imports for domestic gasoline supply but hopes that Dangote’s operations will reduce this dependence and save the government crucial forex.

In October, Dangote and the NNPC began a crude-for-gasoline swap arrangement which is settled in Naira.

Mali’s armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, committed abuses against civilians since the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission late last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday.

Malian armed forces and the Russia-backed Wagner Group deliberately killed at least 32 civilians, including seven in a drone strike, kidnapped four others, and burned at least 100 homes in towns and villages in central and northern Mali since May, the rights group said.

Human Rights Watch also accused jihadi groups in the region of having summarily executed at least 47 civilians and displaced thousands of people since June. It said the groups burned thousands of houses and looted livestock, which is vital to the survival of the nomadic communities in the region.

“The Malian army with the Wagner Group and Islamist armed groups have been targeting civilians and their property in violation of the laws of war,” Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in the report.

Mali, along with its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an insurgency fought by jihadi groups, including some allied with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Following military coups in all three nations in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French forces and turned to Russia’s mercenary units for security assistance.

Wagner has been present in Mali since late 2021 following a military coup, replacing French troops and international peacekeepers to help fight the militants. At the same time, the mercenary group has been accused of helping to carry out raids and drone strikes that have killed civilians.

In December last year, the United Nations ended its decade-long peacekeeping mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA following the government’s request that alleged the force was inadequate to respond to the insurgency.

“Since MINUSMA left Mali a year ago, it has been extremely difficult to get comprehensive information on abuses, and we are deeply concerned that the situation is even worse than reported,” Allegrozzi said.