European Union Observers Flag Irregularities and ‘Alteration of Results’ in Mozambique Election
European Union election observers have flagged irregularities in Mozambique’s election as the country awaits the announcement of official results this week amid protests by opposition supporters and the recent killing of two prominent opposition figures. The EU observer mission said Tuesday that some of its 179 election observers deployed to the country had been prevented from observing tabulation processes in some districts, provinces and at national level. The mission also noted “unjustified alteration” of election results at some polling stations…The election results are expected to be announced this week before being validated by the country’s Constitutional Council, which will validate them after handling all the disputes raised by political parties. AP
Why Is Hungary’s Orban Sending Soldiers to Chad?
In the past year alone, Hungary has opened a diplomatic mission in the Sahelian nation, launched a humanitarian centre and promised $200m in aid. It also plans to send soldiers to help Chad fight armed groups…Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stressed the need for Europe to befriend countries in the Sahel, where, he said, a toxic mix of armed groups and military governments is fuelling migration…Some analysts said Orban might also be angling to join an ongoing power game in Africa that is seeing big powers like Russia, China, the United States, India and the EU jostle for influence. The continent’s vast natural resources, growing population and collective weight at the United Nations General Assembly make it attractive. Al Jazeera
Human Rights Watch Criticizes Burkina Faso for Omitting Abuses in State Report
Human Rights Watch is calling out the government of Burkina Faso for failing to include human rights violations taking place in the country in a report to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. Burkinabe authorities, security forces and terror groups are all accused of widespread abuses against civilians and restrictions on people’s rights and freedoms. The commission requires member states to report on the human rights situation in their countries and the measures taken by the authorities to address the abuses. The last report covers 2015 to 2021 and was reviewed Wednesday. Allan Ngari, HRW’s Africa advocacy director, said Burkina Faso’s reporting does not cover more recent abuses in the country [including] arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, torture, and interference with the judiciary and media. VOA
Civilian Volunteers Helping Nigerian Forces Fight Insurgents. But how Do They Operate?
About 55,000 civilian volunteers participate in the fight against insurgency in Borno State. These volunteers are in possession of roughly 25,000 firearms, according to recent research, which raises concerns about mechanisms to keep the weapons safe against internal or external threats in line with relevant regional and international conventions…In the research supported by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), Eric Berman, the director of Safeguarding Security Sector Stockpiles (S4), identified the Borno State Hunters Association, the Civilian Joint Task Force, the Kesh Kesh vigilante group and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria as the four major Volunteer Security Outfits (VSOs) operating [mainly] in Borno and other northeastern states…[T]he research author noted that armed VSOs are becoming increasingly prevalent in Nigeria…This raises questions about their appropriate roles, how to prevent politicisation, protect them from retaliation, and reduce the need for their services through improved security sector performance. Premium Times
Nigeria’s President Reshuffles His Cabinet during the Worst Cost-of-living Crisis in a Generation
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has fired five ministers and appointed seven new ones in a major cabinet reshuffle aimed at making his administration more efficient, his office said Wednesday. The shake-up comes during worsening economic hardship and frustration with the administration in Africa’s most populous country. Tinubu appointed new ministers for humanitarian and poverty reduction, trade and investment, labor and livestock development along with junior ministers for foreign affairs, education and housing, the statement said. The ministers for education, tourism, women’s affairs and youth development and the junior minister for housing were fired. Tinubu took office last year and introduced reforms meant to cut government spending and shore up dwindling foreign investments. But more than a year later, Nigeria’s inflation rate is at a 28-year high and the naira currency is at record lows against the dollar. AP
Somalia Security Cameras Aim to Cut Al Shabaab Attacks but Militants Fight Back
Thousands of security cameras have been installed across Somalia’s capital to monitor the movement of al Shabaab militants and reassure residents, but they have also made business owners fearful of reprisal attacks…The aim is to stave off the bombings and shootings that have plagued the capital in Islamist al Shabaab’s nearly two decade-long fight to overthrow the government. But in a city where militants have eyes and ears everywhere, some businesses who have installed cameras have themselves come under attack…Several businessmen told Reuters that al Shabaab had ordered them to take down the cameras, but government officials have warned they could face consequences for doing so. Reuters
Gabon to Vote on Constitution that Would Let Military Leader Run for President
[Gabon’s] military rulers this week announced that a referendum on a new constitution will be held November 16. The new charter would remove the post of prime minister, a move that critics say gives too much power to the president. The opposition is also unhappy that military leader General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema would be allowed to run for president if the new constitution is approved…The proposed charter establishes August 30 as a Day of National Liberation to mark the bloodless coup in which Ngeuma seized power from President Ali Bongo last year…The constitution would abolish the post of prime minister and create the post of vice president. Presidents would be directly elected by the people and limited to two seven-year terms…Government officials said copies of the draft constitution have been distributed on social media platforms. However, an estimated 30% of the central African state’s civilians do not have internet access. VOA
DRC: Why This Country Is Seeing a ‘staggering’ Increase in the Number of Rapes
Vast reserves of copper and cobalt [in DRC] help fuel today’s electronics, but the mines also fuel a bloody conflict that’s been going on for decades. Sexual assault has long been an issue in this war, but two new reports show there’s been a massive increase in the number of victims…Paul Nantulya is with the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. He says all the armed groups are acting like thugs and know there are few – if any – consequences. “Therefore, it should not surprise anybody that those forces will use rape as a weapon of war.” Last year, the DRC government told United Nations peacekeepers to leave the country. Since then, Nantulya says, the number of sexual assaults has spiked. “The upsurge that you’ve seen in this past year alone is directly attributed to the vacuum that has been created by the forced withdrawal of these peacekeepers.” NPR
Zimbabwe’s Gold-backed Currency Loses Half Its Value: Why and What’s Next?
In April, Zimbabwe’s central bank launched the ZiG, or Zimbabwe Gold, which was hyped as a stabiliser amid the country’s long-running currency and economic crisis…But in late September, authorities slashed the value of the new gold-backed currency by more than 40 percent…As the ZiG continues to slide rapidly on the unofficial market, some people…are increasingly exchanging the currency for the US dollar, pressuring the local currency even more…Some experts said the devaluation was not necessarily a poor move but the government’s task now is to use the currency frequently enough that businesses and individuals start to have confidence in it – for example, by charging more taxes in ZiG. Al Jazeera
Commonwealth Nations to Discuss Slavery Reparations, Climate Change
King Charles, the head of the [Commonwealth], is among the representatives of 56 countries, most with roots in Britain’s empire, who are attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) that began on Monday [in Samoa]…[O]n the agenda is a push for Britain to pay reparations or make other amends for transatlantic slavery, a long-standing demand that has recently gained momentum worldwide, particularly among the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the African Union. On Monday, [UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer] said Britain would not bring the issue of reparations for slavery to the table at the summit and would not apologise, but was open to engage with leaders who want to discuss it…Opponents of reparations payments say countries should not be held responsible for historical wrongs, while those in favour say the legacy of slavery has led to vast and persistent racial inequality today. Reuters
Tanzania: All aboard the Sparkling Railway Breaking New Ground for East Africa
Shaped and coloured like the country’s rare gemstone, tanzanite, the sparkling new railway terminal in Dar es Salaam is a symbol of Tanzania’s transport ambitions…The trains – powered by electricity, a first for the region – carry passengers from the commercial hub to the capital, Dodoma, in less than four hours, half the time it takes by road. It marks the starting point of one of the country’s strategic projects – the building of a 2,560km (1,590-mile) Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) envisaged to connect key cities and link up with neighbours Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo…From the initial groundbreaking in 2017, the first section had been scheduled for completion in 2019. But it faced lengthy delays which the railway company attributes to Covid and construction costs as well as labour issues. There have also been questions about its huge cost, estimated at $10bn (£8bn) upon completion. BBC