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Sudan shuts down internet, imposes lockdown Khartoum on October 25 coup anniversary

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The Sudanese military authorities have shut down internet services as well as imposing a total lockdown on the capital, Khartoum, as the country marks the anniversary of the October 25 coup that toppled the transitional government of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.

The announcement which was contained in a government bulletin released on Tuesday, also declared a declared an official holiday in all government and private institutions while the authorities deployed reinforcements from the army and police in the central Khartoum area.

The measure was to forestall planned processions against military rule which the country has been facing every week since October 25 last year.

According to a human rights watchdog in the country, Net Blocks, most parts of the capital began experiencing internet disruption very early on Tuesday before the announcement was even made.

“Confirmed: Live metrics show a nation-scale internet disruption in Sudan.

“The incident comes amid planned pro-democracy protests on the first anniversary of the 25 Oct 2021 military coup that seized power from the transitional government,” the watchdog tweeted.

In a statement, the watchdog said the military authorities also closed all roads leading to the Presidential Palace and the General Command of the Army, the headquarters of the military.

“The authorities also announced the closure of all Nile bridges linking the central Khartoum area with the rest of the cities of the state, except for the Soba and Halfaya bridges,” it added.

In the statement published by state-owned news agency, the Khartoum State Security Committee, said it was keen “to protect the participants in peaceful processions and marches that express the will of the youth,” but noted that “the security services is working to save the lives and property of citizens.”

Sudan has been faced with a series of political crises since the coup as the country has not had a formal government with the current military junta led by Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, facing almost a daily dose of protests by youths and civil society groups opposed to the coup.

His bid to re-form a transitional government have fallen through as civilian movements reject any role for the military in the transitional government with only one demand which is for him to quit and the country returned to democratic rule.

In his first address after the coup, Al-Burhan had promised to “form a government of independent technocrats, achieve the requirements of justice and transition, and form a constitution-drafting commission.”

He also pledged to form an electoral commission, a council of the high judiciary, a constitutional court, and a parliament, and set the end of the month following the coup, last November.

But he has neither fulfilled nor kept to any of the promises he made, which had led to the political and economic situation in the country deteriorating while security has gone out of control in a number of states.

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South Africa: Opposition Democratic Alliance open to coalition with ruling ANC

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The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-most popular party in South Africa, has revealed that it would not rule out a compromise with the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The DA says it will consider the move if the ANC does not get the necessary majority to maintain its hold on power in the May elections.

The May 29 election might prove to be the biggest test yet for Nelson Mandela’s former party which has ruled South Africa since the end of white minority rule thirty years ago. Voters dissatisfied with inadequate service delivery, unemployment, crime, and power outages might cause the ANC to lose its legislative majority according to pollsters.

Another bottleneck for the ANC is the factional division it has suffered with former President Jacob Zuma’s political base out of the party, having created the uMkhonto weSizwe (Spear of the Nation). In that case, as the president of South Africa is chosen by the parliament, neither President Cyril Ramaphosa nor a replacement for the position could hold onto power without the support of a coalition.

“It would depend on which ANC you’re dealing with and what their programme of action is,” DA leader John Steenhuisen said, declining to disclose whether any talks had already taken place.

“I’m not ruling out anything, depending on what the election results are.”

Meanwhile, Nomvula Mokonyane, the ANC’s deputy party secretary, informed reporters earlier this month that the party was not thinking about forming a coalition government with other parties and that she did not believe a power-sharing agreement would succeed.

To garner the majority of votes required to win government, the Democratic Alliance has united with smaller parties. These include the longtime ANC bitter rival, the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party; additionally, Action SA, which has developed a platform based on a strong anti-immigration stance and appeals to working- and middle-class voters; and Freedom Front Plus, which targets rural white South Africans who feel politically marginalized since apartheid.

While the EFF is well-liked among low-income Black South Africans, companies and the rich view the DA as a party that supports business. The EFF pledges to address land ownership disparities and nationalize industries.

“It’s a long shot,” Steenhuisen said. He added that if the opposition coalition did not win, his priority would be to prevent the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) from getting a seat on the executive.

“What I call the ‘doomsday coalition’ … is a tie-up between the EFF and the ANC,” he said.

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44-year-old Bassirou Faye set to become Senegal’s president

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The leading opposition candidate in Sunday’s presidential election in Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, is set to become the president-elect of the West African country.

Faye, who was released from prison only a few days ago, is winning with almost 54% of the vote, with 90% of the ballots counted by the electoral commission.

Following the counting of 90% of the polling station results, the Senegalese Electoral Commission declared that Faye had secured 53.68% of the vote, while Amadou Ba, the candidate for the ruling coalition, secured 36.2% of the vote.

For him, everything changed in July when fiery popular leader and fellow detainee, Ousmane Sonko, was accused of insurrection and disqualified from contesting to succeed President Macky Sall in elections. This cleared the way for Faye to seize control of the race, and on Monday, his 44th birthday, emerge victorious after his opponent gave up.

Much of Faye’s success can be attributed to the support of Sonko who enjoys high popularity, particularly among young people.

Other presidential contenders had called Faye to concede defeat. Ba, another major contender in the election, in a statement, said, “In light of presidential election result trends and while we await the official proclamation, I congratulate… Faye for his victory in the first round.”

Shortly before the announcement, outgoing President Macky Sall also congratulated Faye, “I salute the smooth running of the presidential election of March 24, 2024, and congratulate the winner, Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who the trends show as the winner. It is the victory of Senegalese democracy.”

“In electing me, the Senegalese people have decided on a break with a past,” Faye told journalists in his first public appearance since the election. “your I promise to govern with humility and transparency.”

Many anticipate that following three years of unparalleled political upheaval and multiple waves of lethal anti-government protests, the vote will bring economic stability and a boost. Already, there are reports that Faye’s imminent victory have caused Senegal’s international bonds to rise, reversing steep declines from earlier in the day.

The Dakar appeals court is anticipated to release the complete, official results on Friday.

Senegal is a republic with multiple parties. The president, who is chosen by universal adult direct suffrage and is eligible for two five-year terms, is the head of state under the 2001 constitution, which established a highly centralized presidential system. The president appoints the prime minister, who leads the government.

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