Politics

DR Congo: Tshisekedi names new govt after months of delay

Published

7 months ago

May 29, 2024

A new administration has been appointed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the government’s spokesperson, Tina Salama, announced on Wednesday. This marks the conclusion of an impasse that has left the nation mired in political unrest for months.

Following elections in late 2023, which also gave his Sacred Union coalition a sizable majority in parliament, President Felix Tshisekedi was re-elected to a second term. However, the creation of a new cabinet of ministers has been delayed by internal competition for positions.

The president selected his former chief of staff Vital Kamerhe as speaker of the house on May 22 and Judith Suminwa as the first female prime minister of the Congo on April 1, opening the door for the formation of the administration.

The number of ministers in the new cabinet is 54, down from 57 in the previous administration—a lesser reduction than anticipated despite cost-cutting pressure. Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita has been named defense minister, according to Salama in a statement on state radio RTNC. This is an important position considering the expensive two-year struggle that Congo has been in with the M23 rebel group in its eastern regions.

Originally from Congo, Muadiamvita is a lawyer and served as the chairman of the official gazette, which is the official record of legal acts. Kizito Pakabomba was assigned to manage the mines ministry and Congo’s enormous reserves of coltan, copper, and other minerals that are of global importance. Doudou Fwamba Likunde was named minister of finance.

The president’s communications director, Erik Nyindu, referred to the delay in forming a cabinet, stating that it required some time for the various parties in the ruling coalition to reach a consensus.

“Better that than a country full of conflict,” he said on RTNC.

After his election in 2019, Tshisekedi established his first administration. It was a coalition that disintegrated in 2021 with Joseph Kabila, his predecessor. Next, Tshisekedi established a new coalition. Approximately 95% of National Assembly seats have been held by the Sacred Union since the previous election in December.

Related Topics:Congo DR Featured Felix Tshisekedi President Felix Tshisekedi

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

1 day 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

2 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.