Politics

Libya suspends Foreign Minister as controversy trails meeting with Israeli official

Published

1 year ago

August 28, 2023

Libyan Foreign Minister, Najla Mangoush has been suspended following her meeting with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen of Israel last week despite the countries not having formal relations.

Mangoush had declined to meet with Israeli officials, according to the Libyan Foreign Ministry, and what had happened was “an unplanned, informal contact at a meeting at Italy’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.”

In a statement, the Libyan ministry claimed that there had been “no negotiations, agreements, or consultations” and reiterated its “total and absolute rejection of normalisation” of ties with Israel.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Sunday, stated that he had discussed “the immense potential for the two countries from their relations, as well as the need of conserving the heritage of Libyan Jewry, which includes refurbishing synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in the country.”

The statement further revealed that the ministers had discussed possible cooperation, prompting small protests in Libya, which does not recognise Israel.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Presidency Council—which serves as the head of state—asked GNU’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah for more information about what had happened.

The High State Council, which serves as a political advisory body for Libya, expressed its “astonishment” at the meeting’s reports and stated that those guilty “should be held accountable.”

Libya’s foreign policy lately has been unstable due to the country’s protracted civil war, acrimonious internal conflicts over who should run the country, and doubts about the legitimacy of any actions taken by the Tripoli government.

Political instability in a few North African countries has been a source of worry for many European countries as they remained a gateway for African migrants into Europe.

Israel has been working to improve relations with the Arab League, notably the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan since 2020 thanks to the “Abraham Accords,” which was mediated by the United States.

Politics

Mali’s junta names spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga new Prime Minister

Published

17 hours 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

2 days 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.