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Egypt revokes licences of travel agencies following recent Hajj disaster

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A crisis team entrusted with handling the situation stated on Saturday that Egypt had revoked the operational licenses of sixteen tourism companies and reported them to the public prosecutor, accusing them of being accountable for the deaths of Egyptian pilgrims in Mecca.

At least 530 Egyptians are said to have died during this year’s haj pilgrimage to Mecca, according to medical and security sources. A statement from the unit, led by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and established on Thursday, stated that 31 deaths were proven to be related to chronic sickness.

The statement added without naming the travel agencies that helped the deceased get around did not offer them any services at all, including medical assistance.

The agencies are held accountable for bringing pilgrims to Saudi Arabia on visas intended for personal visits rather than those necessary for haj, which grants entry to Mecca, the site of the haj.

Personal visa holders are not eligible for the medical treatments provided by Saudi authorities to ease the challenges of the pilgrimage. The statement further stated that to escape being arrested or deported, the pilgrims who perished had to go over the desert into Mecca.

Additionally, according to Egyptian authorities, those tour companies failed to provide the pilgrims with “appropriate accommodation,” which contributed to their “exhaustion due to the high temperatures.”

Authorities in Egypt have also recorded 31 deaths among Egyptian pilgrims who have registered, with “chronic diseases” listed as the reason for death. The statement stated that the majority of the deceased were not registered.

Egypt’s Northern Africa neighbour, Tunisia fired Minister of Religious Affairs, Brahim Chaibi after reports that forty-nine pilgrims died the the same disaster.

The Hajj, which takes place in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the holiest pilgrimage in Islam. Terrorist attacks and stampedes are only two of the many deadly events that have occurred there recently.

Due to the Saudi kingdom’s mandated dramatic reduction in participation, only a few thousand people could take part in 2020—a far cry from the 2.5 million believers who did so in 2019.

Over 1.8 million pilgrims completed the hajj last year, according to government statistics, following the lifting of restrictions during the plague. Recently, hundreds of individuals from many nations have perished in the harsh conditions of the Saudi city during the Haj, when temperatures have occasionally risen above 51 degrees Celsius (124 Fahrenheit).

Politics

Mozambique’s top court affirms governing party’s victory in recent election

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The highest court in Mozambique affirmed Monday that the incumbent Frelimo party won the October election, sparking widespread demonstrations from opposition parties who claim the vote was manipulated.

Fears of fresh bloodshed have been raised in the nation already shaken by weeks of fatal protests after Mozambique’s top electoral court mostly confirmed the results of the country’s contentious October elections, reinforcing the Frelimo party’s decades-long hold on power.

The final decision on the election process rests with the Constitutional Council. Mozambique, a nation of over 35 million people in Southern Africa that Frelimo has ruled since 1975, is expected to see more protests in response to its judgement.

Mozambique operates a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic in a multi-party system. The president of Mozambique serves as both the head of state and the head of government.

The government exercises executive power. The administration and the Assembly of the Republic have the authority to enact laws.

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Alliance of Sahel States opposes ECOWAS disengagement schedule

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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) withdrawal timeline has been rejected by the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which is made up of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

The AES claims that the ECOWAS is attempting to destabilise their newly formed organisation.

During a meeting last week in Abuja, Nigeria, the regional organisation announced a six-month withdrawal period to give the three nations time to change their minds after their official departure date at the end of January 2025.

However, this decision is “nothing more than yet another attempt by the French and its auxiliaries to continue planning and carrying out destabilising actions against the AES,” according to the heads of state of the AES.

“This unilateral decision is not binding on the ESA countries,” the statement continues. Before the conference, they stated that their choice to leave the organisation was “irreversible.”

According to the president of the Ecowas Commission, this will be a “transition period” that ends on “July 29, 2025” to “keep the doors of Ecowas open.”

The three nations accused the bloc of neglecting to assist them in resolving their domestic security challenges and of imposing “inhumane and irresponsible” sanctions related to the coup.

The three nations that were involved in the coup have mostly rejected ECOWAS’ attempts to undo their withdrawal. They are creating their alliance and have begun thinking about how to issue travel passports independently of ECOWAS.

It is anticipated that they will finish giving their one-year notice of departure in January.

Visa-free travel to other ECOWAS members is a significant perk of membership, and it is unclear how this would alter after the three nations exit the group.

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