Politics

BRICS leaders to adopt mechanism for addition of new members

Published

1 year ago

August 23, 2023

Leaders of the emerging economies group, BRICS, have agreed to adopt mechanisms for new intakes, paving the way for dozens of interested nations to join the group.

The leaders, at the 15th Summit of the group at the Sandton Convention Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, which began on Tuesday, said they “have agreed on the matter of expansion.”

The main topic on the agenda for the Johannesburg meeting is expanding BRICS. Although all of the BRICS nations had officially stated their support for the bloc’s expansion, there had been disagreements among the presidents on how quickly and by how much.

The BRICS nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa might benefit from the membership expansion, particularly when Beijing and Moscow are working to turn the BRICS into a solid alternative to the West due to geopolitical polarization.

South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, confirmed the position following a meeting by BRICS leaders at the three-day summit.

“We have a document that we’ve adopted which sets out guidelines and principles, processes for considering countries that wish to become members of BRICS…That’s very positive,” Pandor said.

The minister only stated that the leaders of the bloc would make a declaration regarding expansion before the summit ended on Thursday. She did not provide specifics regarding the framework or criteria for accepting applicants.

South Africa is the only African state in the group, although some more African countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS. Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia are some of the interested countries in Africa.

Related Topics:BRICS Featured South Africa

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Politics

Mali’s junta names spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga new Prime Minister

Published

1 hour ago

November 22, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

A day after dismissing Choguel Maiga for criticising the government, Mali’s governing junta named its spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, as Prime Minister on Thursday, according to state broadcaster, ORTM.

A source close to Choguel Maiga told Reuters that the ruling generals were incensed by Maiga’s remarks over the weekend denouncing the junta’s inability to hold elections within the 24-month timeframe given for the return to democracy.

After promising to hold elections in February, the military authorities, who took control in two separate coups in 2020 and 2021, have put off the poll indefinitely, citing technological difficulties.

Choguel Maiga’s firing coincides with indications of growing discontent and disarray among Mali politicians, even those who first supported the coup and collaborated with the junta.

As the wait for elections continues, Choguel Maiga, a civilian prime minister who was installed by the military junta in 2021, is the most recent to lose support.

He was cited on Saturday as claiming he learnt of the junta’s decision via the media and that there had been no discussion regarding the delay of the elections inside the cabinet.

“It’s all happening in total secrecy, without the prime minister’s knowledge,” Choguel Maiga told reporters.

Before then, he had frequently stood up for Mali’s junta against criticism from foreign friends and neighbours in West Africa who denounced its repeated election delays and military collaboration with Russian mercenaries.

As government spokesperson, Abdoulaye Maiga, the new prime minister, has also made strong public remarks against France, the previous colonial master. One such speech was demanding French President Emmanuel Macron to stop his “neocolonial” and “condescending” behaviour.

Abdoulaye Maiga and Assimi Goita, the leaders of the junta, announced they had kept all of the important cabinet ministers in their portfolios in the new administration in a statement that was broadcast on state television ORTM.

The announcement said that Abdoulaye Maiga will remain minister of territory administration.

Politics

Congo opposition mobilizes protests against constitution review

Published

23 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In response to President Felix Tshisekedi’s intentions to amend the constitution, opposition lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have called for national protests on Wednesday.

Tshisekedi, who was sworn in for his second and last term in January, said that a panel would be formed in October to recommend possible constitutional amendments.

According to critics, it may be a ploy to lift term restrictions and give him another chance to run.

Tshisekedi said the current constitution, ratified by a referendum in 2005, needed to change because it did not align with the country’s current realities.

Opposition politicians, including former president Joseph Kabila and past presidential candidates Martin Fayulu and Moise Katumbi, issued a unified statement on Wednesday urging rallies to “block” Tshisekedi.

A request for a response from the Congo’s presidency was not answered.

Patrick Muyaya, the minister of communications, stated on Monday that discussions surrounding the constitutional revision should be de-politicized and that no one should doubt the president’s intentions.

“We’re at the beginning of our mandate… The President of the Republic still has four years to go, and we must avoid attributing intentions to him,” Muyaya told reporters.