Politics

Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, accuses DRC of supporting rebels fighting his government

Published

2 years ago

July 5, 2022

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has accused the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), of giving arms and logistic support to rebels fighting his government after the DRC has continued to blame Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels who have been causing mayhem in the mineral rich eastern Congo.

In a televised address on Monday, Kagame said his country is seriously concerned by the support the DRC has been giving to the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Congo-based rebel group that has been opposed to his government.

The two eastern African neighbours have been locked in an acrimonious relations with accusations and counter accusations flowing from both ends after the M23 group captured the Congolese town of Bunagana at the Uganda border with Kinshasa accusing the Rwandan troops of arming the militia.

Rwanda on it’s part, has vehemently denied supporting M23, and is now throwing its own accusation on DRC of supporting the rebels troubling its country.

While making the allegations, Kagame said Congo is actively arming the FDLR whose fighters are linked to the 2019 killing of hundreds of people in the northern Rwandan town of Kinigi.

“It’s on record and with facts that Congo is supporting FDLR, and unfortunately with the knowledge of MONUSCO,” Kagame said, fingering the U.N. peacekeepers who have been on ground to battle the rebels.

“They have recently been behaving like spoilt children. They cause trouble and then start crying foul,” Kagame said.

While the two countries have been grappling with the menace of rebels, leaders of the regional bloc under the East African Community have been working toward deploying a peacekeeping force in eastern Congo’s restive provinces, but both DRC President, Felix Tshisekedi, has kicked against the inclusion of Rwandan troops in the regional peacekeeping force.

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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.