Politics

Discovery of dismembered body of Zimbabwean opposition member sparks outrage

Published

3 years ago

June 15, 2022

The discovery of the dismembered body of a Zimbabwean opposition activist who was declared missing last month has sparked outrage both in the country and across the international communities as many see the murder as another case of politically motivated killing which has persisted in the country.

The deceased, Moreblessing Ali, 46, a member of the opposition Zanu PF Party was reportedly abducted outside a bar in Nyatsime, a neighborhood of Chitungwiza on the outskirts of Harare on May 24, with her dismembered body discovered inside a well on cut into several pieces, the family lawyer, Job Sikhala, said on Tuesday.

Though the police say they are investigating the matter and dismissed allegations that the case is linked to politics, opposition supporters and human rights groups insist it is a political killing, pointing to the southern African nation’s troubled legacy of political violence.

The President of the Zimbabwean Citizens Coalition For Change, Nelson Chamisa, who spoke to mourners on Tuesday said:

“This is a very bad indication of the elections in 2023. The dark clouds of violence are gathering.”

Many of those who gathered to grieve Ali were clad in the opposition party’s yellow colors and carried sticks amid reports of clashes with ruling party supporters in the area.

Since the beginning of this year, political tensions have been rising in Zimbabwe, as economic hardships worsen and potentially divisive elections set for next year.

While some victims of past abductions have been released after days or weeks, many after being tortured, others, such as journalist and political activist, Itai Dzamara, who was abducted in 2015, have not been found, according to Chamisa.

The country has had a series of violent and disputed elections since independence from white minority rule in 1980 with the southern African nation’s history of politically motivated abductions, enforced disappearances and killings said to be “fueled by the impunity of perpetrators,” according to a report by Amnesty International, while also urging that authorities “must not leave any stone unturned” to ensure the arrests of the perpetrators of Ali’s killing.

Related Topics:Featured Murder Politics Violence Zimbabwe

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 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

3 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.