Politics

Senegalese opposition leader, Sonko files 170-page complaint against President Sall

Published

1 year ago

June 23, 2023

Embattled Senegalese opposition politician, Ousmane Sonko has filed a 170-page-long complaint against President Macky Sall in France.

Senegal’s Interior Minister, Antoine Diome, military police chief, Moussa Fall and 112 others were also joined in the suit. Sall and Diome have “ordered and supervised the commission” of crimes “against unarmed demonstrators since March 2021”, including “murders, torture and forced disappearances”, it alleges.

Sonko’s lawyer, Juan Branco, revealed on Thursday that the charge was a criminal complaint in France over “crimes against humanity” allegedly committed between March 2021 and June 2023.

“For the past month we have been conducting a lengthy investigation with the participation of hundreds of Senegalese, whom I would like to thank”, Branco said.

“[They were] citizens, civil servants, people working in all of the country’s administrations who have provided us with evidence, documents, contracts, videos, testimonies, that have enabled us to establish the existence of 60 crimes of murder considered to be crimes against humanity.”

An unrest which has killed at least 15 people broke out after Sonko was found guilty of “corrupting young people” which consists of poaching or encouraging the debauchery of a young person under the age of 21, and sentenced to two years in prison.

The situation also drew reactions from international bodies as the United Nations, African Union, and the regional body, ECOWAS all on Friday called for calm.

Sonko was found guilty of libel earlier this year and given a two-month sentence with probation. On appeal, the sentence was later increased to six months. His legal troubles have the potential to jeopardize his desire to run for office in 2024.

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.