Politics

Court stops Kenya’s plan to deploy police to Haiti

Published

11 months ago

January 26, 2024

The Kenyan government’s push to lead a multinational mission deployed to assist the Haitian National Police in its fight against gangs will be confronted with territorial challenges, as a court on Friday threw out the proposal.

Kenya had planned to send police officers to Haiti to lead a United Nations-approved mission, throwing into doubt the future of an initiative aimed at tackling gang violence in the Caribbean nation.

In October, an opposition party contested the government’s move to dispatch 1,000 police to deal with a worsening situation in Haiti, where gang violence claimed about 5,000 lives and ejected about 200,000 people from their homes in the previous year.

High Court Judge Chacha Mwita ruled that under Kenyan law, the authorities could only deploy officers abroad if a “reciprocal arrangement” was in place with the host government.

“Any further action or steps taken by any state organ or state officer in furtherance of such a decision contravenes the Constitution and the law and is therefore unconstitutional, illegal, and invalid,” Mwita said.

Several countries have been reluctant to assist Haitan Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s unelected government and to intervene in a country where past missions have been plagued by violations of human rights.

When Kenya did ultimately come forward in July of last year, it said that it was acting in support of a brother country. 150 people were then pledged by the Bahamas, and support was also expressed by Jamaica and Antigua & Barbuda.

According to information released by the UN this week, there were 4,789 gang-related deaths in Haiti last year—a 119% rise from 2022—and 3,000 kidnappings.

Less than 10,000 police officers are believed to be on duty at any given moment out of the nation’s population of over 11 million in Haiti; however, the UN estimates that there should be over 25,000 active policemen.

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.