China’s “Military Political Work” and Professional Military Education in Africa
The education of foreign officers—part of what China calls “military political work”—has emerged as a key area of Chinese engagement in Africa. “Military political work” (jundui zhengzhi gongzuo; 军队政治工作) describes all the activities of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to shape the civilian environment to achieve political, ideological, and military objectives set by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). These include political and ideological consciousness-raising across the force, public affairs and “United Front work” (to mobilize support from outside the party), and educational functions like professional military education (PME)…Between 2018 and 2021, roughly 2,000 African police and law enforcement personnel had trained at the People’s Armed Police (PAP) schools. Like the PLA, the PAP is run by the CCP’s Central Military Commission…The PLA adheres to the principle of absolute party control of the military, or “the party commands the gun” (dang zhihui qiang; 党指挥枪). The CCP itself admits that this is how it has retained power since 1949…During the democratic wave of the 1990s, African countries—including those that came from a liberation movement tradition where the party controls the military—adopted new models that removed militaries from party politics and transferred their allegiance to the constitution. Many ruling parties continue to find the party-army model attractive, however, especially those focused on regime survival. They will likely use their engagements with China to “re-learn” the techniques that have kept the CCP in power and enabled it to control the PLA—the world’s largest army—in ways that ensure their perpetual rule. The dangers of reinforcing this model are obvious, especially in light of the steady decline of democracy in Africa in the past decade, marked by fraudulent elections, manipulation of constitutions, and the return of coups and military takeovers. These events deplete trust between governments, militaries, and citizens—ultimately breeding instability. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Sudan War: Khartoum Shelling Continues, Nyala Faces Exodus, Lagawa Attacked by Rebels
The fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and its paramilitary counterpart, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), continued in the Sudanese capital this weekend. The South Darfur capital of Nyala witnessed a cautious calm since Saturday after the RSF took control of the city. In West Kordofan, the army is preparing to secure the eastern part of the state after an attack by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North under the leadership of Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N El Hilu) on Lagawa town…A medical source reported to Radio Dabanga yesterday that the South Darfur capital has been witnessing a cautious calm since Saturday after the RSF took control of the city on Thursday. The source, who works for the Department of Accidents, Surgery and Operations at the El Wehda Hospital in Nyala South, told Radio Dabanga that 15 people were killed and 156 others were injured by the SAF-RSF battles for Nyala between September 29 and October 28. The management of the hospital reported an acute shortage of life-saving medicines, intravenous means and other medical needs to save the lives of people hit by missiles or bullets, and appealed to “international and national relief organisations to provide medical assistance to hospitals operating in South Darfur.” Radio Dabanga
Sudan Groups Launch ‘Where Did You Take Them?’ Campaign against Forced Disappearances
Eight Sudanese civil society groups this weekend launched the campaign Where Did You Take Them? with the aim of highlighting the issue of the many missing people in the country. Lawyer Osman El Basri, member of the Sudanese Group for Victims of Enforced Disappearance Victims, told Radio Dabanga that officially 715 people have been recorded missing since the outbreak of the war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15. Several disappearances have not been registered by human rights groups yet, he said. “This is due to communication problems and pointed to testimonies from survivors about hundreds of people being held in numerous detention centres, including places where only women detainees are held.” Both the army, in particular Military Intelligence, and the RSF have been detaining young people whom they suspect of supporting their adversary in Khartoum and in other places in the country…He said that enforced disappearance is considered a crime against humanity under national and international laws, and Sudan’s obligations after signing and ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2021. The Sudanese Group for Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Missing People Initiative, the Democratic Front Lawyers, the [Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network], the No to Women’s Oppression Initiative, the Sudanese Journalists Network, the Sudanese Visual Artists Association, and the Sudanese Tweeters Platform initiated the campaign. Radio Dabanga
South Africa Calls for UN Force to Protect Gaza Civilians
South Africa on Monday called on the United Nations to send a rapid protection force to Gaza to protect civilians from further Israeli bombardments. “The numbers of non-combatants killed, especially the numbers of children killed, requires that the world to show that it is serious about global accountability,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. This as Israel continues to pound the Palestinian enclave with fierce air and artillery strikes, as troops backed by tanks expand its ground incursion. Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, after its deadly 7 October cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip in which some 1,400 civilians and soldiers died…There are increasing international calls for Palestinian civilians, caught between the warring sides, to be protected. South Africa has long been an advocate for peace in the region and has compared the plight of Palestinians to its own under apartheid. However, in calling for a protection force, it has gone further in its support than most nations, some of which have called for a ceasefire or the opening of a humanitarian corridors. Africanews with agencies
Iran Seeks Closer Strategic Ties with South Africa
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is visiting South Africa on Tuesday as Tehran seeks to deepen its partnerships across the African continent while it is under heavy US economic sanctions…Raisi visited Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe — which is also under US sanctions — in July, marking the first visit by an Iranian leader to the Africa continent in over a decade. In Kenya, he referred to Africa as a “continent of opportunities” — emphasizing its potential as a market for Iranian products. Raisi’s official visit to Pretoria comes just one week after South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor was in Tehran. The Iranian president was in South Africa in August this year for the South Africa-Iran Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC) held ahead of the BRICS summit in August. The BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — are set to welcome Iran and five other countries to the group in January 2024, a feat many analysts say South Africa was instrumental in realizing. Ties between the countries date to the apartheid era, when Iran supported South Africa’s liberation movements. Iran was one of the first countries to lift sanctions against South Africa after the country attained Black majority rule in 1994. The JCC was established in 1995, under which the two nations have signed several bilateral agreements in almost all key areas…Iranian exports to Africa in 2022 reached $1.28 billion (€1.2 billion), up from $579 million in 2020, according to the Middle East Institute. In 2023, Iran’s trade with African countries is expected to increase to more than $2 billion, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry. The growth in some targeted areas has been even greater, with Iran’s exports of technical and engineering services to Africa increasing by 700% in 2022. DW
UN Says Record 6.9 Million People Internally Displaced in the DR Congo
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday that the number of displaced people in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached a record high of 6.9 million. This latest increase comes following renewed conflict between Tutsi-led M23 rebels and militias loyal to the government in the eastern province of North Kivu in October…As the security situation continues to deteriorate, movements become more frequent and humanitarian needs soar. Nearly 200,000 people have fled their homes since the resumption of the fighting in the Rutshuru and Masisi regions, north of Goma, according to the UN humanitarian agency Ocha. The IOM said it urgently needs to deliver help to those most in need, describing the situation in the DRC as one of the largest internal displacement and humanitarian crises in the world…More than two-thirds of the displaced people in the DRC live with host families. The organisation said that on top of the large-scale humanitarian crisis in the east, other regions have experienced conflict, insecurity, and disasters such as floods and landslides. It is helping to manage 78 camps housing some 280,000 displaced people and is strengthening mental health services for people in psychological distress…The eastern part of the DRC has been plagued by violence from local and foreign armed groups for nearly 30 years. Africanews with agencies
DRC Ceasefire Breaches Raise Tension as AU Rethinks Peace Interventions
The African Union is rethinking future intervention missions in conflict zones as ceasefire breaches in the Democratic Republic Congo are forcing the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) into combat…This week, the continental bloc said its fourth phase of disarmament programmes in conflict zones will largely rely on local peace solutions backed by data…Only strategic and “in-demand” interventions in conflicts will be prioritised with regional economic blocs and national governments allowed the lead role…The AU says the new focus will be human rights and justice as well as conflict prevention through persuasion of armed groups to join dialogue, but decisions will be informed by local data and realities, suggesting a focus on research and community involvement. The announcement came as attacks on the EACRF, one of the AU-backed missions in the DR Congo, came under new pressure to raise its guard, potentially pushing it into the combat mode it has avoided all year long. This week, a Kenyan soldier in the mission reportedly died from shrapnel from a mortar fired as the Congolese army (FARDC) fought an M23 rebel detachment. This is the second time the EACRF have been attacked in an ambush blamed on rebels. Last week, the EACRF said it had successfully fought through an attack by an “unknown” armed group…After the 21st Extra-ordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the EAC in May, the regional force was directed to safeguard civilians, support return of Internally Displaced Persons to the areas vacated by armed groups and guard areas vacated by the M23 rebels in their containment plan. The attacks breach this, as well as the Luanda Process, in which M23 and the Congolese army committed to respecting the ceasefire. The East African
Nigeria: Navy Moves against Crude Oil Theft, Seizes Vessel
The Nigerian Navy has declared war against crude oil theft and insecurity on the Nigerian waterways. The joint sea exercise organised by the Central and Eastern Naval Commands around the Agbara Oil Field, with 10 Nigeria Navy warships, two helicopters and a detachment of Special Boat Services was concluded at the weekend. Addressing newsmen shortly after the exercise, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command (CNC), Rear Admiral Umar Chugali and his counterpart at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Rear Admiral Olusola Oluwagbire, said the exercise will foster synergy between the two Commands with a view of tackling insecurity in the Nigeria maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea. The FOCs described the exercise, which included anti-crude oil theft operation, vessel seizure, gunnex, communications, fleet manoeuvres, man overboard, emergency drills such as; firefighting, steering gear breakdown, machinery failure, abandon ship and man and cheer ship, as a huge success and hitch-free. They noted that the exercise was not only aimed at providing safety and security in Nigeria’s maritime environment, but it was also targeted to ensure socio-economic activities thrive in the country. The Guardian Nigeria
Somalia Welcomes First Foreign Bank Branch in over Half-Century
A leading Turkish bank, Ziraat Katilim, has opened a branch in Mogadishu, becoming the first foreign bank to operate in Somalia in over a half-century, officials said…All foreign banks closed down in 1970 when the Somali government nationalized the banking system…[The governor of Somalia’s central bank, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi], said the presence of Ziraat Bank will also make it easier for Somalis to conduct transactions outside the country…Ziraat Bank was one of two banks to obtain license from the Somali government last year; the other was Banq Misr of Egypt. Abdullahi said Ziraat Bank met all the requirements to operate in the country. In a post on X, the bank confirmed opening of the branch in Mogadishu, its second in Africa. Despite the decades-long civil strife in Somalia, the business sector has thrived in certain areas such as telecommunications, and the country has domestic, private banks. But the conflict discouraged significant foreign investment in Somalia. Turkey’s prominent role in Somalia’s humanitarian and development activities started in August 2011 when then prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Mogadishu amid the fighting against al-Shabab, to draw international attention to Somalia’s deadly famine, which killed tens of thousands of people. Since then, Turkey has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in humanitarian assistance and development. Turkish companies also invested Mogadishu’s air and seaport. Turkey built its biggest embassy in Africa, and its largest overseas military facility in Mogadishu. After the United Arab Emirates, China and India, Turkey is now the fourth Somalia’s largest trading partner, with imports from Turkey amounting to an estimated $409 million in 2022, according to Abdullahi. VOA
Kenya Blocks Airing of Allegations of UK Army Abuses before King’s Visit
Kenyan police on Monday blocked a news conference intended to air allegations of human rights and environmental abuses by British troops in the country, hours before King Charles arrives for a four-day state visit…The allegations in question relate to a period long after the end of colonial rule. Residents of central Kenya’s Lolldaiga area have accused a British army training unit based nearby of causing a 2021 wildfire that destroyed much of a nature reserve, leaving behind ordnance that injured locals, and being involved in the 2012 murder of a woman last seen with British soldiers. UK authorities have promised in the past to investigate the allegations against members of the military training unit, which has about 100 permanent staff. Before the news conference could be held at a hotel in the capital Nairobi, a lorry with at least 20 police officers and two smaller trucks blocked access to the venue, according to a Reuters reporter. The police also gave the hotel’s management a letter that warned them not to host the event, said James Mwangi, head of a human rights group supporting the alleged Lolldaiga victims. The British High Commission in Nairobi said the policing of protests in Kenya was a matter for Kenyan authorities. Tom Macharia, a Nairobi lawyer who represents the Lolldaiga community, said the police actions were “bad optics … If the king is genuine about this restart and resetting the relation with Kenya, he has gotten off on the wrong footing.” A Kenyan parliamentary committee is currently investigating the allegations against the British forces. Reuters
Kenya to Scrap Visas for All African Nationals
Visas to visit Kenya are to be scrapped for other African nationals from next year as part of a movement towards opening up trade and travel within the continent…Costly and time-consuming visa requirements, as well as high air fares, have long created barriers to inter-African travel for African passport holders; 32 out of 54 African countries still require the nationals of half or more countries on the continent to obtain a visa…Kenya will be the fourth African country to make the change and offer unrestricted travel to Africans, after the Gambia, Benin and Seychelles. Seychelles, an east African island nation that relies heavily on tourism, was the first to do so in 2016. [President William] Ruto said the removal of barriers was necessary to facilitate the implementation of the African continental free trade area. “It is time we realise the importance of trading among ourselves and allowing goods, services, people and ideas to move freely across the continent,” he said. The African Union has doubled down in recent years on its calls for more African countries to remove travel barriers. It launched an “AU passport” in 2016 to allow unrestricted travel for Africans within the continent. However, the rollout has been limited and the passports are mainly used by diplomats and high-ranking officials. African countries have been slow to make changes over concerns around crime and security. However, most countries have been simplifying entry procedures, according to the 2022 Africa visa openness report. The majority of African countries offer visa-free travel to at least five other countries, with more freedom of travel within regional blocs. The number of nations offering e-visas has also more than doubled since 2016. The Guardian
‘Good Morning, Children’: Burkina Faso Radio Station Aids Learning amid Jihadist Disruption
The Nord region is one of the areas most heavily affected by the jihadist insurgency that swept into Burkina Faso from neighbouring Mali in 2015. Nearly a third of the country lies outside the government’s control, according to official estimates. More than 10,000 civilians, troops and police have died, according to an NGO count, while at least 2 million people have been displaced…Local children did not go completely without education after the jihadist incursion thanks to the Radio Education Programme (REP), which provides educational material for young people who cannot attend school due to the insecurity. Under the scheme, which is run by the education ministry with the financial support of Unicef, [families] received a radio, a flash drive and a solar panel. Between February and July this year, before the two-month summer break, children tuned in at 4pm every day to listen to lessons broadcast from a studio 18 miles away in Ouahigouya, the capital of the Nord region…Bertrand Joël Sian is head of programming at Radio Notre Dame du Sahel, which is responsible for broadcasting classes to the region. “We have 72 classes for maths, reading and writing,” he said…According to Bertrand, the broadcasts can reach at least 200,000-300,000 students who do not have access to classrooms, but they are also designed to help students who are in school with revising topics…According to Unicef, 6,149 schools remain closed due to violence and insecurity in Burkina Faso, leaving 1 million students out of school…The broadcasts have continued even as children have returned to school. Whenever there are fears that jihadists may enter the village, students are advised to leave their classrooms and follow lessons from home. The Guardian