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American weapons for Morocco fuel fears of arms race in North Africa

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Recent revelations that Morocco is in receipt of at least 127 American M1A1 Abrams tanks, part of a US-Morocco procurement contract for 200 tanks, is fueling concerns that the northern flank of the continent may be brazing for an arms race.

“Satellite images show that Morocco already has at least 127 of the almost two hundred Abrams M1A1 tanks that the United States has authorized to sell to the North African country,” the Spanish outlet Infodefensa reported on August 9.

The satellites photographed tanks in the Central Establishment and Management of Material Storage (ECGCM) in Nouaceur, a town 20 kilometers south of Casablanca. One picture showed up to 65 of the tanks all together, the Spanish outlet added.

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Commenting on the tanks’ arrival, Mohammed Chakir, a Moroccan expert on military affairs, told Alyaoum24, “This is a reflection of the Spanish concern as an arming race exists between Rabat, Madrid and Algeria.”

“The many disagreements between Spain and Morocco, mainly the dispute over the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla, make decision makers in Spain closely follow any military deal concluded by Morocco, especially with the US, which is known for its most sophisticated industry weapons,” he added.

In April 2018, a research associate at the International Institute
for Strategic Studies (IISS) tweeted that “a pre-delivery of 48 Abrams tanks” from the US to Morocco was dispatched from Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio and was videoed cruising through La Grange, Kentucky.

Politics

Opposition party wins majority seats in Guinea Bissau’s parliament

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After a thirteen months break in Guinea-Bissau’s parliament, the opposition coalition has won majority seats after the legislative elections held on Sunday.

Over 20 political parties and coalitions, including the former ruling PAIGC party and its rival MADEM G15, presented candidates for various constituencies across the country.

According to official results, the PAI Terra Ranka coalition, led by the former ruling PAIGC party, won 54 of 102 seats in Sunday’s poll, while the ruling Madem G15, won 28 seats.

The development alters the planned constitutional reforms of President Embalo which would have allowed him to consolidate power by ridding the country of its semi-presidential system.

Under the current political system, the majority party or coalition appoints the government but the president has the authority to dismiss it in certain circumstances, a situation that has led to political gridlock and infighting in the past.

The political stability of the country has been consistently threatened by military incursions with successful and failed coup attempts. The latest was in February 2022 when gunmen stormed a government compound where President Embalo was holding a cabinet meeting, in an attempt to stage a coup.

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Algeria, Sierra Leone get non-permanent seat at UN Security Council

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Algeria and Sierra Leone, have been elected as non-permanent members of the the United Nations’ Security Council for 2024-2025.

The two countries are part of the ten countries elected for two years in the Council outside the five power bloc countries— the United States, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom.

The countries replace Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates and will join Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland who were elected last year.

For Sierra Leone, it’s a return to the council after 53 years. Its Foreign Minister, David Francis said it was “a great day for this small, progressive and confident country…which has successfully transitioned from war to peace.”

Guyana and South Korea were also elected unchallenged while Slovenia handily beat Belarus for the only contested seat.

An official of rights agency, Human Rights Watch, Louis Charbonneau remarked that “the vote in the General Assembly shows why a competition for UN elections is essential” after Slovenia edged Belarus for the seat going to Eastern Europe and obtained 153 votes, against 38 in Belarus.

“UN member states have undoubtedly decided that Belarus’ grave human rights violations at home and attempts to cover up Russian atrocities in Ukraine disqualify it from serving on the Security Council, a crucial body for ensuring human rights. humans,” he added.

Algeria got 184 votes, South Korea 180 votes, Sierra Leone 188 votes and Guyana 191 in a single candidate votes for four seat reserved for Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean.

There has been a long debate about the place of Africa in international relations. At the inception of the United Nations, only four independent African countries represented the continent when 50 representatives of different countries met in San Francisco, California, in 1945 to complete the Charter of the United Nations.

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