Africa Media Review for October 25, 2024

Mozambique’s Ruling Party Wins a Dodgy Election
To nobody’s surprise, the official results of [Mozambique’s] election, published on October 24th, showed a big majority for Frelimo, the ruling party, and Daniel Chapo, its presidential candidate. Few think the numbers are credible. In some provinces the electoral commission registered more voters than there are adults. An EU observer mission found that results from some polling districts were altered. Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique since independence in 1975, has used state resources to tilt the playing field ever since it first allowed elections in 1994. The Economist

Congo President Tshisekedi Draws Criticism over Constitutional Reform Plans
Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has announced plans to establish a commission to explore revisions to the country’s constitution, potentially removing term limits and paving the way for his pursuit of a third term…Tshisekedi was sworn into office in January after a contested re-election in December for a second and final term. On Wednesday he set out plans to look at revising the constitution, saying the current constitution, ratified by a referendum in 2005, does not align with the country’s current realities…Opposition political leaders in Congo see Tshisekedi’s move as a strategy to prolong his tenure, mirroring similar actions taken in other African countries like Guinea under former president Alpha Conde and Cameroon under President Paul Biya. Reuters

Sudan: RSF Kill 49 in Retaliatory Attack on East Al Jazirah Villages
At least 49 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a retaliatory attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on villages in East Al Jazirah, central Sudan. The attack, which targeted civilians, has triggered a humanitarian crisis and fueled further displacement. The RSF launched the assault on Thursday, targeting Zurqa, a village 10 km east of Tambul, where they killed eight people. The death toll in Safita al-Ghunomab has climbed to 14, with another 13 people, including a woman, killed in Maknun. Two citizens were killed in the village of Deim Elias, and 12 more lost their lives in Tambul…These attacks are believed to be a retaliation for the defection of a prominent RSF commander, Abu Aqla Kikal, who joined the Sudanese army last Sunday. Sudan Tribune

Sudan: Plane Downed in Darfur with Suspected Russian Crew Was Supplying Army, Rivals Say
A plane downed in Sudan’s North Darfur state had Russian crew members and was being used by the army to resupply the besieged city of al-Fashir, according to the opposing faction and documents it said were found in the wreckage…Flight tracking data and information from social media accounts that have not been previously reported suggest the transport plane switched months ago from supplying the RSF to the army. A Reuters analysis of the documents, footage and social media indicate at least one of the Russian crew had a past in arms trafficking…Reuters identified at least two Russians thought to have been on board the plane by matching footage shared by the RSF of their IDs with social media profiles. Reuters used public databases of leaked personal data, facial recognition searches, and access to an official Russian database to confirm the identity of the suspected crew members. Reuters

South Africa’s Coalition Dissents Over Russia Ties
South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA), a former opposition party now in government, on Wednesday rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa comments about Russia being a “valued ally”. Ramaphosa was in Russia this week for the BRICS summit in Kazan and met with President Vladimir Putin who he called a “friend” — words that the DA rejected. “The Democratic Alliance does not consider Russia, or Vladimir Putin, to be an ally of our Nation,” party leader John Steenhuisen said in a statement…”We cannot and will not agree that South Africa should consider an authoritarian regime, that is currently violating international law by waging an imperialist war of aggression against a sovereign state, as an ally,” he said. AFP

West African Social Media Fizzes With Pro-BRICS Content
West African social media is abuzz with posts promoting a “brighter future” in partnership with non-Western powers, especially those belonging to the BRICS emerging economies meeting this week in Russia. Talk of a “new world order” or “multipolar world” is regular fare on dozens of Facebook pages analysed by AFP across Sahel countries in west Africa — most spreading pro-Russian and some pro-Chinese content…Most pages are run by people in Niger, Burkina Faso or Mali…”Criticising forms of dependency imposed by the ‘West’ and promoting a ‘new world order’ through organisations like BRICS and the G20 — of which Russia wants to be the spokesman — is part of a genuine strategy to woo the global South,” [Maxime Audinet, a researcher at the French Defence Ministry’s IRSEM think-tank] told AFP. AFP

Nigeria: Militants Break Peace Accord With Local Communities in North West Nigeria
Militants have violated the peace accord with seven communities in Zamfara state, North West Nigeria. Barely a year after brokering peace with community heads, an armed group led by one Dankali stormed Yarmatankari community in Zamfara around 8:00 a.m. on October 22. They fired indiscriminately at residents and ransacked homes. “The peace negotiation deal has expired,” he shouted in Hausa during the raid, locals told HumAngle. “No more peace for you! Everyone should vacate this place!”…Despite the fear, dozens of youths have vowed to fight to protect communities and farming lands from attacks. Aminu Leda, identified as the chairman of the community guards, said: “We are ready for them, the terrorists. We are fed up with their heinous attacks and levy, which we realise cannot buy us peace.” “All we are pleading to the governments at all levels is to give us the armed soldiers and the community protection guards to work together, confront the criminals and hunt them down to the earth. We know the terrain and their (terrorists) locations across all hideouts,” he added. HumAngle

Ugandan Court Sentences Rebel Commander to 40 Years for War Crimes
A Ugandan court on Friday sentenced Thomas Kwoyelo, a mid-level commander in the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel group, to 40 years in prison for war crimes. Kwoyelo was found guilty of dozens of war crimes that included murder, rape, enslavement, torture and kidnap in August, the first time a senior member of the group had been tried by Uganda’s judiciary. Founded in the late 1980s with the aim of overthrowing the government, the LRA brutalised Ugandans under the leadership of Joseph Kony for nearly 20 years as it battled the military from bases in northern Uganda. Reuters

Turkey to Seek Improved Africa Cooperation in Djibouti Talks, Officials Say
Turkey’s foreign minister will travel to Djibouti next week to attend a Turkey-Africa ministerial meeting and discuss improving cooperation between Ankara and the continent, officials from his ministry said. NATO member Turkey has ramped up its presence and influence in Africa in recent years, increasing trade nearly eight-fold, giving diplomatic and military support to some countries, and inking deals in various fields…The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Djibouti meeting would evaluate a previous conference held in 2021 and discuss possible moves to deepen cooperation. The meeting will be held on Nov. 2-3 and will be attended by representatives from 14 African countries, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the officials added…Turkey is competing with major powers like France, Russia and China for a foothold in Africa, forging partnerships with several nations and providing armed drones to Somalia, Ethiopia and others. Reuters

Critic of Tunisian President Jailed over ‘racist Country’ Comment, Lawyer Says
Sonia Dahmani, a prominent Tunisian lawyer and critic of President Kais Saied, was sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday on charges of insulting her country, her lawyer said. The conviction related to comments on local radio this year when she called Tunisia a racist country, lawyer Sami Ben Ghazi told Reuters. Her comments followed clashes between migrants and locals. Dahmani has been in prison since May and was sentenced in September to eight months in a separate case for saying Tunisia was not a good place to live. Reuters

Zambian President Fires 3 Constitutional Court Judges
Critics are accusing Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema of interference after he fired three constitutional court judges on Sunday over a 2016 ruling that favored a political opponent. Hichilema fired the judges on the recommendation of a judicial commission that enforces a code of conduct for judges. Hichilema alleged that the judges engaged in misconduct over a ruling they made when he was opposition leader in 2016. Back then, Hichilema had run for president but lost to a sworn rival, Edgar Lungu. Hichilema contested the outcome. Judges Mungeni Mulenga, Palan Musonda and Annie Sitali rejected the legal challenge. VOA

Gold Is Booming. So Is the Dirty Business of Digging It Up
Nearly half of the roughly 1,000 tonnes of gold produced in Africa every year is mined [through small-scale mining (ASM)]. It is the largest source of jobs in rural Africa, save for farming, so a sustained gold boom could mean higher incomes for some very poor people. At the same time it could damage ecosystems and people’s health…Gold also funds wars. Jihadists control mines across the Sahel. In eastern Congo gold is fought over by militias and exported via Uganda or Rwanda. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), one of two main belligerents in Sudan’s civil war, are partly funded by gold. Wagner, the Russian mercenary group that fought with the RSF, controls mines in the Central African Republic. The Economist