INTL Africa: Politics, Economics, Military- January 2022

[Plain Jane]

December's thread:

INTL - Africa: Politics, Economics, Military- December 2021

November's thread: https://www.timebomb2000.com/xf/index.php?threads/africa-politics-economics-military-november-2021.610079/ Regional Conflict in Mediterranean beginning page76: https://timebomb2000.com/xf/index.php?threads/regional-conflict-brewing-in-the-mediterranean.565195/page-76 Main...

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Regional Conflict in Mediterranean beginning page77:

WAR - Regional conflict brewing in the Mediterranean

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/EndGameWW3/status/1471246145942953988

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Main Coronavirus thread beginning page 1486:

CORONA - Main Coronavirus thread

https://thefederalist.com/2021/12/31/cdc-now-treats-unvaccinated-the-same-as-un-boosted-just-as-desantis-predicted/ CDC Now Treats Unvaccinated The Same As Un-Boosted, Just As DeSantis Predicted BY: SHAWN FLEETWOOD DECEMBER 31, 2021 IMAGE CREDITGAGE SKIDMORE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS The CDC is...

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Anger over Guinea-Bissau and Senegal 'oil and gas contract' – DW – 12/31/2021

The president of Guinea-Bissau has negotiated an oil deal with his counterpart from Senegal — without parliamentary approval. Umaro Sissoco Embalo is now facing a ministerial uprising supported by civil society.

www.dw.com

Anger over Guinea-Bissau and Senegal 'oil and gas contract'
The president of Guinea-Bissau has negotiated an oil deal with his counterpart from Senegal — without parliamentary approval. Umaro Sissoco Embalo is now facing a ministerial uprising supported by civil society.




Opponents say the agreement between Sall and Sissoco undercuts the state

The independent Guinea-Bissauan newspaper O Democrata broke the news in November about a secret agreement between Senegal's president, Macky Sall, and his Guinea-Bissauan counterpart, Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

The report revealed that Sissoco Embalo had independently negotiated and signed an agreement with Sall in October 2020 to unevenly share any future oil and gas revenues in the sea area between the countries.

Neither Guinea-Bissau's prime minister, Nuno Nabiam, nor the parliament were informed about the deal. The government released details of the deal on December 14 — weeks after theO Democrata report.

"The agreement provides for the division of future oil revenues between the two countries, albeit after a ratio that is very unfavorable to Guinea-Bissau," Armando Lona, the editor-in-chief of O Democrata, told DW.

Lona said the agreement was signed illegally because the president bypassed the public in a matter of national importance.

"We don't understand why Sissoco kept such a secret about our country's resources. After all, raw materials belong to all Guineans, and not just those who happen to be in power," he said.

Old territorial conflicts, new economic interests
As early as 1993, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau agreed to create a common economic zone off the coast of both countries. This temporarily resolved a decades-old territorial conflict. Senegal claimed 54% of the lands, and Guinea-Bissau 46%. The area is rich in fish stocks and oil and gas reserves.

In a previous agreement, Guinea-Bissau's proportion of the prospective oil and gas area was far lower at merely 15%. The renegotiations began at the end of 2014.

The AGC's general secretary, Inussa Balde, says the deal does not share profits between Senegal and Guinea-Bissau

Both Senegal and Guinea-Bissau had allocated the exploration, extraction and marketing of the resources in the common economic zone to the Agency for Cooperation between Guinea-Bissau and Senegal (AGC), based in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.

The AGC is already doing geological studies and drilling. But Armando Lona believes the agency is very controversial, especially in Guinea-Bissau.

"Many in Guinea-Bissau consider the AGC to be an extension of the Senegalese president," he said.
Opponents in Guinea-Bissau want the dissolution of the AGC and the end of the common zone "so that each country can exploit its own resources," Lona said.

Sissoco feels he is right
"What I signed with Macky Sall is not an agreement on the distribution of oil revenues," said Sissoco said as he was approached by journalists shortly before Christmas at the airport in the capital, Bissau.

"It is an agreement that is supposed to regulate the cooperation between our two countries in the common economic zone," he said. "And I am authorized to do so as president, because the AGC is subordinate to the presidents."

The AGC's executive secretary, Inussa Balde, downplayed the agreement.

"No oil or gas is being produced in the common economic zone. And we do not yet know for sure whether the production of oil is far too expensive is," Balde said at a press conference.

Balde said Sissoco and Sall had only signed "a general agreement" about the AGC. He denied that there was any contract for the distribution of oil and gas.

Lona said this contradicted a statement by the Senegalese economy minister, Amadou Hott, who recently publicly confirmed the existence of an oil exploration contract. Hott was released from his post shortly after his statement.

Activist Bubacar Ture wants the government prosecuted

Civil society at the barricades
For weeks there has been great resistance in civil society to the "lack of transparency with which the president decides on the country's raw materials." At a joint press conference on December 14, 27 nongovernmental organizations demanded the "criminal prosecution of all those involved in the treaty."

"We call on the public prosecutor's office in our country to investigate everyone involved in this act of betrayal of our homeland," said Bubacar Ture, vice president of the Guinean League for Human Rights.

In an interview with DW, political analyst Rui Landim — who is close to the opposition in Guinea-Bissau — spoke of high corruption and incompetence among those in power. He said it is now necessary "to denounce such immoral treaties so that other similar agreements in other regions of Africa can be prevented."

Parliament rejects the president's agreement
On December 15, the Guinea-Bissau's parliament approved a resolution declaring the agreement null and void.
Of the 72 MPs present in the chamber, 70 rejected the agreement. Only one MP voted for the agreement. The president of the National Assembly abstained.

"We acted to protect the country's best interests," said Bamba Banjai, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MADEM G15), a coalition partner to Sissoco's party.

The parliamentary president, Cipriano Cassama, also announced that he would call on international bodies, such as the UN and the African Union, to mediate the political standoff between the legislature and the head of state.
Sissoco reacted defiantly: "With this vote, parliament has clearly exceeded its powers and has caused serious damage to our country's international reputation."

The former military general then threatened to dissolve the parliament as soon as possible.
Iancuba Danso (Bissau) contributed to this report.
This article was translated from German.

 

[Plain Jane]

US boots Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from trade pact – DW – 01/02/2022

The United States has removed Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the African Growth and Opportunity Act due to rights violations and military coups.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea booted from US trade pact over rights violations
The US removed Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the African Growth and Opportunity Act due to rights violations and military coups.




The move could negatively impact Ethiopia's textile industry.

The US removed access for Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from a duty-free trade program on Saturday, due to their recent alleged human rights violations and recent coups.

US President Joe Biden had threatened to remove Ethiopia from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in November, due to human rights violations in the Tigray region. Mali and Guinea have been targeted due to recent coups.

Watch video02:35
Humanitarian crisis unfolds in northern Ethiopia
US 'deeply concerned' about these governments
"The Biden-Harris Administration is deeply concerned by the unconstitutional change in governments in both Guinea and Mali, and by the gross violations of internationally recognized human rights being perpetrated by the Government of Ethiopia and other parties amid the widening conflict in northern Ethiopia," the US Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement.

In mid-2021, armed coups overthrew the governments in both Mali and Guinea.

The suspension of trade benefits could threaten Ethiopia's textile industry, which supplies to global fashion brands. The country's economy is already struggling due to the pandemic and Tigray conflict.

The Ethiopian trade ministry said this move would reverse economic gains, and negatively impact women and children, adding that it was "extremely disappointed" by the action.

The AGOA program was started by former US president Bill Clinton, to facilitate trade between the US and African nations. Some changes were made by the US Congress in 2015, and the program was extended to 2025. In 2020, 38 countries were eligible for AGOA, according to the USTR website.
tg/aw (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Zerohedge

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero

www.zerohedge.com

South Africa's Parliament Building "Severely Damaged" After Massive Fire

BY TYLER DURDEN
SUNDAY, JAN 02, 2022 - 10:25 AM
One day after Desmond Tutu, the retired Archbishop of Cape Town who rose to prominence as the first black leader of the Anglican Church in South Africa to become a leader in the anti-apartheid struggle, was laid to rest, a massive fire ripped through the Houses of Parliament on Sunday.
Fire erupted at the South African Parliament building in Cape Town on Sunday morning, sending plumes of smoke into the air visible across the capital.


Video from the scene showed flames shooting out of the building. Firefighters arrived on the scene, and it was reported that the fire was still not under control by afternoon. There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1477530177609555969

View: https://twitter.com/UlrichJvV/status/1477530177609555969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1477530177609555969%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fpolitical%2Fsouth-africas-parliament-building-severely-damaged-after-massive-fire

"The entire parliamentary complex is severely damaged, waterlogged and smoke damaged," JP Smith, a Cape Town mayoral committee member responsible for safety and security, said.

"The second point of fire is the National Assembly building, which is gutted," Smith said, referring to the building where the Parliament meets. "The structural ceiling has collapsed. The fire staff had to be momentarily withdrawn."

Investigators are still not sure what caused the blaze.

"They will have to determine how the fire spread from the one blaze to the second blaze," Smith said, "because these are two very distinct areas."

President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived on the scene to inspect the damage on Sunday afternoon.

Parliamentary officials are not aware if the fire destroyed government documents. However, "offices belonging to lawmakers in the African National Congress as well as in two smaller opposition parties — the Good Party and the National Freedom Party — were among those badly damaged," NYTimes said.

This is a tragic way to start the New Year considering the country is still vulnerable to political and social unrest and COVID-19 outbreaks.

 

[Plain Jane]

Mali political parties say no to army's slow transition plan – DW – 01/03/2022

Major political parties in Mali have said no to the military government's five-year plan for transition to civilian rule. Since August 2020, the military has carried out two coups and postponed elections.

www.dw.com

AFRICA
Mali: Political parties reject military's five-year transition to democracy plan
Major political parties in Mali have said no to the military government's five-year plan for transition to civilian rule. Since August 2020, the military has carried out two coups and postponed elections.



Civilian political leaders have rejected the military's transition plans for a return to civilian rule which could take up to five years

A significant coalition of political parties in Mali rejected the military-led government's plans for a slow transition to democratic rule.

The military plan says the transition could take up to five years.

Under its plan, a constitutional referendum would be held in 2023 and legislative elections in 2025. A presidential election would not take place until 2026.

The junta called its proposal "appropriate to conduct the political and institutional reforms."


Watch video01:35
PaxSahel Awards recognizes outstanding journalism in the Sahel region
What is the political situation in Mali?
The army has been in control in Mali since August 2020. In that time, the army has carried out two coups and postponed elections previously scheduled for next month that it had committed to holding.

Mali's foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, submitted the government's transition plans Saturday to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Diop forwarded the document despite a boycott of the national reform conference by political parties and nongovernmental organizations.

ECOWAS has threatened sanctions on the country's military rulers for postponing the elections.

On January 9, ECOWAS will hold a summit in the Ghanaian capital of Accra on the situation in Mali.

The military government had hoped to extend the transition period by five years beginning at the start of the new year on January 1.



Watch video05:38
Mali: No rest for a country in crisis
Why have political parties in Mali rejected the army's plan?
A coalition of 10 parties said the plan is a violation of the transition charter and "has not been discussed in Mali and cannot in any way be the deep desire of the Malian people."
The coalition said in a statement it "rejects this unilateral and unreasonable timetable."
Sekou Niame Bathily, a spokesman for the coalition, told AFP that the coalition hopes "to proceed with quickly organizing elections."

What forces are jockeying for power in Mali?
In August 2020, Colonel Assimi Goita overthrew former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. That coup followed weeks of protests against corruption and Keita's response to a violent jihadist insurgency.

France and countries bordering Mali forced Goita's hand to pledge that Mali would return to democratic civilian rule next month following presidential and legislative elections.

Instead of adhering to that transition plan, Goita instead staged another coup in May 2021 which forced out interim civilian leaders and pushed back the transition timeline.

The army said insecurity in northern Mali was the primary driver for postponing elections.



Watch video26:01
20 years after 9/11: Is the war on terror a lost cause?
The government does not control over half of Mali's territory.
Various armed groups are jockeying for power, including groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State.

What Western forces are involved in Mali?
In Germany, the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces Eva Högl said the Bundeswehr, or German army, should evaluate its role in Mali and consider ending its military operations there.

The Bundeswehr has just over 1,350 soldiers in Mali involved in the UN mission and the EU training mission.


Watch video01:49
Mali: France ends Operation Barkhane
The French military is in the process of winding down operations in Mali after it helped push militants out of power in the north of the country in 2013.

There are concerns that the withdrawal of Western forces will leave a power vacuum that will only contribute to insecurity, as has happened elsewhere such as Afghanistan.



Watch video03:05
Could Mali become the next Afghanistan?
ar/rc (AFP, AP, dpa)

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudan's prime minister resigns amid deadlock – DW – 01/03/2022

Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said he would step down from his role. The move comes less than two months after he was reinstated following a military coup.

www.dw.com

Sudan: Abdalla Hamdok resigns as prime minister
Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said he would step down from his role. The move comes less than two months after he was reinstated following a military coup.




Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's resignation is likely to deal a blow in efforts to transition the country to democracy

Sudan's civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced on Sunday that he was stepping down from his role.

His resignation comes six weeks after he was reinstated as part of an agreement with the military that originally overthrew the government in October.

"I decided to give back the responsibility and announce my resignation as prime minister, and give a chance to another man or woman of this noble country to ... help it pass through what’s left of the transitional period to a civilian democratic country," Hamdok said in a televised address.

Hours before the announcement, thousands of protesters took to the streets in the capital calling on the military to stop interfering in the transition.

Watch video01:37
Sudan PM steps down after months of political turmoil
Why is Hamdok stepping down?
Hamdok's decision comes amid stunted attempts to carry out a democratic transition in the country. He has called for a roundtable discussion to table a new agreement on how this can be achieved.

"I have tried my best to stop the country from sliding towards disaster," he said, addressing the nation.

"In view of the fragmentation of the political forces and conflicts between the (military and civilian) components of the transition ... despite everything that has been done to reach a consensus ... it has not happened," he said.

Sudan "is crossing a dangerous turning point that threatens its whole survival", he added.

Hamdok had got the military to agree to elections in 2023, but rumors of his possible resignation began to circulate after local media reported that he had not been in his office for days.

What is the situation in Sudan?
The news of Hamdok's plan to leave power throws the country into further uncertainty, three years after a popular uprising toppled the long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.

Hamdok first became prime minister as part of a deal with the military. He had previously served as an official for the United Nations and is trained as an economist.

The military — under the leadership of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan — then conducted a coup on October 25, sparking concern for the state of the country's struggling democratic transition. He was reinstated in November.

Despite the concession from the military, protests continued. Protest organizers claimed that the reinstatement of Hamdok was a move by the military to legitimize the coup.

Police and security forces have responded in a heavy-handed way against protesters leading to scores of them being killed.



Watch video01:35
Four protesters in Sudan shot dead by security forces
ab/rs (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

South Africa Parliament arson suspect appears in court – DW – 01/04/2022

The man faces five counts, including two of arson. Meanwhile, firefighters said the blaze was back under control after strong winds had fanned the embers.

www.dw.com

South Africa Parliament arson suspect appears in court
The man faces five counts including arson and possession of an explosive device. Meanwhile, firefighters said the blaze was back under control after strong winds had fanned the embers.




Firefighters brought a new blaze at South Africa's parliament under control

A 49-year-old man charged with arson in connection with the fire in South Africa's Parliamentappeared in court on Tuesday.

The man was facing five charges including arson, possession of an explosive device, housebreaking and theft.

Prosecutors said they expect to add additional charges later.

The man's lawyer, advocate Luvuyo Godla, said his client denies all charges against him.

The court has remanded the case for 7-days for prosecutors to collect bail information
He was arrested over the weekend on the grounds of parliament.

The Hawks, a specialist unit of the SA Police Service, said he seemed to have gained entry by climbing over a fence and breaking a window.

The case in the Cape Town Magistrates Court was broadcast live on South African news channels and the accused defiantly removed his coronavirus mask when he saw photographers in the courtroom.

Fire at parliament fire under control
Just a few blocks away from the court firefighters brought the new blaze at Parliament under control on Tuesday.

Early on Monday, it seemed that the original fire that gutted the historic building in Cape Town was under control, but strong winds caused it to flare up again.

"Further damages caused at several floors of the building," Parliament spokesman Moloto Motapo wrote on Twitter.

Cape Town's chief fire officer, Ian Schnetler, said structural engineers and forensic investigators would be able to get into the building late on Tuesday.

Schnetler said firefighters were still looking for hot spots and they would stay on scene until "the last spark or ember is out in this building."

"By the end of the day we should have this thing sorted out," Schnetler said.


Watch video04:19
Fire at S Africa's parliament reignites
Alternative venues considered
The fire first broke out on Sunday,and completely destroyed the National Assembly.
It was scheduled to host President Cyril Ramaphosa's annual State of the Nation Address and the budget speech in February.

"We wish to assure you that the State of the Nation Address and the budget speech and other activities will proceed as planned," the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Amos Masondo, said on Monday night.

National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said the Cape Town International Convention Centre and Cape Town's city hall and municipal council chambers were being considered as alternative venues.
lo/msh (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Report: Ethiopia detains many Tigrayans deported from Gulf

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Officials in Ethiopia have arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared thousands of ethnic Tigrayans who recently were deported from Saudi Arabia, a new Human Rights Watch report says as the country’s deadly Tigray conflict continues.

apnews.com

Report: Ethiopia detains many Tigrayans deported from Gulf
38 minutes ago

FILE - A group from the Tigrayan diaspora in North America protest about the conflict in Ethiopia, near the State Department, on Dec. 22, 2021, in Washington. Officials in Ethiopia have arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared thousands of ethnic Tigrayans who recently were deported from Saudi Arabia, a new Human Rights Watch report said Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, as the country's deadly Tigray conflict continues. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Officials in Ethiopia have arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared thousands of ethnic Tigrayans who recently were deported from Saudi Arabia, a new Human Rights Watch report says as the country’s deadly Tigray conflict continues.

This is the latest report citing witnesses who have described mass arrests of ethnic Tigrayans. Ethiopia’s government says it is targeting people suspected of supporting the Tigray forces who have fought the government since November 2020 but pulled back into their region weeks ago.

“Tigrayan migrants who have experienced horrific abuse in Saudi custody are being locked up in detention facilities upon returning to Ethiopia,” said Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Saudi Arabia should offer protection to Tigrayans at risk, while Ethiopia should release all arbitrarily detained Tigrayan deportees.”

The report released Wednesday called on Saudi officials to “stop holding ethnic Tigrayans in abhorrent conditions and deporting them to Ethiopia, and instead help the United Nations high commissioner for refugees to provide them with international protection.”

Thousands of Ethiopians, mostly from the Tigray and Amhara regions, make illegal travel each year to Saudi Arabia through Yemen in search of a better life. But Saudi officials have deported thousands of them in recent years.

According to Ethiopian officials, tens of thousands of the migrants have returned home in recent months. Human Rights Watch said Ethiopian authorities have transferred Tigrayan deportees to reception centers in the capital, Addis Ababa, where some were unlawfully held.

A federal police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Human Rights Watch allegations.

Trhas, a 33-year-old Tigrayan woman who was deported from Saudi Arabia in December 2020, told the rights group that federal police stopped her at a checkpoint at Awash Sebat in Ethiopia’s Afar region in April and took her to a “military camp” where she was held with up to 700 other Tigrayan deportees.

After two days they took her to Shone in the southern part of the country. “We asked the federal police for food and water and the toilet, but we were beaten if we left our seats,” she told the rights group, adding that police told the Tigrayans that “Bandits don’t need food.”
Ethiopia’s war is estimated to have killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. Meanwhile, Tigrayans have told The Associated Press they live in fear.

Ethiopia’s government has sought to restrict reporting on the war and detained some journalists, including a video freelancer accredited to the AP, Amir Aman Kiyaro.

 

[Plain Jane]

Suspect in South Africa's Parliament fire appears in court

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The man suspected of starting the fire that gutted South Africa's parliament buildings appeared in court Tuesday and will remain in custody pending a bail hearing. Zandile Christmas Mafe faces several charges including arson, theft, housebreaking and contravention of the...

apnews.com

Suspect in South Africa’s Parliament fire appears in court
By ANDREW MELDRUMJanuary 4, 2022



1 of 10
Zandile Mafe appears in the magistrates court in Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 charged with two counts of arson, theft, housebreaking and contravention of the National Key Points Acts. The State has been granted a seven-day postponement in the case against Mafe after he was arrested in connection with the fire that's destroyed parts of Parliament. (AP Photo/Nardus Engelbrecht)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The man suspected of starting the fire that gutted South Africa’s parliament buildings appeared in court Tuesday and will remain in custody pending a bail hearing.

Zandile Christmas Mafe faces several charges including arson, theft, housebreaking and contravention of the National Key Points Acts, which restricts access to government buildings, according to the local Eye Witness News website.

Mafe’s lawyer said he denies the charges. Mafe was arrested on the premises of the Parliament complex by police after they noticed the fire Sunday morning. The Parliament complex in the center of Cape Town includes some buildings that are 130 years old.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Eric Ntabazalila told journalists outside court that Mafe was also found with an explosive device, but didn’t give further details.

Police haven’t ruled out the possibility of more arrests, said Nomthandazo Mbambo, spokesman for the Hawks special investigative unit of the police.


“We’re going to be conducting a full investigation and we think there may be other people involved but at this stage, the focus is on this one until the investigation can dictate otherwise,” Mbabmbo told media outside the courtroom.

The fire destroyed South Africa’s main Parliament chamber, offices and other buildings nearby on Sunday. It flared up again Monday when winds picked up and burned through other offices. Firefighters battled the renewed blaze until midnight, officials said.

Parliament was closed for the holidays and no injuries have been reported in the fire.

 

[Plain Jane]

China announces new Horn of Africa envoy – DW – 01/06/2022

The region is suffering several crises, including the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region as well as political upheaval in Somalia.

www.dw.com

Horn of Africa: China announces new envoy as US one departs
The region is suffering several crises, including the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region as well as political upheaval in Somalia.




China's foreign minister was in Mombasa, Kenya to seal the deal on six agreements

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday while on a vist to Kenya that China would name a special envoy for the Horn of Africa.

Wang said conflicts in the Horn of Africa hamper the region's "tremendous potential for development.''

Later in the day, the US said its own envoy to the region would soon be replaced.

Why is China sending an envoy?
Speaking in Mombasa through an interpreter, Wang said China's new envoy will work "to share political consensus and to coordinate actions."

He did not provide further details on the envoy's new role. However, he did say China hoped to help Eritrea develop its Red Sea coastline.

Kenya has been involved in diplomatic efforts to bring about an end to the conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

The conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. China remains opposed to sanctions.

Previously on his tour of East Africa, Wang visited Eritrea on the northern border of the Tigray region. Eritrea is aligned with the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the conflict.

The region's other major war is in Somalia, where Islamist militants are battling a Western-backed government.

Wang urged nations in the region to "resolve various ethnic, religious and regional differences in an African way."


Watch video02:35
Humanitarian crisis unfolds in Ethiopia
What is China's role in East Africa?
China has a naval base in Djibouti and has made loans to the Ethiopian government. China also has significant investments in the oil sector in South Sudan.
Six agreements were signed while Yang was in Kenya, including one trade agreement that will see avocados from Kenya shipped to China. Kenya will also receive 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China.
Traditionally, China has focused more on business and trade in Africa over politics and diplomacy



Watch video03:28
Is China Africa's new colonial power?
What is the situation with the US envoy to the region?
The US special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, was also in the region Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Feltman will step down from his role "in the coming days" after nine months on the job, the US State Department has said. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Feltman would continue to serve in an advisory role.

Feltman will be replaced by the outgoing US ambassador to Turkey, David Satterfield.
The State Department said it was "aware" of reports of the Chinese envoy. It reiterated that the Horn of Africa's challenges "demand sustained focus by the United States.''
ar/rt (AFP, AP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Russian military advisers arrive in Mali – DW – 01/07/2022

Russian military advisers are reportedly helping Mali train its security forces. Western countries have criticized Mali for allowing mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group to operate in the West African nation.

www.dw.com

Mali: Russian military advisers arrive amid Western pullback
Russian military advisers are reportedly helping Mali train its security forces. Western countries have criticized Mali for allowing mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group to operate in the West African nation.




Some Malian citizens have welcomed Russian intervention in their country

Hundreds of Russian military advisers have been deployed to Mali in recent weeks, according to members of the Malian army.

What do we know so far?
One member of the Malian armed forces told the French news agency AFP on Friday that as many as 400 Russian military personnel could be stationed in the West African country.

A Mali army spokesperson said Thursday that Russian soldiers were stationed in the northern city of Timbuktu to assist Malian forces.

Mali has been criticized for reportedly allowing mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group to operate on its territory. The mercenaries are seen as being backed by the Russian government and have been accused of carrying out human rights violations in other nations.

In December, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and several other countries condemned the suspected presence of Wagner mercenaries in the country. The issue is particularly sensitive for the French government, as France has roughly 5,000 troops deployed in the West African region.

Watch video01:50
Camel corps takes on terrorism in West Africa
Mali slams Wagner allegations
Mali has rebuked the allegations and denied that it works with the Wagner Group.

The Kremlin has also claimed that Wagner is not sponsored by the Russian government. Yet, the deployment of Russian military advisers in the country could help Moscow gain a foothold in the West African region.

An anonymous Malian elected official told AFP that both mercenaries and Russian troops are active in the country.

Mali has struggled with a jihadi insurgency over the past decade, which has also had an impact on neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. The country is also reeling from political instability, with Mali having witnessed three military coups since 2012.
wd/sms (AFP, Reuters, epd)

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia releases several political prisoners – DW – 01/07/2022

The Ethiopian government has pardoned numerous political prisoners. The effort is part of a larger drive to initiate a "national dialogue" after a year of civil war with forces from the Tigray region.

www.dw.com

Ethiopia announces amnesty for jailed opposition politicians
The Ethiopian government has pardoned numerous political prisoners. The effort is part of a larger drive to initiate a "national dialogue" after a year of civil war with forces from the Tigray region.




Ethiopian opposition leader Jawar Mohammed was among those pardoned Friday

Ethiopia released several political prisoners Friday in a bid to jumpstart a "national dialogue" amid a grueling civil war.

The unexpected move to release political prisoners, including some from Tigray, the region whose forces are at odds with the federal government in Ethiopia, comes amid a pause in the conflict.

The government said it was releasing important members of Tigray's forces and opposition leaders from the Oromo ethnic group and the Amhara. The Oromo are Ethiopia's largest ethnic group.

The pardons coincided with a farewell visit by outgoing US envoy Jeffrey Feltman to Addis Ababa. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the development.

Who is affected by the amnesty?
Earlier Friday, the party of Ethiopia's opposition leader Eskinder Nega said he had been released following a year and a half in prison.

Opposition leader Eskinder Nega has been freed from jail, his political party said
Ethiopian state TV said two others, Oromo opposition leader Bekele Garba and media owner and politician Jawar Mohammed, were also released.

Eskinder founded the Balderas for Genuine Democracy party. He was charged with terrorism by the country's high court in September 2020.

A former dissident blogger, Eskinder was arrested in 2020 following riots over the killing of Hachalu Hundessa, a politically minded singer, in Addis Ababa.

Hachalu was revered by people from Ethiopia's Oromo region.

Eskinder, an ethnic Amhara, was found guilty alongside Mohammed and Oromo activists.


Watch video02:35
Humanitarian crisis unfolds in Ethiopia
What is happening in Ethiopia's civil war?
Ethiopia has been engaged in a yearlong brutal civil war with forces from the Tigray region. In recent weeks,

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has said the country needs a process of national reconciliation.

Late last year, Addis Ababa reversed the tide of the conflict as Tigrayan forces seemed prepared to come into the capital.

Instead, government forces seized strategic towns and beat Tigray's forces back.
The war has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands.
Tigray is facing famine conditions.
ar/nm (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Tigray forces say Ethiopian airstrike kills 56 civilians

A spokesman for the forces fighting Ethiopia’s government in the embattled Tigray region says an air strike has killed at least 56 people at a camp for displaced people.

apnews.com

Tigray forces say Ethiopian airstrike kills 56 civilians

today

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — An airstrike in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region has killed at least 56 people at a camp for displaced people, a spokesman for the Tigray forces said Saturday, as the country’s war continues despite the government’s talk of reconciliation.

“Another callous drone attack,” Getachew Reda tweeted, saying the civilians had fled the conflict elsewhere in the region only to become the latest victims of recent airstrikes that have reportedly killed scores of people in Tigray.

Spokespeople for Ethiopia’s government and military did not respond to requests for comment on the airstrike, which could not be independently confirmed. Much of Tigray remains cut off from the world, with limited communications for humanitarian workers who have found their work severely constrained by a months-long government blockade.

Reports of the airstrike at the camp in Dedebit in northwestern Tigray came a day after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed issued a message of reconciliation for Orthodox Christmas after 14 months of war.

Ethiopia’s conflict shifted in late December, when the Tigray forces fighting Ethiopia’s government withdrew back into the Tigray region after approaching the capital, Addis Ababa. A drone-supported military offensive pushed them back.

The U.N.’s humanitarian agency reported late last month that between Dec. 19 and 24, “airstrikes on Tigray reportedly led to mass civilian causalities, including dozens of people reportedly killed, making this the most intense series of air attacks and casualties reported since October.” It said most attacks and casualties were reported in towns in southern Tigray.

The United Nations refugee agency reported Thursday that an airstrike killed three Eritrean refugees, two of them children, the previous day at the Mai Aini camp.

Ethiopia’s government on Friday announced an amnesty for some of the country’s most high-profile political detainees, including senior Tigray party officials. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Justice said the amnesty was granted “to make the upcoming national dialogue successful and inclusive.”

Ethiopian lawmakers last month approved a bill to establish a commission for national dialogue amid international pressure for negotiations to end the war.

It’s estimated that tens of thousands of people have been killed in the war that erupted in November 2020 between Ethiopian forces and the Tigray forces who once led the country.

 

[Plain Jane]

Uganda's U-turn on transport vaccine mandate – DW – 01/07/2022

Authorities in Uganda have reversed their decision to demand proof of vaccination against COVID-19 on public transport. The directive attracted great ire among bus and taxi operators, as the country looked set to reopen.

www.dw.com

Uganda's U-turn on public transport vaccination mandate
Authorities in Uganda have reversed their decision to demand proof of vaccination against COVID-19 on public transport. The directive attracted great ire among bus and taxi operators, as the country looked set to reopen.




Markets and transit stations are hot spots for COVID transmission

On the streets of Kampala, the public looks eager to get back to the life as they knew it. Taxi ranks and bus stations in the Ugandan capital are bustling with activity — but it's exactly in these busy transportation hubs that COVID-19 can easily be transmitted.

With this in mind, the government had looked at the transport sector as one of the key industries to uphold certain COVID-19 restrictions, initially demanding that all passengers produce vaccination certificates or at least a valid negative test result.

President Yoweri Museveni wants to reopen Uganda's economy, but many aren't happy with his terms

President Yoweri Museveni's announcement to that end on New Year's Eve attracted great criticism. Drivers and conductors vowed to defy the order, saying they would not block unvaccinated passengers from boarding their vehicles. And the public weren't far behind in rejecting the effective vaccine mandate, with less than 20% of the Ugandan public having received at least a first vaccination dose by late December.

Kampala businesswoman Diana Birungi told DW that reviving the economy should be the government's first priority. "As a passenger, when you stop us from moving the economy is dead," she said.

Scientific consensus also against directive
Faced with the resistance, the government had to reverse much of this directive less than a week later. Transport and Works minister General Katumba Wamala insisted, however, that operators will still be required to be vaccinated before they can transport passengers.

And now, even scientists are joining the ranks of those who are cautioning against introducing laws that could be detrimental to socio-economic activities. A group of Ugandan researchers has advised the government to abandon the directive, saying it was not practical or easy to enforce considering the vaccination shortage in the country.

They noted that overreliance on vaccination may send the wrong signal. Uganda has thus far managed to procure 32 million vaccine doses, which could inoculate over half the country's population. However, omicron has meanwhile proven that new variants can potentially bypass vaccine protection.

Uganda is only at the beginning of its vaccination campaign

Dr. Misaki Wayengera, the head of the government's scientific advisory committee, stressed that COVID vaccines are "not designed to prevent primary infection."

"And this has been very difficult for people to understand: the essence of vaccination in COVID is to reduce the risk for severe disease," he told DW. Wayengera added that in addition to vaccines, "secondary measures to prevent the transmission of COVID-19" will also continue to be needed.

Vaccination only 'secondary' line of protection
Wayengera stressed the importance of social distancing, proper mask-wearing and hand hygiene, adding that "vaccines alone will not help. We need to be able to complement the vaccines with the standard operating procedures."

Dr. Francis Omaswa, head of the community engagement subcommittee of the national COVID-19 task force, has recommended that Uganda and other African nations should also rather invest efforts into educating the public on how to prevent catching a COVID infection.

Uganda's Health Ministry, meanwhile, has still come under fire for allegedly not doing enough to ensure that the vaccines reach all parts of the population. Long queues at vaccination centers have meant that many of the eligible candidates and even priority groups for the vaccine haven't been able to get their turn — including schoolteachers.


Watch video02:32
School closures hurting economic growth
Public education under threat
As schools in Uganda are preparing to reopen fully for the first time in two years, teachers are among those who seem to fall through the cracks. Despite being a priority group, over 170,000 teachers in the country have not even received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Education Ministry. Only about a third of teachers in Uganda have been fully inoculated.

With students returning to class soon, schools appear to be unprepared to meet government standards

At the same time, the ministry has said unvaccinated teaches will not be allowed to set foot in the schools. Parents and students alike are worried that if teachers are blocked teaching because of their vaccination status, COVID could be followed by a miseducation pandemic.

There are also mounting fears that any attempt to enforce hard restrictions with teachers and other public sector workers will only compel some to resort to obtaining fake vaccination cards and test certificates. The fraudulent documents are virtually indistinguishable from real vaccine certificates.

On the black market, such documents can reportedly be obtained for only $20 (about €17).

Vaccination certificates are becoming increasingly valuable in Uganda — and are easy to forge
Edited by: Benita van Eyssen, Sertan Sanderson

 

[Plain Jane]

Political dynasties fueling crises in Africa – DW – 01/10/2022

Political dynasties are not new, with families grooming and later handing over power to their offspring. However, analysts say this practice is detrimental to African countries.

www.dw.com

Political dynasties fueling crises in Africa, analysts say
Political dynasties are not new, with families grooming and later handing over power to their offspring. However, analysts say this practice is detrimental to African countries.




Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta is son of Jomo Kenyatta, the founding president of the East African nation

There are several examples of political dynasties in Africa, including the Moi family, the Kenyattas and the Odingas in Kenya, the Gnassingbes in Togo, the Debys in Chad, the Bongos of Gabon, the Akufo-Addos of Ghana, and many more.

There are reports of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir grooming his son, Thiik Mayardit, to take over from him in next year's presidential election.

Observers say the practice, apart from promoting continuity within a family, only restricts power amid a few.

Are political dynasties beneficial?
Kenyan political analyst Martin Adat told DW that the concentration of political power in one family alone for years gives it massive influence and gradually turns political rule in a country into a monarchical system.

Adat rejected the usefulness of political dynasties in any form in any country. "It is not good because it means you deny the other people who would also have had an opportunity to be in power."

General Mahamat Idriss Déby headed the presidential guard but took over when his father, Idriss Déby was killed

Other analysts, though, like Dr. Alidu Seidu from the political science department of the University of Ghana, said it is important to analyze dynasties before determining their usefulness or otherwise.

"Sometimes the processes through which these people are elected or come to power, as well as the period between the transitions, can assist in saying whether it is a good or bad thing," Alidu told DW. He also stressed the importance of culture and the individual's leadership qualities.

Although political dynasties are found worldwide, Alidu said it is quite different in Africa because of cultural influences that promotes fathers expanding their kingdoms and ensuring that their sons take over.

"In Africa, it is more of a cultural thing which has been translated wholesale into our modern democratic system of governance," Alidu said, adding that it is difficult to detach African cultural underpinnings from the democratic practices on the continent.

Lack of competitiveness
Often African leaders tend to groom their relatives to succeed without any competitive transitional process. That, in turn, fuels political tensions and chaos leading to upheavals.

According to Alidu, unlike Africa, political dynasties in the West often operate in a competitive environment, prioritizing competence over mere family lineage.

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue has already been as vice-president by his father, in pole position to succeed him

"In other parts of the world, the succession is based on a more competitive and open process than in the African context. In Africa, people just groom somebody — you are my son — you are enlisted into the army and quickly promoted into a major general, and you take over," Alidu said.

The Ghanaian political scientist pointed to the immediacy with which African political leaders get their relatives to succeed compared to other parts of the world.

For Adat, African leaders are not interested in open and competitive succession processes due to their parochial interests.

"Most of those families have amassed a lot of money. They have amassed a lot of political influence, so they use it to leverage so that they can get power," Adat said.

According to him, such leaders fear the repercussions of leaving office and facing accountability, so they will do all they can to protect themselves by prolonging lineage.

Alidu agrees, saying that because such leaders "have made a lot of investments … they want somebody who can either continue that particular process that they have started or somebody who can protect the investment interest of the family with those particular resources."

Dynasties breed corruption and bad governance
But where a political dynasty thrives amid a lack of competitiveness and transparency, so does bad governance and economic mismanagement.

Such families loot state funds in most cases, hurtling countries into economic crises and political tensions. As a result, citizens have staged protests and revolutions, for example in Senegal and Togo.

Gabon's President Ali Bongo took over the leadership reigns from his father in 2009

Alidu said political dynasties often fuel bad governance. "The economy would be mismanaged, natural resources are plundered, there is a high level of corruption, and those kinds of bad governance have a collective impact on the general life and livelihood of the citizens."

He said such leaders avoid being accountable to the people and behave like virtual gods. "Many African leaders still have an appetite for power despite the emergence of modern democratic principles," Adat said.

"You have Uganda where Museveni is trying to bring up his son. Even Mugabe tried it in Zimbabwe, but it flopped because the wife was not politically strong, so when he tried to bring in his wife, the military refused, and they kicked him out of power."

Fighting back against political dynasties
Since there are no laws prohibiting people from succeeding their relatives, Alidu believes only the citizens of a country can stop the phenomenon.

"If you look at the constitutions of a lot of countries, it usually starts with, 'we the people.' This is because the people are the most central components of every governance process, and constitutions are prepared to serve the people's collective interests. So the citizens must engage in legitimate resistance," he said.

Opposition to political dynasties can take the form of legal action and protests, according to Alidu.

But for him, the most effective action is to protest, since leaders desiring to hold on to power often manipulate the justice system.

Adat would like to see citizens become conscious and more enlightened to resist political dynasties. He said once people "realize that a few people hold power, they would rebel. So that is how you deal with it."

For Alidu, although some countries will have dynasties that bring development, ultimately excluding other groups of people from power provides a fertile ground for agitations. When citizens are fed up, they will fight back.

"It is very important that we uphold our democracy and democratic tendencies because it creates equal opportunities for everybody to live a better-cherished life and for peace to succeed and be sustained," Alidu concluded.
Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu

 

[Plain Jane]

Biden, Ethiopia PM Abiy discuss Tigray conflict – DW – 01/10/2022

The US president raised concerns about recent military escalations, civilian deaths and detentions in an ongoing conflict between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan fighters. Abiy described the call as "candid."

www.dw.com

Ethiopia: Biden and PM Abiy discuss deescalating Tigray conflict
The US president raised concerns about recent military escalations, civilian deaths and detentions in an ongoing conflict between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan fighters. Abiy described the call as "candid."




Ethiopian premier Abiy Ahmed has presided over an intensified campaign against Tigrayan fighters
US President Joe Biden spoke with embattled Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed about the ongoing conflict in the African country and the effect it is having on regional security, the White House said Monday.
The conflict between Abiy's government forces and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from the northern Tigray region has worsened considerably after entering its second year. Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since the conflict began in November 2020.
During Monday's call, Biden also voiced concern about increasing numbers of civilian deaths as a result of recent airstrikes carried out by Ethiopian forces alongside regional allies backed by neighboring Eritrea.
In late December 2021, UN observers say dozens of civilians were killed in what it called the most "intense series of air attacks" in months.
In January, airstrikes targeting refugee and displaced persons camps are said to have killed nearly 60 people, including children. International aid agencies have condemned the escalation. On Sunday, the UN said, "the intensification of airstrikes is alarming."
Doctors in the Tigray region also sounded the alarm last week, warning the world that people were dying as the result of blockades of humanitarian and medical supply deliveries.
US seeks negotiated end to conflict
"I held a candid phone conversation with ‪@POTUS on current issues in Ethiopia, bilateral relations as well as regional matters. We both agree there is great value in strengthening our cooperation through constructive engagement founded on mutual respect," wrote Abiy on Twitter after the call.

The White House said in a statement that the two leaders "discussed ways to accelerate dialogue toward a negotiated ceasefire, the urgency of improving humanitarian access across Ethiopia, and the need to address the human rights concerns."

Biden added that he was concerned by the high number of detentions being carried out under Ethiopia's state of emergency. However, the US president commended Abiy on the recent release of several political prisoners, the White House said.

In an effort to pressure the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Abiy, Biden last year cut Ethiopia's access to duty-free trade because of human rights abuses carried out in Tigray.

In November, the US applied sanctions on neighboring Eritrea's military as well as a number of Eritrean individuals involved in the conflict.

Watch video02:35
Humanitarian crisis unfolds in northern Ethiopia
js/wmr (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

'Rattled' Mali junta urges protests against ECOWAS sanctions – DW – 01/11/2022

Angered by ECOWAS's financial and economic sanctions, Mali's junta has now called on citizens to protest against the punitive measures. Analysts say the junta still enjoys considerable support among the population.

www.dw.com

'Rattled' Mali junta calls for protests against ECOWAS sanctions
Angered by ECOWAS's financial and economic sanctions, Mali's junta has now called on citizens to protest against the punitive measures. Analysts say the junta still enjoys considerable support among the population.




Mali's military rulers have described ECOWAS imposed sanctions as inhumane and unnecessary

Mali's ruling military junta has been left frustrated by the recent punitive economic and financial sanctions imposed on the country by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in response to delays to the country's elections.

At a meeting in Ghana's capital Accra on Sunday, the bloc announced the closure of land and air borders with Mali, suspension of financial assistance, economic transactions, and withdrawal of all ECOWAS ambassadors from Mali.

Mali's coup leaders have reacted angrily to the latest ECOWAS sanctions, calling them stringent, inhumane, and unnecessary.

The junta's spokesman Colonel Major Abdoulaye Maiga said Mali denounces the measures.
"The government of Mali deplores the inhumane nature of these measures, which are affecting populations already severely affected by the security and health crisis linked to COVID-19," Maiga said on national television.

In August 2020, Colonel Assimi Goita ousted Mali's elected civilian leader Ibrahim Boubacar Keita following street protests. Many Malians were unhappy about the worsening security situation and economic hardship.

After briefly handing over to a civilian-led transitional team, Goita staged another coup, offering to restore civilian rule by February 2022. Instead, he has since asked for more time to return the country to constitutional order.

ECOWAS leaders hope the sanctions will put Mali back on the path to democratic governance

Pitting Malians against ECOWAS
The military leaders are urging citizens to demonstrate on Friday. On Monday, supporters of the military regime organized a large rally at Independence Square to denounce the sanctions imposed on Mali.

Ousmane, a reseller of mobile phone accessories in the capital Bamako, told DW that he was confident despite the sanctions.

"I have no fear of ECOWAS sanctions. I don't see why we should worry about it if our goods can go through Algeria or Mauritania. So, there is more fear than harm. I believe that this is the time or never for Mali to leave ECOWAS permanently," Ousmane said.

Another trader, Boubacar, supports the military regime's pushback, while insisting that Mali can withstand the sanctions.

"We must be proud first of all to be Malian. That's the first thing. We have everything here, food, rice, among others. I'm not sure the prices are soaring in the market, because we have factories here," Boubacar told DW.

But not everyone supports retaliation. Instead, some Malians want more negotiations in order to reach an amicable solution to the country's political crisis.

Souleymane, a resident in Bamako, told DW that the tug-of-war between Mali and its neighboring countries is a threat to everyone.

"I'm petrified. It is a loss for the state first. Because if the state goes bankrupt, it has to subsidize many things, the different products, and they become more and more expensive. That's my concern," Souleymane said.

Watch video01:27
ECOWAS leaders impose sanctions on Mali: Isaac Kaledzi reports
Tussle over the transition timeline
The military rulers offered a timeline of four to five years for the transition, citing security concerns, but ECOWAS leaders said that was unacceptable. They refused to compromise on the timetable of elections scheduled for next month.

ECOWAS has maintained that the junta-backed government must hold elections as soon as possible to return the country to civilian rule.

President of ECOWAS Jean Claude Kassi Brou expressed his distaste for the position taken by the soldiers.

"The authority simply finds the proposed chronogram for a transition totally unacceptable. This chronogram simply means that an illegitimate military transition government will take the Malian people hostage during the next five years," Brou told journalists in Accra.

But Grit Lenz, coordinator of the civil-society network Focus Sahel, which works on peace and development policy issues in the Sahel, told DW that generally, Malians support a longer transition period.

"There is a strong mood against external influence on Mali, on the Malian transformation process," Lenz said, adding that many Malians disagree with the fact that Mali is being led by external pressure to organize elections very quickly.

France announced in June 2021 that it would end the anti-terrorism operation Barkhane

'No rush to hold elections'
Holding elections quickly to return Mali to a democratic rule is the priority of ECOWAS, but Lenz said there is no need to rush the process.

"History has also taught us that this often does not help. That these hastily held elections are by no means a guarantee for democratically legitimized governments that do better than the government that was in power before the coup," Lenz said.

Ghanaian security analyst Adib Saani agrees with Lenz. Saani faults ECOWAS for failing to negotiate well with the Malian Military leadership on the way forward. "I am wondering how ECOWAS expects Mali to be able to conduct a free, fair election under such circumstances," Saani told DW.

"I think that ECOWAS could have resulted to more diplomacy and giving the Malian regime more time to be able to put its house in order so we can have a progressive election held."
However, for Lenz, "these sanctions tend to strengthen the Malian military government. And it is indeed the case that there are considerations in Mali. There are voices that are in favor of leaving ECOWAS completely," Lenz warned.

Many Malians are looking favorably at Russia, Turkey, and China amid growing western resentment

Will the sanctions work?
Analysts say the latest move by ECOWAS would affect ordinary citizens but could further jeopardize the state of Mali, which is already struggling with its economy and security.

"Yes, the ECOWAS sanctions will, of course, affect the population," Lenz said but was quick to add that Mali could explore other alternatives.

When ECOWAS first imposed stringent sanctions on Mali after the first coup last year, the military regime turned to countries like Mauritania and Algeria for trade.

"There are certainly neighboring countries that are not [ECOWAS] members with already economic relations and which have also taken over the role very quickly in the past sanctions after the first coup," Lenz said.

He believes contacts with the non-ECOWAS neighboring countries will do Mali a lot of good for the moment, buying it enough time to hold its stance.

According to Lenz, countries like China and Russia have been anti-Western and could further explore opportunities presented by these sanctions.

For him, Mali is already re-orienting "towards Russia, China, and Turkey in the area of security policy. There are also new partnerships in this area. So the Malian government military government is by no means dependent on ECOWAS."

The nation of 19 million people continues to battle security threats posed by Islamist extremists operating in the Sahel region. Moreover, the recent withdrawal of French troops from parts of the country has further exposed its vulnerability.
Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu

 

[Plain Jane]

Egypt president urges Sudanese to talk, denies backing coup

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Wednesday urged rival factions in Sudan to engage in talks to move forward in their transition to democracy after a coup toppled the civilian-led government.

apnews.com

Egypt president urges Sudanese to talk, denies backing coup
BY SAMY MAGDYtoday



1 of 2
Women chant slogans against the killing of demonstrators in street protests triggered by an October military coup, in the twin city of Omdurman, about 18 miles (30 km) northwest of the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. The fall coup triggered relentless street protests and over 60 protesters have since been killed as security forces cracked down on demonstrations. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Wednesday urged rival factions in Sudan to engage in talks to move forward in their transition to democracy after a coup toppled the civilian-led government.

The Oct. 25 military takeover has upended Sudan’s plans to move to democracy after three decades of repression and international sanctions under autocrat Omar al-Bashir. A popular uprising forced the military’s overthrow of al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019.

Egypt, which has cultivated close ties with Sudan in recent years, fears that prolonged deadlock would further destabilize its southern neighbor.

Following the coup, some Sudanese opposition leaders, including former Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi, suspected that Egypt had given a greenlight for the Sudan’s military leader, Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, to oust Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s government.

Egypt pointedly did not sign on to a joint statement with the U.S., Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates calling on the Sudanese military to restore the civilian-led government.

Speaking at a news conference at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, el-Sissi denied siding with either party in Sudan. He said Egypt supported all parties of the transitional government and insisted that his government doesn’t intervene in other country’s internal affairs.

The Egyptian leader called on Sudanese parties to agree on a roadmap to stabilize the country and hold elections at the end of the transition.

“The situation in Sudan needs a political consensus among all existing forces, so it can be a way out of the current crisis,” he said.

The military takeover has plunged Sudan into political stalemate and relentless street protests that have brought the deaths of more than 60 people since Oct. 25. Protesters want a fully civilian government to lead the government, while the military says it would only hand over power to an elected administration.

The turmoil intensified earlier this month following the resignation of embattled Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok after he failed to reach a compromise between the military and the pro-democracy movement.

Hamdok had been removed in the coup only to be reinstated in November as part of an agreement with the military. The deal sidelined the pro-democracy movement, which has mobilized the street protests. Protest groups plan mass demonstrations across the country Thursday to pressure the military.

El-Sissi’s call came as the United Nations began separate consultations earlier this week with Sudanese groups to build confidence between the military and the pro-democracy movement before they possibly engage in direct talks.

The U.N. mission in Sudan urged the military authorities Wednesday to immediately cease a violent crackdown on protesters to help “create an atmosphere conducive to these consultations.”

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudanese officer, protester killed in anti-coup protests – DW – 01/13/2022

Sudanese anti-coup protesters stabbed a police general to death and security forces shot a demonstrator dead as pro-democracy rallies continued in Khartoum.

www.dw.com

Sudan officer, protester killed in anti-coup protests
Sudanese anti-coup protesters stabbed a police general to death and security forces shot a demonstrator dead as pro-democracy rallies continued in Khartoum.




Demonstrators marched in different locations in Khartoum, demanding the removal of generals from power

A senior police officer and a protester were killed on Thursday in another day of mass protests against military rule in Sudan.

The officer was on duty at protests in Khartoum when he was killed, the police said in a statement on Facebook. He is the first security official to die in weeks of often violent unrest. Local media reported he was stabbed to death.

Medics aligned with the protest movement said security forces killed a protester when they fired live ammunition and tear gas. Authorities have repeatedly denied using live ammunition in confronting protesters.

Deadly crackdown on anti-coup protesters
Sudan has been in turmoil since October 25, 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declared a state of emergency.
It derailed Sudan's transition to democratic rule after three decades of repression and international isolation under autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.

Pro-democracy activists have organized regular demonstrations against the military takeover. At least 64 protesters have been killed and hundreds of others injured in the violence.

Watch video02:29
Sudan PM quits, leaving military in control
UN talks to resolve post-coup crisis
Before the military takeover, a sovereign council of military and civilian officials ruled Sudan. It was supposed to oversee the transition period until elections in 2023.

On Monday, the United Nations started consultations that they hoped would lead to direct negotiations to resolve the crisis.

Demonstrators insist that a fully civilian government lead the transition, a demand rejected by the generals who say power will only be handed over to an elected government.
lo/sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

In Mali, ‘France is paying the price for its own ambiguity,’ expert says

France has increased pressure on Mali’s military junta since the West African regional group ECOWAS enforced tough sanctions on the country over the weekend. With the Malian junta calling for protests…

www.france24.com

In Mali, ‘France is paying the price for its own ambiguity,’ expert says
Issued on: 14/01/2022 - 18:28

French President Emmanuel Macron addresses members of the French community in Bamako, Mali on July 2, 2017. © Christophe Archambault, AFP/File
Text by:Cyrielle CABOT
5 min
France has increased pressure on Mali’s military junta since the West African regional group ECOWAS enforced tough sanctions on the country over the weekend. With the Malian junta calling for protests on Friday against the sanctions and international pressure, particularly from Paris, the stage is set for increased tension between the two countries. FRANCE 24 discussed the implications with Antoine Glaser, a leading French expert on Africa.


Anti-French sentiment has been running high in Mali over the past few months, and it reached a peak this week after the main West African regional bloc announced tough sanctions on the country January 9.

Mali’s military junta urged people to take to the streets on Friday in “support the homeland” protests against the West African sanctions and international pressure – primarily from the country’s former colonial power, France.

The sanctions by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were in response to the junta’s delayed election timetable, and they were immediately backed by France. The restrictions, which include trade embargos and border closures, has seen Air France suspend its flights to Mali this week.

France has since pressed the EU to fall in line with the ECOWAS sanctions and on Thursday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on Mali’s military junta to set an “acceptable election timeline”.

Mali’s diplomatic fall from grace was sparked by the May 25, 2021, coup – the second in as many years – which saw junta leader Colonel Assimi Goïta attempting to reinforce military control despite international calls for a return to civilian rule.

Relations between Mali and France have plummeted since the coup, with French President Emmanuel Macron cancelling a December trip to the West African nation. While the official French reason for the cancellation by Macron was the Covid-19 pandemic, it followed a war of words between Paris and Bamako over Mali’s decision to invite mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group in counterterror missions after a French troop drawdown.

Nearly a decade into France’s military intervention in Mali to stem a jihadist surge in the Sahel, the security situation in Mali has deteriorated. The blame game between Paris and Bamako has done little to quell the tide of anti-French sentiment sweeping the West African nation. Social media sites have exploded with Françafrique allegations, referring to the historical opaque ties between France and its former African colonies.

FRANCE 24 discussed the impact and implications of this latest chapter in Franco-Malian relations with Antoine Glaser, a leading French expert on Africa and author of several books, including his latest, "Le Piège africain de Macron" [Macron’s African Trap], which he co-authored with Pascal Airault.

FRANCE 24: Why has the West African social media space erupted with anti-French messages? Is anti-French resentment rising in Mali?

Antoine Glaser: In Africa, France exists as a sort of historical anachronism. While the continent is becoming more global, the French military presence gives the impression to a large section of the population that Paris still wants to pull the strings in the old Françafrique style. And this is less and less accepted by Malian youth, and more generally by all African youth.

This was why Macron organised the New Africa-France summit in Montpellier [in October 2021]. By inviting only civil society members and excluding heads of state, he hoped to defuse this citizen discontent by turning the image of Françafrique on its head.

>> Read more: Macron seeks to rejuvenate relationship with Africa at summit
Obviously, in the context of the ECOWAS sanctions, one must not overlook the manipulation of this anti-French sentiment by the authorities in Bamako, who exacerbate nationalism and make France the ideal culprit. Not to mention the manipulation by Russia, which wants to make its mark on the continent.

F24: Relations between France and Mali have already been tense for several months. What is Macron's strategy with Bamako?

AG: In my opinion, in Mali, France is paying the price for its own ambiguity. The French Foreign Ministry’s official position is that it no longer wants to be in the frontline of internal African affairs and that its only mission is the fight against jihadism.

The aborted meeting between Emmanuel Macron and Assimi Goïta in December illustrates this strategy. The French leader refused to come alone and asked to be accompanied by his African counterparts [Chad’s Mahamat Deby and Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo] He wanted to show that he was not in the frontline and to protect himself behind ECOWAS. This was one of the main reasons why the meeting was cancelled.

Yet, when it comes to Mali, because of its diplomatic influence, France is always at the forefront of all discussions. The reason is simple: Its military power and its presence in Africa are the basis of its authority on the international scene. Without Africa, France is weakened. It is thus trapped in this balancing act between African and international interests.

And France's assumption of the EU’s rotating presidency reinforces this phenomenon. Especially since, for months, Emmanuel Macron has been trying to involve as many European countries as possible in the fight against terrorism in Africa via the Takuba force [a task force composed mainly of special forces units from several EU nations].

F24: With the ECOWAS sanctions, is there a risk of escalating tensions?

AG: In this political-military-diplomatic imbroglio, the situation will objectively become very difficult for the Quai d'Orsay [French Foreign Ministry]. We already saw this [on Thursday] when Mali condemned France for flying an A400M military plane into the country from Ivory Coast. Bamako claimed it breached Malian airspace and violated the overflight ban under the sanctions. France argued that military flights were not affected by the measures, but the episode sounds like a warning.

Moreover, one wonders how the Barkhane operation [France's counter-terrorism operation in the Sahel region that Macron has started to reduce from its initial 5,000-strong force] will be able to continue. First of all, because it has no other choice, in this immense territory, than to take recourse to aerial means, but also because the deployment of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group raises many operational questions.

F24: In this context, shouldn't France accelerate its troop withdrawal from the country?

AG: France will not make this decision in the next three months before the presidential election, when the security situation in the country has further deteriorated. It wants to avoid an Afghanistan-style debacle at all costs.

It is important to understand that each country serves its own interests in this matter. Some ECOWAS members fear coup d'états in their own countries. Algeria, too, supports the sanctions only half-heartedly. Everyone has their own agenda here.

F24: Could the ECOWAS sanctions further damage France's image in other countries in the region?

AG: Obviously, there is a risk of a boomerang effect. Anti-French sentiment already exists in all the former colonies and is particularly strong in the Sahel. The was abundantly clear when a French military convoy on its way from Ivory Coast to Mali in November was stopped [in Burkina Faso] by angry protesters.

The ECOWAS sanctions will also have very negative consequences for Mali's neighbours. Senegal, for example, relies heavily on its trade relations with Bamako. A whole part of its trade is now at a standstill. Of course, Senegalese critics will be able to use this in an ideological discourse and, consequently, participate in further degrading France's image.
(This is a translation of the original in French.)

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopia at crossroads over Tigray crisis – DW – 01/14/2022

While drone attacks kill dozens of people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to push for national dialogue to end the conflict. Will his plan succeed?

www.dw.com

Ethiopia at crossroads as drone attacks worsen Tigray crisis
While drone attacks kill dozens of people in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to push for national dialogue to end the conflict. Will his plan succeed?




The Tigray conflict has now entered its fourteenth month

Pressure from the international community to resolve Ethiopia's Tigray conflict has never been higher.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which bestows the Nobel Peace Prize, on Thursday called on Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, a recipient of the award in 2019, to end the bloodshed in Tigray.

The region has been ravaged by a war that broke out between Tigrayan forces and federal troops 14 months ago. Fighting has caused a humanitarian crisis in Tigray with allegations of atrocities leveled against all parties in the conflict.

More than 2 million people have been displaced and hundreds of thousands are living in famine-like conditions with aid to the region blocked.

"As Prime Minister and Peace Prize winner, Abiy Ahmed has a special responsibility to end the conflict and contribute to peace" in the region where hostilities have killed thousands, the prize committee said in a statement to news agency AFP.

The [government-imposed] blockade has created "hell and is an insult to our humanity," World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, himself a Tigrayan, told reporters.

Stressing that he was speaking from a neutral position, Tedros said the situation was "serious and desperate."

The UN said the blockade was preventing millions of people from accessing life-saving medicine.

While releasing the Human Rights Watch World Report 2022, Executive Director Kenneth Roth mentioned Ethiopia's Tigray crisis as "a place of concern for the coming year."

Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is under increasing pressure to bring peace to Tigray

Relentless drone attacks
Meanwhile, the US, EU, AU, and regional leaders are frantically seeking to broker a ceasefire between Ethiopian National Defense Forces and fighters from the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), but so far, with little success. On the contrary, airstrikes have intensified in the country's north. This week, at least 17 people were killed in a drone attack. Many others were injured.

The government denied it was behind the civilian bombings and instead blamed the TPLF for using propaganda to get the international community's attention. "The allegation of government airstrikes in Tigray on civilians is completely false," Legese Tulu, Ethiopia's government communications minister, told DW in an exclusive interview. "How can a government strike its citizens? People in Tigray are our brothers and sisters. The government never targets civilians," Legese added.

The conflict in northern Ethiopia has caused untold suffering for civilians

'War crimes'
Human rights organizations accuse both sides of committing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"I am shocked by reports that drone attacks on IDP camps in Ethiopia last week resulted in numerous civilian casualties," Luise Amtsberg, Germany's commissioner for human rights policy and humanitarian assistance, told reporters. "These attacks not only cause terrible suffering but also worsen the chances of resolving the conflict."

Amtsberg also urged those bearing arms in Tigray to guarantee humanitarian organizations full access to people in need.

Abiy's quest for national dialogue
In a bid to promote national dialogue and foster unity, and as a sign of goodwill to mark Ethiopia's Orthodox Christmas celebration on January 7, Premier Abiy has released several high-profile TPLF and Oromo opposition leaders. Some of those pardoned include Jawar Mohamed, a fierce critic of Abiy who was accused of inciting protests that killed hundreds in July 2020.

Watch video26:01
Conflict Zone - Guest: Zadig Abraha - Ethiopia: Will human rights violations go unpunished?
"The government released the politicians to open the door for all political attitudes to participate in the upcoming national dialogue stage," Legese, the communications minister, said.

He reiterated that Abiy's administration had invited all political sides to join the dialogue but stressed that the government would not talk directly with the released political prisoners. "The ruling party is also participating in the dialogue as one political entity," Legese said.

However, Eskinder Nega, a prominent blogger and leader of the Balderas For True Democracy party, who was among those released, told DW he had little faith in Abiy's call for national dialogue.

"We have lived with this government for 30 years, and we know this government is disingenuous in its democratic aspirations," Eskinder said. "We do not trust the government because we have been repeatedly betrayed for three decades. However, we will be part of the dialogue because the alternative is frightening. But there is no trust. We do not trust the process, and we do not trust the government."

Blogger turned politician Eskinder Nega (in cap) says he doesn't trust Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government

Eskinder, jailed at least ten times by previous governments, said he was now counting on a miracle to bring an end to Ethiopia's Tigray crisis which has since spread to neighboring Amhara and Afar regions.

According to Hassan Khanenje, director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies in Nairobi, the airstrikes go counter to the announcement by Abiy Ahmed's government of national dialogue.

"The call for national dialogue in itself had problems, in part, because it had excluded the key players, especially the OLA and the TPLF," Khanenje told DW.

He said he regrets that the international interventions are too little too late. "So much damage has been done, and there is an extremely high sense of hostilities between the protagonists in Ethiopia," Khanenje, who is an expert on the Horn of Africa, said.

Ethiopian National Defense Forces have regained control of most territories previously held by TPLF fighters

"While every effort has to be appreciated, I think it is falling short of deploying sufficient sticks and carrots that is going to force the parties to come to the negotiating table," he said.

According to Khanenje, stability cannot be achieved in Ethiopia without a credible ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. "This would allow for a negotiated settlement for Ethiopia to be able to craft out a new political and constitutional dispensation," he said.

But Khanenje also warned that in the absence of a more robust intervention by the international community, it is unlikely that the parties in Ethiopia will arrive at a settlement that will protect the country and keep civilians safe.

Seyoum Hailu, Solomon Muchie and George Okachi contributed to this article.
Edited by Keith Walker.

 

[Plain Jane]

Somalia's government spokesperson wounded in suicide bombing

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia’s government spokesperson was wounded Sunday in a suicide bombing that the al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility for. Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu appeared to be the sole target in the attack near his residence by a busy intersection in the capital...

apnews.com

Somalia’s government spokesperson wounded in suicide bombing
By HASSAN BARISEyesterday



1 of 3
A woman, right, points a medical worker to remains of the suicide bomber at the scene, after Somalia's government spokesperson Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu was wounded in a suicide bombing in Mogadishu, Somalia, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022. Moalimuu appeared to be the sole target of the attack near his residence by a busy intersection in the capital, for which the al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia’s government spokesperson was wounded Sunday in a suicide bombing that the al-Shabab extremist group has claimed responsibility for.

Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu appeared to be the sole target in the attack near his residence by a busy intersection in the capital, Mogadishu. A statement from the prime minister’s office called Moaliimuu’s wounds non-life-threatening.

It has been widely expected that such attacks would increase as tensions rise in Somalia over a national election that has been delayed for almost a year.

“Such attacks are purely politically motivated actions,” said Mohamed Abdulaziz Omar, a local civil society activist, adding that it also occurred in past elections in the Horn of Africa nation.

Moalimuu, a former BBC journalist, also survived an attack in August 2020 after being wounded in a siege that killed 15 people at a beachside hotel in the capital. He was secretary-general of the Federation of Somali Journalists at the time. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which controls parts of Somalia, also claimed responsibility for that attack.

<span class="fr-marker" data-id="0" data-type="false" style="display: none; line-height: 0;

 

[Plain Jane]

Sudan: Seven dead after anti-coup protests end in violence – DW – 01/17/2022

The Central Committee of Sudanese doctors say seven civilians have been killed by security forces. UN Security Council members urged "utmost restraint."

www.dw.com

Sudan: Seven dead after security forces open fire during protest
The Central Committee of Sudanese doctors say seven civilians have been killed by security forces. UN Security Council members urged "utmost restraint."




Sudan's security forces have been accused of using live ammunition to break up anti-coup protests

Sudanese security forces on Monday have been accused of killing at least seven people during anti-coup protests in the capital Khartoum.

An advocacy group, the Central Committee of Sudan Doctors (CCSD), said in a statement posted on social media that "seven civilians were killed by the live ammunition of security forces during today's anti-coup peaceful protests."

The clash increased the number killed since the October coup to 71.

Peaceful protests take violent turn
Thousands of people again flooded the streets of the capital city on Monday, demonstrating against military rule of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

Activist Nazim Sirag posted footage on Twitter showing men, women and children marching peacefully through the streets of Khartoum. Those in the crowd chanted slogans and waved flags.

Sirag said that security forces opened fire on a number of marches in the capital, including one in which demonstrators had marched on the presidential palace.

In other videos circulating on various platforms online, young men can be seen throwing stones.

There have been allegations in the past that the military used anti-aircraft weapons on protesters.

The CCSD said that around 100 people had also been wounded as a result of the actions of security personnel.

The turmoil appears to have been compounded by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's resignation earlier this month.

UN Security Council members urge 'utmost restraint'
Sudan's pro-democracy movement has slammed the use of force and called for a civil disobedience campaign. Hamdok's adviser, Faisal Saleh, called for the global community to take action.

"The Sudanese people do not face an arbitrary government or authority, but rather a criminal gang that kills the youth of Sudan in cold blood, and the whole world is watching," Saleh said on Twitter.

Nine UN Security Council members urged all parties to "exercise the utmost restraint."
In a statement released following a meeting of the council on Monday, all parties were called on to "refrain from the use of violence and emphasize the importance of full respect for human rights, including the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression."

US State Department spokesman Ned Price wrote on Twitter that the US was "concerned by reports of escalating violence against protesters" and said that two US officials were en route to Khartoum to "reiterate our call for security forces to end violence."

Earlier this month the UN announced it was embarking on a peace process seeking to help Sudan find an end to its political crisis

Watch video02:29
Sudan PM quits, leaving military in control

kb/msh (AP, AFP, dpa)

 

[Plain Jane]

Rwandans report being forcibly vaccinated – DW – 01/18/2022

Although Rwanda says it will not mandate people to take COVID-19 vaccines, some residents — especially in rural areas — say officials have been forcing Rwandans to take the jabs.

www.dw.com

Rwanda forcibly vaccinating people against COVID, victims say
Although Rwanda says it will not mandate people to take COVID-19 vaccines, some residents — especially in rural areas — say officials have been forcing Rwandans to take the jabs.




Have all Rwandans received the COVID-19 jab voluntarily?

Rwanda has been recognized by the World Health Organization as being among the countries to fully vaccinate at least 40% of their populations against COVID-19 by the end of 2021.

Currently, more than 49% of almost 13 million Rwandans have been double-jabbed, and more than 61% have had at least one vaccine administered.

But some Rwandans say this number is only possible because of force by local leaders and police. DW spoke to some people who said they had been forced to receive vaccinations. For fear of possible consequences, they either chose to remain anonymous or DW decided to leave their names out of the report.

In August , Rwanda started its third phase of mass vaccinations, targeting adults in Kigali
A man from the Muhanga district, in Rwanda's Southern Province, told DW that he was handcuffed in order to receive the jab.

"Around 4 a.m. our local cell leader kicked in my door," he said "I thought they were thieves because I was still asleep. There were three people standing at my door, they ordered me to go to the sector offices, and I was handed over to security personnel and I was told that I was going to be vaccinated against my will." Cells and sectors are administrative entities between villages and districts.

The man recalled that he was forced to sit under the scorching sun until the evening when he got vaccinated. According to him, five police officers and six civilians surrounded him and ordered him into a room.

"They pounced on me and dragged me on the ground, manhandling me, shoving their knees in my back and everywhere, as the handcuffs were cutting deep wounds around my wrists," he said. "They even tried to suffocate me." Then, according to his statement, medics came and injected a vaccine.

'We completely refused'
Some people cited warnings from religious leaders as their reason for not getting vaccinated. Members of a Pentecostal Church, who rejected getting vaccinated, claimed that they were held for a week by the military, police and local leaders trying to sensitize them to take the jabs. According to their account, this happened in transit centers that mainly handle street children and criminals in the Western Province's Ngororero district.

"We completely refused to take the jabs and instead asked the soldiers and police to shoot us or drown us to death. We put up a demonstration, but they said they won’t shoot us," a man told DW. He said the group was forced to take the shots. "When they realized we were not ready to change our mind, they brought in many police officers, and we were handcuffed," he said. "The police officers held us to the ground, and we were vaccinated."

A man from the Rwamagana district, in the Eastern Province, told DW that he fled with his wife from his home when authorities wanted to force them to be vaccinated. "I was suffering from malaria and taking […] medication. I begged them not to vaccinate me. When they insisted, we fled our home."

When DW spoke to him, he had still not returned home. According to him, many people in his neighborhood were forced to get vaccinated: "It's not only me. If you want, I can point to different places where they are."

DW cannot independently verify these testimonies.

Only vaccinated people are currently allowed to use public transport in Rwanda

CLADHO, an umbrella body for human rights organizations in Rwanda, told DW in a statement that the groups had seen media reports about forced vaccinations. "CLADHO is in the process of investigating to get a clear picture of the situation," said executive secretary Emmanuel Safari. It considers such acts illegal.

DW reached out to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Both told DW that they currently don't have any information on forced COVID vaccinations in Rwanda.

Authorities contradict reports
DW has also contacted Rwanda's Health Ministry and the prime minister's office, asking for a comment about the testimonies. Two deadlines passed without a statement by the authorities.

Christopher Nkusi, the mayor of the Ngororero district, dismissed the reports within his region as false. "Those with resistance are sensitized and vaccinated afterwards because even right now we have many who are not yet vaccinated. We are still in the process of sensitizing them. I am not aware of any case of forced vaccination in my district."

Rumors shared online
Rumors about forced vaccination — with physical violence or psychological pressure — have been circulating for weeks.

In December, video footage was widely shared on social networks and messaging apps among Rwandan people. The 30-second clip shows an elderly man in dirty and worn-out clothes. He says in Kinyarwanda that he doesn't want any injection or vaccination, and closes the door to his house. A person who is not visible in the video is heard saying that the injection would be for his protection, and continues: "But, if you don't accept it, the report about your behavior won't be good."

Later, a widely shared photo showed the same man sitting on the ground while another man in a military uniform put his hands on the elderly man's shoulders and a third person injected a substance into his arm.

It is not known what happened during the time between when the video footage was recorded and the photo was taken.

DW was not able to track down the origin of this content and to verify whether the scene hadn't been staged. Photo analysis tools showed discrepancies in the area in which the Rwandan flag was attached to the military uniform, which could mean that the image had been digitally altered.

DW asked experts on these tools from the German Press Agency DPA for their opinion. According to them, the conspicuousness has technical reasons, they don't see indications that the image has been technically manipulated.

Restrictions for unvaccinated people
Rwanda has put strict measures in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus and to encourage people to get vaccinated. This means limiting unvaccinated people from taking part in public life. Vaccination is mandatory for using public transport or going to bars and restaurants, gyms, conferences and meetings, and places of worship. Employees in businesses must be vaccinated as well as all guests attending weddings.

Rwandan media such as The New Times report on people who are losing their jobs for lacking vaccination certificates.

In the capital, Kigali, authorities started a door-to-door campaign to find unvaccinated people. Kigali's mayor, Rubingisa Pudence, said in a statement shared by Rwandan media, that this "will help to sensitize even those ones who haven't been vaccinated." What the authorities call a "survey" could be seen as well as a step towards a register for unvaccinated people.

Escaping the jab
According to reports, in the past few weeks some people chose to escape vaccination by traveling to neighboring countries such as Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last week, more than 100 Rwandans landed on Congolese Idjwi island in Lake Kivu.

The French news agency AFP quoted Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo as saying that "a handful of Rwandans crossed over to neighboring countries claiming to be against vaccination, mostly for religious reasons." In the meantime, these people have been sent back to Rwanda.

The man from Rwamagana district who said he had fled his home to avoid vaccination, added that it had nothing to do with beliefs or mindset. "You should understand that we did not resist vaccination. You should give people time to think about this campaign. Why is it being done by force?" He said, there has been no law passed to justify this.

His hopes are in a manufacturing site for vaccines that is due to be built in Rwanda in collaboration with German company and mRNA vaccine developer BioNTech. "If a factory that makes vaccines is soon opening here, why can't they wait and give us a 'Made in Rwanda' vaccine?" he asked.

According to BioNTech, construction of the manufacturing site won't start before mid-2022.
Edited by: Keith Walker

 

[Plain Jane]

Examining the poor reputation of African armies – DW – 01/19/2022

African armies are perceived as underfunded, underequipped, and ineffective. There is a long history of coups and human rights violations. Twenty sub-Saharan militaries were involved in armed conflicts in 2020.

www.dw.com

Examining the poor reputation of Africa's armies
African armies are perceived as underfunded, underequipped, and ineffective. There is a long history of coups and human rights violations. Twenty sub-Saharan militaries were involved in armed conflicts in 2020.




Armies in West and Central Africa are notorius for staging coups

According to a study by the Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), out of a total of 49 sub-Saharan African states, at least 20 were involved in some armed conflict in 2020. This places African armies at the center of events — and under scrutiny.

Many African armies suffer from a bad reputation. They are often poorly trained and ineffective. The reasons are manifold, including underfunding, which is often revealed when armies need to combat insurgents, as seen in Nigeria and Mozambique. In addition, armies are to blame for military coups backed by political actors, as happened in Mali, Guinea, and Sudan.

Some armies are accused of corruption and misuse of resources, Nan Tian, a senior researcher at SIPRI, told DW. "This is, however, a false representation. In general, African militaries are not like this." One example is the Rwandan army, which has won international respect for its discipline and efficiency.

There is also a perception that African armies are outsize and eat up too much of the state budgets. "Both the relative number of personnel per inhabitants and the relative size of the budgets for the military are small in Africa in general," said Matthias Basedau, director of the GIGA Institute for African Affairs in Hamburg.

Fighting corruption in the army
Nigeria, for example, has the second biggest sub-Saharan army after South Africa. But, with more than 150 million inhabitants, it has a comparatively modest number of 200,000 enlisted personnel. Russia, a country of 140 million, has more than 1 million soldiers.
African armies are also associated with a lack of transparency and corruption. "Much of this is a structural problem. The lack of financial resources in the country means that the military and other state actors are all competing for a very small slice of the pie," Tian said.

In Angola, several high-ranking army officers were detained and sued for embezzlement in 2021 in an anti-corruption drive launched by President Joao Lourenco. The president is also trying to dismantle a system of patronage put in place by his long-serving predecessor, Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

Rwandan troops have been praised for helping to quell an Islamic uprising in northern Mozambique

The army as a political actor
Owing to Africa's colonial history, the military in many countries assumed a political role from the start. "Once the genie is released from the bottle, it's hard to put it back in," Basedau said.

In Angola, some top combatants were compensated for the fight for independence from Portugal and their participation in the ensuing decades of civil war. Such an arrangement offered an opportunity to those well placed to get rich quickly. General Manuel Helder Vieira Dias Jr., nicknamed "Kopelipa," for instance, was estimated in 2014 to be worth $3 billion (€2.64 billion). Though Lourenco's government has since removed Dias from powerful positions following the departure of former dos Santos, the general has been able to keep his wealth.

Though Angola is rich in oil and diamonds, most of its 32 million people live in poverty.
As in Angola, the governments of many countries have included the military "in corrupt practices to keep them happy and to keep them in line," Basedau said. It is often a tactic to gain the military's support.

Military coups on the rise again
Since the mid-1950s, Africa has averaged four coups per year. The number of attempted or successful coups declined from 2010 to 2019, according to a recent study called "Global Instances of Coups From 1950 to 2010: A New Dataset" found. But, in 2021, their number suddenly grew to six, a worrying trend for many analysts.

The threat of a military coup is never far, especially in West and Central Africa. "When we encounter weak states that have more unaccountable and weak political institutions, we can also bet that their armies are going to be unaccountable and probably fragmented," Benjamin Petrini, a research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies who focuses on security, conflict, and development in Africa, told DW:

Petrini said the erosion of democratic norms, including in the US and the European Union, is a major contributing factor "to a feeling that a military coup does not carry the same consequences as it used to."

The German Bundeswehr has been helping train the Malian army for almost 10 years

Crimes against humanity
This has also increased the feeling of impunity among some armies notorious for committing crimes against humanity. Sexual violence against women and girls and other human rights abuses "are not just incidents, but are, in effect, tactics of war," Petrini said.
This seems to be more of an issue for is far from being a specific African problem. "The disregard of human rights in warfare is a universal feature," researcher Basedau maintains.

The coronavirus pandemic, which laid bare many institutional deficits, has increased the threat of coups. "In several countries, the military had to step in," fueling the perception of a failure of the democratic state, Petrini says. He calls for an increase of pressure on coup leaders and lauded the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for slapping strict sanctions on Mali's junta.

Analysts warn that interference in Africa from outside could be a double-edged sword. China and Russia, increasingly at loggerheads with the West, are becoming significant players in the continent. "If you have these international rivalries and they happen to meddle with domestic conflicts in African countries, of course, it's a great risk that these conflicts will become more intense and more protracted," Basedau said.

Watch video02:29
Sudan PM quits, leaving military in control
Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu

 

[Plain Jane]

Explosion kills several people in Ghana – DW – 01/20/2022

A mining truck collided with a motorcycle, setting off an explosion that razed hundreds of nearby buildings. President Nana Akufo-Addo has called it a "tragic incident."

www.dw.com

Ghana: Explosion kills several people, levels buildings
A mining truck collided with a motorcycle, setting off an explosion that razed hundreds of nearby buildings. President Nana Akufo-Addo has called it a "tragic incident."




Mining operations, such as this one in Ghana that is not linked to this specific story, can require large amounts of explosives

A truck carrying explosives for a gold mine crashed with a motorbike in Ghana on Thursday triggering an explosion that damaged multiple buildings, killed 17 people and injured almost 60.

"A total of 17 people have unfortunately been confirmed dead, and 59 injured people have been rescued," Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said in a statement released overnight.
The blast caused "the loss of lives and the destruction of properties," President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a tweet, adding: "It is a truly sad, unfortunate and tragic incident."

He said that the "government will spare no effort to ensure a rapid return to a situation of normalcy for residents."

What do we know?
The incident happened around noon in the west of the country, near the city of Bogoso, about 300 kilometers (180 miles) west of the capital, Accra.

Police said a "preliminary investigation has established that a mining explosive vehicle ... collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the explosion."

Police also said that "most of the victims have been rescued" and taken to nearby hospitals. They also urged the public "to remain calm."

They asked local villages to open their schools and churches to accommodate any additional casualties.

Seji Saji Amedonu, deputy director-general of the National Disaster Management Organisation, told Reuters news agency that some 500 buildings in the area had been knocked down in the blast.

The truck involved in the crash and explosion was en route to the Chirano gold mine.
A spokesperson for Kinross, the company that runs the mine, confirmed that the incident occurred some 140 kilometers from the mine.
ab/msh (Reuters, AFP)

 

[Housecarl]

Posted for fair use.....

Small bands of mercenaries extend Russia’s reach in Africa

Local despots seek unsqueamish hired guns

www.economist.com

Middle East & AfricaJan 15th 2022 edition
Wagner, worse than it sounds
Small bands of mercenaries extend Russia’s reach in Africa
Local despots seek unsqueamish hired guns

Jan 15th 2022
DAKAR AND MOSCOW
AS HE HANDED over a large wooden key on December 14th, a French colonel symbolically passed control of a military base in Timbuktu to his Malian counterpart. The tricolore, which had flown over the camp in northern Mali since France sent troops there in 2013 to counter jihadists and separatists, was replaced by a Malian flag. The ceremony marked a milestone in a French plan to cut by almost half its 5,100-strong counter-terrorism force in the region, as it refocuses on training and supporting local troops in their battle against the extremists who have overrun swathes of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Yet soon after the French had left, a contingent of Russians moved in.

They are but one element of a Russian force that is perhaps 450-strong, says a French military official, who adds that most are mercenaries from Wagner Group. This is a company founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a crony of President Vladimir Putin. It is reportedly being paid $10m a month in Mali, much of it under a goons-for-gold deal. Mali’s government insists it has no hired guns fighting for it and that the Russians are there as trainers officially sent by their government. Yet armed Russians have been seen in several parts of the country. Jihadists may have recently killed one and wounded two more.

(Rest of article is behind pay wall. HC)

 

[Plain Jane]

Nigeria extremists still ‘very dangerous,’ says UN official

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The Islamic extremist insurgency in northeast Nigeria is a “very, very dangerous (and) very threatening” crisis that needs more than $1 billion in aid in 2022 to assist those hit by the decade-long conflict, United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said.

apnews.com

Nigeria extremists still ‘very dangerous,’ says UN official
By CHINEDU ASADUyesterday

FILE- Martin Griffiths, the United Nations humanitarian chief, speaks during an interview at the U.N. headquarters in New York, Sept. 28, 2021. A top U.N. official says that the Islamic extremist insurgency in northeast Nigeria is a “very, very dangerous (and) very threatening” crisis that needs more than $1 billion in aid in 2022 to assist those hit by the decade-long conflict. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The Islamic extremist insurgency in northeast Nigeria is a “very, very dangerous (and) very threatening” crisis that needs more than $1 billion in aid in 2022 to assist those hit by the decade-long conflict, United Nations humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Griffiths, head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, urged the world not to forget the continuing devastation caused by Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province, together blamed for killing tens of thousands of residents and displacing millions.

“This is a very different kind of operation and very difficult also to deter ... a grave and clear and present danger, obviously, to the people and a priority for the government,” Griffiths said in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. “The world needs to remember this is a tragedy that needs to be sorted out.”

Boko Haram, Nigeria’s homegrown Islamic extremist rebels, launched an insurgency in the country’s northeast in 2009, to fight against western education and to establish Islamic Shariah law in Nigeria. Their rebellion has spread over the years to the neighboring West African countries of Cameroon, Niger and Chad. Boko Haram drew international condemnation in 2014 when they abducted 276 schoolgirls in Chibok village, prompting the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. More than 100 of those abducted students are still missing.

The conflict has resulted in approximately 35,000 deaths, according to the U.N. Development Program. For each casualty, “an additional nine people, primarily children, have lost their lives due to lack of food and resources,” the U.N. agency estimated in a report in June last year.

Nigeria’s military continues to try to quell the violence especially in northeastern Borno state and the Lake Chad region, but the conflict has continued year after year.

The faction allied with the Islamic State group this week released a video showing dozens of child fighters training in open fields and being taught in classrooms. The video is a “clear” message that the extremists “are here to stay” and “a new generation is coming,” according to Vincent Foucher of the International Crisis Group.

Nigeria’s security forces have also beefed up their air capacity “which means it is difficult for (the Islamic State offshoot) to get away with the large attacks it carried out two or three years ago,” Foucher added.

The U.N. humanitarian chief said it’s not clear when displaced populations will be able to return to their homes, although it is a crucial goal so that people are given hope “that maybe it’s not an indefinite exile from their villages.”

For 2022, the U.N. estimates Nigeria’s northeast will need development assistance of more than $1 billion in addition to government spending, he said. The funds are needed to provide food and healthcare to the millions of people displaced and to those who remain at their homes but are vulnerable to attacks. Nigerian officials “understand this is not a quick fix,” said Griffiths after meetings with government authorities.

Beyond the northeast, the northwest and central parts of Nigeria are experiencing violent attacks carried out by armed groups who had traditionally worked as nomadic cattle herders and are caught up in a decades-long conflict with Hausa farming communities over access to water and grazing land.
Nigeria’s fight against extremists “can’t be won on the battlefield,” said the U.N. official, who urged more community development efforts.

“You win civil wars in the minds of the people who live there,” said Griffiths. “If you don’t have the communities on your side, it doesn’t really matter how much else you’ve got on your side. You won’t make peace.”

 

[Plain Jane]

Burkina Faso: Heavy gunfire heard near president's house – DW – 01/24/2022

Reports of gunfire came hours after mutinous soldiers fired weapons at several barracks in the capital, Ouagadougou. The government had denied social media reports of a coup

www.dw.com

Burkina Faso: Heavy gunfire heard at military camp
Gunshots were heard at several barracks located in the capital, Ouagadougou. The government denied social media reports that the army has seized power.




Burkina Faso has seen weeks of protests against the government over repeated extremist attacks

Heavy gunfire rang out from military camps in Burkina Faso, including two in the capital Ouagadougou early on Sunday morning, news agencies reported.

Weapons fire was heard at the Sangoule Lamizana camp, which houses the army's general staff and a prison whose inmates include soldiers involved in a failed 2015 coup attempt.

The gunfire sparked fears that a coup attempt was underway after weeks of growing frustration with the government's handling of the Islamic insurgency wracking the country.
The government confirmed the gunfire but denied reports on social media that the army had seized power.

"Information on social media would have people believe there was an army takeover," government spokesman Alkassoum Maiga said in a statement. "The government, while acknowledging that there was gunfire in some barracks, denies this information and calls on the public to remain calm."

Later Sunday, the country's defense minister denied rumors that President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has been detained.

He said the motive for the shootings by soldiers is still unclear.

Gunfire started overnight
One soldier in a western suburb of the capital told AFP news agency that the gunfire had been heard since 1 a.m. local time (0100 UTC).

Residents there also spoke of "increasingly heavy fire."

Shots were also heard at another military camp in the south of the capital and at an air base near the airport, military sources said.

Residents told AFP they heard gunfire at barracks in two northern towns.

Tensions are running high among leaders in West and Central Africa following a series of successful military coups in recent months in Guinea and Mali

Jihadist attacks spured protests
Frustration over repeated jihadist attacks, and the government's inability to curb them, have sparked violent street protests in recent weeks.

Further demos were planned for Saturday, but the government banned them and the police intervened to disperse the hundreds of people who tried to assemble in Ouagadougou.

Governments in West and Central Africa are on high alert for coups after successful putsches over the past 18 months in Mali and Guinea.

The military also took over in Chad last year after President Idriss Deby died on the battlefield.
Burkinabe authorities arrested a dozen soldiers earlier this month on suspicion of conspiring against the government.

Jailed army general held at barracks
Among the inmates at the Sangoule Lamizana camp prison is General Gilbert Diendere.
Diendere was a top ally of former president Blaise Compaore, who was overthrown in a 2014 uprising.

Diendere led a failed coup attempt the following year against the transitional government. He was sentenced in 2019 to 20 years in prison.

He is also currently on trial in connection with the killing of Compaore's predecessor, Thomas Sankara, during a coup in 1987.
mm/rs (AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Burkina Faso's president detained amid unrest – DW – 01/24/2022

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was said to have been detained following reports of gunfire near his home. This comes after mutinous soldiers seized a military base, stoking concerns about a military coup.

www.dw.com

Burkina Faso President Kabore reportedly detained by soldiers
President Roch Marc Christian Kabore was said to have been detained following reports of gunfire near his home. This comes after mutinous soldiers seized a military base, stoking concerns about a military coup.




Burkina Faso's embattled president had been facing growing protests over the government's inability to curb deadly extremist attacks

Burkina Faso's President Roch Marc Christian Kabore has been detained in the capital, Ouagadougou, by mutinying soldiers, Reuters news agency and France24 reported on Monday.
Reuters and France24 cited security sources and a West African diplomat in their reports. Government officials did not immediately respond.

Reports from the country are difficult to verify owing to the poor quality of telephone connections and an outage of the mobile internet since Sunday.

In another development, hooded soldiers were seen outside the country's state TV on Monday by a journalist from the AFP news agency. It was unclear whether they were loyal to the government and protecting the site or from the side of the mutineers.

The government in the West African nation sought to calm concerns about a potential military coup after heavy gunfire broke out at barracks in the capital a day prior. Shots were also heard near the president's private residence on Sunday evening.

Widespread frustration
Kabore's government has been facing growing protests against its handling of a deadly Islamist insurgency in the country.

Kabore, who has been in power since 2015, was reelected in 2020 on the back of promises to make fighting the jihadis a top priority.

But he and his government have since faced accusations of inaction as civilians and soldiers continue to be killed by the militants, some of whom are linked to "Islamic State" and al-Qaida.

More than 1 million of the country's 21 million inhabitants are considered internally displaced.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
tj/rs (Reuters, AFP)

 

[Plain Jane]

Burkina Faso military claims to have taken power – DW – 01/24/2022

Burkina Faso's military announced on state TV that it had taken control of the country after detaining President Roch Kabore.

www.dw.com

Burkina Faso military claims to have taken power
Burkina Faso's military announced on state TV that it had taken control of the country after detaining President Roch Kabore.




The military announced its seizure of power on state-run television

A group of soldiers in Burkina Faso said on Monday that they had ousted President Roch Kabore, suspended the constitution, closed the borders and dissolved the parliament.
The announcement came hours after soldiers detained Kabore in his residence.

A soldier read the statement aloud, which was signed by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, on live television. Earlier reports had said that soldiers had surrounded the building of the state-run broadcaster RTB and were planning to air a message.

A captain, who said he represented the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration, said this group would work on a timetable for holding new elections that was "acceptable to everyone."

A military junta also runs neighboring Mali after a pair of coups in late 2020.



Watch video02:24
Gunbattle preceded Burkina Faso president's arrest, Amaka Okoye reports
What is happening in Burkina Faso?
The West African country was plunged into turmoil after a group of soldiers launched a mutiny at a barracks in the capital Ouagadougou on Sunday. They then detained Kabore at his house on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the president called on "those who have taken up arms to abandon them" in a tweet.

"What appeared to be a simple mutiny launched by some elements in the army on 23 January is evolving, hour by hour, into a military coup against our hard-fought democracy," his party, the People's Movement for Progress (MPP) said in a statement.

Kabore's party also said the president had survived an "aborted assassination attempt."

Roch Marc Christian Kabore was elected as president in 2015

The military did not say where they were holding Kabore, but said the seizure of power had been carried out "without any physical violence against those arrested, who are being held in a safe place, with respect for their dignity.'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the military's move. He "strongly condemns any attempted takeover of government by the force of arms," a spokesperson said.

Guterres also called on the military "to ensure the protection of the physical integrity of the president and of the institutions of Burkina Faso."

Why is there unrest in Burkina Faso?
Like its neighbor Mali, Burkina Faso has also been suffering from attacks related to various insurgent Islamist groups that are active across the Sahel region.

Burkina Faso had initially been spared the conflict seen in Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Chad, but in 2016 gunmen killed at least 30 people in an attack on a hotel and restaurant in the capital.

Since then the attacks have continued. In June 2021, an attack on the northeastern village of Solhan killed over 130 civilians.

The West African country is also one of the poorest in the world and the conflict has sparked a humanitarian crisis and popular unrest.

The country's prime minister stepped down in December after a wave of protests against the government's handling of the violence.

The last time the country was subjected to a successful coup was in 1987 when Blaise Compaore took power. He held onto his position through four election victories. However, he was forced from power in 2014 by street protests, fleeing to the Ivory Coast.

Kabore, who had previously served as prime minister, was elected president in 2015.
ab/msh (AP, AFP, Reuters)

 

[closet squirrel]

Fun, my brother is in Burkina Faso for work.

 

[Plain Jane]

Fun, my brother is in Burkina Faso for work.

Please let us know what your brother reports to you.

 

[Plain Jane]

Official says 31 killed in new South Sudan communal violence

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A local official says at least 31 ethnic Dinka have been killed in clashes with suspected Murle armed youth in South Sudan’s restive Jonglei state. Bor South County Commissioner Yuot Alier told The Associated Press that more than 20 other people were wounded in Sunday...

apnews.com

https://apnews.com/article/africa-south-sudan-9c56c8439eeb6a0ea4edc1625ac4c6b8#

Official says 31 killed in new South Sudan communal violence
By DENG MACHOLyesterday


JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A local official says at least 31 ethnic Dinka have been killed in clashes with suspected Murle armed youth in South Sudan’s restive Jonglei state.

Bor South County Commissioner Yuot Alier told The Associated Press that more than 20 other people were wounded in Sunday evening’s attack in Baidit village and some houses were burned.

The commissioner said 28 people were shot dead and three children were drowned while people tried to hide.

The commissioner said the attackers left with hundreds of cattle. Two of the attackers were reported killed.

The acting governor of Jonglei, Tuong Majok, condemned the attack and urged South Sudan’s national government to intervene to cease the “cowardly attacks” against civilians.
The reason for the new communal fighting is not immediately known, though cattle rustling often leads to clashes.

 

[closet squirrel]

Please let us know what your brother reports to you.

He works for the government so we never really get much info. They are trying to get an earlier flight out but not having much luck at this point

 

[Plain Jane]

Hundreds march in Burkina Faso to show support for new junta

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Burkina Faso's capital Tuesday in a show of support for the new military-led junta that ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and seized control of the country.

apnews.com

Hundreds march in Burkina Faso to show support for new junta

Hundreds march in Burkina Faso to show support for new junta
By SAM MEDNICKyesterday



1 of 6
A man holds a portait of Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba who has taken the reins of the country in Ouagadougou Tuesday Jan. 25, 2022. people took to the streets in Burkina Faso to rally in support of the new military junta that ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and seized control of the country.(AP Photo/Sophie Garcia)
OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Burkina Faso’s capital Tuesday in a show of support for the new military-led junta that ousted democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore and seized control of the country.

Days of gunfire and uncertainty in Ouagadougou ended Monday evening when more than a dozen soldiers on state media declared that the country is being run by their new organization, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguarding and Restoration.

“Today’s events mark a new era for Burkina Faso. They are an opportunity for all the people of Burkina Faso to heal their wounds, to rebuild their cohesion and to celebrate what has always made us who we are: integrity,” said Capt. Sisdore Kaber Ouedraogo.

On Tuesday, Ouagadougou was packed with people cheering, singing and dancing and there were reports of celebrations in other parts of the country. The coup came after several demonstrations were held against the Kabore government which was criticized for its ineffective response to Islamic extremist violence.

“I’m happy to be here this morning to support the junta in power. We wish that terrorism be eradicated in the months or the years to come,” said Salif Kientga who was at the rally in the capital.

Some supporters waved Malian and Burkina Faso flags and held up photos of Mali’s junta ruler, Col. Assimi Goita, beside Burkina Faso’s new leader, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, saying that military rule was the only way to pull both countries out of crisis. Others chanted “Down with ECOWAS,” the West African regional bloc that recently sanctioned Mali for delaying elections and which has also condemned the military takeover in Burkina Faso.

The junta closed the borders, imposed a curfew, suspended the constitution and dissolved the government and parliament and said it would return Burkina Faso to constitutional order, but did not specify when. The soldiers said the overthrown president is safe, but did not reveal where he is being held. A publicly circulated resignation letter signed by Kabore said that he was quitting his office in the best interest of the country.

The coup comes after months of growing frustration at the Kabore government’s inability to stem a jihadist insurgency that’s wracked the country, killing thousands and displacing 1.5 million people. However, it’s unclear what might change under the new junta, as the ill-equipped military has struggled to battle the jihadists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
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“A simple change in leadership is unlikely to turn the tide,” said Constantin Gouvy, a Burkina Faso researcher who works for the Netherlands-based Clingendael Institute. “If they choose to redouble military efforts, the coup leader, Damiba, has gained experience in a key military leadership position as the commander of the country’s 3rd military region ... But a change in leadership is likely not enough on its own to reverse the deteriorating trend we’ve been seeing. Burkinabe forces are generally ill-equipped to fight this war.”

While not much is known about the new leaders, they appear young and are said to be mid-ranked officers. The new apparent leader, Lt. Col. Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba, is a published author in his early 40s and was recently promoted by Kabore.

One mutinous soldier who insisted on anonymity for his security told The Associated Press that younger officers who had experienced war should run the country, rather than older ones who had never used their guns outside of military training, in a nation that had never previously seen fighting. He said the younger men might not have governance experience but they could learn. The junta is now meeting with religious and community leaders as well as the previous government to discuss a way forward, he said.

To some in Burkina Faso, the soldiers’ youth is one of the reasons they believe they’ll be able to succeed.

“If you look at those who have taken power they seem to be younger and we hope they will bring younger ideas, bring better ideas than we have seen up until now,” said Aliou Ouedraogo, a resident of Ouagadougou.

Meanwhile, the international community has condemned the takeover.

The West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS, demanded that the soldiers return to their barracks and urged dialogue with the authorities to resolve the issues. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on coup leaders to put down their arms.

On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron, said he stands by ECOWAS in condemning the coup and that his priority is seeing that Kabore is safe and keeping the situation calm. He said France is monitoring the situation closely. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ravina Shamdasan, said she “deeply deplores” the military takeover and called on the military to immediately release Kabore and other high-level officials who have been detained.

The U.S. State Department said it was deeply concerned by events in Burkina Faso, calling for restraint by all actors, adding that it would be carefully reviewing the events on the ground for any potential impact on assistance.

“We condemn these acts and call on those responsible to deescalate the situation, prevent harm to President Kabore and any other members of his government in detention, and return to civilian-led government and constitutional order,” said a statement from department spokesman Ned Price issued late Monday. “We acknowledge the tremendous stress on Burkinabe society and security forces posed by ISIS and JNIM but urge military officers to step back, return to their barracks, and address their concerns through dialogue.”

 

[Plain Jane]

Burkina Faso crisis: EU threatens consequences after coup – DW – 01/26/2022

The EU has said it could withdraw financial aid from Burkina Faso and hit coup leaders with sanctions if "constitutional order" is not restored.

www.dw.com

Burkina Faso crisis: EU threatens consequences after coup
The EU has said it could withdraw financial aid from Burkina Faso and hit coup leaders with sanctions if "constitutional order" is not restored.




The military junta in Burkina Faso announced the coup on state television

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell warned of new punitive measures against Burkina Faso on Wednesday after a military junta took control of the West African country earlier this week.

What did Borrell say?
"If constitutional order is not restored, there will be immediate consequences for our partnership with the country," Borrell said in remarks aimed at "elements of the armed forces." The EU has called for the release of detained President Roch Kabore.

The top EU diplomat suggested that the 27-member bloc could withdraw financial aid from Burkina Faso. Another option could be imposing new sanctions on coup leaders.

Borrell was expected to meet diplomats from Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso in Brussels on Wednesday in a closed-door session, but the talks were postponed.

Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced on Wednesday that it would hold an emergency virtual meeting on Friday to discuss the coup.
ECOWAS, along with the African Union, has condemned the military takeover in Burkina Faso.


Watch video01:59
Pro-junta rally in Burkina Faso as UN, US condemn coup
Why did the military take control?
Kabore was detained amid popular anger over the government's handling of Islamic extremists. Protesters have taken to the streets in recent months demanding Kabore step down from his role.

Attacks by groups linked to al-Qaeda and the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) have displaced over 1.5 million people within Burkina Faso by the end of 2021. Over 2,000 people in the West African country were killed by Islamist attacks last year.

The armed forces cited the deterioration of Burkina Faso's security situation as a reason behind the coup.

A source in Kabore's People's Movement for Progress (MPP) Party told French news agency AFP on Wednesday that the president was "physically well," saying he was in a "presidential villa under house arrest."

The MPP earlier claimed there was an "aborted assassination attempt" against Kabore.
Kabore, who is 64-years-old, took office in 2015 after an uprising against former leader Blaise Compaore.

Two other countries in West Africa, Mali and Guinea, were also taken over by elements of the military within the last year and a half.
wd/msh (AP, AFP)

 

[Plain Jane]

Rwanda to reopen border with Uganda after three years
A three-year standoff fuelled by accusations of espionage and support for dissidents will come to an end after a round of intense diplomacy.




Kagame and Museveni met at the Gatuna-Katuna border in 2020 but they could not solve their differences and it remained closed

Rwanda will reopen its main border with Uganda on Monday, authorities announced on Friday.
It abruptly closed the Gatuna-Katuna border in 2019, after accusing Uganda of abducting Rwandans and supporting rebels seeking to topple President Paul Kagame.

Uganda denied the accusation and instead blamed Rwanda of infiltrating its security agencies.
The reopening, announced on Twitter, comes after President Yoweri Museveni's son Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba visited Kagame over the weekend.


"Rwanda has taken note that there is a process to solve issues raised by Rwanda, as well as commitments made by the government of Uganda to address remaining obstacles," the foreign ministry stated.

Museveni also sacked his military intelligence chief, who Rwanda had persistently criticized.

Rwanda Uganda border vital link in regional trade
The border closure had severely disrupted the trade links in the region.

Ugandan goods, including food, liquor, and cement, dominated the Rwandan market before the closure of the border.

Rwanda primarily relies on a transport corridor that runs from the port of Mombasa through Kenya and Uganda.

The same road also funnels goods through Rwanda to Burundi and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

During the standoff, Uganda accused Rwanda of an effective trade embargo.

Failed talks to ease tensions between Kagame and Museveni were previously hosted by Angola and the Congo.

Rwanda said it hoped the reopening: "will contribute positively to the speedy normalization of relations between the two countries."

Uganda did not comment on the move, but it retweeted Rwanda's Foreign Ministry statement.
lo/aw (AFP, AP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

W. African regional bloc suspends Burkina Faso after coup

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — West African neighbor states on Friday suspended Burkina Faso in the aftermath of this week's coup, making it the third nation in the regional bloc to be punished for a military takeover in only 18 months, officials said.

apnews.com

https://apnews.com/article/burkina-...west-africa-7479ecedddcc0a61cb993f7077f2b9e0#

W. African regional bloc suspends Burkina Faso after coup
By FRANCIS KOKUTSE and SAM MEDNICKyesterday


ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — West African neighbor states on Friday suspended Burkina Faso in the aftermath of this week’s coup, making it the third nation in the regional bloc to be punished for a military takeover in only 18 months, officials said.

The announcement from the bloc known as ECOWAS came days after more than a dozen mutinous soldiers went on state television in Burkina Faso to announce their military takeover of the country — that’s under siege from Islamic extremist attacks.

ECOWAS had suspended neighboring Mali after a coup there in August 2020 and then took similar action against Guinea after the president was overthrown last September.

Mali is also under punishing economic sanctions, including flight bans and asset freezes, after its coup leader failed to organize elections within 18 months as promised.

West African leaders met virtually Friday to discuss the Burkina Faso coup, and a delegation was expected to travel to Ouagadougou in the coming days.

Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the current ECOWAS chairman, called the recent spate of coups in West Africa “a direct violation of our democratic tenets.”

“The rest of the world is looking up to us to be firm on this matter,” he said.

ECOWAS has faced criticism for its handling of the coups, particularly in Mali where mediators negotiated with the junta on the 18-month deadline for holding democratic elections. Mali’s coup leader has said that won’t be met, citing security conditions, and has announced a vote four years from now instead.
___
Mednick reported from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

 

[Plain Jane]

Congo sentences 51 to death over UN killings – DW – 01/30/2022

A military court in Congo condemned 51 people to death for the murders of United Nations investigators Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan. The government blames the deaths on the Kamwina Msapu militia.

www.dw.com

Congo sentences 51 to death over UN killings
A military court in Congo condemned 51 people to death for the murders of United Nations investigators Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan. The government blames the deaths on the Kamwina Msapu militia.




Zaida Catalan was a member of Sweden's Green Party who was murdered while on a UN mission to Congo

After a trial lasting nearly five years, 51 people found guilty of the killing of United Nations investigators Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan were sentenced to death on Saturday by a military court in Congo.

Many of the sentences were handed out in absentia, as suspects were either never arrested or escaped from custody.

Congo has observed a moratorium on the death penalty since 2003, so those sentenced to death will likely serve life sentences.

When were the UN officials assassinated?
Sharp and Catalan were assassinated on March 12, 2017, in Congo's central Kasai region. They were on a field visit with representatives of Kamwina Nsapu, a militia active in Kasai whose customary chief Jean-Pierre Mponde was killed by Congolese army troops in August 2016.

Sharp was from the United States and Catalan from Sweden.

The two UN experts were investigating violence in Kasai on behalf of the UN Security Council.

The Congolese government blames the killings on members of the Kamwina Nsapu militia.
The government initially denied any state agents were involved, but later a number of officials were arrested.

Colonel Jean de Dieu Mambweni was sentenced to 10 years on Saturday for failing to assist a person in danger. A local immigration official, who had met with Sharp and Catalan the day before their mission, was given a death sentence.

The military court acquitted journalist Trudon Raphael Kapuku and police officer Honore Tshimbamba, who were arrested separately in 2018 and have spent 4 years in prison.

Investigations 'failed to uncover the full truth'
Human Rights Watch senior researcher on Congo Thomas Fessy said "the investigation and this trial have failed to uncover the full truth about what happened."

"Congolese authorities, with UN support, should now investigate the critical role that senior officials may have played in the murders," Fessy said in a tweet.

Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ann Linde said on Twitter that investigations must continue.

"Crucial that investigation concerning others involved continues to further uncover truth and bring justice," Linde said. "We encourage authorities to fully cooperate with the U.N. mechanism."
sdi/sms (AP, AFP, Reuters)

 

[Plain Jane]

Ethiopian prime minister in UAE as Tigray war rages on

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has traveled to the United Arab Emirates on a state visit amid his country’s ongoing war against Tigray rebels. Ahmed arrived Saturday and was greeted planeside by Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed...

apnews.com

https://apnews.com/article/middle-e...s-abu-dhabi-55e8ad11db9788c9a6aaf4c02e74935b#

Ethiopian prime minister in UAE as Tigray war rages on
yesterday



1 of 2
In this photo released by the United Arab Emirates' state-run WAM news agency, Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right, greets Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed after his arrival in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. Ahmed is in the United Arab Emirates on a state visit amid his country's ongoing war against Tigray rebels. (Abdulla Al Neyadi/Ministry of Presidential Affairs/WAM via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has traveled to the United Arab Emirates on a state visit amid his country’s ongoing war against Tigray rebels.
Ahmed arrived Saturday and was greeted planeside by Abu Dhabi’s powerful crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. They later attended an honor guard ceremony and held meetings, according to the Emirates’ state-run WAM news agency.

The Tigray war has been raging since November 2020. The war has shifted in recent weeks, with the Tigray forces retreating into their region after attempting to advance on the capital, Addis Ababa, and Ethiopia’s military saying it would not pursue them further. That opened the way for fresh mediation efforts by the United States and the African Union, with humanitarian access a key goal.

Ethiopia’s government has sought to restrict reporting on the war and detained some journalists under the state of emergency, including a video freelancer accredited to The Associated Press, Amir Aman Kiyaro.

Experts say the Ethiopian government’s military appears to have been strengthened by aerial drones purchased from China, Turkey and the UAE.