Politics

Senegalese police disperse protesters as tension rises over postponed elections

Published

11 months ago

February 6, 2024

Crowds attempting to assemble outside Senegal’s parliament on Monday to express disapproval of the president’s sudden postponement of elections over the weekend were dispersed by riot police using tear gas.

Lawmakers inside the National Assembly building began debating a bill that would move the referendum scheduled for February 25 to August 25 and extend President Macky Sall’s term until his successor is installed, while protestors chanted slogans.

Following clashes on Sunday, over a hundred protesters congregated outside parliament on Monday, yelling, “Macky Sall is a dictator.” After pursuing them into side streets with tear gas, police arrested them.

Authorities had imposed a temporary ban on mobile internet access, citing dangers to public order and hate speech on social media. Many schools sent their students home early.

Sall’s historic declaration on Saturday threw the West African country into unknown constitutional seas and severely damaged its standing as a bulwark of democratic stability in a coup-plagued region.

“They are trying to extend the president’s term, which is illegal and not allowed,” protester Mohammad Mbengue said.

Rating firm Moody’s had warned that a protracted postponement of the election could pose a threat to the nation’s fiscal consolidation plans by impeding the implementation of programmes, such as the pledged phase-out of energy subsidies by 2025. Senegal’s dollar-denominated sovereign bonds plummeted.

According to Tradeweb data, the bond due in 2033 fell more than 4 cents on the dollar to 82.4 cents, marking the largest one-day decline since the 2020 COVID-19 market meltdown.

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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.