Military Juntas in Africa’s ‘Coup Belt’ Fail to Contain Extremist Violence
Military juntas in the Sahel have failed to contain a surge in jihadi violence, with fatalities rising in the years since they took over pledging to bring security to a region that became known as Africa’s “coup belt”…Fatalities across the three countries reached a record 7,620 deaths in the first half of this year, according to Acled, a non-profit tracking global conflict, up 190 per cent from the same time in 2021. The figure for the full year could well surpass last year’s total of nearly 14,000…Nowhere is the failure to keep their citizens safe more evident than in Burkina Faso, where the government controls less than half of its territory and nearly 10 per cent of the 20mn population has been displaced. Financial Times
At Least 6 Mercenaries with Russia’s Wagner Group Killed in an Extremist Attack in Mali
At least six Russian mercenaries were killed in an attack by [JNIM] in central Mali, according to a statement by the extremists on its media platform…JNIM said it ambushed a convoy of mercenaries working for the Wagner Group on Thursday in the Mopti region, killing fighters and burning vehicles…Russia has capitalized on deteriorating relations between the West and coup-affected Sahel nations in West Africa to send fighters and assert its influence. Wagner has been active in the Sahel, the vast expanse south of the Sahara Desert, with the mercenaries profiting from seized mineral riches in exchange for their security services. AP
EU Recalls Envoy to Junta-run Niger
The European Union said on Saturday, November 23, it had recalled its envoy from Niger because the ruling junta had questioned the way the bloc delivered aid to the West African country…Niger had on Friday accused the EU ambassador of distributing €1.3 million in humanitarian aid to non-governmental organizations in the country without first informing the authorities. It has asked for an audit of the way the funds were managed. Since taking power in a coup in July 2023, the Sahel nation’s military rulers have turned their backs on former colonial ruler France and have grown increasingly frosty towards the European Union. Le Monde with AFP
COP29: Nigeria, Others Criticise $300 Billion Climate Finance Deal
The 29th edition of the UN global climate summit finally ended in the early hours of Sunday in Baku, Azerbaijan, after all parties agreed to a deal…[T]he final deal includes a fresh pledge by wealthy nations to provide $300 billion annually to poorer countries to help them address climate change challenges…Nigeria, a member of the least developing countries (LDCs) group, said the deal fell short of meeting the ambitious and much-needed annual climate finance commitment expected from richer nations responsible for the most damage to the climate…LDCs had proposed an annual payout of $1.3 trillion – mostly in grants and not loans — to help them cope with the impact of climate change in their communities, but their expectations were dashed as developed countries showed no interest in committing that much to their cause. Premium Times
Namibia to Vote in Toughest Election yet for Ruling Party
Namibians will vote on Wednesday in what is expected to be the most competitive election yet for the ruling SWAPO party, which has governed the southern African nation for 34 years. If SWAPO candidate Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah wins, she will become the country’s first female president. A SWAPO loss would mean the first transition of power to a new party since Namibia gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. High unemployment, corruption allegations and inequality have eroded SWAPO’s support, which fell to 56% in the 2019 presidential election from 87% in 2014. There are no reliable polls on how it might fare this time. Reuters
Mozambique Presidential Runner-up Lays Out Conditions for Talks
Mozambique’s presidential election runner-up, Venancio Mondlane, has placed conditions on his participation in a meeting with the country’s president to end weeks of political unrest over disputed elections. Mondlane delivered his proposal along with a proposed agenda and wants to meet Tuesday with President Filipe Nyusi and the three other presidential candidates. Among his demands, Mondlane requests that the legal proceedings against him be dropped and that his participation be virtual. He also wants the release of all those arrested as part of the violent protests that he called for and “guarantees of political and legal security for the actors and players in the dialogue.” VOA
Mauritius Prime Minister Says He Has Taken up Finance Minister Post Too
The prime minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, who was sworn in this month after a landslide election victory, said on Friday he will keep the post of finance minister for himself to help keep the economy under close watch…The veteran politician returned to the prime minister’s office a decade after he last left power, following the landslide that gave his Alliance du Changement coalition 60 of the 62 national assembly seats. Ramgoolam, 77, said earlier this week he planned to audit public finances. He previously served as prime minister from 1995-2000 and 2005-2014. In 2006, Ramgoolam launched a programme to cut bureaucracy and simplify taxes in order to diversify the $10 billion economy from tourism, textiles and sugar exports. Reuters
UN Body Tells African Union to Support South Sudan Justice Processes
The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has called on the African Union (AU) and the international community to intensify their support for the peace process and a holistic transitional justice to ensure sustainable peace…Commissioner Barney Afako led a mission from November 18–22 to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, which hosts the headquarters of the AU. The Commission’s delegation met with the AU ad hoc Committee on South Sudan (C5 group), AU Commission focal points on legal matters, conflict prevention, governance, human rights, and transitional justice, as well as the AU Peace and Security Council. They also engaged with civil society representatives and diplomats. Radio Tamazuj
Famine-hit Sudan Camp Gets First Aid Convoy in Months
A famine-stricken camp housing about 500,000 displaced people in Sudan has received its first convoy of aid in months. The United Nations’ trucks arrived in Zamzam – which houses masses forced to flee during Sudan’s 18-month civil war – on Friday. The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said food deliveries had been held up for months by fierce fighting in the nearby Darfur city of el-Fasher, as well as the “impassable” roads brought on by the rainy season…El-Fasher is the only city still under military control in the western region of Darfur. In August, an independent group of food security experts determined that the war had pushed Zamzam into famine. BBC
Sudan in Danger of Becoming a Failed State, Aid Chief Warns
War-stricken Sudan is in danger of becoming another failed state because civil society is disintegrating amid a proliferation of armed groups, the head of a leading international aid agency has told the BBC. As well as the two main warring parties in Sudan – the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces – there are many smaller “ethnic armies” looting and going “berserk” on civilians, Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said. “The parties are tearing down their own houses, they are massacring their own people,” he said…”All that I saw confirms that this is indeed the biggest humanitarian emergency on our watch, the biggest hunger crisis, the biggest displacement crisis,” Mr Egeland said, following a trip to Sudan. BBC
South Africa’s A.N.C. Rejects Jacob Zuma’s Appeal Against His Expulsion
South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress, affirmed its decision to expel its former leader Jacob Zuma on Friday, rejecting his efforts to remain in the party. The party, which has ruled South Africa since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, expelled Mr. Zuma in July, casting him as a traitor after he had formed a rival political organization in a bid to challenge the A.N.C.’s dominance. In the run-up to a crucial election in May, Mr. Zuma led and campaigned for the fledgling party even as he remained a card-carrying member of the A.N.C. Mr. Zuma refused to give up his A.N.C. membership and appealed his expulsion last month. The New York Times
Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Found Guilty of Attending ‘Unlawful Gathering’
A Zimbabwe court has convicted an opposition leader and 34 activists on charges of participating in an unlawful gathering, more than five months after they were taken into pre-trial detention. Jameson Timba, interim leader of a faction of the splintered Citizens Coalition for Change opposition party, and the activists face up to five years in prison or a fine. Sentencing is set for next week, Webster Jiti, one of the defence lawyers, said. The court on Friday acquitted 30 others who had been detained with Timba. Police arrested the activists on June 16 at Timba’s residence in the capital, Harare, and charged them with disorderly conduct and participating in a gathering with the intent to promote violence, breaches of peace or bigotry. The court in September acquitted them of the disorderly conduct charges. Al Jazeera