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Rwanda accuses DR Congo rebels of kidnapping its soldiers

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A day after the Democratic Republic of Congo accused the Rwandan government of giving support to the M23 rebels occupying the eastern parts of the country, Rwanda on Saturday, said two of its soldiers were being held captive by rebels in the DRC.

The accusation comes after DRC summoned Rwanda’s ambassador and suspended RwandAir flights after accusing its neighbour of supporting the rebel group active in its eastern region.

In a statement by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), the government said two of its troops were kidnapped on patrol and were being held in eastern DRC by rebels from the government backed Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) group.

“We call upon authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo that work closely with these genocidal armed groups to secure the release of the RDF soldiers,” the RDF said in the statement.

The RDF named the two kidnapped soldiers as Corporal Nkundabagenzi Elysee and Private Ntwari Gad who were allegedly abducted following an attack last week along the border by Congolese forces and FDLR rebels.

Rwanda had already called for an investigation after accusing Congolese armed forces of firing rockets into its territory as fighting
between the Congolese forces and M23 erupted on several fronts in the conflict-torn eastern province of North Kivu which borders Rwanda.

On Friday, DRC announced it would take “conservative measures” against Rwanda, which included summoning the ambassador and blocking flights from the national carrier after openly saying the M23 rebels were given substantial support by Kigali.

The DRC and Rwanda have had a strained relationship since the mass arrival of Rwandan Hutus accused of slaughtering Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

Kinshasa has also regularly accused Rwanda of carrying out incursions into its territory and of backing armed groups there.

The United Nations also said on Friday that the clashes in the eastern province had displaced 72,000 people in four days and that they have been forced to flee their homes to avoid being caught in the crisis.

Metro

Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

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Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.

Secretary-General of the UPND, Batuke Imenda, who gave the warning in a statement in Lusaka on Monday, urged political opponents to always engage in mature and issue-based discourse.

Zambia Monitor reports that Imenda’s warning, was directed at the leader of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) party, Kelvin Bwalya Fube, whose recent remarks Imenda described as “provocative” and a “feeble attempt to mislead citizens.”

“Provocative words uttered by Kelvin Bwalya against our party and President Hichilema are a clear demonstration of naivety,” Imenda said in the statement.

He further advised Bwalya to abandon personal attacks and focus on substantial political issues.

The UPND Secretary suggested that Bwalya’s attacks stemmed from a desire for relevance amid declining political fortunes, hinting at a possible alignment with former President Edgar Lungu.

“It appears KBF is hoping that Edgar Lungu might support his embattled political career by unjustly attacking President Hichilema,” he said.

Imenda defended the President’s record, highlighting that under Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia’s democratic space had expanded compared to the previous PF administration, which he accused of stifling freedoms.

He noted that while criticism was welcome, it should not devolve into baseless attacks, warning that opposition figures should not misinterpret Hichilema’s restraint as weakness.

Imenda also criticized Bwalya for overlooking the gains in transparency and justice since the change in government, claiming that past regimes were marked by resource mismanagement and corruption.

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Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

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The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

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