Politics

What next as Guinea, Burkina Faso juntas dare ECOWAS, miss April 25 deadline to announce transition plan?

Published

3 years ago

April 25, 2022

Today, 25^th April 2022, marks the set deadline set by the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the military junta in Guinea and Burkina Faso to announce specific plans to transition into civil governments.

None of the two countries have however indicated any concrete plan for transition, thus risking further sanctions by the regional body – ECOWAS.

Slamreportafrica reported last month that Burkina Faso’s ruling junta, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR), had signed a charter setting a three-year transition period before the country held elections.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had expressed worry over the three-year transition period announced by the leader of the military junta in Burkina Faso, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

Leaders of the regional ECOWAS bloc last month told the juntas in Guinea and Burkina Faso they had until April 25 to explain how and when they would hand back power to civilians or face immediate sanctions.

Burkina Faso’s junta spokesman Lionel Bilgo said on Sunday evening that restoring peace and security remained a pre-requisite for constitutional rule.

“If we manage to do this in less than three years, we will organise these elections,” Bilgo told state television, calling on ECOWAS to be more sensitive to on-the-ground realities.

The story is similar in Guinea as the government spokesman, Ousmane Gaoual Diallo argued that “Guinea’s reality will prevail over all other imperatives.”

“We are going to evolve, taking into account the context… and specific situation of our country, towards exiting the transition.” Diallo told a radio station.

West Africa has been rocked by two coups in Mali, one in Guinea and one in Burkina Faso since August 2020.

ECOWAS is yet to give an official position on the defiance case of the two countries to meet the April 25 deadline.

Related Topics:Burkina Faso ECOWAS Featured guinea

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Politics

Nigeria’s Tinubu to visit South Africa for bilateral talks

Published

4 days ago

December 1, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In order to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission with President Cyril Ramaphosa, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will leave France on Monday for Cape Town, South Africa.

A ministerial meeting is slated for December 2, 2024, in the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town, and will be followed by the presidential Bi-National Commission on Tuesday, December 3.

In a statement issued on Sunday, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Tinubu and Ramaphosa will have in-depth talks on issues of mutual interest on a bilateral, regional, and global level.

“Building on the commitments from their meeting on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg, shortly after President Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term in office, the two leaders will review the progress made since the 10th session of the BNC held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.

“The 11th session of the BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups, each focusing on a specific area of mutual interest. These include political consultations, consular and migration, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments.

“At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements,” Onanuga said.

Founded in 1999, the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission seeks to deepen the two countries’ friendship and collaboration. The inaugural Heads of State session took place in Pretoria in October 2019.

The BNC offers a forum for maintaining high-level discussions and encouraging cooperation in vital fields including trade, economic growth, security, and diplomacy.

“This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Commission, a testament to the enduring friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa. President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising state governors, ministers, and senior government officials. He will return to the country after the BNC meeting,” Onanuga added.

Politics

Mauritius PM wants independent review of UK-Chagos Islands deal

Published

5 days ago

November 30, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to review an October political agreement that gives Mauritius sovereignty of the Chagos Islands while securing a 99-year lease on the base.

On Thursday, the British government expressed confidence that the deal to secure the future of a U.S.-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia would be ratified.

Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam said that he had requested an independent review of a confidential draft agreement with Britain regarding the Chagos Islands.

The agreement still has to be ratified by both parties. The arrangement has been questioned by Ramgoolam, who won an election last month. He informed lawmakers on Thursday that the results of the study will be available for his new cabinet to take into account.

The foreign ministry of Britain chose not to react. Earlier this week, British Foreign Minister David Lammy expressed his confidence that the deal would be completed, noting that the Pentagon, State Department, and U.S. intelligence agencies had all embraced it.

According to him, Britain was pleased to provide the new Mauritius administration some time to review the specifics.

When the agreement was announced, U.S. President Joe Biden backed it, but after Donald Trump takes office in January, the next government may contest it.

Marco Rubio, Trump’s choice for secretary of state, has stated that the agreement presents a major risk to American security as it gives the island, which is a key base utilised by American warships and long-range bombers, to a Chinese ally.

London kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s, and in the 1970s, it forcefully uprooted up to 2,000 inhabitants to create room for the base.

Following years of occasionally contentious discussions, Britain announced last month that it will turn over the islands. Many of the exiled Chagossians, however, claim they were not part of the talks and are unable to support it.

According to Olivier Bancoult of the Chagos Refugees Group, which works to protect Chagossians’ rights, he hopes the assessment will be completed as soon as possible.