Politics

Malian political parties want quick elections amid delayed transition

Published

9 months ago

April 2, 2024

A timeline for presidential elections has been proposed by Mali’s political groups, as the junta was unable to hold elections within the allotted 24-month period for reverting to democracy.

August 2020 marked the beginning of military administration in Mali, which followed four years of eight coups around West and Central Africa, including those in Burkina Faso and Niger, two of its neighbours.

Regional group, ECOWAS has attempted to negotiate a transition, but the temporary administrations are taking too long. After taking over in a second coup in 2021, the current junta in Mali announced that it would take 24 months to restore civilian authority, starting on March 26, 2024, and holding elections in February.

June 2022 saw the passage of a new electoral law, but political groupings were incensed when it announced in September of last year that the February elections would be postponed for technical reasons.

After the transition date passed without a vote last month, many people responded once more. Several of Mali’s major political parties and civil society organizations urged authorities to quickly establish an institutional framework for elections in a joint statement released late on Sunday.

“We will use all legal and legitimate avenues for the return of normal constitutional order in our country,” they said in the statement, which has over 20 signatories, including a major opposition coalition and the toppled ex-president’s party.

An earlier pledge by Mali’s military government to hold elections in February 2022 was broken, leading to harsh penalties from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). After the new electoral legislation was issued, Mali’s sanctions were eventually withdrawn by ECOWAS, the principal political and economic organization in West Africa.

This strained ties with France, a former colonial power that withdrew its forces from the region in 2022 after a 12-year Islamist insurgency spiralled out of control.

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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.