Politics

Somalia accuses Ethiopian troops of ‘illegal’ incursion

Published

6 months ago

June 25, 2024

The ambassador of Somalia to the UN on Monday charged the Ethiopian military with breaking the law by crossing their common border illegally and engaging in combat with local security forces.

As part of an African Union peacekeeping mission (ATMIS),
at least 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers are stationed in the Horn of Africa nation, where they are engaged in combat with al Shabaab, an Islamist organization that holds significant territory in Somalia.

According to a bilateral agreement, an additional 5,000–7,000 Ethiopian soldiers are stationed in various areas.

Ethiopia’s army and Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, according to Somalia’s U.N. ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman, the country was forced to postpone the next withdrawal of ATMIS troops from July to September.

ATMIS is committed to withdrawing by Dec. 31, when a new, smaller force is expected to replace it. Some local elders in the Hiraan region of Somalia reported that a contingent of Ethiopian soldiers entered the region on Saturday to monitor threats from al Shabaab.

With 5,000 of the approximately 18,500 troops leaving last year, the reduction is ongoing, and the government has expressed confidence in its ability to hold the line against al Shabaab. It has stated that the new force should be confined to securing major population centres and should not number more than 10,000.

The agreement by landlocked Ethiopia to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline from Somaliland, a region of Somalia that claims independence and has had effective autonomy since 1991 but has failed to earn international recognition, caused relations between Mogadishu and Addis Ababa to plunge earlier this year.

In exchange for being permitted to establish a naval base and commercial port in Somaliland—a move that Mogadishu has denounced as illegal—Ethiopia gave Somaliland the possibility of recognition.

Related Topics:Ethiopia Featured Somalia

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

5 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

6 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.