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Equatorial Guinea: World longest-serving President, Teodoro Nguema, appoints first female Prime Minister

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Equatorial Guinea’s President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has appointed his vice-minister of education, Manuela Roka Botey, as prime minister.

On Tuesday, the longest-serving president in the world appointed Botey making it the first time a woman has held the role in the West African country.

According to a statement by the office of the president, “the former Deputy Minister for Education, Manuela Roka Botey has, through Presidential Decree, been appointed Prime Minister of the Government, Charged with Administrative Coordination, replacing Francisco Pascual Obama Asue. She becomes the first Equatoguinean woman to hold the position.

“Roka Botey was Vice-rector of the National University of Equatorial Guinea and Sister Militant in the Baney PDGE District Monitoring Commission.

Furthermore, the three Vice Prime Ministers of the Government have been confirmed in their posts: Clemente Engonga Nguema Onguene, First Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Education, University Teaching, and Sports; Ángel Mesie Mibuy, Second Vice Prime Minister of the Government, Charged with Parliamentary Relations and Legal Affairs, and Alfonso Nsue Mokuy, Third Vice Prime Minister, Charged with Human Rights.”

President Mbasogo, has been sworn in for a sixth, seven-year term. He emerged the winner in the presidential election held in November, winning by 99 percent of the votes cast.

He has been in power since 1979, and won with 94,9% of the votes, according to the head of the electoral commission.

The United States said at the time it had “serious doubts about the credibility of the announced results” in the election and called on authorities to work with all stakeholders to address allegations of voter fraud.

The country of around 1.5 million people has had only two presidents since its independence from Spain in 1968. Obiang ousted his uncle, Francisco Macias Nguema, in a coup in August 1979.

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South African police arrest 87 persons ahead of planned protest by opposition party, EFF

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Reports from South Africa on Monday morning say security forces have arrested 87 persons across the country over public violence ahead of planned protests by the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa labeled the planned national wide protest by members of the opposition party as an attempt to overthrow him.

The EFF called for a national shutdown to protest crippling power cuts and demand the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa. The party’s strong base consists of working-class Black South Africans who feel left out of the country’s prosperity since the governing African National Congress (ANC) ended white minority rule in 1994.

As reported by National intelligence body NatJOINTS, 41 people were arrested in Gauteng, including Pretoria and Johannesburg, 29 people were arrested in North West, and 15 people were arrested in Free State. Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape have also been arrested, according to NatJOINTS.

“Law enforcement officers are on high alert and will continue to prevent and combat any acts of criminality,” NatJOINTS said.

The country lately has had challenges with its electricity supply which has forced struggling state power company, Eskom to announce the previous series of power rotation arrangements.

Eskom has implemented scheduled electricity outages every day in 2023, with most households and businesses without power for up to 10 hours a day.

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South Africa to host Russia’s President Putin despite ICC ruling

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South Africa has insisted that it is not without knowledge of what is at stake ahead of a proposed visit by Vladimir Putin after an international court issued an arrest warrant against the Russian leader.

President Cyril Ramaphosa through his spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya on Sunday said it was aware of legal obligation as Russian President Putin is expected to visit South Africa in August to attend a BRICS summit.

In 2006, the foreign ministers of Brazil, Russia, India, and China met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, marking the beginning of BRIC cooperation.

“We are, as the government, cognisant of our legal obligation. However, between now and the summit we will remain engaged with various relevant stakeholders,” spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

President Putin is expected to attend the 15th BRICS summit, as he did in 2013.

“We note the report on the warrant of arrest that the ICC has issued,” Magwenya said.

“It remains South Africa’s commitment and very strong desire that the conflict in Ukraine is resolved peacefully through negotiations.”

According to the International Court of Justice (ICC), President Putin is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of the population (children) and the unlawful transfer of the population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian-occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022.

There has been back and forth between the US and the global South, notably Russia and China over influence and relations with Africa.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, plans to host the second Russia-Africa summit in July in St. Petersburg, an event intended to underline his attempts to curry favour in African nations after being shunned by the West over his invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

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