Mali's interim president Bah Ndaw on Sunday named former Malian foreign minister Moctar Ouane prime minister, opening the way for the country's neighbours to lift sanctions imposed after its August military coup. A civilian premier was the precondition for Ecowas (Economic Community Of West African States) to lift sanctions it...
Category: Politics
Long-awaited Peace Deal in Sudan to Be Signed on 3 October
Key Sudanese parties are set to sign the final peace deal in Juba early next month to cement an initial agreement inked in August, the mediation team confirmed on Thursday. Mr Ruben Malek, the South Sudanese deputy minister of Defense and Veteran Affairs, who is also part of the mediation...
Mnangagwa Decries “Unilateral Illegal Sanctions” in UN Address
Zimbabwe's leader on Thursday appealed at the United Nations for support to end Western sanctions, saying that they set back development goals. In an address to the UN General Assembly, President Emmerson Mnangagwa pointed to a recent UN report that found a negative impact from sanctions on Zimbabwe as a...
Major Set Back in Gambia After New Constitution Rejected
There was an outpouring of anger and consternation on Tuesday after Gambia’s parliament voted to reject a draft constitution, setting back progress on over two years of work. The new constitution in the making is set to replace the 1997 constitution, enacted by former President Yahya Jammeh, which pro-democracy campaigners...
Civilian Appointed President by Mali Junta
The Malian junta that seized power in a military coup in August has granted the country’s interim presidency to a civilian, part of conditions set by regional bloc Ecowas. The National Committee for the Salvation of the People (CNSP), led by Col Assimi Goita, announced on Monday that it was...
West African Bloc Fails to Mediate in Mali
West African mediators failed to persuade leaders of a military coup in Mali to immediately hand over power to a civilian government during talks on Tuesday, the chairman of the regional bloc said. Leaders of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met the heads of a junta...
Fresh Protests in Ivory Coast as Court Allows Ouattara’s Bid for Third Term
Ivory Coast's top court on Monday cleared the way for President Alassane Ouattara to run for a contentious third term in the upcoming presidential election as several cities saw violent protests. The Constitutional Council barred some of Ouattara's opponents, including former President Laurent Gbagbo and former rebel leader turned prime minister, Soro Guillaume,...
Somaliland Snubs China, Opens Office in Taiwan
The breakaway territory of Somaliland opened a representative office in Taipei on Wednesday in a move that has already drawn Beijing’s ire. The territory’s representative to Taipei, Mohamed Hagi, said trade, security and development corporation were key aspects of “this very special relationship.“ The two are “members of the same...
President Kenyatta Apologises For Police Brutality
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has apologised for violence by the police following the enforcement of a nationwide curfew last week. The police have been accused of using heavy-handed tactics to enforce the dusk-to-dawn curfew since its introduction on Friday to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, with tear gas,...
Uganda Begins 14 Day Coronavirus Lockdown
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday ordered an immediate 14-day nationwide lockdown in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus which has so far infected 33 people in the country. Uganda last week banned public transport and sealed its borders and urged the population to stay home, but...