Mozambique’s New President Sworn in after Deadly Post-election Unrest
Mozambique’s new president Daniel Chapo took the oath of office on Wednesday, January 15, in front of a heavily guarded audience of dignitaries in the capital Maputo, following weeks of violent demonstrations over the fiercely disputed election results. Chapo, 48, extends his Frelimo party’s 50-year rule of the gas-rich African nation, amid claims by opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane that the vote was rigged, which sparked unrest that an NGO says has left more than 300 dead…[O]n the eve of the inauguration, Mondlane threatened to “paralyze” the new government with daily demonstrations following his earlier calls for a national strike in the days leading up to the ceremony…International observers have said the election was marred by irregularities, while the EU mission condemned what it called the “unjustified alteration of election results.” Le Monde with AFP
Central African Republic Leader in Moscow for Talks
The president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has arrived in Moscow for talks on strengthening his country’s partnership with Russia, the Kremlin said Wednesday…As part of the three-day visit, Touadera will meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday to discuss the “further development of bilateral cooperation”, the Kremlin said, without elaborating. Moscow has sought to expand its influence in Africa in recent years, offering security support to embattled leaders and kindling anti-Western sentiment. The Central African Republic, one of the poorest countries in the world, has been plagued by civil war for over a decade. Mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group have supported government forces in the landlocked state since 2018, with Moscow also training thousands of local troops. A bronze monument glorifying Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late head of the Wagner group, was unveiled in the republic’s capital Bangui last month. AFP
Zimbabwe’s Zanu-PF Wants to Extend President’s Term by Two Years
Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party wants to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term in office by two years until 2030, a party spokesman said on Tuesday. He gave no details of how this could be achieved or whether constitutional changes would be sought to enable the 82-year-old Zanu-PF leader to stay on. Zimbabwe’s constitution limits the presidential office to two five-year terms, and Mnangagwa’s second and final term as president expires in 2028…Mnangagwa, a former spy chief, has said publicly that he will leave when his term expires, but the idea of Zimbabwe scrapping term limits was mooted at a Zanu-PF conference last October. Reuters
A Moroccan Activist Is Sentenced to Prison over Protests against Earthquake Response
A well-known Moroccan activist who led protests decrying the government’s earthquake response on Monday was sentenced to prison in a case that human rights advocates condemned as arbitrary and politically motivated. Said Ait Mahdi, the 32-year-old president of one of the earthquake-stricken region’s leading activist groups, was sentenced to three months behind bars and ordered to pay more than $1,000, his attorney Isaac Charia told The Associated Press. The activist was facing charges including defamation, assault and inciting an unauthorized demonstration. The 6.8-magnitude earthquake in September 2023 left a trail of destruction in the Al Haouz region, killing nearly 3,000 people, leveling homes, schools and health centers, and leaving mountain roads unnavigable. Ait Mahdi is the first activist from the region to face such a sentence. AP
Nearly 200 Arrested in West Africa Crackdown on Illegal Gold and Sand Mining
Nearly 200 arrests, seizures of dangerous chemicals, explosives, and drugs – this is the outcome of an operation targeting illegal gold mining in Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal. Interpol, which coordinated the West African police operation dubbed “Sanu, ” announced the move on Tuesday. The United Kingdom’s Home Office also participated in the effort. The initiative uncovered the extensive networks behind this illicit activity. At least 150 kilograms of cyanide, 325 kilograms of activated carbon, and explosive devices were confiscated. The use of harmful chemicals by these illegal miners has detrimental effects not only on the environment but also on the health of nearby residents. West African police actions also marked the first time they combatted illegal sand mining in Gambia. Sand extraction has become an escalating threat, wreaking havoc on local ecosystems and livelihoods. Africanews
3 Chinese Citizens Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Illegal Mining in Congo
Three Chinese citizens were sentenced Tuesday to 7 years in prison and ordered to pay $600,000 in fines for illegally exploiting mineral resources in Congo, according to court filings. The ruling marks the first time foreign mineral brokers have been convicted for unauthorized mineral exploitation in the DRC without authorization from Congolese authorities. The defendants were also found guilty of fraud, money laundering and looting. It is unclear if they will remain in the eastern city of Bukavu, where they are held, or if they will be transferred elsewhere. They were arrested on Jan. 4 with 10 gold bars and $400,000 in cash…Many Chinese companies mine gold and other minerals in South Kivu, one of the eastern provinces of the DRC that have been plagued by violence from armed groups for nearly three decades. AP
Congo Courts Saudi Mining Investors to Help Curb China Dominance
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the world’s top cobalt supplier, is courting new mining investors from Saudi Arabia to help it diversify and curb overreliance on companies from China, Marcellin Paluku, a senior government official, told Reuters. Congo, which is also rich in copper and other critical minerals, wants more partnerships with the new investors to limit the risk of relying solely on Chinese investors, Paluku, who is a deputy cabinet director in the ministry of mines, said. Chinese companies, some of which are state-backed, have over the past years emerged as the biggest investors in Congo, ramping up investment and production for copper and cobalt…Congo is also courting investors from the European Union and India, Paluku said. The country is seeking to move away from current joint ventures which are heavily skewed in favour of investors, he added. “We are talking to all the people who are open to do business with us,” Paluku said. Reuters
Kenya Solidifies Trade Ties with UAE through Landmark Deal
The deal (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) is intended to make the UAE a key trade partner to Kenya, ensuring that the East African country has another prime-time export market…President William Ruto of Kenya and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, presided over the signing…Data from Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2024 economic assessment indicated that imports worth Sh411.5 billion in 2023 allowed the Middle-Eastern country to surpass India in becoming Kenya’s second-largest import source after China. In a year, China accounted for Sh459 billion in imports, with India ranking third, followed by Saudi Arabia and Malaysia as the nation’s top five import suppliers. Business Insider Africa
Kenyan Minister Alleges Intelligence Agency behind His Son’s Abduction
A Kenyan government minister has alleged that the country’s national intelligence agency was behind the abduction of his son last year, as criticism against the rising cases of abductions continues. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi said that it took a call by President William Ruto to have his son released by the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Muturi is the first member of the cabinet to publicly criticise the government’s handling of the spate of abductions in Kenya…At least 80 people, including the minister’s son, have been abducted in the last six months, according to a state-funded rights group. The wave of abductions started after protests against tax hikes last June, and have continued since then…Muturi has faced calls from some government-allied politicians to resign for publicly criticising the government in which he serves. BBC
‘President Vila Nova Violated the Constitution,’ Says Ousted São Tomé PM Trovoada
São Tomé e Príncipe President Carlos Vila Nova dismissed the government on 6 January, citing its “inability” to address the country’s issues and the “frequent” absences of the prime minister, Patrice Trovoada. The move was met with strong opposition from Trovoada and his party, the Acção Democrática Independente (ADI). The ADI, which Vila Nova belongs to, announced the next day that it would appeal the dismissal to the country’s constitutional court. Two days later, Vila Nova appointed Justice Minister Ilza Amado Vaz as the new head of government. Africa Report: How do you interpret President Vila Nova’s decision to dismiss your government? Patrice Trovoada: It is clearly unconstitutional. We operate under a parliamentary system, and the constitution – which accounts for all possible scenarios – states that a prime minister can only be removed if there is dysfunction within democratic institutions, and even then, only after consulting the Council of State. In this case, the council was consulted after the fact. More importantly, the president has never been able to demonstrate that any institutional dysfunction exists, because there isn’t one. The reasons cited are baseless. This is a blatant violation of the constitution, and the constitutional court will soon issue its decision. The Africa Report
Cameroon Says Host Villages Attacked People Displaced by Boko Haram
Cameroonian officials said Monday five people are dead and several hundred are homeless in ongoing conflicts between host communities and people who arrived after being displaced by Boko Haram terrorism in the nation’s border area near Chad and Nigeria. Hundreds of irate host community members set fire to at least 60 government-built houses for internally displaced people in Yala Yalta, military officials said…Government officials say it was the second burning of houses in the past five days. [Residents of Yala Yalta, a village in Mayo-Sava, an administrative unit near Cameroon’s border with Chad and Nigeria] accuse the displaced people of kidnapping for ransom and provoking conflicts over scarce water, farm crops and fuel wood…Cameroon’s ministries of agriculture and livestock said conflicts between host communities and displaced persons are increasing because of a food shortage caused by floods in October. The government said several thousand goats, sheep and cows were either killed or swept away by flood waters, while several thousand hectares of farmland were destroyed. VOA
Ethiopia Opens Stock Exchange in Drive for Investors
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed rang a Wall Street-style bell to officially launch the country’s first stock exchange in 50 years on Friday, part of efforts to liberalise the struggling economy. Only one company was listed on the exchange on opening day — Wegagen Bank — but an official said they were aiming to eventually include 90 firms and four million investors, without setting a timeline…Since taking power in 2018, Abiy has been a vocal supporter of opening up the heavily state-controlled economy to competition and foreign investment. But internal conflicts — including a devastating civil war in the northern Tigray region between 2020 and 2022 — have led to sanctions by the United States and hampered reforms…Ethiopia has not had any form of stock exchange in 50 years, since the 1974 fall of Emperor Haile Selassie and the rise of a Marxist-inspired regime, known as the Derg, which nationalised the economy. AFP