Somalia Says It Welcomes Egypt’s Offer to Deploy Peacekeepers There
Somalia says Egypt has offered to deploy peacekeeping troops to the Horn of Africa nation in a security partnership that is emerging as the mandate of a long-time group of African Union peacekeepers winds down. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Thursday attended a summit in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, where he and the leaders of Somalia and Eritrea pledged strong cooperation in regional security. Somali authorities said in a statement at the end of the summit that they welcomed Egypt’s offer to deploy troops in Somalia as part of a stabilization force when the present African Union force disbands in December. The statement said the leaders welcomed the African Union Peace and Security Council’s decision to launch the African Union Mission to Support Stabilization in Somalia, or AUSSOM, under whose mandate the Egyptians or others would be deployed. A separate statement following the summit signed by representatives of Somalia, Egypt and Eritrea asserted Somalia’s sovereign right to determine the composition, tasks and deployment timeline for the AUSSOM troops. … The summit in Asmara followed a period of tensions in the region stemming from disputes pitting Ethiopia against others. … Somalia has sought to block landlocked Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts to gain access to the Red Sea via a contentious agreement with Somaliland to lease a stretch of land along its coastline, where Ethiopia would establish a marine force base. In return, Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent country, according to Somaliland authorities. AP
Biden’s Angolan Trip Postponed but Focus Stays on Clampdown Against Dissent, Human Rights
US President Joe Biden may have postponed his scheduled visit to Angola, but the country is still feeling extra pressure related to detained critics of the government and human rights violations thanks to the attention of the White House. Civil society organisations saw Biden’s visit as an opportune time to raise their concerns about the government of President Joao Lourenço, and what one group called a “four-year crackdown on peaceful protests which has killed dozens of people, including children, and seen more than 100 arbitrarily arrested during demonstrations.” … “Angola has vast mineral deposits and is Africa’s third largest oil producer. But the country’s natural resource wealth has not translated to prosperity for most of its people, resulting in numerous peaceful protests against poverty, unemployment, inequality and high cost of living,” [Amnesty International] said in a statement. News24
Cameroon Bans Media Talk of 91-Year-Old President’s Health Amid Rumours
Cameroon’s government has banned the media from discussing the health of President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest-ruling leader, amid rumours the 91-year-old is gravely ill, according to a document obtained by AFP. Biya, the world’s oldest leader, has not made a public appearance since early September, fuelling a swirl of rumours online that the veteran president’s health is failing. “The head of state is the principal institution of the republic, and discussions on his condition are a matter of national security,” said the document addressed to regional governors, which was dated 9 October and signed by Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji. … It ordered regional governors to create “monitoring cells” charged with tracking content in private media, including social networks. … Biya has been Cameroon’s president for more than 41 years, second in Africa only to 82-year-old Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has held power in Equatorial Guinea for 45 years. Biya’s last public appearance was at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last month. He did not take part in the subsequent United Nations General Assembly opening in New York or a summit of French-speaking countries in Paris. AFP
Cameroonians Wait for News on President, Said to Be Alive in Geneva
Cameroon opposition and civil society groups say they are concerned about Biya’s absence and health, and ask government officials to present Biya to civilians instead of simply saying he is alive. With elections only a year away, some groups say it is time to begin thinking about a new, much younger candidate who could take the country forward. “We have had to make it clear to both national and international opinions that a number of opposition political parties are … consulting with regards to the happenings of Cameroon, and this rumor [about Biya’s death] is not an exception,” said Michael Ngwese Eke Ekosso, president of the opposition United Socialist Democratic Party. “Decisions will be arrived at with regards to the upcoming presidential elections.” … “Our profound reflection is that a non-renewable transition is essential,” [Akere Muna, an English-speaking anti-corruption lawyer and good governance crusader] said. “The vision we are proposing is to strengthen democracy and governance, adopt a new constitution that incarnates the present and future aspirations of the people of Cameroon, and promote free and fair elections.” VOA
Botswana: How Friends Became Foes in Africa’s Diamond State
In several interviews that Botswana’s former president [Ian Khama] has given since 2019, when he began to express dissatisfaction with his hand-picked successor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, he has talked about him in damning terms. Masisi was “drunk on power”, Khama told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme five years ago. Since then the 71-year-old has gone into exile, spoken about a plot to poison him and been charged in Botswana with several crimes including money laundering and owning illegal firearms. Having previously dismissed the charges as being “fabricated,” last month he returned home and appeared in court for an initial hearing. The tension between Khama and Masisi is likely to colour the diamond-rich country’s imminent general election – just three weeks away – as the former president is actively campaigning for an opposition party. BBC
After a 2-Year Investigation, South African President Won’t Be Charged Over $580k Hidden in a Couch
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa won’t face criminal charges over a hidden cash scandal that was revealed more than two years ago and led to an investigation by a special police unit, prosecutors said Thursday. A former national security chief laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa in June 2022, accusing him of kidnapping, bribery and other crimes in relation to the theft of $580,000 in U.S. banknotes that was stashed in a couch at the president’s ranch. … The theft happened at Ramaphosa’s game farm in rural northern South Africa in early 2020… It forced Ramaphosa to admit the theft took place and threw his presidency into turmoil ahead of a crucial party leadership vote. He survived the scandal and was reelected as South African leader this June, while the criminal investigation had been ongoing. Ramaphosa, 71, was also accused of money laundering, tax evasion and breaching foreign currency laws over the cash. AP
‘I Can’t Survive’: Malawians Hit Hard by South Africa’s Crackdown on Illegal Migration
Collins Kamoto was heading out for a drink with a friend on a Sunday evening in May in the small gold mining town of Nigel, south-east of Johannesburg, when they were stopped by the police and arrested. A month later, the 46-year-old, who had been in South Africa since March 2023, was charged with not having proper documentation. Then in September, after four months in jail, he was deported back to Malawi, part of what many of his compatriots believe is a renewed crackdown by South African authorities on immigrants working there illegally. … There are about 2.4 million foreign-born people in South Africa out of a population of 62 million, according to the 2022 census, which aimed to count people regardless of immigration status. Almost half are Zimbabweans, followed by people from Mozambique and Lesotho, with just under 200,000 Malawians. … South African police have been mounting roadblocks and searching shacks and blocks of flats where they suspect illegal immigrants are living, something that did not used to happen, said a Malawian in his 30s, who had been deported several times and did not want to be named. Guardian
A Ghanaian App Hints at the Potential and Problems of Africa’s Diaspora
Somafour (“One who is sent” in Akan, a language spoken by most Ghanaians) is an app that connects Ghanaians in the diaspora with those in Ghana who can run errands on their behalf. Mr Vanlare’s startup is unlikely to attract the attention of venture capitalists in the near future. But its very existence reflects the growing number of Africans living overseas and their economic importance to the continent. It also offers a lesson in the role of trust in getting things done. … In 2023 the $4.6bn in remittances to Ghana was more than the country received in aid and FDI combined. In addition, hard currency goes a lot further these days. The Ghanaian cedi has lost about two-thirds of its value against the US dollar in the past five years. This has encouraged some in the diaspora to buy land while their dollars are worth more. One Somafour agent says he was asked to visit the land a customer had bought to check the quality of the plot. Dealing with bureaucrats at the land register office can also be part of the job. Other errands can be more personal, such as taking elderly relatives to the doctor or delivering drinking water to clients’ parents. Economist
The Digital Black Market: Nigeria’s Illicit Lithium Trade Uncovered
Within three weeks this year, Oganyi Franklin made at least N7.6 million from selling illegally sourced lithium, a critical mineral needed for renewable energy transition. He often markets the materials on social media, such as Facebook and TikTok. … Premium Times profiled over 20 social media handles marketing mineral resources mainly illegally sourced. These social media handlers are members of the supply-and-demand Facebook groups such as Lithium Ore Nigeria Supply and Lithium Mining And All mineral resources in Nigeria. They often post their products, inviting interested buyers to chat with them via WhatsApp. … Among those who posted online seeking to purchase lithium were Facebook users who claimed or appeared to be Chinese and Taiwanese. Premium Times profiled at least four of them, but none responded to our request for comments. I’m a buyer from China,” 元歌 — Yuan Ge — announced in a Facebook group on 7 February 2023. “I need spodumene and lepidolite… Please contact me if you have the right supply.” … When contacted, Segun Tomori, the media aide to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the ministry is aware that the country’s resources are being plundered, but not aware of the new pattern of marketing them online. Premium Times
Kenya Court Refers Deputy President’s Impeachment Case to Chief Justice
Kenya’s high court ruled on Friday that a case challenging Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s impeachment should be referred to the Chief Justice. Kenya’s parliament voted on Tuesday to impeach Gachagua on 11 charges including enriching himself and stirring ethnic hatred. The deputy president denied all the allegations and said the case was absurd. The Senate will debate the charges and vote on whether to dismiss him next week. Justice Lawrence Mugambi called on the chief justice to create a panel of three judges to examine Gachagua’s petition, citing high public interest in the case. The deputy president’s rift with President William Ruto, whom he backed in a 2022 election, spilt into the open after deadly protests this year against proposed tax increases and the cost of living. … Gachagua outraged many in Ruto’s coalition for likening the government to a company and suggesting that those who voted for the coalition had first claim on public-sector jobs and development projects. Reuters
Kenya to Send More Police to Haiti After New Gang Attacks
Kenya will send 600 more police officers to Haiti next month to bolster an international anti-gang mission, President William Ruto said on Friday during a visit by the Haitian prime minister intended to speed up deployments to the force. At least 10 countries have promised to send a total of about 2,900 troops to participate in the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS). But only about 430 have deployed since the U.N.-authorised mission got under way in June, nearly 400 of them from Kenya. Heavily-armed gangs, which control most of the capital Port-au-Prince, have continued to gain territory. Last week, members of the Gran Grif gang carried out one of the country’s deadliest attacks in recent years, killing at least 115 people in a farming region, according to a local mayor. Ruto told reporters the mission was improving security in Haiti, calling the fight against gangs “the battle that we can win”. He said the additional 600 officers committed by Kenya were in training and would be ready for duty next month. Reuters
Maimouna Ba Awarded 2024 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award for Africa
Maimouna Ba, a tireless advocate for forcibly displaced women and children in Burkina Faso, has been named the 2024 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award’s Regional Winner for Africa. The Nansen Refugee Award recognizes individuals and organizations that have shown outstanding dedication in protecting refugees, forcibly displaced, and stateless people. Maimouna’s work, which has empowered over 400 forcibly displaced women to achieve financial independence and enabled more than 100 forcibly displaced children to return to school, exemplifies resilience and hope in the face of the Sahel region’s humanitarian crisis. The Central Sahel hosts over 3.4 million forcibly displaced people, including 567,000 refugees and asylum-seekers and 2.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Maimouna’s work addresses their critical needs, offering both educational opportunities and economic empowerment to those most affected by the ongoing crisis. UN News