Kenyan President Ruto Spells Out Agenda for Africa
Africa is demanding two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council as it calls for reforms of the body to transform it from an exclusive club of five permanent members to a more representative global council that works for the interests of the whole world. Africa’s strong position was presented by President William Ruto, who chairs the Committee of African Heads of State and Governments on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), when he addressed the third Pan-African Parliamentarians Summit on Climate Policy and Justice in Midrand, Johannesburg, where he stated that although the UN is an important forum for the conduct of global affairs in diplomacy, peace, security and trade, among others, Africa still finds itself disadvantaged by the current configuration of the UN, which was established almost eighty years ago after the Second World War. … Commenting on the climate change debate, the Head of State said the single most important priority commitment that will propel the continent to lasting security, sustainable stability and shared prosperity is an opportunistic focus on climate action. “Our continent’s abundant natural resources, immense endowment of untapped green renewable energy and youthful demographic profile are precisely the fundamental elements needed to mitigate and then reverse climate change while driving a new green industrial revolution.” Nation
Battered by War, Sudan Faces Many Possible Paths — None Good
… The immediate challenge is that the warring factions — Sudan’s military, led by Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan — still believe that a military victory is possible, regardless of the cost. … Launching an appeal for $3 billion in emergency aid on Wednesday, the United Nations said that 25 million Sudanese, more than half the population, need help. But the greater danger, many warn, is that Sudan’s conflict will metastasize into a full-blown civil war that not only shatters the country into pieces, but also draws in foreign powers looking to back a winner. … Sudan is a vulnerable giant at the heart of a volatile region. It has 4,200 miles of land borders with seven other African nations, most already grappling with conflict or drought. Although poor by global standards, Sudan has rich reserves of gold, water and oil, and overlooks one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes on the Red Sea, which makes it a coveted geopolitical prize. … Peace efforts led by American and Saudi mediators in the Saudi port city of Jeddah have yet to produce a cease-fire. But the hope is that they might pave the way for a rapid deployment of peacekeepers to Sudan, most likely from the African Union, which would, in turn, facilitate top-level negotiations to forge a durable settlement. … Any real peace would likely need to involve Sudan’s pro-democracy groups, which have so far been excluded from the talks in Jeddah. New York Times
‘On Every Corner Someone Disappears’: The Frantic Search for Sudan’s Missing
Kamal Ali Osman sent a text message to his family saying he was being stopped by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the militia group whose checkpoints now throttle the roads of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Minutes later, the text was deleted from his phone. He has not been heard from since. … “We were shocked and scared. Why did he delete the message? We think he was forced to delete it,” said Osman’s daughter, Israa Ali Osman, 22, who was away in Egypt with other family when the fighting erupted in Sudan on 15 April between the RSF and the national army. The family are among many who have been posting pictures and contact information on social media over the past month, desperately searching for loved ones who have gone missing in the weeks since the conflict began. Many people disappeared after venturing out of their homes for food or medication. … At least 190 people have gone missing since 15 April, according to the Missing Initiative, a volunteer organisation founded after the RSF attacked a peaceful sit-in demanding civilian rule in 2019, killing at least 120 people, with more going missing. Guardian
Somalia Seizes Military Shipments Bound for Al Shabaab
Somalia’s National Intelligence Agency (NISA) on Thursday said that it had seized two illicit shipments of military hardware and explosive materials that were apparently bound for the al Shabaab militant group. At a news conference in Mogadishu, Somalia’s State Minister of Defense Mohamed Ali Haga said the agency found the arms at Mogadishu’s port and airport. “At the port of Mogadishu, NISA personnel discovered a shipment of military hardware and explosive materials concealed within containers posing as authorized business imports,” Haga said. “Our forces have also seized military equipment at Mogadishu’s Aden Ade International Airport,” he added. A statement from NISA said an investigation relating to the illicit shipments led to the arrest of 10 individuals associated with a smuggling network. … The government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has for months been engaged in an offensive against al Shabaab, including efforts to shut down its financial network and a campaign to counter the group’s ideology. VOA
Burkina: Demonstration for “More Security” after an Attack
Several hundred people demonstrated Thursday in Nouna, a major city in western Burkina Faso, plagued by jihadist violence, to demand more security after the death of six residents on Tuesday, residents told AFP. … Western Burkina, bordering Mali, has been particularly bereaved in recent days. Sunday, at least 13 people were killed by unidentified armed individuals, in Haourèma-Karekuy, a locality located 10 km north of Nouna, according to local sources. On May 13, 33 civilians were killed in an attack by suspected jihadists in the village of Youlou still in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. Burkina Faso, the scene of two military coups in 2022, has been caught since 2015 in a spiral of jihadist violence that appeared in Mali and Niger a few years earlier and which has spread beyond their borders. The violence over the past seven years has claimed more than 10,000 lives – civilians and soldiers – according to NGOs, and more than two million displaced people. AfricaNews with AFP
Australian Doctor Freed 7 Years after Abduction in West Africa
An 88-year-old Australian doctor held captive in West Africa for more than seven years has been released and safely returned to his family, the Australian government has announced. Kenneth Elliott, from the west coast city of Perth, is safe and well and has been reunited with his wife Jocelyn and their children, Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement on Friday. Elliott and his wife were kidnapped by rebel fighters in northern Burkina Faso in January 2016 near the border with Mali and Niger, where they had operated a 120-bed medical clinic for more than 40 years. Jocelyn Elliott was freed after three weeks. Al Jazeera
New EAC Force Commander Assumes Office in DRC
Kenya’s new commander of the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) Maj-Gen Alphaxard Muthuri Kiugu has taken up his role in Goma, providing some certainty to the mission whose initial head was redeployed. His entry had to follow Kinshasa’s blessings and is set to kick off the second phase of the force’s mandate that was verbally renewed till June after delays by Kinshasa which had accused EACRF of having not achieved much to end the fighting in the region. Last month, Maj-Gen Jeff Nyagah left his role as commander of EACRF in the wake of tensions with Kinshasa. This week, Nairobi directly assured Kinshasa of commitment to end long-term conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But Maj-Gen Kiugu will have a full plate, foremost of which includes the uncertainty on how long the troops will stay in the DR Congo. The regional force’s mandate expired in March and has not been renewed formally owing to Kinshasa’s criticism over EACRF’s mandate and alleged‘cohabitation’ with the M23 rebel group. EastAfrican
Convoy Attack in Eastern Congo Leaves 4 Dead, including 3 Park Rangers
Four people were killed in an ambush Thursday in Congo’s Virunga National Park when their convoy of vehicles was attacked by gunmen, according to a statement by local conservation authorities. A further six people were injured, including villagers from the Lubero Territory where the attack took place. The convoy included technical staff for rural development projects working in the park area, according to the North Kivu branch of the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN). Three of the dead were “ecoguards” working for the conservation group. The ICCN statement said the attack was carried out by “a group of armed men belonging to the Mai Mai,” a network of local militia groups. AP
At Least 80 People Were Killed in an Attack in Northern Nigeria. Police Arrested 7 Suspects
The death toll from an attack by dozens of gunmen in north central Nigeria’s Plateau state has reached 80, local authorities said Thursday, with survivors still searching for bodies days after the incident. The gunmen targeted several villages in the remote Mangu district of Plateau during the attack that started Monday and lasted till Tuesday, according to residents. Burials continued on Thursday in parts of Mangu located 60 kilometers (37 miles) from Jos, the state capital. The police told The Associated Press seven suspects had been arrested. It was a “situation of sporadic shooting across a vast area of different villages,” said Alabo Alfred, the command spokesman. … Quoting the local chiefs he spoke to when he visited the affected areas, Plateau Deputy Gov. Sonni Tyoden said in a statement that at least 10 villages were targeted in the attack. Local residents said it was carried out by herdsmen after a resident complained that his banana plantation had been destroyed by their cattle. Survivors told the AP the assailants arrived in large numbers and scattered across the villages, setting houses ablaze while shooting at people. AP
Unmasking Corruption – Examining Nigeria’s 2023 Election Fallout
Nigeria transitioned to democracy in 1999, despite the persistence of insecurity, extreme poverty, and endemic corruption. Nevertheless, the country has conducted six national elections that have frequently been tainted by instances of fraud, technical complications, violence, and legal disputes. On February 25, 2023, Nigerians again exercised their democratic rights by participating in the presidential elections, even as allegations of irregularities and fraudulent practices loomed over the process. The 2023 general elections were highly anticipated as a crucial milestone for the nation’s democratic process. However, despite initial hopes for transparency and fairness, the elections were marred by widespread allegations of corruption, including voter suppression, vote buying, manipulation of electoral rolls, compromised officials, and the lack of accountability. … Emmanuel Aiyede, a professor of political institutions, governance, and public policy in the department of political science at the University of Ibadan, evaluated effectiveness of the government’s efforts. “I think generally Nigerians believe that this election was going to be an election with integrity,” said Aiyede. “The number of innovations to promote or boost the integrity of the election was carried out and tested across the off-season elections. The major challenge facing the electoral process was how to then reduce vote buying to the minimum.” Aiyede said efforts to increase transparency in the electoral process, customize ballots, and eliminate the manipulation of results, did not work out as planned. AllAfrica
Kenya to Roll Out 1 Million Locally Assembled Smartphones in 2 Months
Kenya plans to roll out the first consignment of one million locally assembled smartphones in two months at a unit retail price of Ksh5,484 ($40), in a bid to foster digital access and inclusion. ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the affordability of smart devices has been a major hindrance to digital inclusion, hence the need to produce the gadgets locally. He said the low-cost smartphones are being assembled at the Konza Technopolis in Malili, Machakos County. … If the deal goes as planned, then the state will have found a way to rekindle hopes in the Konza City dream which has failed to attract enough investors to support its take-off. In 2013, 14 firms expressed interest in the first stage of the Konza City project, dubbed the African Silicon Savannah, which was set to be carried out in four phases of five years each. These firms included Safaricom and Wananchi Online- a Kenyan internet service provider. Foreign companies were Chinese firm Huawei Technologies, Korean electronics giant Samsung and Telemac of the US among others. EastAfrican