Politics

Presidential hopeful Lotfi Mraihi detained by Tunisian police

Published

3 months ago

July 6, 2024

Lotfi Mraihi, the leader of an opposition group in Tunisia who declared his intention to compete in the October presidential election, has been detained by police on charges of money laundering.

One of President Kais Saied’s most vocal opponents, Mraihi, who is also the head of the Republican Union Party, was taken into custody late on Friday, according to officials and the local media.

Earlier this week, a spokeswoman for the Tunisian court announced that Mraihi was being charged with money laundering and creating bank accounts overseas without obtaining a central bank licence.

Mraihi’s arrest coincides with accusations from opposition parties, many of whose leaders are behind bars, that Saied’s administration is pressuring the courts to find Saied’s opponents in the 2024 elections and clear the path for him to win a second term.

Saied, who was elected president in 2019, is anticipated to run for reelection on October 6th, however, he has not yet formally declared his candidacy. He declared last year that he would not cede authority to anyone he deemed to be an outsider.

Prominent candidate and Free Constitutional Party leader Abir Moussi has been imprisoned since the end of the previous year on allegations that he compromised public safety.

According to Moussi’s party, her imprisonment was done to keep her out of the election and prevent a formidable opponent. The authorities refute this.

Safi Saeed, Nizar Chaari, and Abd Ellatif Mekki are among the other candidates being prosecuted for alleged offences like money laundering and fraud. Prosecution is also pending against Mondher Znaidi, a well-known prospective contender residing in France, on charges of financial corruption.

Notable opponents of the president have been detained since last year on accusations of plotting against state security, in a crackdown that has included businessmen, media figures, and politicians. The opposition claims that unless imprisoned politicians are released and the media is free to operate without interference from the government, no fair or credible elections can be place.

Saied claimed his actions were legal and necessary to end years of widespread corruption among the political elite. In 2021, he dissolved parliament, seized almost all powers, and began ruling by decree.

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Politics

Barrick Gold, Mali govt resolve issues on Loulo and Gounkoto mines

Published

4 days ago

October 1, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The government of Mali and Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO) have resolved their ongoing claims and disagreements about the Loulo and Gounkoto gold mines in that West African nation, the company announced on Monday.

Two days after four Barrick employees were detained by the Malian government, the second-largest miner in the world made a statement. A new mining agreement that would allow Mali’s military-led government more control over its resources has been negotiated by the two sides. Among Africa’s top producers of gold is Mali.

According to Barrick, once the terms of the settlement have been finalised, the agreement’s specifics will be made public.

“The current negotiations have proved challenging but we’re encouraged by the government’s recognition of the importance of securing the long-term viability of the Loulo-Gounkoto complex as a substantial contributor to the Malian economy,” Barrick’s CEO, Mark Bristow, said in a statement.

It was not immediately possible to reach the Mali government for comment.

Barrick announced in July that it has made over $10 billion in economic investments in Mali during the previous 29 years.

Politics

Equatorial Guinea wants Gabon’s claim on islands rejected by ICJ

Published

4 days ago

October 1, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Equatorial Guinea requested on Monday that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) dismiss Gabon’s claim to multiple islands situated in potentially oil-rich seas within the Gulf of Guinea.

The tiny island of Mbanié, which is located less than a kilometre (about 1,000 yards) off the coast of Gabon, is the centre of a dispute between the two major oil-producing countries of Africa. They have requested that the UN’s highest court resolve the case.

“Gabon’s position is factually and legally untenable,” said Equatorial Guinea’s representative at the court, Domingo Mba Esono.

Since Gabon’s army ousted Equatorial Guinean soldiers from Mbanié in 1972, there has been violence. Since then, Gabon has established its own military outpost on the 74-acre, nearly deserted island (30 hectares).

However, the conflict was forgotten until the early 2000s, when renewed interest in the Gulf of Guinea was sparked by the possibility of oil.

Following years of UN mediation, the nations inked a deal in 2016 that would eventually allow the International Court of Justice, or World Court, to resolve the conflict.

The convention that divided up French and Spanish colonial holdings in West Africa in 1900 serves as the foundation for Equatorial Guinea’s claim to the islands.

In the meantime, Gabon asserts that the 1974 accord ought to serve as the foundation for the ICJ’s ruling. Gabon’s 1974 agreement evidence document, according to Equatorial Guinea, is not an original and is not signed.

Hearings will last a week. Gabon presents its case on Wednesday. Next year is anticipated to see the court’s definitive and binding decision.