Politics

Lawyers to Niger’s overthrown president want regional court to reinstate him

Published

1 year ago

November 7, 2023

Over three months after being ousted as the President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum’s lawyers asked a West African regional court on Monday to order that he be reinstated.

Soldiers took over the country on July 26 and detained Bazoum, accusing him of not doing enough to stem the growing insecurity in the country.

His lawyers brought his case before the Community Court of Justice, which was established to make decisions on matters about the ECOWAS regional bloc. However, member states are not required to abide by its rulings, and there is no legal framework in place to make them binding.

Bazoum’s lawyers argued that his detention and overthrow violated his rights. Seydou Diagne, a member of the legal team, while speaking via video link from Dakar, the capital of Senegal, requested that the court in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, declare that “the brutal end of Bazoum’s government was a violation of his political rights.” Diagne stated that Bazoum ought to be released unconditionally and given back his position as president.

Additionally, according to the attorneys, his wife and son’s human rights were violated by his detention. The junta accused the former president of trying to flee with the assistance of accomplices, and as a result, Bazoum’s lawyers claimed they had not been able to communicate with him since October 20.

Aissatou Zada, an attorney for the Niger junta, argued that Bazoum, his wife, and their son had not been arbitrarily detained or placed under sequestration. He said the president was being held at home for his security, but otherwise, they were free to come and go as they pleased.

The Niger coup is one of eight military coups in West and Central Africa over the past three years.

Related Topics:#COUP #NIGER REPUBLIC Featured Mohamed Bazoum

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

3 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

4 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.