Politics

Supreme Court affirms Chad’s referendum

Published

12 months ago

December 30, 2023

The result of the junta-organized referendum on a new constitution was unequivocally affirmed by Chad’s Supreme Court on Friday.

The validation is a major step towards transitional elections in the country at the end of 2024. Chad is one of the African countries with military leadership.

The referendum two weeks ago was about the constitution. The subject of the referendum was the new constitution drafted following President Idriss Déby’s death in 2021. The draft received approval on June 27 from the National Transitional Council.

The president of the Supreme Court announced at a press conference that the final results showed that the “yes” side had 85.90% of the vote, while the “no” side had 14.10%. Some opposition and civil society members see the outcome of this vote as akin to a plebiscite intended to clear the path for the election of General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno as the interim president.

An opposition alliance called for the results to be voidedy due to multiple anomalies in the voting process, but the Supreme Court denied their appeal. This group is known as Bloc Fédéral.

Opposition voice, Max Kemkoye, president of the Groupe de concertation des acteurs politiques (GCAP), described it as “a second coup d’état by Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno”, saying it lacked credibility.

After an almost 30-year reign following the death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, who was assassinated by rebels en route to the front, Mahamat Déby succeeded his father as the nation’s leader in 2021.

The young general pledged to the African Union not to run and promptly promised elections following an eighteen-month transition period. After eighteen months, his government approved his candidature for the late 2024 presidential elections and prolonged the transition by two years.

Related Topics:#CHAD Chad Referendum Featured

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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.