Metro

No respite in sight as over 200 killed in Sudan’s clashes

Published

2 years ago

April 18, 2023

The United Nations on Tuesday put the death toll in the ongoing supremacy clashes between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary at over 200, with another 1,800 wounded as the fighting entered its fourth day on Monday.

The fighting between the army loyal to military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former ally, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has continued unabated with the UN saying there has been no sign of a respite despite global condemnation and mediation attempts.

Head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, Volker Perthes, after a closed-door session with the Security Council on the latest situation of the conflict, said both Al-Burhan and Dagalo have refused to heed to reason and call in their troops.

“It’s a very fluid situation, so it’s very difficult to say where the balance is shifting to,” Perthes told reporters after the meeting.

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, also called on leaders of the Sudanese army and the RSF to immediately cease hostilities and begin a dialogue to resolve the crisis, after the UN envoy to Sudan said the two sides showed no signs of being willing to negotiate.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said the fighting had caused a humanitarian crisis as civilians had been unable to get access to food, water, schools and medical supplies.

“The clashes are preventing people, especially in cities, from accessing food, water, education, fuel and other critical services for their families.

“Health services, already precarious, could be further pushed to the brink. Reports that hospitals and water and electrical infrastructure have come under attack are extremely alarming,” Griffiths said.

In an earlier statement, the Sudanese Army said they had limited clashes with the RSF around the perimeter of the army’s General Command and the center of Khartoum.

“The armed forces are in complete control of all their headquarters, and what is being circulated about the enemy’s seizure of the General Command, the guesthouse, or the Republican palace is untrue.”

However, Dagalo urged the international community to intervene to stop what he termed as “crimes of Sudanese army commander.”

“The international community must take action now and intervene against the crimes of Sudanese General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, a radical Islamist who is bombing civilians from the air,” Dagalo said on his Twitter account.

“The army is waging a brutal campaign against the innocent, bombing them with missiles,” he added.

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Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

3 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

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.

Metro

Zambia: President Hichilema urges traditional leaders to invoke rainmaking powers amid drought

Published

20 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Zambian President, Hakainde Hichilema, has called on traditional leaders to call upon their rainmaking powers by praying for rain as the nation continues to face the menace of drought.

Hichilema, who made the plea while speaking during the Shikaumpa traditional ceremony of the Ila people in Namwala on Sunday, expressed hope for divine intervention and sufficient rains.

“We pray that this year, God will give us rains, sufficient rains, so we can grow more food, so we can take care of the things, the assets that we keep,” the President stated.

He noted that he was informed of certain chiefs known for their rainmaking abilities, including Senior Chief Mwamba of Northern Province, Chief Sailunga of North-Western Province and Mwami Monze from the Southern Province and urged them to use their powers to invoke rain, adding that the chiefs should continue their prayers for rain, believing that “God will hear our cry.”

The President also encouraged not only the chiefs but also the churches and the entire nation to join in prayers for rain.

“All of us, the churches, everybody, we must pray for rains so that we can take care of God’s people properly,” he said.

The head of state further urged farmers to intensify efforts at planting crops and maximizing their harvest for national food security once the rain comes.

The drought in Zambia in recent
seasons have left 84 districts severely impacted, leading to food shortages and a worsening electricity deficit due to low water levels.