Botswana Counts Votes as Ruling Party Seeks to Extend Its 6-decade Rule
The arid and sparsely populated African nation of Botswana counted votes Thursday from elections expected to return President Mokgweetsi Masisi to office after a first term marked by growing unemployment and concerns over the diamond-dependent economy. Voting on Wednesday was orderly in a country proud of its democratic system installed on independence from Britain in 1966, making it the oldest democracy in the region although it has always been governed by the same party. The ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) is confident the results, which are expected late Thursday, will extend its 58 years in power, although commentators said weakened support may see the country’s first hung parliament. AFP
At Least 10 People Are Killed by Police in Mozambique Post-election Protests, Medical Groups Say
At least 10 people were fatally shot by police and dozens of others were injured when authorities cracked down on unrest following Mozambique’s presidential election, two medical groups said, as the country braced Thursday for more protests against a vote criticized as fraudulent by opposition parties and questioned by international observers…Ten people died of gunshot wounds and another 63 were wounded by gunfire in protests between Oct. 18 and Oct. 26, the Medical Association of Mozambique and the Mozambique Order of Doctors said in a joint statement Wednesday. “In most of the shootings, especially those that resulted in death, the intention of the police was to shoot to kill,” Gilberto Manhiça, the head of the Order of Doctors, was quoted as saying by local media. AP
Blackout Cripples Northern Nigeria After Jihadist Attack
Conflict-ridden northern Nigeria has been plunged into darkness for nearly two weeks after jihadists sabotaged infrastructure, authorities say, depriving millions of electricity and paralysing economic activity. Members of a jihadist group vandalised a major transmission line in Niger state’s Shiroro district, crippling the power supply in 19 of the West African country’s 36 states, according to the state-owned Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Power cuts are common in Africa’s most populous country, where 220 million people depend on a saturated network for their electricity needs. But jihadist attacks on power infrastructure in the north have compounded the problem in recent years. AFP
Nigeria: Police, Politicians Responsible for 70% of Journalist Harassment Cases – WSCIJ
The Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) has blamed the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and politicians for over 70 per cent of harassment and risks faced by Nigerian journalists, particularly during elections and civic demonstrations. The Centre’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Motunrayo Alaka, presented these findings on Wednesday during the 2nd Edition of the Civic Space Guard Conference, focusing on AI, press freedom, civic space, and the future of investigative reporting in Nigeria, held in Abuja…Mrs Alaka said that 90 per cent of recorded attacks on journalists happened during reporting assignments. The 2023 Journalism and Civic Space Research, which the WSCIJ will soon launch, examined incidents by month, state, and type of harassment or violence…The report documented incidents like tear gas usage, shootings, bombings, and threats, indicating that journalists face harassment even in locations where they should be safe, including government offices and polling stations. Premium Times
Civil Society Groups Urges to Prioritize Civilian Protection in Sudan
A coalition of Sudanese and international civil society groups on Wednesday called for the international community to prioritize the protection of civilians in Sudan’s escalating conflict. In a joint statement, the groups criticized the current focus on humanitarian aid delivery, arguing that the immediate physical safety of civilians should be paramount… The coalition urged a stronger emphasis on enforcing International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and called for concrete action to protect civilians trapped in conflict zones, areas controlled by warring parties, and those who have fled to neighbouring countries. Sudan Tribune
ACJPS: Enforced Disappearances in Sudan ‘Systematic and Escalating’
The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) organised a meeting [in Uganda] with Sudanese civil society organisations and human rights defenders to address enforced disappearances in Sudan. The centre said it documented 118 enforced disappearance in Sudan, bringing the number of identified cases up to 1100 since conflict erupted in April 2023…Mosaad Mohamed, executive director of the ACJPS, described enforced disappearances in Sudan as a systematic and escalating problem, frequently attributed to sovereign bodies, “including the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Military Intelligence, security forces, and militias linked to the former regime”. He characterised enforced disappearance as a complex crime, often beginning with arbitrary detention and extending to torture or extrajudicial killing…Documentation efforts face significant obstacles, including Sudan’s unreliable internet and families’ concerns about potential reprisals. Many worry that revealing information about the detainees could expose them to torture or extrajudicial killing. Radio Dabanga
Somalia’s Leaders Agree on Framework for Universal Suffrage
Political leaders in Somalia agreed Wednesday on a framework for the country’s first national one-person, one-vote elections, a government statement said. The decision followed marathon monthlong talks led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud that saw the withdrawal of Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, also known as Madobe, from the National Consultative Council meeting in Mogadishu…The leaders of two federal member states, the Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubaland President Islam, opposed Wednesday’s decision…“The decision illegally extends the terms of the regional presidents, threatens the national stability, the efforts of building good governance,” according to a statement from the opposition. “We will never accept it.”…Currently, voting follows a complex, indirect model where state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers for the national parliament, who in turn choose the president. VOA
Ethiopia: Deadly Clashes between Gov’t Forces, Fano Fighters Leave Civilian Casualties across Three Zones in Amhara Region
Several civilian casualties and injuries were reported following clashes between government forces and Fano militias on Sunday, 27 October, 2024, across three zones in the Amhara region…[Residents reported that] armed conflict led to civilian deaths, injuries, and disruptions to public services…This is the latest outbreak of violence in the ongoing conflict in the restive Amhara region, which has persisted for over a year and escalated following the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the Amhara regional government’s announcement on October 1, 2024, that they would continue their “law enforcement operations” until “peace is fully restored.”…Earlier in October, over 100 civilians were reportedly killed in South Mecha, North Gojjam Zone, due to drone strikes and gunfire. The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is investigating these incidents, which impacted vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly. Addis Standard
Somalia-Ethiopia Rift Intensifies: What’s behind Latest Row?
Somalia’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday ordered a senior Ethiopian diplomat to leave the country within 72 hours after alleging interference in internal affairs…In early April, Somalia expelled Ethiopia’s ambassador and announced the shutdown of Ethiopian consulates in the breakaway regions of Somaliland as well as in the semiautonomous region of Puntland…The April 4 decision came just one day after Ethiopia signed a deal with Puntland, a semiautonomous state that in March, following changes to Somalia’s constitution, announced it no longer recognized the authority of the Somali federal government…On Jan. 1, Ethiopia inked a deal with Somaliland — a region located on the Gulf of Aden that broke away from Somalia in 1991 and is not recognized internationally…In response to the deals, Somalia has deepened its security cooperation with its neighbors in the Horn of Africa region as well as with Turkey and Egypt — a country with its own longstanding dispute with Ethiopia over Nile River waters. Al-Monitor
UN Report Warns of Famine, Aggravated by Conflicts and Climate Shocks
Severe food crises threaten hundreds of thousands of people in vulnerable areas, including the Palestinian territories, Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali, where populations face or near famine, says a report by the United Nations’ food agencies released on Thursday. Conflicts, economic instability, and climate shocks — combined with reduced funding for emergency food and agriculture assistance — are driving alarming levels of acute food insecurity, the report warned…Chad, Lebanon, Myanmar, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen are classified as “hotspots of very high concern,” where large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity. AP
French Court Jails Ex-doctor for Role in Rwandan Genocide
A French court on Wednesday, October 30 jailed a former doctor to 27 years for his role in the Rwanda genocide, in the latest trial in France over the African country’s massacre three decades ago. Eugene Rwamucyo, 65, was accused of aiding his country’s then authorities to disseminate anti-Tutsi propaganda and of participating in mass murder by attempting to destroy evidence of genocide…He was acquitted of charges of genocide and crimes against humanity…Following an international arrest warrant issued by Rwanda, Rwamucyo was detained in May 2010 by French police following a tip-off by his colleagues in the Maubeuge hospital in northern France, where he was working at the time. Le Monde with AFP
‘Not just a Museum’: Kenya’s Seed Bank Offers Unexpected Lifeline for Farmers
[Kenya’s Genetic Resources Research Institute] was set up to hold and conserve seeds from the traditional crops that were in danger of disappearing as farmers and agricultural industry moved to higher-yield varieties. For decades, it has collaborated with researchers studying crop genetics and others working to develop improved varieties. But as the climate crisis worsens food insecurity, the repository of about 50,000 seed and crop collections could become a lifeline for farmers…Matthew Heaton, the project manager for Crop Trust’s Seeds for Resilience programme, says: “National gene banks can be overshadowed by the larger international ones, but they are best positioned to quickly improve local resilience and nutrition because their collections are adapted to local needs and growing conditions.” The Guardian