Politics

Sonko Conviction: UN, AU react amid unrest in Senegal

Published

2 years ago

June 3, 2023

International bodies have added their voices to the ongoing unrest in Senegal. The United Nations and African Union on Friday called for calm following recent violent demonstrations.

The unrest follows reactions after opposition figure, Ousmane 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 protests have also led to the death of twelve persons, and attacks on the homes of at least two of the president’s close aides.

Nine people were killed after Sonko, a popular opposition politician was sentenced to two years in prison, potentially ruling him out of the presidential elections in 2024.

Since Sonko’s arrest in 2021, approximately 30 civilians have been killed in unrest largely related to his legal ordeal.

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres condemned the violence and “urged all those involved to (…) exercise restraint”, a spokesman said.

Regional bloc, ECOWAS called on all parties to “defend the country’s laudable reputation as a bastion of peace and stability”.

In the same vein, the African Union said its commission president, Moussa Faki Mahamat, strongly condemned the violence and urged leaders to avoid acts which “tarnish the face of Senegalese democracy, of which Africa has always been proud.”

The situation has also caused reactions from rights group, Amnesty International which urged authorities to stop “arbitrary arrests” and lift restrictions on access to social networks. Others like football stars, Sadio Mane, and Serigne Mahi Ibrahim Niass have also called for calm.

Sonko was earlier in the year found guilty of libel and given a suspended two-month sentence. The sentence was later extended to six months on appeal. His legal travails are capable of threatening his ambition to run in the 2024 elections.

Related Topics:AU Featured Ousmane Sonko Senegal UN

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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.