Politics

Violent clashes erupt in Libyan capital, Tripoli as Parliament-appointed PM Bashagha try to seize government

Published

3 years ago

May 17, 2022

The Libyan Parliament-appointed Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, was on Tuesday, forced to flee from the capital Tripoli when he tried to forcefully take over government as clashes erupted between his supporters and those of a rival administration that has refused to cede power, Libyan authorities said.

Bashagha had entered Tripoli on Monday night after two months of stalemate between Libya’s rival administrations, but was forced to withdraw hours later as fighting rocked the capital, his office said in a statement.

A news report by a local media said that the crisis risks plunging Libya back into prolonged fighting after two years of relative peace, or returning it to partition between the eastern-backed government of Bashagha and a Tripoli-based administration under Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah.

The political impasse that has bedevilled the North African country in the last two years has already led to a partial blockade of Libya’s oil facilities with the National Oil Company (NOC), last month, suspending operations at two of the country’s major oil sites, the Zouetina terminal and the al-Charara field, after shutting down several other facilities in connection with protests and political rivalries.

According to local media, sounds of heavy weapons and automatic gunfire were heard on across the capital on Tuesday morning, while schools were hurriedly cancelled and the normally heavy rush hour traffic was sparse.

Sporadic shooting continued even after Bashagha left, but security experts believe things may not return to normalcy.

“I don’t think things will just return to being cool and static and relaxed,” a Libya security expert, Jalel Harchaoui, said.

But Harchaoui believes wider escalation of violence is unlikely given Bashagha’s hurried withdrawal from Tripoli after fighting had broken out.

Related Topics:Clashes Featured Libya Tripoli

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.