Politics

Legislative budget rejected by Libya’s High State Council

Published

6 months ago

July 12, 2024

The High State Council (HSC) of Libya, which is headquartered in Tripoli, rejected a budget that was passed by the parliament in the east on Thursday, threatening further division and public money waste.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives in Benghazi, Aguila Saleh, received a letter from Council head, Mohamed Takala, expressing the rejection. Journalists received it from the Council’s media office.

The 90 billion Libyan dinars ($18.5 billion) budget was passed by the House in two separate sessions; on Wednesday, the House authorized an additional 88 billion Libyan dinars.

The budget is for Osama Hamad’s government in Benghazi, which he established in March 2023. Hamad is associated with military commander Khalifa Haftar, who rules most of eastern and southern Libya.

The Council issued a warning, stating that “more division will result from the House of Representatives’ persistence in its transgressions and managing public affairs by its sole will.” A budget of over 179 billion dinars in Libya “is an unprecedented amount of money,” according to the Council.

Since the 2011 rebellion against Muammar Gaddafi, which was supported by NATO, Libya has experienced little peace, and in 2014, it broke up into rival eastern and western factions.

The United Nations supported the installation of Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah as interim prime minister in 2021, and he currently leads the Government of National Unity in Tripoli.

The High State Council was established as part of a 2015 political accord and selected from a 2012-elected parliament, whereas the House of Representatives was elected in 2014.

According to the rules of the 2015 political agreement, the Council, a consultative body, has a say in significant political affairs.

“Its complete rejection of what was approved in the House of Representatives session… and considers it to have no legal effect,” the Council emphasized in the letter.

In addition, it has urged all concerned parties “to challenge any laws issued by the House of Representatives in violation”.

Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

6 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

7 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.