Politics

Guinea Bissau President Embalo won’t seek re-election

Published

3 months ago

September 12, 2024

President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Cissoko Embalo, declared on Thursday that he would not seek reelection in the forthcoming presidential election in November.

The 51-year-old Embalo who succeeded replace departing President José Mario Vaz would have been qualified for a second term in office after defeating Domingos Simoes Pereira, the runner-up, with 54% of the vote in 2020.

The shocking revelation might lead to a leadership vacuum and increase political unrest in the two million-person nation that is prone to coups. Embalo stated that his wife had talked him out of running for office again at the conclusion of a council of ministers meeting on Thursday evening.

Without providing any details or designating a replacement, he declared that neither Pereira nor two other opposition lawmakers, Braima Camara and Nuno Gomes Na Bian, would be his successor.

After serving as prime minister under Vaz, Embalo, an ex-army general, took over a protracted political deadlock in a nation where uprisings and coups have been frequent since the country’s 1974 independence from Portugal.

Embalo claims that during his administration, there have been two attempts to topple him, the most recent one being in December 2023. Days later, he dissolved parliament for the second time since taking office as a result of the attempts.

Under the current political structure in Guinea Bissau, the government is chosen by the dominant party or coalition. However, the president has the authority to revoke it under specific conditions, which frequently result in unrest and political impasse.

Like most African countries, the country suffers underdevelopment and has become

a significant hub for the trafficking of cocaine. About 2.63 tonnes of cocaine were taken into custody by police on a Venezuelan-arrived aircraft last Saturday.

Related Topics:Elections Featured Guinea-Bissau Re-election Umaro-Sissoco-Embalo

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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.