Politics

Mali, UN, disagree over killing of jihadist fighters

Published

2 years ago

April 3, 2022

Malian authorities and the United Nations have disagreed over the killing of Jihadist fighters in the country.

While the army says its troops killed over 200 jihadists in military operations in the centre of the Sahel state, the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the country has countered the claims, saying it has heard reports of civilian deaths, raising human rights concerns.

The Malian Army on Saturday, said the military operations which took place in the Moura region in central Mali from March 23 to 31, saw 203 jihadists killed while 51 were arrested and large quantities of weapons seized.

But the UN, relying on numerous social media reports in Mali during the week, alleged that dozens of the people killed in the operations included civilians

“The Mali military issued a statement after rumours on social media that 300 civilians were killed in the village of Moura which they said was a ‘terrorist fiefdom’. They said they neutralised over 300 ‘terrorists’,” a local journalist reported, which corroborated the UN’s stance.

“The Malian state believes the area is controlled by groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS). So there has been a push to regain control of the area.

“But the challenge is that no one really knows what’s happening; there’s little access to the area where these operations are taking place. A number of foreign journalists have been thrown out of the country for reporting what’s going on in Mali,” he added.

Mali has been battling for years to push out different rebel groups and to contain an armed uprising that emerged in 2012, to some degrees of success but the threat has continued to stay with the impoverished nation.

A large part of the country are controlled by different rebel groups and militias, with thousands of soldiers and civilians killed in years of conflict.

Related Topics:Featured jihadists Mali United Nations

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Politics

Zambian govt says no plan to remove Christian nation clause from constitution

Published

1 hour ago

December 10, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Zambian Vice President Mutale Nalumango has maintained that the ruling party, the United Party for National Development (UPND), has adopted an inclusive approach to constitutional amendments.

Nalmango made the reiteration while answering questions before the National Assembly following concerns raised by Bwacha Member of Parliament, Sydney Mushanga, who questioned the government’s alleged intentions to tamper with constitutional provisions without engaging stakeholders.

Vice President Nalumango emphasised that the government’s guiding principles were firmly rooted in Christian values, and clarified that the government had no plans to remove clauses like the Christian nation clause.

She declared, “The government espouses Christian values, and we want to make that clear,” calling for an end to discussions based on false claims. “Christianity serves as the foundation for our values”.

She also confirmed her commitment to consultative decision-making. She stated, “Government has made it clear that it will first amend non-contentious clauses of the constitution in consultation with the stakeholders.”

In response to mounting pressures within the country following years as one- and later two-party states, the Zambian constitution was changed in 1991 to allow the reintroduction of a multiparty system.

Under the terms of the constitution, the president appoints the vice president, the chief justice, and members of the High Court on the advice of the Judicial Services Commission.

Politics

Uganda begins withdrawal of troops from eastern Congo DR

Published

2 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Uganda has started the withdrawal of 1,000 troops deployed for a regional peacekeeping mission in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

According to a statement released by the military, Uganda’s decision not to extend the mandate of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) past December 8 prompted the withdrawal.

At its meetings in Arusha, Tanzania, the CDF affirmed the DRC’s decision and advised the defence ministers of the East African Community (EAC) to formally terminate the EACRF’s operations in the country’s vast eastern region, effective December 8.

UPDF’s contingent spokesperson, Capt. Ahmad Hassan Kato, “UPDF will ensure to expedite the pull-out of its forces and equipment within the approved timelines as enshrined in the extraordinary meeting of EAC CDFS (Chief of Defense Forces) held on December 6.”

“The Uganda contingent urges all armed groups (in the Eastern DRC) to facilitate the withdrawal of the UPDF troops by observing a total ceasefire to allow the forces to exit the mission area safely,” said Kato.

Aside from EAC forces, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known as (MONUSCO), has around 12,400 troops in the Congo, with a cost of over $1 billion per year.

Lately, there has been an upsurge in violence in Congo, DR. High rates of civilian casualties and displacement have been caused by hostilities with neighbouring countries, political violence, extrajudicial killings by security forces, and conflicts between militant groups over territory and natural resources.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 armed groups and local militias operate in the eastern DRC.