Politics

13 killed as fighting breaks out between Libyan political rivals

Published

2 years ago

July 22, 2022

Thirteen people have been killed as fierce fighting breaks out between Libyan political rival factions on Friday in the capital Tripoli, making it the country’s worst political clashes two years during a dangerous political standoff.

The fighting reportedly started when the Libyan Special Deterrence Force (SDF), led by Tripoli-based warlord. Abdul-Raof Kara, launched a large-scale attack on locations controlled by Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade (TRB), led by Ayoub Abu Ras.

According to preliminarily statistics released by the Emergency Medicine Department, 10 people including a child, were killed in the attack while 25 others were wounded.

“The clashes were first started in Zwait Dahmani and Furnaj districts where SDF seized some locations for TRB including the Central Support Agency on Thursday night.

“The fighting renewed on Friday afternoon in Mashtel Road in Ain Zara, causing damage to people’s properties, as SDF is trying to move on other locations for TRB.

“Many people were trapped in the middle of the fighting and others sought shelter in wedding halls,” according to a report carried by the Libyan Observer.

However, the Tripoli Ambulance and Emergency Services in a statement by its spokesperson, Osama Ali, said 13 people were confirmed dead and 27 injured while a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said three of the dead were civilians.

“Fighters from RADA, one of the most powerful forces in Tripoli, were visible around most central areas on Friday morning, while the main Presidency Council building was empty.

“The main sides involved were both affiliated to the Presidency Council, a three-person body acting as transitional head of state. They included the RADA force,” an Interior Ministry spokesperson said.

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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.