Politics

Mozambique’s president confirms northern town under terrorist attack

Published

7 months ago

May 11, 2024

President Filipe Nyusi announced in a televised address that Mozambique’s military is engaged in combat against Islamist rebels who initiated a significant assault on the town of Macomia in the northern region on Friday morning.

The town is located in Cabo Delgado, a resource-abundant province in the northern region, where terrorists associated with the Islamic State initiated an armed rebellion in 2017. Despite a significant security response, there has been a notable increase in attacks since the beginning of this year.

According to two security sources, it is estimated that several hundred fighters are participating in the most recent assault.

“Macomia has been under attack since this morning. Fire exchange continues,” Nyusi said at around 1000 GMT, adding that the militants initially withdrew after about 45 minutes of fighting, but then regrouped and came back.

The attack on Friday seems to be the most severe insurgent assault in the region in quite some time. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional force, which was deployed in Mozambique in 2021, commenced its withdrawal last month as its term is set to conclude in July.

Piers Pigou, the director of the Southern Africa Programme at the Institute for Security Studies, stated that the assault on the Macomia district headquarters confirms the apprehensions regarding the emergence of a security void due to the reduction of southern African military forces.

“Claims that the province has been for the most part stabilised are not accurate,” he told journalists.

Nyusi stated that incidents of aggression are likely to occur during periods of change and expressed his optimism that the SADC forces will be able to intervene and provide assistance. It was ambiguous whether they were still stationed in the vicinity or actively participating in the conflict.

Rwanda has dispatched military personnel to Mozambique to assist in combating the insurgency.

Related Topics:Featured Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi

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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.