Metro

Sudanese army pulls out of fresh ceasefire talks with RSF

Published

1 year ago

May 31, 2023

The Sudanese Army has pulled out of further ceasefire agreement negotiations with the Rapid Support Force (RSF) paramilitary forces, citing the refusal of the rebel forces to adhere to previous such agreements.

A senior military official who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity on Wednesday, said the government decided to pull out from the talks “because the rebels have never implemented a single one of the provisions of a short-term ceasefire,” which included the withdrawal from hospitals and residential buildings.

The government also accused the paramilitary forces of repeatedly violating the ceasefire signed two weeks ago in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The two warring factions have been involved in continuous ceasefire talks, the most recent overseen by the United States and Saudi Arabia, and actually signed a one-week truce, but both sides have repeatedly violated every agreement.

The war in the country which began on April 15, has killed over 1,000 of civilians while more than 1.4 million people have been internally displaced, with about 350,000 fleeing into neighboring countries.

According to several United Nations agencies, the capital Khartoum has been forced to endure frequent power cuts, with many areas totally without running water, and most of the hospitals out of service.

Violence broke out in the country between the military loyal to General Abdel Fattah Burhan and RSF leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Degalo, over disagreements about how the RSF should be integrated in the army and who should oversee that process.

The two generals who were former allies, had together staged a coup in October 2021 which toppled longtime leader, Omar al-Bashir.

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Metro

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

Published

4 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

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.

Metro

Following backlash, Nigerian govt withdraws treason charges against minors

Published

10 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.