Connect with us

Musings From Abroad

Like in Mali, Burkina Faso, others, Russia offers military support to Somalia 

Published

on

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov says his country is willing to grant Somalia’s army military equipment to aid its fight against terrorism.

Lavrov made the position known when he met his Somali counterpart, Abshir Omar Jama in Moscow on Friday.

He said Russia remained interested in meeting the material needs of the Somalian army in its fight against extremists that remain on Somalian territory including al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda.

More than one million Somalis have been internally displaced due to varying attacks by Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida offshoot in East Africa, leading to a lack of food and water and relocation to areas where global humanitarian supplies can be accessed.

Al-Shabaab has control over vast landmasses in southern Somalia where much of the country’s most fertile land is located. The control has made its recruitment easier as it guarantees food security in exchange for joining the organisation.

The government recently launched what has been referred to as its most serious operation against the al-Shabab extremist group in over a decade.

Russia has been strategic in its defence relations in Africa, with a strong presence in countries like Mali, Mozambique, Libya and Guinea, and recent links with Burkina Faso, most of which are under military juntas. The countries have been accused of engaging mercenary groups like Russia’s Wagner Group, amid various allegations of rights abuses.

Some international observers claim Russia and the West’s stances on conflicts on African soils are largely influenced by economic interests with a target on natural resources like oil, gas, gold, diamonds and many more.

Musings From Abroad

UN investigators concerned over likely ‘future atrocities’ in Ethiopia

Published

on

United Nations-appointed investigators in Ethiopia Thursday warned about the likelihood of further humanitarian crises in the country.

The UN chief called for continued scrutiny of Addis Ababa’s human rights record as their work faced termination amid strong African-led opposition.

The Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the northern region Tuesday agreed to a permanent truce to cease hostilities following the conclusion of a peace deal brokered by the African Union in South Africa.

Both sides accused one another of crimes against humanity, such as killings, rapes, and arbitrary detentions, but neither admitted to any systematic wrongdoing.

International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia, in a report earlier in the week, said there had been attacks by the Eritrean Defense Forces (EDF) against civilians in Tigray that were “grave and ongoing.”

With the ongoing Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, its two-year term is up for renewal, but no proposal has been made thus far due to what diplomats describe as considerable resistance, particularly from African members

In light of continued violations in the region, Mohamed Chande Othman, the chair of the Commission, warned the 47-member council that it would be “premature” to conclude its work.

“Failure to do so would not only be an abdication of the Council’s responsibility, it would send a devastating message to the victims and survivors of this conflict,” he said.

He told the Council that “…the situation in Ethiopia exhibits most of the indicators for future atrocities…” and accused Ethiopia of conducting “a deliberate effort to evade regional and international scrutiny”.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s ambassador, Tsegab Kebebew stated the commission had “grossly mischaracterized the good and largely acclaimed democratic advances in Ethiopia”.

The Tigray Region is the northernmost regional state of Ethiopia. The region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people.

Continue Reading

Musings From Abroad

Mozambique: UK Supreme Court okays suit against Privinvest in London

Published

on

A United Kingdom’s Supreme Court has ruled that Mozambique can sue shipbuilder, Privinvest in Britain for alleged bribery connected to the $2 billion “tuna bond” scandal.

The ruling on Wednesday, just weeks after a London High Court ruled that the Mozambican President, Filipe Nyusi, cannot be sued in Britain for bribery in his country’s lawsuit against Credit Suisse and others over the $2 billion “tuna bond” scandal.

Mozambique is bringing a lawsuit against Privinvest, its owner, Iskandar Safa, Credit Suisse, and others for government-guaranteed loans raised in 2013 and 2014, hundreds of millions of dollars of which disappeared.

The scandal’s notoriety began with the borrowing of $2.2 billion by three newly formed firms in 2013 and 2014, the majority of which was done without the legislature’s knowledge or authorization. Mozambique alleges that Privinvest and Safa conspired against it and distributed more than $130 million in bribes to dishonest government officials and Credit Suisse employees.

Despite that,the Mozambican government served as a guarantee for the loans, ensuring that it would return the money in the event of a problem.

The “hidden debt” or tuna bond issue has sparked criminal investigations from Maputo to New York, as well as a string of related litigation in London involving Credit Suisse, shipbuilder Privinvest, its owner Iskandar Safa, and many other parties.

Privinvest has suggested that arbitration be used to resolve any disputes with Mozambique. A setback to Mozambique’s attempts to recover the funds it claims it lost came in 2021 when the Court of Appeal ruled in the company’s favour.

But on Wednesday, the Supreme Court unanimously accepted Mozambique’s appeal against that decision, allowing the republic’s allegations against Privinvest to be heard in a trial that would last for months and begin on October 3.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Behind the News7 mins ago

Behind the News: All the backstories to our major news this week

Over the past week, there were lots of important stories from around the African continent, and we served you some...

Politics5 hours ago

‘Big Brother’ Uganda to mediate between Somalia and Somaliland

Uganda has revealed plans to play mediating role between its neighbour, Somalia and the breakaway region of Somaliland following the...

VenturesNow5 hours ago

Nigeria’s intra-Africa trade increased by 40.8% to N1.84 trillion

Nigeria’s trade with the rest of Africa increased from N1.306 trillion in 2022 to N1.839 trillion in the first half...

Metro6 hours ago

Nigerian labour union mobilises state chapters for ‘total strike’ that will shut down nation

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it has mobilised all state chapters and affiliate unions of the...

VenturesNow16 hours ago

Somalia to secure debt relief by December— IMF

Multilateral lender, International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revealed that Somalia is on the verge of securing full debt relief from...

Sports1 day ago

Nigerian couple makes history with Paralympic qualifications

Nigerian para-table tennis players, Kayode Alabi and Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi, have made history by becoming the first African couple to qualify...

Video1 day ago

Video: UN environment chief, Munang wants climate capacity investment for African youths

In the video, the Deputy Regional Director of the African office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Richard Munang,...

Metro1 day ago

Sudan War: Gen. Al-Burhan says he’s ready for peace talks

Sudan’s Army Chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan says he is now open for peace talks that could bring the war...

Tech1 day ago

African Development Bank partners Google to transform Africa’s digital space

The African Development Bank (ADB) has teamed up with Google with the aim of advancing digital transformation in Africa. The...

Culture1 day ago

US rappers, Meek Mill, Lil Durk pay tribute to late Nigerian Afropop star, MohBad

American rappers, Meek Mill and Lil Durk have joined the hordes of celebrities worldwide who have paid tributes to late...

Trending