‘Oh My God, This Is Our Tanzania’: CNN Investigation Shows Police Fatally Shooting Protesters, Signs of Mass Graves
In the chaotic aftermath of Tanzania’s disputed presidential election last month, police and gun-wielding men on patrol shot at groups of protesters, many of whom appeared unarmed or were holding only rocks and sticks, a CNN investigation has found. Geolocated videos from the scenes, audio forensic analysis of the shots fired and first-hand accounts from witnesses and victims document the brutality unleashed on young demonstrators following the re-election of President Samia Suluhu Hassan – who claimed she won with 98% of the vote on October 29 after barring her chief rivals from the presidential race. Videos verified by CNN also support witness reports about the deadly toll of the post-election crackdown, showing morgues overflowing with scores of bodies. … A coalition of Tanzanian human rights groups and two local sources told CNN that some of the bodies of the protesters killed after October 29 in Dar es Salaam were buried in a mass grave at the Kondo cemetery in Kunduchi, north of the city. High-resolution satellite imagery from Planet Labs and Vantor taken on November 9 and November 15 shows disturbed ground in a barren plot of land 60 meters from the edge of existing graves. Further analysis of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery shows that the digging was done there between November 2 and November 5. CNN
Tanzania Police Warn against December Protest
Tanzania’s police, accused by the opposition and rights groups of killing hundreds during recent election violence, issued a warning on Friday against further protests planned on December 9. President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared the winner of the October 29 poll with 98 percent of the vote, but it triggered widespread protests that were brutally suppressed by security forces. Last week, Hassan announced a commission of inquiry into the killings, but the opposition said it was not “independent or impartial”. Activists and the opposition have called for a peaceful demonstration on December 9 to coincide with Tanzania’s independence day. … [The police] warned officers “will not hesitate to take action against such matters, including statements using soft or harsh language intended to incite violence”. AFP
Sudan: Darfur Governor Minni Minnawi Says RSF Killed 27,000 Sudanese in El-Fasher
The governor of Darfur, Minni Arko Minnawi, has told Middle East Eye that 27,000 Sudanese were killed in just three days as paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) went on a killing spree after seizing el-Fasher late last month. This figure is considerably higher than previous estimates of the scale of slaughter that followed the sudden withdrawal of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) from the capital of North Darfur state at the end of October. Previously, officials and humanitarian workers had put the death toll at more than 2,500 people. However, in the days and weeks following the fall of el-Fasher, which had been under siege for more than 550 days, there has been a cascade of reports of widespread massacres and aid workers have raised the alarm at how few civilians have fled the city. … [Minnawi] rose to prominence as a leader in one of the Darfuri rebel factions that 20 years ago fought against the government of former autocrat Omar al-Bashir over marginalisation and discrimination of Black Sudanese. During that conflict, Minnawi’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement battled the Janjaweed – state-backed, mostly Arab militias that waged genocide in Darfur and were eventually regularised to become the RSF. He said that the RSF was again committing genocide, using the mantra: “either be Arab or be killed.” Middle East Eye
Sudan: Women and Girls Fleeing El Fasher Describe Widespread RSF Sexual Violence
Women and girls who escaped the Darfur city of El Fasher after it was seized by the Rapid Support Forces last month have described brutal sexual violence by its fighters in interviews by reporters on the ground for The New Humanitarian. Five survivors said they were gang-raped by RSF and affiliated fighters, and two described other sexual assaults. They said the abuse lasted for hours or even days, sometimes occurring in the presence of family members they were fleeing with. Most said they saw multiple other women and girls being raped, and all described incidents in different areas outside of El Fasher, indicating the abuse – which has also been documented by humanitarian and human rights groups – was widespread. … Even before seizing El Fasher, the group, which is armed by the United Arab Emirates … had allowed its fighters to commit rapes across the country and kidnap women and girls into sexual slavery. The New Humanitarian
Nigeria Security Shake-Up: Tinubu Approves 30,000 Police Recruits, Withdraws VIP Escorts
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, ordered the withdrawal of police officers currently providing security for Very Important Persons, VIPs in the country. A statement by presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga said henceforth, police authorities will deploy them to concentrate on their core police duties. According to the statement, the presidential directive was issued at the security meeting President Tinubu held on Sunday with the police, Air Force, army chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Abuja. The Presidential directive reads: … “Many parts of Nigeria, especially remote areas, have few policemen at the stations, thus making the task of protecting and defending the people difficult. “In view of the current security challenges facing the country, President Tinubu is desirous of boosting police presence in all communities. “Already, President Tinubu has approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. The federal government is also collaborating with the states to upgrade police training facilities nationwide.” Vanguard
What Are Russian Forces Doing in Mali amid Jihadist Blocade?
Russian forces fighting in Mali have failed to break the country free from a stifling fuel blockade and attacks waged by suspected jihadists, as the wider Sahel region becomes further mired in conflict. After turning its back on former colonial power France, Mali’s junta government in 2021 pivoted to Russia and its notorious Wagner paramilitary group, which became the Africa Corps in June. Under the direct control of the Russian defence ministry, the Africa Corps’ soldiers are tasked with battling the jihadists, who have recently increased attacks in the country’s south and west. While the Wagner Group delivered victories for the Malian army in the north in 2023 with the recapture of key strongholds from suspected jihadists and Tuareg separatists, the wins were not enough to improve overall national security. Meanwhile Russian forces in Mali are accused of numerous abuses against civilians, which jihadists have exploited by presenting themselves as protectors of targeted communities, according to several reports. AFP
South Africa Probes Zuma’s Daughter over Russia Mercenary Links
South African police said Sunday it would investigate former President Jacob Zuma’s daughter for her alleged role in recruiting South Africans to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Police said a complaint against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla was filed by her half-sister Nkosazana Bonganini Zuma-Mncube who asked authorities to investigate. It is unclear how 17 South African men ended up as mercenaries for Russia but they sent distress calls in early November asking to be evacuated. They said that they were in the Donbass region of Ukraine. Zuma-Sambudla, a member of South Africa’s parliament from her father’s Umkhoto we Sizwe party appeared in court on November 10 for her trial on charges of incitement to cause terrorism related to riots that left over 350 people dead in July 2021. Africanews with AP
Islamist Rebels Kill 89 Civilians In East DR Congo: UN
Women on a maternity ward were among 89 civilians killed in a week-long spate of Islamist rebel attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN mission in the country said on Friday. A number of armed groups and militia are operating in the conflict-wracked region, including Rwanda-backed anti-government M23 forces, which seized swathes of territory in North and South Kivu in January and February. North of the M23’s area of operation, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group of former Ugandan rebels, has been carrying out repeated massacres in both provinces. The MONUSCO mission said in a statement that the ADF waged “particularly deadly” attacks between November 13 and 19 at several locations around the Lubero area in North Kivu. … The Bapere sector of Lubero is well known for its gold deposits, which attract various local militias and criminal gangs. The ADF has carried out several deadly attacks there since July, including one in the village of Nyoto in September that killed at least 71 people. AFP
Cameroon Opposition Leader Flees to Gambia after Contested Election
Gambia said it was temporarily hosting Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary after a disputed election in his country saw longtime President Paul Biya win an eighth term, triggering deadly protests. Gambia’s Ministry of Information said in a statement Sunday that Tchiroma arrived in the small West African country on Nov. 7 and is being hosted “purely on humanitarian grounds” and for “the purpose of ensuring his safety.” The statement added that Gambia was working with regional partners like Nigeria to “support a peaceful and negotiated outcome” to the post-election tensions in Cameroon. Tchiroma’s spokesperson, Alice Nkom, confirmed the opposition leader’s presence in Gambia in a statement on Sunday. Cameroon’s opposition has contested the result of the Oct. 12 election that secured the victory for Biya, the world’s oldest president at 92. His election rival Tchiroma claims to have won and has called on Cameroonians to reject the official result. AP
Tunisians Escalate Protests against Saied, Demanding Return of Democracy
Thousands of Tunisians marched in the capital on Saturday in a protest against “injustice and repression”, accusing President Kais Saied of cementing one-man rule by using the judiciary and police. The protest was the latest in a wave that has swept Tunisia involving journalists, doctors, banks, and public transport systems. Thousands have also demanded the closure of a chemical plant on environmental grounds. The protesters dressed in black to express anger and grief over what they called Tunisia’s transformation into an “open-air prison”. They raised banners reading “Enough repression”, “No fear, no terror, the streets belong to the people”. The rally brought together activists, NGOs and fragmented parties from across the spectrum in a rare display of unity in opposition to Saied. It underscores Tunisia’s severe political and economic crisis and poses a major challenge to Saied, who seized power in 2021 and started ruling by decree. Reuters
South Sudan Activists: Peace Deal Implementation Is Fragile and Sluggish
Several South Sudanese civil society activists have issued an urgent call for renewed political commitment to the fragile peace process, warning that delays, insecurity, and public mistrust are putting the country’s transition at serious peril. The call comes as signatories to the 2018 peace agreement face continuous condemnations and frustrations from both local and international peace partners as the country continues to experience violence almost everywhere. Speaking during the South Sudan Civil Society Forum (SSCSF) Stakeholders Dialogue in Juba on Wednesday, Galdino Ohoma, the chairperson of the Forum, said that despite South Sudan being left with about 57 weeks to conduct its first-ever elections, most of the provisions of the agreement remain unimplemented. … Ohoma stressed that Security arrangements, constitutional development, political dialogue, civic space, electoral preparedness, and the full implementation of the agreement are lagging. [Jackline Nasiwa, Executive Director of the Center for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice (CIGPJ)] noted that although the 2018 peace agreement remains the foundation of stability, its implementation has been “fragile and sluggish”, undermined by recurring conflict, political deadlock, and limited progress on key reforms. Radio Tamazuj
Mozambique Grants 30-year Concession to State Firms for LNG Facilities, Pipeline
Mozambique has granted its top state-owned companies, including national oil firm ENH, a 30-year concession to build and operate natural gas facilities at the Port of Beira and the smaller Inhassoro site, the government said on Monday. Efforts by the Southern African country to develop its oil and gas reserves have been hampered by an ongoing Islamist-linked insurgency in the north of the country that has delayed TotalEnergies’ LNG plant, despite some improvements in security. The concession will be managed through a special-purpose vehicle formed by ENH, ports and railways company CFM, electricity company EDM and Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric (HCB), alongside technical and financial partners selected by government. The exclusive deal covers a liquefied natural gas terminal, storage facilities and the 865-kilometre (537.5 mile) Rompco pipeline linking Mozambique’s gas fields to South Africa. The government approved the concession last week as efforts by TotalEnergies and Exxon Mobil push ahead with their own LNG projects. Reuters