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DR Congo accuses M23 rebels of breaching peace truce, killing civilians

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The Democratic Republic of Congo has accused accused the M23 rebels of breaking a five-day old peace deal and killing 50 civilians in the country’s turbulent east.

The ceasefire which took effect in the North Kivu province at the weekend, was the outcome of a summit between DRC and its neighbours, Rwanda, which was to have been followed by the rebels pulling out from captured territory, a withdrawal that has yet to take place.

The ceasefire was scheduled to take effect on Friday, November 25, at 1600 GMT and be followed by a pull-out by the M23 two days later, after a parallel initiative undertaken by the East African Community (EAC), decided to deploy a regional force to help stabilise the region.

Spokesman for the DRC Army, General Sylvain Ekenge, in a statement on Thursday, said the M23 insurgents was “carrying out massacres, the most recent of which is that of 50 Congolese civilians, heinously murdered on Tuesday in Kishishe, a village some 70 kilometres north of the eastern city of Goma.”

Ekenge claimed that while Congolese forces had “scrupulously observed the truce”, but that the M23 had attacked government positions.

But on Friday, the rebel group issued a statement denying the alleged massacre of civilians.

In its statement, the M23 described the accusations of a massacre in Kishishe as “baseless allegations” and insisting that “it has never targeted civilian populations,” M23’s military spokesman, Willy Ngoma, said, while confirming that there was fighting with the army.

A DRC security official who spoke speaking on the condition of anonymity, accused the M23 of having breached the ceasefire and “carrying on looting and fighting”.

“The fighting is heavy; we are using heavy artillery. Fighting resumed on Thursday in Kirima, about 10 kilometres from the town of Kibirizi after the rebels crossed the bridge, heading for Kibirizi,” said the DRC army officer.

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Zambia’s ruling party UPND warns against personal attacks on President Hichilema

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Zambia’s ruling party, the UPND, has warned opposition politicians and critics against personal attacks on President Hakainde Hichilema as his meekness should not be mistaken for weakness.

Secretary-General of the UPND, Batuke Imenda, who gave the warning in a statement in Lusaka on Monday, urged political opponents to always engage in mature and issue-based discourse.

Zambia Monitor reports that Imenda’s warning, was directed at the leader of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP) party, Kelvin Bwalya Fube, whose recent remarks Imenda described as “provocative” and a “feeble attempt to mislead citizens.”

“Provocative words uttered by Kelvin Bwalya against our party and President Hichilema are a clear demonstration of naivety,” Imenda said in the statement.

He further advised Bwalya to abandon personal attacks and focus on substantial political issues.

The UPND Secretary suggested that Bwalya’s attacks stemmed from a desire for relevance amid declining political fortunes, hinting at a possible alignment with former President Edgar Lungu.

“It appears KBF is hoping that Edgar Lungu might support his embattled political career by unjustly attacking President Hichilema,” he said.

Imenda defended the President’s record, highlighting that under Hichilema’s leadership, Zambia’s democratic space had expanded compared to the previous PF administration, which he accused of stifling freedoms.

He noted that while criticism was welcome, it should not devolve into baseless attacks, warning that opposition figures should not misinterpret Hichilema’s restraint as weakness.

Imenda also criticized Bwalya for overlooking the gains in transparency and justice since the change in government, claiming that past regimes were marked by resource mismanagement and corruption.

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Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

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The Nigerian government has officially withdrawn the treason charges it entered against some minors who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest that spread across the country from August 1 to the 10th.

The nation was thrown into shock on Friday when the Nigeria Police presented 76 protesters at the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on treason. Among the suspects were four minors who slumped before they could be arraigned before the court.

This caused serious uproar in the country with Nigerians condemning the government and calling for the unconditional release of the kids and the dismissal of the charges against them.

The decision to withdraw the charges against the underage accused came following a directive by President Bola Tinubu who ordered the immediate withdrawal of the charges and an in-depth investigation into what led to the arrest and detention of the minors.

Tinubu had also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN) to officially take over the case file as well as review the cases following public outcry that came with the arraignment of the minors.

The charges were finally withdrawn on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja through an application for discontinuance filled by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, on behalf of the AGF.

According to Abubakar, the discontinuance application was based on provisions of sections 174(1), (b) and (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and 108 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015.

The DPPF also applied for further proceedings to be conducted without the presence of the minors in the courtroom, in line with provisions of Section 266(b) of the ACJA, 2015, and Section 1 of the Childs’ Rights Act.

In response, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Fanala (SAN), who stood in for the accused as well as other defence lawyers in the matter, did not oppose the applications which promoted the judge, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, to strike out the charges, while the four affected minors were also delisted from the charge sheet.

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