Mozambique Opposition Leader Open to Serving in Rival’s Government
Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has told the BBC he is prepared to serve in the government if President Daniel Chapo meets his demands to end the political crisis that has hit the country following disputed elections. Chapo said he had set up a team that was “considering” whether his rival should be invited to join a new “inclusive” government. The two men outlined their positions in separate interviews with the BBC, giving the impression that they were open to rapprochement after the deaths of about 300 people in post-election unrest. Mondlane rejected his defeat in October’s election, saying the result was rigged…Mondlane told the BBC that Chapo was “forced” on the nation, and was the “president of the defence force”. Mondlane said that he had, nevertheless, decided to suspend protests for the first 100 days of his rival’s term on condition he did the following: unconditionally release about 5,000 people detained for participating in demonstrations against the election result; pay financial compensation to the families of people killed by police during the protests; and offer free medical treatment for about 200 people injured by the police. Mondlane said that if Chapo agreed to this, he would “open a window” for negotiations or else he would call on his supporters to renew protests. BBC
Mozambique’s Ex-finance Minister Gets Another 2.5 Years behind Bars in ‘Tuna Bonds’ Corruption Case
Mozambique’s former finance minister has been sentenced to serve another two-and-a-half years in prison by a U.S. court for his role in the “ tuna bond ” scandal that triggered a financial crisis in the struggling African nation. Manuel Chang, 69, was convicted last year of accepting payoffs to put his homeland secretly on the hook for about $2 billion in loans from major overseas banks. A federal judge in New York on Friday sentenced Chang to eight-and-a-half years in prison, including nearly six years he has already served behind bars in the U.S. and South Africa, where he was arrested in 2018…Chang was Mozambique’s top finance official from 2005 until 2015, when he signed off on loans that were supposed to pay for a tuna fishing fleet, a shipyard, Coast Guard vessels and other maritime projects for the southern African country. Instead, bankers and government officials plundered the funds through bribes and kickbacks, according to prosecutors. During the trial, prosecutors said Chang pocketed $7 million in bribes, which they said was wired through U.S. banks to European accounts. AP
Sahel’s Juntas Challenge Western Miners in Geopolitical Gold Rush
The stand-off between General Assimi Goïta’s military regime and Canada’s Barrick Gold has reached a critical point with the mining conglomerate suspending work at the Loulou-Gounkoto complex after the government used military helicopters to seize more than three tonnes of gold, worth around US$245 million on 11 January…The escalation of Mali’s dispute with Barrick follows months of fraught negotiations over revenue-sharing and new mining regulations. It mirrors similar disputes between western mining companies and the juntas in Burkina Faso and Niger. But the stakes in dollar and geopolitical terms are highest in Mali…Russia’s Africa Corps (the rehatted Wagner Group now under direct command of the GRU in Moscow) is closely watching mining developments in all three countries…At the heart of the mining companies’ troubles in Africa’s second-biggest gold producer is the junta’s quest to extract large one-off payments to settle tax claims dating back a decade and secure a greater share of revenue from future operations. After investing billions of dollars in operating mines and expansion projects, those companies in Mali are trying to negotiate the least painful deals. Africa Confidential
Niger Journalist Held after Channel Suspended, Association Says
A major journalist in Niger was in custody Saturday, an association said, a day after the private TV channel he runs was suspended following a report critical of the military-led regime. Seyni Amadou, editor in chief of Canal 4 TV, has been arrested, said CAP-Medias-Niger, which represents media workers in the country. On Friday, Niger’s communications ministry announced the channel had been taken off the air for a month. State television channel Tele Sahel said Canal 3 TV had been punished “for violating the rules of ethics and deontology.” Canal 3 told AFP in a statement that the suspension was “linked to a broadcast on the ranking of ministers” in the government of Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a civilian appointed by the military regime. In the report’s ranking, Zeine was placed first and several of his ministers were called the “soft underbelly” of the government…[Niger] has also blocked international channels including Radio France International (RFI), France 24 and the BBC. AFP
Tuareg Rebel Alliance in Mali Releases Spanish Hostage, Spokesmen Say
A Tuareg rebel alliance in northern Mali has released a Spanish man kidnapped in North Africa on Jan. 17, two of the group’s spokesmen said late on Monday. Spain’s Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a Spanish man had been kidnapped in North Africa…In a post on X, one of the leaders of the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) said a Spanish national named Gilbert Navarro “kidnapped in Algeria a few days ago” and transported by his captors to north Mali had been freed by FLA forces on Monday. The former hostage would be protectively spending the night with the FLA before being transferred to Algerian authorities, said Attaye Ag Mohamed, who also acts as a spokesman for the group. Reuters
East Congo Hospital Sees ‘influx’ of Wounded as Conflict Escalates
A hospital in Goma has taken in more than 200 wounded since early January as fighting intensifies in eastern Congo, the Red Cross and local sources told AFP Monday. In recent weeks, the Congo’s restive east has seen escalating clashes between the Congolese army and the M23 Movement — an armed group backed by Rwanda. With the M23 closing in on Goma, the provincial capital’s hospital has had to tend to more and more people hit by the fighting, according to the Red Cross…On Monday the fighting reached the hills of Sake, a town approximately 20 kilometers west of Goma. Since its resurgence in late 2021, the M23 — which claims to defend ethnic Tutsis — has seized vast swathes of the Congo’s mineral-rich east. In early January the M23 seized control of Masisi, the administrative capital of Masisi territory located 80 kilometers from Goma…Several security sources told AFP the intensity of the fighting is currently at a level not seen for months, with a high number of deaths and the use of heavy artillery. AFP
Congo’s M23 Rebels Seize Eastern Town of Minova
Democratic Republic of Congo’s M23 rebels have seized the eastern town of Minova, a main supply route for the provincial capital Goma, a rebel spokesperson and the provincial governor said on Tuesday. The Tutsi-led M23 group has been waging a renewed insurgency in the Central African country’s east since 2022. Congo and the United Nations accuse neighbouring Rwanda of backing the group with its own troops and weapons. Rwanda denies this…The fall of the town could put the key eastern city of Goma, around 40 km away, in the rebels’ sights. The town’s capture was confirmed by provincial governor Jean-Jacques Purusi. Reuters
Nigeria Is Admitted as a Partner Country of the BRICS Bloc
Nigeria has been admitted as a “partner country” of the BRICS bloc of developing economies, according to Brazil, the group’s chair. BRICS was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, with South Africa added in 2010, as a counterweight to the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations. Last year, the bloc added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia has been invited to join. Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become members, and a few others have expressed interest. Nigeria becomes the ninth BRICS partner country, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. AP
Sudan War Becomes More Deadly as Ethnically Motivated Attacks Rise
The conflict in Sudan is taking an “even more dangerous turn for civilians”, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. His warning comes in the wake of reports that dozens were brutally killed in ethnically targeted attacks in Al Jazirah state in the southeast, and amid reports of an imminent battle for control of the country’s capital, Khartoum. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a rival military, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been fighting since April 2023 in what Mr. Türk called a “senseless war”…In the last week alone, his office, OHCHR, documented at least 21 deaths in just two attacks on camps in Al Jazirah, located some 40 kilometres from the state capital, Wad Madani. However, the actual number of attacks directed at civilians, and of civilians killed, are likely to be higher…Serious concerns also persist for civilians in North Darfur, where ethnically motivated attacks by the RSF and its allied Arab militias against African ethnic groups, particularly the Zaghawa and the Fur, continue to exact a horrific toll. UN News
Soldiers Shoot Dead at Least Seven Miners in Ghana
At least seven people have been killed in a clash with soldiers on duty at a mine in the central Ashanti region, according to the army. The Ghana Armed Forces said about 60 illegal miners, armed with among others things “pump action guns”, had forced their way into the mine run by global giant AngloGold Ashanti and fired at the soldiers when they were intercepted. This prompted the soldiers “to retaliate in self-defence”, leading to the deaths and injuries, it said in a statement. A representative of the miners denied that they had been armed…There have been tensions between AngloGold Ashanti and residents who accuse them of exploiting mineral resources without doing much to develop the area or create jobs…Ghana is going through its worst economic crisis in a generation with high public debt, high inflation and unemployment. Amid the economic crisis, there has been a rise in small-scale mining, including unregulated sites that have been accused of having a devastating impact on the environment. BBC
Tanzania Confirms Marburg Virus Outbreak after Initial Denial
Tanzania’s president has announced an outbreak of Marburg virus, an Ebola-like virus, just a week after her health minister denied that there were any cases in the country. President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at a press conference on Monday that health authorities had confirmed one case of Marburg in the north-western region of Kagera…On 14 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a suspected Marburg outbreak in the country, having recorded nine suspected cases and eight deaths over five days in Kagera. But Tanzania’s Health Minister Jenista Mhagama said in a statement that after samples had been analysed, all suspected cases were found negative for Marburg…At Monday’s press briefing, which was held jointly with the WHO, President Samia said her government had stepped up its efforts and that a rapid response team had been dispatched to follow up on all suspected cases. Marburg is highly infectious, with symptoms including fever, muscle pains, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in some cases, death through extreme blood loss. On average, the virus kills half of the people it infects, according to the WHO. BBC
Report: 67 Journalists Jailed for Their Work across Africa
At least 67 journalists are imprisoned across Africa, reflecting the continent’s ongoing struggle for a free press, according to a report released Thursday. The cases in Africa contribute to a global total of 361 journalists jailed as of Dec. 1, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ. It is the second-highest number ever recorded by CPJ. Muthoki Mumo, the Africa program coordinator at CPJ, said the report highlights a global trend in which authoritarian regimes weaponize laws against journalists, using national security, anti-terror and cybercrime legislation to justify crackdowns. While these trends are not confined to Africa, the continent has seen alarming cases of journalists facing prosecution under such laws, said Mumo. Countries such as Burundi, Ethiopia and Nigeria are using legislation intended for public safety to criminalize journalism, Mumo said…The continent’s top jailers are familiar names, with Egypt topping the list as the worst jailer of journalists, with 17 held…While the prison census offers a snapshot of the situation on a specific date, Mumo said the report alone cannot fully capture the often-fluid reality journalists face. The report offers a small window into the larger picture of press freedom, Mumo said, “because there are journalists who go in and out of prison during other times of the year. They’re not reflected in this number.” VOA
Kenya Deploys 217 More Police Officers to Haiti under UN-backed Mission to Tackle Gang Violence
Kenya has deployed 217 more police officers to Haiti as part of a multinational force to curb gang violence plaguing the Caribbean nation, Kenya’s interior minister said on Saturday. According to the minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, the police officers departed from Kenya on Friday…Kenya first sent troops to Haiti in June and the total deployment now exceeds 600. Kenya’s President William Ruto has pledged to deploy 1,000 troops as part of the U.N.-backed force in Haiti. Gang violence has left more than 700,000 Haitians homeless in recent years, with many crowding into makeshift and unsanitary shelters after gunmen razed their homes. AP
‘It Was Almost a Relief when Someone Died’: Former Prisoners on the Torture and Terror of Eritrea’s Secret Prisons
In 2023, Eritrea was the fourth-biggest source of people arriving in the UK on small boats, with 2,662 arrivals. But the bulk of Eritrean refugees stay in east Africa. Ethiopia hosts the largest number, with 158,000 in 2023. Those still inside Eritrea risk disappearing into its extensive detention system, which includes underground cells at military bases and facilities so secret that even the inmates do not know their names. In some centres, prisoners are sealed in sweltering shipping containers in the desert…In 2014, the UN estimated Eritrea’s military prisons alone held at least 14,000 people. Detainees include opposition politicians, journalists and religious leaders, as well as those who evade the draft. Torture and sexual abuses of conscripts are commonplace. The Guardian