Politics

Ethiopia releases separatist group leader, Dawud Ibsa after 11 months of house arrest

Published

3 years ago

March 19, 2022

In Ethiopia, the chairman of separatist group, Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Dawud Ibsa, has been placed on house arrest by the Ethiopia government since April 2021.

The news of his release was revealed by one of the leaders of the separationist group OLF, Shigut Geleta.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is an Ethiopian political party established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people inhabiting today’s Oromia Region and Oromia Zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia.

Mr. Ibsa was arrested in his residence at Addis Ababa, after an illegal search was carried out in his home and electronic equipment seized.

“It’s difficult to say he is fully released, but there is a big change,” Geleta said.

He also said he was optimistic about the release of other leaders of the party.

Ethiopian authorities and leaders of the OLF have been at loggerheads since they were allowed to enter the county after being removed from the terrorist list after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed resumed office in 2018.

The authorities accused the OLF of secretly working with the OLA rebel group, which they have party denied.

Ibsa’s arrest came hours after the OLF released a statement rejecting the resolution by the council of ministers naming “TPLF” & “Shene” as terrorist organizations.

The group “judged the resolution a deliberate work to stifle a peaceful process and to subvert political dialogue, and also the election”.

The police did not permit anyone to leave or enter Dawud Ibsa’s residence since he was under house arrest. However, there were serious concerns over Dawud Ibsa’s wellbeing as there were thoughts of him running out of food and other important items.

Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

6 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

7 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.