Politics

Museveni’s son, Gen Muhoozi, boasts of succeeding his father as Ugandan president

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2022

Controversial son of Uganda’s veteran President, Yoweri Museveni, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has boasted that he will soon succeed his 78-year-old father to become the country’s leader.

The 48-year-old Muhoozi on Thursday, publicly declared his ambition to become president of the East African country, putting an end to widespread speculations that Museveni had been secretly grooming his son to succeed him.

“The only way I can repay my great mother is by being President of Uganda! And I shall definitely do it!!” the General wrote on Twitter after years of denying that he was eyeing the country’s number one position.

Many political observers in the country had long held the belief that the country’s longest serving president would one day hand over power to his son who recently got his fingers burned when he became embroiled in a diplomatic row with Kenya over a tweet where he threatened to invade Nairobi.

Many also believed the rapid promotions Muhoozi was getting from his father was another way of fast tracking him to the top and having the way for his eventual emergence as president.

After the social media spat, Museveni had moved to rein in his son’s excesses by announcing that he would be banned from using the social media platform.

“He’s going to leave Twitter. We have had this discussion. Twitter is not a problem. The problem is what you tweet,” he had announced on a local Ugandan TV station.

“Talking about other countries and Uganda’s politics is something he should not do and will not do,” Museveni added.

But the defiant Muhoozi replied his father immediately with another stating that he is an adult and cannot be banned from using Twitter.

“I am an adult and NO ONE will ban me from anything!” He tweeted.

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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.