Politics

Chad postpones national peace dialogue brokered by Qatar

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2022

The Chadian military junta has announced the postponement of a landmark national peace dialogue with opposition forces and rebel leaders which was to serve as preparatory negotiations between the two sides in Qatar.

The impoverished West African nation has been engulfed in long drawn turmoil after long-time President Idriss Deby Itno died in April last year while fighting jihadist rebels.

His son, Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno who took over power had promised a quick transition to civilian rule with elections scheduled for February this year.

He had also promised to convene a national dialogue to start on May 10 which was scheduled to hold in Qatar between the government and more than 40 opposition groups who had already sent their delegations to Doha for preliminary talks.

But on Sunday, the Chadian Foreign Ministry said it had agreed “to postpone the inclusive national dialogue to a later date to be decided, after consultations with the relevant institutions and political actors”.

The shift in the dialogue came after Doha called for the postponement, saying its mediation was making “tangible” progress at “a good pace”, adding that a new delay would “give the participating parties more time to reach a peace agreement, in preparation for the convening of the comprehensive national dialogue.”

Doha had originally only wanted to host talks and was reluctant to become a full mediator but Chadian foreign ministry said Qatar was now in “full support for Chad’s efforts in this political process, in order to achieve the aspirations of its people for peace, security and stability.”

Part of the demands by opposition groups is that Deby must rule himself out of the elections, and also want safety guarantees to allow opposition leaders who are mostly in exile in neighbouring Libya and Sudan, as well as in Europe, to return to Chad.

Related Topics:#CHAD #National Dialogue Featured Opposition rebels

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Politics

Coup: Regional bloc, ECOWAS might intervene in Sierra Leone ‘if need be’

Published

11 hours ago

November 29, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Amidst a wave of military coups in the West African sub-region, a delegation of the ECOWAS Commission has hinted at likely bloc intervention in Sierra Leone following a failed coup over the weekend.

A chief of the commission and officials of the Nigerian government were received by Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, after Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the head of the 15-member sub-regional bloc, sent a message to Bio through Omar Alieu Touray, the head of the Ecowas Commission.

Gunmen last week exchanged fire for several hours with security forces in what the government attributed to “renegade soldiers.” Meanwhile, the police promised a “reward” to anyone providing information leading to the capture of 34 suspected fugitives.

“ECOWAS is ready and committed to supporting the people of Sierra Leone, including to strengthen their national security and the deployment, if need be, of regional elements,” Touray said.

The visit by the envoys appears to be a show of support for the government of Sierra Leone in the wake of the fatal attack that rocked the country’s capital, Freetown, on Sunday.

ECOWAS commended Bio’s and his government’s leadership in putting an end to what he described as a “very unfortunate incident.”

Concern has been raised by the wave of coups that have swept through Africa in the last three years, particularly in the West African bloc. The bloc has seen military takeovers of democratically elected governments in 2023 in Niger and Gabon, where troops removed Mohamed Bazzoum and Ali Bongo, respectively.

Politics

Another Tunisian opposition leader, Moussi begins hunger strike in prison

Published

11 hours ago

November 29, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Another Tunisian opposition leader, Abir Moussi has begun a hunger strike in prison to protest what her lawyers described as a violation of her rights to freedom and political activity.

Moussi, who is a prominent opponent of Tunisian President, Kais Saied, was last month sentenced after police arrested her at the presidential palace entrance on suspicion of assault intended to cause chaos, viewed as part of a crackdown on opposition politicians by some watchers.

In a statement, her party, the Free Constitutional Party (PDL), cautioned against “attempts to fabricate legal obstacles to remove her from participating in the presidential elections” that are anticipated to take place the following year.

In a statement, her attorneys said that Moussi would go on a 16-day hunger strike to draw attention to the issue of violence against women in Tunisia. She is an advocate of the late president Zine El Abidine ben Ali, whose overthrow in 2011 was brought about by widespread demonstrations; an uprising subsequently extended throughout the Middle East, dubbed “the Arab Spring”.

In a similar move in September, embattled Tunisian opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, who has been a political prisoner since April, also threatened to begin a hunger strike in captivity.

Moussi faces charges of plotting against state security alongside other opposition figures who are in jail. She had accused Saied of staging a coup in order to close the elected parliament and impose rule by decree.

President Saied has been accused of suppressing dissenting voices in the nation since taking office. This year, the police has detained over 20 political figures, including Ghannouchi, on suspicion of trying to compromise national security.

More than 20 prominent politicians have been detained by police this year; some are a accused of being involved in plots against state security. “Terrorists, traitors, and criminals” is how Saied has characterised the people under arrest.