Behind the News

Behind the News: All the backstories to our major news this week

Published

2 months ago

July 7, 2024

Over the past week, there were lots of important stories from around the African continent, and we served you some of the most topical ones.

Here is a rundown of the backstories to some of the biggest news in Africa that we covered during the week:

1. Audacity of pride as APC boasts Nigerians will still re-elect Tinubu despite hunger, hardship

Despite the hues and cries of ordinary Nigerians over the unbearable hardship, hunger, insecurity, and pervasive poverty as a result of the now infamous “bold reforms” and unfavourable economic policies of President Bola Tinubu since coming into office over a year ago, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has boasted that Nigerians will still re-elect him as president come 2027.

The Deputy National Organising Secretary of the party, Nze Chidi Duru, who made the boast in an interaction with journalists in Lagos, said he was convinced beyond doubt that come 2027, Tinubu would be re-elected despite the economic hardship and planned alliance between mega opposition parties.

Duru, who was reacting to insinuations that the current hardship and economic woes arising from Tinubu’s policies could lead to Nigerians voting against him, said the ruling party was not losing sleep because he was sure Nigerians would still vote for the president.

“Our party has always recognised the fact that the current challenging economic environment has not in any way got better.

“When Mr President took over, he asked Nigerians not to pity him. It is an office that he craved and worked hard for before offering himself to provide leadership to Nigeria.

“What gives confidence is that Mr President is very much aware of the expectations of the person on the street.

“Concerning whether we will be re-elected, as a democrat and my personal view, we have always canvassed that unless His Excellency President Bola Tinubu will not contest, the APC government is bound to be represented by our candidate in 2027 to fly the flag for the simple reason that I want to bring up. And, of course, there is the incumbency factor,” Duru boasted.

Beyond the cockiness and confidence of the APC spokesman, who is invariably speaking the minds of the ruling class, what this means is that no matter how they have emasculated Nigerians and throw them under the bus, they will still be re-elected come the next election cycle in 2027.

They have the power of incumbency, the chairman of the Electoral Commission is appointed by the ruling party, they have the machinery and the funds to buy voters and in the case of an election dispute going to court, they have their appointed judges to give verdicts in their favour.

Little wonder Duru, like others before him, has the effrontery to boast that Nigerians will still re-elect Tinubu despite what they are being made to go through.

And he is not far from the truth because most of the suffering Nigerians will still sell their consciences for pittance in future elections.

2. ‘You are killing Zambian democracy,’ Lungu attacks Hichilema again

The war of words and verbal attacks between former Zambian President Edgar Lungu and incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema has continued unabated following a new allegation from the Lungu camp that Hichilema is attacking the country’s democratic norms by using the parliament to strangle the opposition.

Lungu made the allegations after nine members of his party, the Patriotic Front (PF), were sacked from the parliament.

In a press conference in Lusaka, Lungu said his party would vigorously contest the expulsions of the MPs through legal and political means.

He also accused the current government of misusing the Speaker’s office to target perceived opponents of the ruling party, calling it an abuse of power.

“During my tenure, we never interfered with the workings of the National Assembly. My government respected national principles and the separation of powers,” Lungu said.

He also warned that if Zambia fails to oppose the unconstitutional expulsion of lawmakers, it would signal a dangerous attack on democracy, adding that the Hichilema administration is displaying dictatorial powers, contrast with his administration’s practices since 2015 when he took office.

“Sadly, the respect for power and democratic principles that we upheld has been undermined under the current government. Since Mr. Hakainde Hichilema assumed power, we have witnessed a decline in governance integrity,” Lungu lamented.

The political fight between Lungu and Hichilema is not new especially in Africa where politicians see themselves as sworn enemies.

Those who are not in office see all the mistakes made by those in power while those on the inside will do everything possible to stop their opponents from upsetting them in future elections.

Since Hichilema took over from Lungu, the former president has been on the warpath, picking on him and attacking the President at every point, oblivious of the fact that he was duly voted out by the citizens who felt he had not performed to their expectations.

But then, this is the way of a typical African politician and the roulette dance of shame goes on!

3. End of an era as US completes troops withdrawal from Niger’s Air Base

After several years of having its troops stationed in Niger Republic and other West African countries, the United States announced that it would finally withdraw its troops from the Nigerien Air Base on Sunday.

The Nigerien military junta had given the United States until September 15th to withdraw its forces.

In a statement on Friday, US officials said the military will finish removing its soldiers from Niger’s Air Base 101 in the capital on Sunday and will next concentrate on leaving a significant drone base in the upcoming weeks.

The withdrawal of the US troops also comes with a withdrawal from a $100 million drone base close to Agadez in central Niger, which had supplied vital intelligence regarding organizations associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

US Air Force Major General Kenneth Ekman, who was in Niger to oversee the withdrawal, had announced that a ceremony will take place on Sunday night to officially close Air Base 101 for the United States.

“We will do a joint ceremony on that occasion that marks the departure of the last U.S. C-17 (aircraft). The government of Niger will assume control of former U.S. areas and facilities,” Ekman said.

The idea behind the withdrawal of the US troops from the West African country came following a spate of coups that rocked the region in the past five years, the latest being that of Niger last year which saw the junta leaders ordering the United States to remove its almost 1,000 soldiers from the country in April.

The order and the subsequent protest by citizens caused the US serious embarrassment leading to the decision to withdraw its troops.

The withdrawal of US troops is also coming on the heels of similar withdrawals by Russia troops from Mali and Burkina Faso following military coups in the countries.

4. 82 million Nigerians face bleak times as food crisis escalates

An estimated 82 million Nigerians, about 64% of the nation’s population, face a bleak future and may go hungry by the year 2030 as a result of acute food crisis which is likely to hit the country in the next few years.

This damning prediction was given by the United Nations which also urged the Nigerian government to immediately address climate change, pest infestations, and other risks to agricultural productivity.

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s resident humanitarian coordinator, Taofiq Braimoh, a UN representative, who made the prediction at the CropWatch Abuja launch during the week had stated:

“The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducts an annual food security survey.

“The results this year are concerning: over 80–82 million Nigerians are at risk of severe food crisis by 2030, and about 22 million may experience food insecurity in 2023.

“Nigeria, like many countries, grapples with food insecurity, climate change, unreliable water patterns, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity.”

Realities on ground shows that this bleak forecast by the UN is as a result of sustained increase in the nation’s food costs where the cost of living has gone beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.

Food inflation rate surpassed the 40.53% mark, an increasing from the previous month to a new high of 40.66% in May 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

This is the highest of such inflation rate witnessed in over 20 years, with increasing insecurity where farmers have not been able to produce foods, and with the unfavourable economic policies of the present administration, the UN prediction may well come to reality if the ugly trend is not reversed on time.

5. New UK PM delights African migrants as he declares Rwanda migration deal ‘dead and buried’

The newly elected British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has got into the good books of African migrants quite early after he declared that the plans to repatriate asylum seekers from Britain to Rwanda is “dead and buried.”

In what turned out to be Starmer’s first significant foreign policy statement,
Starmer said he would abandon the audacious plan to transport thousands of illegal to the East African country by the previous administration of Rishi Sunak.

The new PM stated categorically that the Rwanda policy would be abandoned since it would not have served as a deterrence and that just 1% of asylum applicants would have been expelled.

“The Rwanda scheme was dead and buried before it started. It’s never been a deterrent,” Starmer said in the speech.

In the agreement which was estimated at around £120 million ($148 million), the British government, had disclosed last year that it intended to send thousands of migrants to the nation in East Africa to discourage asylum seekers from using tiny boats to cross the English Channel from France.

The plan was to return undocumented migrants to the Rwanda and was first announced by the Conservative government in 2022, with the stated goal of ending the influx of asylum seekers in small boats.

The deal had suffered significant setbacks with some members of parliament kicking against it and court cases delaying its smooth take off but Sunak had insisted on going through with it.

With the stance of the most powerful man in the UK, endangered African migrants who seek asylum in the country can be rest assured of some level of protection.

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Behind the News

Behind the News: All the backstories to our major news this week

Published

5 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Over the past week, there were many important stories from around the African continent, and we served you some of the most topical ones.

Here is a rundown of the backstories of some of the biggest news in Africa that we covered during the week:

What’s in a permanent seat for Africa in the Security Council?

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, is scheduled to declare that the US supports awarding two permanent seats to African nations on the Security Council, with one seat being rotated among small island developing states.

The US is taking this move to patch things up with Africa, where a lot of people are angry about Washington’s support for Israel’s assault in Gaza, and to fortify its ties with Pacific Island nations, which are vital to countering Chinese dominance in the region.

The call for improved participation in international organizations and reform of these structures has been a major subject in the international arena and has divided blocs. Last year, during the United Nations 78th General Assembly many African leaders made the call. Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, during his address called for an end to different standards. He called for equal political commitment and deployment of resources to Africa by the international community. He noted, however, that economic challenges were unique across countries of the world, thus Africa sought a specific and equal firm commitment to partnership.

At the same event, Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo criticized the reluctance of the United Nations’ “Big Powers”, a reference to its Security Council, to embrace democratic principles. “We cannot continue to preach democracy, equality and good governance around the globe, we cannot insist on peace and justice in the world when our global organization is seen by the majority of its members and the people of the world as hampered by an unfair and unjust structure, ” Akufo-Addo said.

The Security Council has the power to use force, impose sanctions, and enforce arms embargoes to maintain international peace and security. When the UN was founded in 1945, the Security Council had eleven members. By 1965, there were fifteen members: ten elected governments with two-year terms in office and five permanent veto-wielding powers (the US, Britain, China, Russia, and France).

Kenya and the geopolitics of sugar production

Kenya prohibited sugar import on Tuesday from countries outside the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and the East African Community (EAC), two regional trade blocs.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary Andrew Karanja of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development said in a statement released in Nairobi, the country’s capital, that the government is expected to produce more than 800,000 metric tonnes of sugar this year due to an increase in local sugar output.

With an output of 514 thousand metric tonnes, Uganda was the biggest producer of sugar in East Africa as of 2019. Kenya came in second place, producing about 441 thousand metric tonnes of sugar. Kenya’s sugar cane production reached its greatest point in the preceding five years in 2022, when it reached approximately 8.7 million metric tonnes, up from 7.8 million metric tonnes the year before. This signified an increase of 11.5%. Under the EAC-wide duty remission scheme, industrial sugar is imported and used in the manufacturing of all sugar-based products made in Kenya. This sugar import is subject to a 10% tax due.

Sugar is a strategic and political commodity. In Kenya, the sugar subsector employs almost a million people. It contributes to the development of rural infrastructure and provides jobs. This commodity competes with both the residual global market and imported sugar under the COMESA agreement.

Compared to other regional producers and international market prices, which are lower than the production costs in any country that produces sugar due to political considerations, Kenya’s cost of production is high.

Millions affected in Nigeria as West Africa’s flood crisis continues

Severe flooding in northeastern Nigeria during the week killed at least 30 people and affected more than one million others, the authorities have said. This comes after the collapse of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River in Borno State on Tuesday caused some of the state’s worst flooding since the same dam collapsed 30 years ago, and prompted residents to flee their homes.

The state government said on Wednesday that the dam was at capacity due to unusually high rains. Officials expected the death toll to rise. The accident comes nearly two years after Nigeria’s worst flooding in a decade killed more than 600 people across the country.

Ezekiel Manzo, spokesman of the National Emergency Management Agency, on Wednesday put the death toll at 30.

“One million people have been affected so far,” said an aide for Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, adding that as efforts to document displaced people begin, that number could rise to nearly two million.

Over 40% of Maiduguri town, which is estimated to have a population of over 870,000, including the IDP camps of Muna and Jere, which together house about 230,000 people, are reportedly under water. It has been claimed that certain wild animals, such as crocodiles and snakes, have escaped their enclosures due to flooding at the Maiduguri Zoo.

The regions of Maiduguri that are most severely impacted are Budum, Special Hospital, Gwange, Bama Road, Maiduguri Zoo, Post Office, State Secretariat, Lagos Street, Shehu’s Palace, the Maiduguri Main Market, and the Customs / Gamboru neighbourhoods.

Tens of thousands of hectares of farmland in Nigeria have been destroyed by floods ahead of harvest season, coinciding with record highs in the price of fuel and food. Due to agricultural loss, there is a chance that food insecurity could worsen throughout the current lean season and in the upcoming months. This might cause the nation’s already concerning level of food insecurity to worsen. According to the March 2024 Cadre Harmonisé food security and nutrition assessment, over 32 million people in Nigeria are severely food insecure.

The United Nations reports that more than 2.3 million people have been affected so far this year, a threefold rise from the previous year. Following one of the hottest years on record for the continent, a new analysis released on Monday revealed that African countries are losing up to 5% of their GDP annually as a result of bearing a greater cost than the rest of the globe due to climate change. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, up to 9% of the budgets of many African countries are allocated to climate adaptation initiatives.

Meanwhile, some observers have maintained that the flood issues are rather consequences of governance failures and infrastructural deficits, beyond the growing “climate change rhetorics”

Bowing to pressure? Guinea Bissau’s President Embalo won’t seek re-election

Guinea-Bissau’s President, Umaro Cissoko Embalo, said on Friday that he will not run for reelection in November, in an unprecedented move. 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 startling disclosure might cause a leadership void and escalate political instability in the coup-prone nation of two million people. At the end of a council of ministers meeting on Thursday night, Embalo said that his wife had talked him out of seeking government again.

President Embalo has been under fire from several opposition parties, who claim he is an authoritarian and wants to impose a dictatorship. The major story is on the necessity of creating and sustaining momentum for a stable system of government, regardless of the results of the elections. The electoral commission members’ tenure, which is up for renewal, is a significant concern surrounding the elections. Normally, the parliament would appoint these members, but because the parliament has been dissolved, no organisation is in place to make the process of appointing new commission members easier.

Guinea-Bissau’s politics are conducted within the framework of a multiparty, semi-presidential representative democratic republic, in which the prime minister leads the government and the president serves as head of state. The government is in charge of exercising executive power. The National People’s Assembly and the government both can enact laws. The ruling party or coalition in Guinea Bissau selects the government under the present political system. But the president can remove it under certain circumstances, which often lead to turmoil and deadlock in politics.

The African Independence Party of Guinea and Cape Verde, a socialist party, and the Party for Social Renewal have controlled the country’s party system since 1994. The nation, like the majority of African nations, is underdeveloped and has turned into a major centre for the cocaine trafficking industry. Last Saturday, authorities detained approximately 2.63 tonnes of cocaine that had arrived on an aircraft from Venezuela.

Behind the News

Behind the News: All the backstories to our major news this week

Published

1 week ago

September 8, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Over the past week, there were many important stories from around the African continent, and we served you some of the most topical ones.

Here is a rundown of the backstories to some of the biggest news in Africa that we covered during the week:

1. ‘My hard decisions are for a better Nigeria’, Tinubu tells Nigerians

In what many Nigerians have come to describe as one of his regular rhetoric, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the week in review, insisted that the decisions he has taken since he became the Nigerian leader last year, are aimed at making the country as developed as the first world countries.

Tinubu, while addressing Nigerians resident in China on Friday on the sideline of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), said despite the hardship being faced by citizens, his reforms were in the best interest of the country.

The President who used the opportunity the speak on the increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol, by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), said the petrol price hike and other reforms by his administration are part of an overall strategy to set Nigeria on the path of economic growth.

“Nigeria is going through reforms, and we are taking very bold and unprecedented decisions. For example, you might have been hearing from home in the last few days about fuel prices.

He added that though Nigerian citizens are crying out over his policies which have plunged majority into poverty, the hard decisions are crucial to economic prosperity.

“What is the critical part to get us there if we cannot take hard decisions to pave the way for a country that is blessed and so talented?

“The more you want everything free, it will become more expensive and long-delayed to achieve meaningful development.

‘But, can we help it? Can we develop good roads like you have here? You see electricity being constant in quantity and quality. You see water supply, constant and running, and you see their good schools. And we say we want to hand over a banner without stain to our children?” He added.

But in all of these, Nigerians are not convinced that the president really has the interest of the citizens at heart as most of his policies are seen as anti- people. Many argue that instead of the policies being in favour of the masses, they have turned them into wretched and hopeless beings wallowing in abject poverty, hunger and unbearable hardship.

In contrast to the masses, the ruling class have not slowed down in living ostentatious lifestyles which many see as not resonating with the promise made by Tinubu on cutting down the cost of governance.

2. ‘You tricked us into accepting N70k minimum wage,’ Nigerian labour union accuse President Tinubu

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Tuesday, accused President Bola Tinubu of pulling a fast one on its leadership during negotiations for a new national minimum wage and by extension, Nigerians, following a fresh hike in petrol price amid the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.

According to the NLC in a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, Tinubu betrayed and tricked the labour unions during negotiations by promising not to increase the pump price of petrol only to do the opposite barely one month after labour unions had settled for a N70,000 wage.

In the statement, Ajaero, who described the situation as not only traumatic but nightmarish for Nigerian citizens, took a swipe at the President for not keeping to his promise not to increase fuel price during the meetings between the NLC and government.

Ajaero recalled that Tinubu had told both NLC and TUC leadership during the negotiation of minimum wage to pick between N250,000 and increase in price of fuel or accept N70,000 and allow the price of fuel remain the same.

Ajaero also lampooned the government for the the situation, saying instead of ensuring the promised reversal, the rate has since been jacked up further, adding that it is already putting more Nigerians and businesses in jeopardy.

“We recall vividly when Mr President gave us the devil’s alternatives to choose from: either N250,000 as minimum wage (subject to the rise of the pump price between N1,500 and N2,000) and N70,000 (at old pms rates), we opted for the latter because we could not bring ourselves to accept further punishment on Nigerians,” Ajaero said.

“But here we are, barely one month after and with government yet to commence payment of the new national minimum wage, confronted by a reality we cannot explain. It is both traumatic and nightmarish.

Though the Presidency has debunked the NLC President’s claims saying there was no such promise by Tinubu, Nigerians have continued to ask why the President’s media team had not kicked against it before now.

Nigerians recall that Ajaero had declared that the unions decided to accept the N70,000 proposed by government when Tinubu gave them the option. But at the time, the Presidency had remained mute as they played with the emotions of the citizens.

But as it has turned out, it’s now clear that the present government will not stop taking Nigerians for a ride and has turned a once prosperous nation into a poverty capital where the masses undergo severe hardship and hunger as a result of its draconian policies.

3. ECOWAS set to clamp down on terrorism with $4 million purse

During the week in review, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), resolved to step up the fight against terrorism in the subregion with a $4 million allocation during a two-day workshop on strategic engagement in Abuja, Nigeria.

The fund, according to ECOWAS Commission’s Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, Dr. Sintiki Tarfa-Ugbe, will assist Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and other bordering nations that are “suffering from the knock-on consequences of terrorism.”

Tarfa-Ugbe emphasized the continued difficulties that West African nations confront, such as terrorism, food hunger, climate change, and violence, and she reiterated ECOWAS’s commitment to supporting member states’ attempts to recover and become more resilient.

“This year, the ECOWAS Commission has committed $2.6 million to support persons of concern within our region—those displaced, refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants. Additionally, you know that our region, especially the Sahel, continues to battle terrorist attacks, resulting in many victims.

“As part of our humanitarian response to victims of terrorism, $4 million has been committed to providing support for the frontline states of Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, as well as the neighbouring countries that are bearing the spillover effects of terrorism, such as Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire,” Tarfa-Ugbe stated.

She mentioned instances of effective interventions, such as in Togo where ECOWAS collaborated with the World Food Programme and the Civil Protection Agency to improve agricultural output and give small-scale companies financial support.

“We have seen firsthand the positive impact of our support in countries like Togo, Gambia, and Liberia. Our assistance has enabled communities to recover and strengthen their livelihoods, which is crucial for building long-term resilience,” Tarfa-Ugbe said.

The huge allocation is not only a welcome development but has come at a time most West African countries continue to face several challenges, including conflict, terrorism, climate change, and food insecurity, but our organisation, the ECOWAS Commission, continues to support our member states in strengthening their resilience and recovery from some of these challenges.

But whether the funds would be meticulously utilized and monitored for the purpose it is meant for is another thing owing to the penchant of people in authority to tamper with such funds.

4. Dictatorship prevails as Tunisian presidential candidate Zammel is put in detention

We also brought you the report of the travails of one of Tunisia’s presidential candidates, Ayachi Zammel, who was arrested and detained by the authorities on Monday despite a court ordering for his release.

Zammel’s campaign team had raised the alarm on Friday after he still remained in custody after his release was ordered by a judge on Thursday.

“Zammel was arrested minutes after his release last night. He remained in prison Friday,” one of his campaign staff, Mahadi Abdel Jawed, told journalists.

Zammel who also spoke of his ordeals, said he is restricted and intimidated since he is a serious Saied competitor but has promises democracy, liberties, and economic recovery for Tunisia.

The arrest and detention of Zammel who is one of three candidates approved by Tunisia’s electoral commission for the October 6th presidential election, has been one of the major headache for President Kais Saied, who, like most African presidents, has been doing everything possible to stiffle the opposition.

Zammel has been accused by the Tunisian authorities of electoral irregularities and has had regular trouble with the Saied government as he tries to wrest power from the incumbent president.

Saied who was elected in 2019, has forced the country’s parliament to change the constitution and in 2021, he took power by fiat which the opposition called a coup and has continued to hold on like a dictator reminiscent of African sit-tight leaders even as human rights groups and opposition parties have accused the government of employing arbitrary limitations to re-elect Saied.

5. Africa mourns as boyfriend murders Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei

It was a sad end of the week following the untimely demise of Ugandan marathon runner, Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set on fire by her boyfriend on Sunday following a disagreement.

Cheptegei, who lived in the western Trans-Nzoia County in Kenya, and competed for Uganda in the Discovery 10km Road Race and finished in the 44th position in the 2024 Paris Olympics, died on Thursday at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the Kenyan city of Eldoret while receiving treatment from burns which had affected over 75 per cent of her body.

According to police report, her estranged boyfriend identified as Dickson Ndiema who doused her with fuel and set her on fire following a disagreement that had to do with sharing her property.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, said that Cheptegei’s boyfriend bought a jerry can of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze.

“Ndiema also sustained burn wounds, although they are less severe, and is receiving treatment at the same hospital,” the police Commander said.

“Cheptegei’s parents said their daughter bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near the many athletic training centres in the county,” he added.

The death of the 33-year-old mother of three has drawn worldwide condemnation including that of the Ugandan and Kenyan governments who have vowed to bring the suspect to book while also vowing to put a stop to domestic violence targeted against women.

On Friday, Mayor of Paris, Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, has announced that a sports venue in the French capital city will be named after her to honour her memory.

Hidalgo who made the announcement on Friday, said dedicating a sports venue after Cheptegei would help “her memory and her story remain among us” after Cheptegei had competed in the Olympic marathon in Paris, coming 44th in a time of two hours 32 minutes and 14 seconds.

“We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she said.