Politics

Ghanaian opposition lawmaker cautions President Akufo-Addo on military invention in Niger

Published

4 months ago

August 14, 2023

Following the recent resolution to deploy a standby force to the Niger Republic by the subregional bloc, ECOWAS, Ghanaian opposition lawmakers have opted against the move.

The proposed ECOWAS initiative to potentially use military intervention in Niger in order to restore the country’s constitutional order caused concerns among lawmakers as they urged President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana to immediately stop all preparations towards deploying Ghanaian soldiers for this endeavour.

In contrast to other countries that have had the chance to examine these concerns and enact pertinent resolutions, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee, informed journalists that the Ghanaian Parliament had not yet engaged in discussions regarding the matter.

He emphasized, “President Akufo-Addo lacks a mandate from the Ghanaian people in this regard… We firmly believe that resorting to military intervention is not the optimal course of action.”

Mr. Ablakwa articulated, “Our valiant Ghanaian soldiers should be kept removed from the impending risks of violence and the escalating geopolitical tensions, which could lead to extensive destabilization in an already precarious region.”

Minority parliamentarians in Ghana contend that the country’s meager resources should be used to fix the economy, particularly in the wake of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout of $3 billion (£2.4 billion). According to them, Ghana should refrain from participating in a “proxy geopolitical confrontation.”

The Nigerian Senate, in a similar move last week, rejected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposal for a military intervention to restore democratic rule in Niger Republic. After the president wrote to the National Assembly, seeking the lawmakers’ support for the implementation of the Resolutions of ECOWAS on the political situation in Niger.

Niger has been a subject of global attention since July 26 when the presidential guards led by General Abdulrahman Tchiani ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. There have been mixed reactions around the coup among nations, while Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea all under military juntas have appeared to support the Tchiani-led junta, while others within and outside the West African subregion have condemned the coup.

Related Topics:#niger ECOWAS Featured Ghana

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Politics

Morocco joins PPCA to phase out coal

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Morocco has joined an international campaign to phase out coal, Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), an effort to secure renewable energies in the next seven years.

With Morocco, PPCA has 60 national governments united by the desire to make a clean break with coal-fired power generation.

The United States, the United Arab Emirates, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, Kosovo, Malta, and Norway joined the global initiative earlier at the COP 28 climate summit, according to a statement from PPCA.

Without providing a timeline, the PPCA stated that Morocco “will work together with the PPCA to develop a plan for phasing (coal) out.”

Africa bears the least responsibility for climate change, yet it is already experiencing more severe effects than most other regions of the world.

The continent has the lowest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per capita of any region, contributing less than 3% of global energy-related CO2 emissions to date. Africa is home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s current population.

According to official figures, about 70% of Morocco’s electricity is generated from coal, with 20% coming from renewable sources thus far this year. By 2030, Morocco wants to increase the proportion of renewable energy in its energy mix to over 52%.

Politics

Seychelles declares emergency following explosion, flooding

Published

3 days ago

December 7, 2023

Ifeoluwa Dada

Officials in the Seychelles have confirmed that a blast at an explosives store wrecked buildings and caused massive damage to an industrial zone.

The explosion has prompted the president, Wavel Ramkalawan, to declare a state of emergency on Thursday.

The president called for a minute of silence on Thursday after telling reporters that the blast rocked the island and caused flooding due to heavy rains. Three people died as a result.

National television footage showed streets strewn with uprooted trees buried in deep mud and covered in debris.

“Following an explosion at the CCCL explosives store that has caused massive damage to the Providence Industrial area and the surrounding areas and major destruction caused by flooding due to heavy rains, the President has declared a state of emergency for today, December 7th,” President Wavel Ramkalawan’s office said in a statement.

“Everyone is being asked to stay at home. All schools will be closed. Only workers in the essential services and persons travelling will be allowed free movement.”

Tourists can still use the international airport and the ferries that travel between the islands, according to the government’s official social media.

Comprising 115 islands, the Seychelles is the least populous country in Africa, home to only 100,000 people.