Connect with us

Politics

Ethiopian soldiers of Tigrayan descent refuse to return home, seek asylum in Sudan

Published

on

At least 550 Ethiopian soldiers who are part of the United Nations peacekeeping team in Sudan have refused to return home and are seeking asylum for fear they will be persecuted due to their Tigrayan ethnicity, a military official with knowledge of the plan said on Tuesday.

According to the officer, the soldiers who are part of a UN peacekeeping force working in Abyei, a contested oil-rich area on Sudan’s border with South Sudan, are afraid of persecution back home by the Ethiopian authorities.

The official said that the soldiers were at the peacekeeping mission’s rear base in Kadugli in South Kordofan and that UNHCR was “planning to move them to one fenced camp near a refugee camp for Eritreans in Sudan’s Gadaref state.”

The war in Ethiopia which is going into its third year, pits the Ethiopian government and its allies against the Tigrayan forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a political party that once dominated national politics and now controls the Tigray region in the Northern region of the country.

Since the fighting started, ethnic Tigrayans have been repeatedly detained without trial according to international human rights watchdogs.

Last year, a rights commission said in a report that thousands of ethnic Tigrayans have been detained in inhumane conditions, including very elderly people, nursing mothers and babies.

The United Nations has said at least 15,000 Tigrayan civilians were arrested or imprisoned across Ethiopia under the state of emergency declared in November and lifted in February.

Politics

Equatorial Guinea bans sex in govt offices after tapes leak

Published

on

Following the release of private recordings on social media that seemed to show a senior finance ministry official having sex with multiple women in a variety of locations, including his office, Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday announced a crackdown on sex in government offices.

The administration claimed that because the recordings had damaged the reputation of the small Central African nation, it was taking action.

Since the videos first surfaced last week, the controversy has been rocking the government of Equatorial Guinea, which has had the same president for decades.

Hundreds of amateur films were discovered at the finance official’s residence during a raid related to a corruption inquiry, according to local media sources.

According to local media, the women in the films seemed to be family members and the spouses of other influential government officials.

According to a government statement, Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue issued fresh directives on Tuesday to stop ministry and court workers from committing crimes at work.

These included increased security and the installation of security cameras in every workplace.

“The executive is taking this decision following the videos of a sexual nature that have gone viral on social media in recent days and that denigrate the country’s image,” the state information agency said in the statement.

According to the statement, the measures were decided upon in emergency sessions with the attorney general, the Supreme Court, and other parties.

It stated that individuals featured in the sex tapes would be suspended without being given their identities, and those in charge of guarding the buildings where the videos were purportedly shot would receive reprimands for their negligence.

The longest-serving president in history, Teodoro Obiang, has led Equatorial Guinea, a country of around 1.7 million inhabitants on the west coast of Central Africa, for 45 years.

Continue Reading

Politics

Chad threatens to leave international security force

Published

on

Mahamat Idriss Deby, the temporary president of Chad, has threatened to withdraw the Central African nation from a multinational security force, claiming that the force has not been successful in combating rebel groups in the Lake Chad region.

During his tour of the area, which includes parts of western Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon, Deby made the declaration on Sunday. In late October, suspected Boko Haram militants attacked Chad, killing about 40 soldiers.

Deby declared that an operation against the invaders had begun and that he was thinking of leaving the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which is composed of troops from the nations that border Lake Chad.

 

Although disagreements and a lack of coordination have made the joint force’s job more difficult, Chad’s withdrawal would be a significant setback because its military is one of the most reputable in the area.

Deby cited “the lack of joint efforts against the common enemy, which is unfortunately always observed on the ground. This force – created to pool efforts and intelligence – seems to be in a slump.”

Insurgencies have frequently attacked the Lake Chad region, notably Boko Haram, which began in northeast Nigeria in 2009 and expanded to the west of Chad, and Islamic State terrorists in West Africa.

Moreso, an estimated 910,000 people have crossed into Chad since the onset of the crisis in Sudan, of which 222,743 are Chadian returnees as of the end of September 2024.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Metro20 hours ago

Nigeria gets backing of West African countries in bid to join UN security council

Nigeria’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council has been boosted by the backing of several...

Culture2 days ago

Ghanaian TikToker’s longest eating marathon attempt blocked by GWR

An attempt by a popular Ghanaian TikToker, Clementina Nkrumah, also known as Afua Nash, to break the record for the...

Metro2 days ago

Zambia: Tonse Alliance names Lungu as presidential candidate for 2026 election

A newly formed political group, the Tonse Alliance (TA), has announced the endorsement of former Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, as...

Tech2 days ago

Morocco’s retail-tech startup Chari partners with Orange to digitise retailers

Morocco’s retail-tech startup, Chari, has entered into partnership with telecoms giant, Orange Maroc, to boost the digital transformation of Moroccan...

Sports2 days ago

CAF announces 50% increase in prize money for 2024 Women’s Champions League

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a 50 per cent increase in prize money for the 2024 Women’s...

Metro2 days ago

‘We appreciate your patience, but you must endure more’, FG tells Nigerians

The Nigerian government says it appreciates the endurance of Nigerians in the face of excruciating hardship and poverty in the...

Tech3 days ago

MTN Nigeria set to acquire two more licences for its fintech

Nigeria’s largest telecommunications company, MTN Nigeria, is on the verge of obtaining two licences that will enable it expand its...

Metro3 days ago

Zambia seeks global support to boost sustainable housing

The Zambian government has called for support from the international community to help it in developing sustainable human settlement initiatives,...

Culture3 days ago

Ghanaians kick as President Akufo-Addo unveils ‘self-honouring’ statue

A decision by outgoing Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, to unveil what has been described as a “self-honouring” statue outside a...

Metro3 days ago

Nigeria, Rwanda sign MoU to boost trade, investment

Nigeria and Rwanda have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at boosting trade and investment between the two countries....

Trending