Politics

Mali/France relations hit new low, Bamako says Paris violating its airspace, finally bans French media

Published

1 year ago

April 28, 2022

The bilateral relationship between Mali and France has continued to suffer as French troops have started leaving Mali.

In the latest escalation of tensions between them, Mali’s military rulers have accused the French army of repeatedly violating controlled airspace over the country’s centre and north to “spy” on its forces.

Until recently, the relationship between Mali and France seems smooth with French-led military intervention ousting jihadists who were taking control of northern Mali but the relations have deteriorated with Mali’s new military leaders, who seized power in a 2020 coup.

The junta in Mali on Tuesday said in a statement that over 50 breaches of the West African country’s airspace had been recorded since the start of the year, mainly by French-operated aircraft.

The government claimed in the statement that there was the “illegal” flying of a drone on April 20 over the northern military base of Gossi, a day after France handed the site back to Mali as part of its ongoing troop withdrawal.

Last week, the French military released footage that appears it claimed showed Russian mercenaries burying bodies near the Gossi base. The drone images are the direct cause of the recent accusations by Malian military.

Following the release of the footage, Bamako said French aircraft flew back and forth over a convoy of Malian troops heading to Gossi on April 21 but France has denied the accusation.

France said its army said the men in the drone video were Russian mercenaries accused of helping Mali’s military junta fight militants and summarily executing civilians in the process. A move that has been widely condemned by the United States, United Nation, and the European Union.

“French forces are guilty of subversion in publishing fake mounted images in order to accuse the (Malian army) of killing civilians,” the government said in Tuesday’s statement.

Also on Wednesday, Mali’s High Communications Authority took its suspension of French affiliated media further as it announced the definitive suspension of French state-funded international news outlets RFI and France 24, a decision the France Medias Monde organization said it would contest.

Politics

EU agrees sanctions framework for actors linked to Sudan war— Sources

Published

1 day ago

October 3, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Sources close to developments in Sudan have revealed that European Union ambassadors on Monday agreed on a framework of sanctions against actors linked to the ongoing crisis in the country.

The proposal for sanctions was submitted in July, but it was not approved until Monday. Later this month, the EU’s foreign ministers will give their final approval before the bloc can begin adding people and organisations to the list.

The sanctions are likely to be in the form of asset seizures and travel bans, similar to measures already taken by the United States, Britain, Norway and Germany, who all plan to submit a motion to the United Nations Human Rights Council to set up an investigation into alleged atrocities in Sudan, including ethnically motivated killings, a draft motion showed on Friday.

Last week, The US continued its sanctions on persons of interest in the crisis as it imposed sanctions on two companies, including one based in Russia, and one person. The move is the latest in sanctions imposed by Washington following a conflict that erupted in mid-April between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over proposals for a political transition and the incorporation of the RSF into the military, four years after long-time ruler, Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in an uprising.

The United Kingdom has also penalised at least six commercial entities in relation to the conflict which has rendered more than 5 million people displaced and killed hundreds.

Politics

Tunisian opposition leader, Ghannouchi to begin hunger strike in prison

Published

4 days ago

September 30, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Embattled Tunisian opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, who has been a political prisoner since April, has threatened to begin a hunger strike in captivity.

Ghannouchi’s party, Ennahda made the announcement in a statement on Friday, stating that the 82-year-old fierce critic of President Kais Saied, has now decided to stay without food.

Ghannouchi was convicted in absentia in May after his refusal to appear before judges on the grounds that the accusations were false and the prosecution was politically motivated.

Along with other jailed opposition figures, who accuse Saied of a coup for closing the elected parliament and implementing rule by decree, he is also accused of planning against state security.

Since coming into power, President Saied has been firm on dissenting voices in the country. More than 20 political personalities, including Ghannouchi, have been detained by the police this year on suspicion of attempting to undermine state security.