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Rebels kill dozens in devastating attacks in Eastern Congo. Here’s what went down

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Rebel fighters suspected to be members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group, have killed dozens of villagers in the eastern Congolese town of Masambo, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from the city of Beni, army spokesman Captain Anthony Mwalushayi, said on Monday.

“Investigations are underway. We are in pursuit of the enemy towards the Uganda border near Mount Ruwenzori. I call on the population to remain calm and to collaborate with the Congolese army by giving any information on suspicious persons,” Mwalushayi said in a statement.

A resident of Masambo, Deborah Mutangi, who spoke to journalists after fleeing the village, said she and her children managed to survive the attack and fled to Kasindi on the border with Uganda and others in Beni, to seek refuge.

“After hearing bullets, I went straight into the house to tell the children to lock the doors. In the morning, we woke up to see bodies everywhere.

“I counted at least 15 dead bodies. Thank God that I arrived safely with my children,” Mutangi said.

The attack by the ADF rebels which is based in Uganda, is coming a few days after the resumption of trials of some arrested rebels fighters who were captured in combat by Congo’s army and brought to Beni.

The Uganda-based ADF rebels which have been very active in eastern Congo for decades, have reportedly killed thousands of civilians in the region since they resurfaced in 2013.

Metro

Zambian govt snubs transparency calls, says no law compels President Hichilema to declare assets annually

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The Chief spokesman for the Zambian government, Cornelius Mweetwa, has countered calls for President Hakainde Hichilema to declare his assets every year, saying there is no law in the country that compels the president to do so.

The calls had come from the US Ambassador to Zambia, Michael Gonzales, who urged Hichilema and Vice President Mutale Nalumango to consider declaring their assets annually until their term in office expired so ass to set an example for all other public servants to emulate.

However, Mweetwa, at a press conference in Lusaka on Tuesday, said Zambia had no law compelling a sitting Head of State to declare his or her assets annually.

Mweetwa said the only law which required a declaration of assets was the Electoral Commission of Zambia during the filing of nominations, though there was no requirement for publication of same.

While addressing the gathering, the government spokesman alleged that the previous government of the Patriotic Front (PF) had removed the clause from the Constitution following a debate on the accumulation of wealth by former President Edgar Lungu university within a year of his presidency.

“You will all recall that the previous government eliminated Article 30 which provided previously that such declaration should be made public,” Mweetwa stated.

Mweetwa also alleged that the PF left the country with a “Constitution full of either lacunas or provisions that are plugging and negating good governance.”

“Talks to amend the Constitution were orchestrated by our colleagues in the opposition and they wanted to u-turn over the same,” he said, but however, expressing shock over the alleged u-turn by the opposition.

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Metro

Nigeria set to begin passport automation 

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Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has announced that the automation of the country’s passport application is in its final stages.

In an interview, the minister stated that the automated application was 99% complete and would go live in a week, adding that Nigerians would only need to visit immigration centres to complete their fingerprint biometrics for passports after that point.

Ojo went on to say that Nigerians can upload their passport photos and other supporting documents using the new system from the comfort of their homes.

The minister said: “We gave a date — December 2023. We are 99 per cent done. In fact, we have done the testing and we should be going live in the next week or thereabouts.

“This will ensure that what Nigerians need to do at an immigration centre is just fingerprint biometrics.

“Everything regarding pre-biometrics will be done in the comfort of your homes, including uploading passport photographs and supporting documents.

“They went live about two weeks ago but I saw some errors when they came to do the presentation and I said no. We were talking about balancing national security and convenience.”

Nigeria’s passport system has been characterised by racketeering, logistics failure, and poor due diligence which have frustrated many, home and abroad, in their quest to own their entitlement as Nigerian citizens.

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