Politics

Senegal: Deadly protest erupts again as govt dissolves Sonko’s PASTEF party

Published

1 year ago

August 1, 2023

Following the latest controversy around the arrest of Senegalese opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, the Ministry of Interior has dissolved the politician’s party, Patriots of Senegal (PASTEF).

The government accused the party leaders of “frequently calling on its supporters to insurrectional movements, which has led to serious consequences, including loss of life, many wounded, as well as acts of looting of public and private property,” according to a decree signed by Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome.

The former congressman claimed on Friday that the military had recorded footage of him as he was leaving the mosque after prayer. His arrest in May provoked a violent demonstration. He took one of the phones as a result and demanded that the recording be erased.

“The latest is the serious disturbances to public order recorded during the first week of June 2023, after those of March 2021,” the decree said.

The dissolution of the party is the most recent development in a protracted conflict between President Macky Sall’s government and Sonko’s PASTEF. PASTEF supporters claim that Sall has used false accusations to discredit Sonko ahead of a February election while Sonko himself has threatened to disrupt the elections if he is disqualified.

While Sonko was remanded in detention on allegations that include organizing an uprising, as he snatched the phone of a military official with the claim that troops had captured footage of him while he was returning from the mosque after prayer. A version of the incident disputed by authorities.

His supporters returned to the streets of Dakar on Monday. The demonstration has turned deadly as two people have been reported killed in the southern city of Ziguinchor. His sentencing in June resulted in the country’s worst unrest in years. At least 16 people were killed during protests.

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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.