Mali Junta Chief Sacks PM and Government
Mali’s junta chief on Wednesday, November 20, sacked civilian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga and the government, days after Maiga issued a rare criticism of the military rulers. The West African country, plagued by jihadist and separatist violence, has been led by the military since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021. Maiga, who was appointed by the military after the second coup, had been seen as isolated in his position as prime minister, with little room for maneuver. His dismissal creates further uncertainty in an already troubled context…Maiga, on Saturday, publicly condemned the lack of clarity regarding the end of the transition to civilian rule. He said the confusion could pose “serious challenges and the risk of going backward.” Le Monde with AFP
Ugandan Opposition Figure Appears before a Military Court at Home Days after Disappearing in Kenya
A well-known Ugandan opposition figure appeared in a military court Wednesday days after he was reported missing in neighboring Kenya, and denied a charge of seeking military support from abroad to destabilize Uganda’s military forces. Kizza Besigye, a fierce critic of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and once his personal doctor, has faced arrest and assault on previous occasions. He has contested and lost four presidential elections. Besigye, who at first appeared in court without lawyers and in a cage, rejected government legal representation and said he should be tried in a civilian court because he’s not a member of the armed forces…He will stay in custody until Dec. 2 with FDC member Hajj Lutale Kamulegeya, who was also charged and denied wrongdoing. Besigye ‘s reappearance came four days after he went missing in Nairobi. AP
TikToker Jailed for 32 Months for Insulting Uganda’s President
Emmanuel Nabugodi appeared for the sentencing on Monday after pleading guilty last week to four charges, including hate speech and spreading malicious information about the president. He was sentenced to 32 months in jail. Nabugodi, known for sharing comedy content to his 20,000 followers, made a film of a mock trial of the head of state. In it he called for Museveni’s public flogging…He was convicted under a controversial amendment in 2022 to the Computer Misuse Act. It made it illegal to “write, send, or share any information through a computer, which is likely to ridicule, degrade, or demean another person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender”. In its human rights report on Uganda last year, the US State Department said the “authorities used this law to intimidate internet users from criticizing government policies”. BBC
AU Rejects Restoring Membership under Burhan’s Sudan Coup
The African Union reiterated its opposition to military coups on Wednesday, including the 2021 takeover in Sudan, and called for a ceasefire and renewed political dialogue to resolve the ongoing conflict. Sudan is pushing for the reinstatement of its African Union membership, which was suspended after the October 25, 2021, coup…[Bankole Adeoye, Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security] said the deployment of a proposed AU mission to Sudan hinged on a durable ceasefire agreement…He said the AU was focused on addressing key issues in Sudan, including balancing power between central and peripheral regions, protecting the rights of marginalized groups, preventing ethnic cleansing, and ensuring aid delivery. He underscored the need to address external interference as a key driver of the Sudanese crisis. Sudan Tribune
U.S. Envoy Pushes for Sudan Ceasefire, Aid Access
U.S. envoy Tom Perriello pressed Sudan’s army chief to implement an immediate ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid access during a rare visit to the country [three] days ago, diplomatic sources told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday. On Monday, Perriello met with General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, in Port Sudan. He urged al-Burhan to agree to a truce to allow aid to reach areas hit by famine and medicine shortages, the sources said. According to the sources, Al-Burhan did not immediately agree to the visiting US envoy’s request, saying he needed to consult with military leaders. Sudan Tribune
Congo Opposition Calls for Protests against Plans to Reform Constitution
Sworn into office in January for a second and final term, Tshisekedi said in October a commission would be established to suggest potential changes to the constitution. Critics have said it could be a tactic to remove term limits and allow him to run again. Tshisekedi said the current constitution, ratified by a referendum in 2005, needed to change because it did not align with the country’s current realities. In a joint statement on Wednesday, opposition politicians including former president Joseph Kabila and former presidential candidates Martin Fayulu and Moise Katumbi called for protests to “block” Tshisekedi. Reuters
Southern African Bloc Extends Troop Deployment in Congo by a Year
Southern Africa’s regional bloc on Wednesday extended by a year its troop deployment in Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is helping the government fight rebel groups. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) deployed the mission in Congo, a major producer of metals like cobalt and copper, in December 2023 with a one-year mandate. A communique issued after regional leaders met in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare expressed concern at the security and humanitarian situation in Congo and reiterated the bloc’s support for the government. Reuters
‘What Were You Expecting? A Bloodless War?’: How Cameroon Became Trapped in a Forgotten Standoff
Violence has torn through Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions – the north-west and south-west – since 2016, when the government imposed French-speaking teachers and lawyers on English-speaking schools and courts. Peaceful protests were met with military force and arrests. As security deteriorated, an anglophone separatist movement emerged calling for the independence of the region they called “Ambazonia”…With the world’s attention on other wars, Cameroonians are trapped in a forgotten standoff. Both sides have been accused of engaging in village raids, massacres, unlawful killings, looting, arbitrary arrests, and the use of torture and sexual violence…The war is now at a deadly impasse. Separatist kidnappings and killings are crippling social, economic and cultural activities and disrupting livelihoods. The strategy has attracted harsh criticism even from within the secessionist leadership. The Guardian
Daughter of Jailed Eritrean Journalist Continues to Fight for His Release
Journalist Betlehem Isaak, the daughter of journalist Dawit Isaak — a dual Eritrean-Swedish citizen imprisoned without trial in Eritrea since 2001— accepted the 2024 Edelstam Prize on her father’s behalf Tuesday during a ceremony at the House of Nobility in Stockholm. The prize honors Dawit for his “outstanding courage” in championing freedom of expression. The judges noted his commitment to advocating for democracy in Eritrea despite harassment, threats and repeated interrogations…Dawit was arrested during a government crackdown on independent media in Eritrea in September 2001. Eritrea ranks among the most tightly controlled countries in the world. Twenty-one journalists and politicians from the 2001 roundup remain in detention, according to Amnesty International. VOA
ICC Sentences Malian Islamist to 10 Years over Timbuktu Repression
A Malian Islamist who helped run the police force imposing sharia law on Timbuktu after the city was captured by militants in 2012 was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday. Judges said Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz, 47, had played a key role in the Islamic police set up by the Ansar Dine Islamist group in the city on the fringe of the Sahara Desert. He had taken part in or been present at many public floggings that left deep psychological wounds on victims and onlookers, the judges said… In July this year, Al Hassan had already been convicted of several counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes including persecution and torture. He has been in the ICC’s detention center since March 2018 and the more than six years he has already spent in detention will be deducted from his time. Reuters
ICC Prosecutor Urges Nations to Help Arrest 6 Libyans Allegedly Linked to a Brutal Militia
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court urged Libya and other nations Tuesday to help arrest six men allegedly linked to a brutal militia blamed for multiple killings and other crimes in a strategically important western town where mass graves were discovered in 2020…The six men were either key members of or associated with the Al Kaniyat militia that controlled the town of Tarhuna from at least 2015 to June 2020, when government forces ousted them from the town…The mass graves were found in Tarhuna after the militia’s withdrawal following the collapse of a 14-month campaign by military commander Khalifa Hifter, who is still a powerful force in the east, to wrest control of Tripoli from an array of militias allied with the former U.N.-recognized government. AP
COP29: New Funding Proposal for Developing Countries Sparks Debate Amidst Huge Disparity
Experts in climate change and delegations attending the ongoing 29th Edition of the United Nations Climate Change Summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan‘s capital, have raised significant concerns regarding the new funding proposals aimed at assisting developing countries address crises induced by climate change…A review of the new text shows that no definite/specific amount has been agreed on how much rich countries are to pay poorer nations annually to combat climate change effects believed to be caused by the wealthy nations…At the ongoing COP29 summit, dubbed the “finance COP”, developing countries, particularly Africa, are demanding at least $1.3 trillion annually by the end of the decade to cope with climate change effects. Premium Times
Catholic Church Rejects $40,000 from Kenya’s President
Kenya’s Catholic Church has rejected a donation of about $40,000 made by President William Ruto. He offered the money towards the building of a priest’s house and as a gift to the choir during Mass on Sunday at the Soweto Catholic Church in the capital, Nairobi. The donation followed a recent statement by Catholic bishops, who had hit out at the government for failing to fulfil their electoral promises…[L]ast week, the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops – which represents all Catholic bishops in the country – accused the government of perpetuating a “culture of lies”. In a scathing statement, it also raised issues about over-taxation, corruption, violation of human rights, freedom of speech, unemployment as well as a “crumbling” education system and healthcare services. BBC