Politics

Diplomatic tension brews as Morocco withdraws Ambassador to Tunisia over Western Sahara

Published

2 years ago

August 27, 2022

Morocco has recalled its ambassador to Tunisia following the latter’s decision to invite Brahim Ghali, head of the Polisario Front Movement to Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TACID) conference to be held in Tunisia this weekend.

Tunisian President Kais Saied on Friday received the head of the movement that is seeking independence for Western Sahara, a territory Morocco regards as its own.

Morocco foreign ministry in a statement said it would no longer take part in the summit. It also accused Tunisia of having recently “multiplied negative positions” against Morocco, and said its decision to host Ghali “confirms its hostility in a blatant way”.

Morocco said Tunisia’s decision was “a grave and unprecedented act that deeply hurts the feelings of the Moroccan people”. It said it was recalling its ambassador to Rabat for consultation.

The Western Sahara conflict is an ongoing conflict between the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic/Polisario Front and the Kingdom of Morocco. The conflict originated from an insurgency by the Polisario Front against Spanish colonial forces from 1973 to 1975 and the subsequent Western Sahara War against Morocco between 1975 and 1991.

Tunisia’s latest move further deepens the series of disputes over Western Sahara that has already dragged in Spain and Germany and escalated an overarching regional rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, the Polisario’s main backer.

Reacting to Morocco’s decision, Tunisia’s ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement early on Saturday that the country maintains its complete “neutrality over Western Sahara issue in compliance with international legitimacy”.

Tunisia maintained that the African Union (AU) circulated a memorandum inviting all members of the African Union, including the head of the Polisario Front movement, to participate in the activities of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit in Tunisia.

The long-frozen Western Sahara conflict pitting Morocco against the Polisario Front independence movement has flared in recent months, worsening already tense relations between the kingdom and its Polisario-backing neighbour, Algeria.

Related Topics:Featured Morocco President Saied Western Sahara

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Politics

Nigeria’s Tinubu to call for Gaza ceasefire in Riyadh

Published

3 days ago

November 10, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Nigeria’s presidency has announced that President Bola Tinubu will demand a truce and a peaceful settlement of the Israel-Palestinian dispute when he visits the next Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

“Nigeria will also advocate for renewed efforts to revive the two-state solution as a pathway for lasting peace in the region,” said presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.

Nigeria, as a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation member was invited by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to an annual summit scheduled for November 11.

Along with the head of the security intelligence agency and his national security adviser, Tinubu will travel to Riyadh with a group of cabinet ministers, including those in charge of information and foreign affairs. Tinubu’s administration is currently engaged in combat with Islamist insurgents in the country’s northeast.

According to a United Nations estimate, 1.74 million more Palestinians will be forced into poverty throughout the State of Palestine as the conflict in Gaza approaches its seventh month.

Africa is a geopolitical interest for the Western powers, and its institutions, which are biased towards Israel in the conflict.

Politics

Equatorial Guinea bans sex in govt offices after tapes leak

Published

6 days ago

November 6, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Following the release of private recordings on social media that seemed to show a senior finance ministry official having sex with multiple women in a variety of locations, including his office, Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday announced a crackdown on sex in government offices.

The administration claimed that because the recordings had damaged the reputation of the small Central African nation, it was taking action.

Since the videos first surfaced last week, the controversy has been rocking the government of Equatorial Guinea, which has had the same president for decades.

Hundreds of amateur films were discovered at the finance official’s residence during a raid related to a corruption inquiry, according to local media sources.

According to local media, the women in the films seemed to be family members and the spouses of other influential government officials.

According to a government statement, Vice President Nguema Obiang Mangue issued fresh directives on Tuesday to stop ministry and court workers from committing crimes at work.

These included increased security and the installation of security cameras in every workplace.

“The executive is taking this decision following the videos of a sexual nature that have gone viral on social media in recent days and that denigrate the country’s image,” the state information agency said in the statement.

According to the statement, the measures were decided upon in emergency sessions with the attorney general, the Supreme Court, and other parties.

It stated that individuals featured in the sex tapes would be suspended without being given their identities, and those in charge of guarding the buildings where the videos were purportedly shot would receive reprimands for their negligence.

The longest-serving president in history, Teodoro Obiang, has led Equatorial Guinea, a country of around 1.7 million inhabitants on the west coast of Central Africa, for 45 years.