Jihadist Attack near Lake Chad Leaves 40 Dead, President Orders Retaliation
According to the government and local sources, an attack by the jihadist group Boko Haram on the Chadian army killed around 40 people overnight Sunday near the Nigerian border…President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno visited the scene early on Monday – a garrison housing more than 200 soldiers – and launched an operation “to go after the attackers and track them down in their furthest hideouts”, [a statement from the presidency said]. The attack reportedly struck at 10:00 pm local time, when Boko Haram members took control of the garrison, seized weapons, burnt vehicles equipped with heavy arms, and left…A vast expanse of water and swamps, Lake Chad’s countless islets serve as hideouts for jihadist groups, such as Boko Haram and its offshoot Islamic State in West Africa, who make regular attacks on the countries’ army and civilians. RFI
Guinea Authorities Dissolve Dozens of Political Parties with No Election Date Set
Guinea authorities dissolved dozens of political parties and placed two major opposition ones under observation late Monday, while the transitional government has yet to announce a date for elections. The West African country has been led by a military regime since soldiers ousted President Alpha Conde in 2021…The mass dissolution of 53 political parties and required observation of 54 others for three months is unprecedented in Guinea, which held its first democratic election in 2010 after decades of authoritarian rule. AP
Sudan: Women’s Group Warns of Genocide in Central Region
A regional women’s rights group has warned of a genocide unfolding in central Sudan, where it says the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have killed more than 1,000 civilians in recent weeks. The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) said the violence began after an RSF commander defected to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on October 20. In apparent retaliation, the RSF has been targeting civilians in Al Jazirah state, once a major agricultural centre…The group cited eyewitness accounts and social media videos showing RSF fighters killing civilians, raping women, and looting villages. In one incident on October 21, RSF fighters allegedly killed 120 Hausa fishermen and farmers in Om-Shuka town. SIHA said it had documented 25 cases of sexual violence between October 21 and October 24 and that the RSF had abducted female nurses from a hospital in Rufaa town. Sudan Tribune
Abyei Demands Self-rule as Sudan Conflict Stalls Referendum
Leaders of the Dinka Ngok in Abyei are demanding self-governance as the ongoing conflict in Sudan dashes hopes for a referendum to determine the disputed region’s future. In a memorandum to the UN peacekeeping force in Abyei (UNISFA), the Dinka Ngok, who are the main inhabitants of the region, called for international support for self-rule during an interim period until Sudan and South Sudan can agree on Abyei’s final status. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement granted Abyei special status and promised a referendum to decide whether it would join Sudan or South Sudan. However, the vote has been repeatedly delayed due to disagreements over voter eligibility, primarily the participation of the nomadic Misseriya tribe…With Sudan engulfed in conflict and South Sudan hesitant to act unilaterally, the Dinka Ngok see little chance of a resolution in the near future. They warn that Abyei, already “ravaged by decades of violence,” risks becoming a battleground. Sudan Tribune
Russian Tensions Expose Faultlines in South Africa’s Unity Government
South Africa’s grand coalition government, which has surprised sceptics by holding together, is battling to contain a foreign policy stand-off between the two largest parties. In the past week, clashes over the three most contentious foreign policy issues — Russia, China and Israel — have exposed deep ideological rifts between the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance and deepened fears that the coalition of 10 parties may not survive a full five-year term…While [Emma Powell, the DA’s spokesperson on international relations] said it would be “foolish” to pull out of the government based on this foreign policy disagreement, she said Ramaphosa did not appreciate that his party had lost its outright majority. The ANC was compelled to form a coalition after its share of the vote fell to just 40.2 per cent in the May election. “Ramaphosa doesn’t have autonomy any longer to make policy pronouncements on behalf of the government without getting consensus from his partners,” she said. Financial Times
US Warns of Visa Restrictions for People Who Undermine Ghana’s Democracy
The U.S. State Department warned Monday that it would restrict U.S. visas for people who undermine Ghana’s democracy, ahead of the West African country’s general election in December. Ghana has held peaceful, free, fair and transparent elections for nearly two decades. The presidential and parliamentary elections will be held concurrently on Dec. 7. It will be the ninth consecutive general election since the country’s return to multi-party democracy in 1992…Last year, the U.S. State Department announced a similar policy of visa restrictions ahead of the Nigerian general election, restricting entry to people “believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Nigeria.” AP
Senegal’s Leader Calls for ‘restraint’ Ahead of November Legislative Polls
Speaking to journalists at the Palace of the Republic ahead of the launch of electoral campaigns, Faye said: “I invite all Senegalese people, and in particular political players from all sides, to avoid any excesses in their speeches and actions”…The people of Senegal will elect a new parliament on 17 November, just eight months after the presidential election in which Faye won the first round with 54 percent of the vote. Campaigning got underway on Sunday. Faye, elected on the promise of a break with the past, social justice and the fight against corruption, and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, have been battling for months with a hostile parliamentary majority following legislative elections in 2022. In order to secure a new majority, Faye dissolved the national assembly in September – as soon as the constitution allowed him to do so – paving the way for early elections. RFI
Boat Carrying Egyptian Migrants to Europe Capsizes off Libyan Coast, Killing 12
A boat carrying 13 Egyptian migrants to Europe has capsized off Libya’s coast, killing all on board except for one person, local authorities and a Libyan group said Tuesday. Al-Abreen, a group that provides humanitarian assistance to migrants in Libya, said on Facebook that the boat capsized 60 kilometers (37 miles) east of the city of Tobruk on Monday evening. One migrant survived, according to the group, which said the bodies were recovered and brought to shore…Human traffickers have long taken advantage of instability in Libya that escalated after a NATO-backed uprising overthrew and killed longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. AP
Nigeria’s Malnutrition Crisis Reveals the Extent of Its Healthcare Collapse
The spike in malnutrition in [northern Nigeria] is driven by the cost of living crisis, but also insecurity. In the northeast, food production has been dampened by a still-active jihadist insurgency. Formerly displaced households – cut off from aid and sent home by the state government – are too scared to cultivate beyond a narrow perimeter around garrison towns. In large swathes of northwestern Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina states, criminal gangs, commonly referred to as “bandits”, extort farmers or drive them off their land, and close roads and markets at will. They have also torched clinics and targeted medical staff, and as a result, only an estimated 200 out of 700 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in hardest-hit Zamfara remain open. The New Humanitarian
Senior Malawi Politician Accused of Plotting to Kill President
A leading member of Malawi’s opposition has been charged with plotting to kill the country’s President, Lazarus Chakwera. Patricia Kaliati, secretary general of the UTM party, was arrested last week on suspicion of “conspiring with others to commit a serious offence”. Appearing on Monday at a court in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, the 57-year-old did not speak. But her lawyer argued that the politician maintained her innocence, local media reports. Few details of the alleged plot have been shared and various opposition figures claim the charges against Kaliati are politically motivated…Her party, the UTM, was part of the county’s government until June when it withdrew following the death of its leader, Saulos Chilima, who was serving as vice-president. BBC
Tanzanian Court Upholds Mandate of President’S Office to Run Civic Polls
A Tanzanian High Court on Monday dismissed a petition by three citizens challenging the government’s supervision of this year’s local government elections instead of the electoral commission. High Court judge David Ngunyale sitting in Dar es Salaam said another law was required to shift the oversight role of the civic polls from the Ministry of Regional Administration and Local Governments (Tamisemi) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec). Justice Ngunyale added that the absence of that separate legislation supporting the main law establishing Inec, which was endorsed by parliament in February this year, meant that Tamisemi still held the mandate to supervise the election as in the previous ones…The petitioners Bob Chacha Wangwe, Bubelwa Kaiza and Dr Ananilea Nkya had argued that nowhere in the new law is it stated that in the event of the supporting law being pending, Tamisemi would supervise the polls. Justice Ngunyale asserted that Tamisemi would remain in charge until parliament passes the other law. The EastAfrican
France’s Macron, Moroccan King Cement Reconciliation with Business Deals
Morocco agreed to buy high-speed trains from French company Alstom on Monday, one of a series of business deals signed during President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the kingdom as the two countries turn the page on years of diplomatic tensions…France was rewarded with a deal between Morocco’s rail operator ONCF and France’s Alstom to acquire 12 high-speed carriages and an option for a further six as Morocco seeks to expand an existing line farther south to Marrakech by 2030. French energy firms Engie and EDF also signed deals to expand in the renewable energy sector, while TotalEnergies signed a deal on hydrogen, although no amount was immediately disclosed. Shipping company CMA CGM also announced investments in a Moroccan port terminal. Reuters