Malawi: A Battle of Former Presidents as Citizens Seek Path to Reform
[Malawi’s presidential and legislative elections will take place September 16.] The preeminent issue driving Malawi’s presidential election is the economy. … Malawi’s economic woes directly impact President Lazarus Chakwera’s campaign, who as leader of the Malawian Congress Party (MCP) is contesting for a second term in office. The 70-year-old Chakwera is being challenged by two former presidents: 84-year-old Peter Mutharika (of the Democratic Progressive Party), whom Chakwera defeated in the 2020 presidential contest, and 74-year-old Joyce Banda (of the People’s Party), who was president from 2012 to 2014. While each candidate can tout their executive experience, each is burdened by links to previous bouts of economic turmoil and allegations of corruption. … The strains of the election campaign have already led to criticism over the impartiality of the Malawian Electoral Commission and the efforts to register new voters. However, Malawi’s Constitutional Court has a reputation for independence with its precedent-setting rejection of the 2019 presidential election results that claimed a victory for the then-incumbent, Mutharika, prompting a rerun that led to a successful outcome for the Chakwera coalition. Malawi also benefits from a vibrant civic identity and resilient civil society that is consistently demanding higher levels of transparency, respect for the rule of law, and holding politicians accountable. … Key issues to watch in Malawi’s 2025 elections will be the resiliency of Malawi’s civic institutions and courts to ensure a fair process and the effectiveness of reformist coalitions to come together and forge a path forward to address Malawi’s pressing challenges. Africa Center for Strategic Studies
US, Saudi, UAE, Egypt Call for Sudan Truce, Transition to Civilian Rule
The United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt called on Friday for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan, to be followed by a permanent ceasefire and a nine-month transition towards civilian rule. In a joint statement issued by the US State Department, the four countries said the transition should “meet the aspirations of the Sudanese people towards smoothly establishing an independent, civilian-led government with broad-based legitimacy and accountability”. … “Sudan’s future governance is for the Sudanese people to decide through an inclusive and transparent transition process, not controlled by any warring party,” Friday’s statement said. The statement appeared to have been released in lieu of a meeting involving the foreign ministers of the four countries that had originally been scheduled for July in Washington but was postponed due to disagreements between Egypt and the UAE. … Diplomatic sources told AFP that Cairo objected to earlier language barring both the army and the RSF from taking part in the transition. The final language appears to reflect a compromise, avoiding specific mention of either side while insisting Sudan’s next government be decided by the people. AFP
Sudan’s Army, RSF Escalate Conflict with Advanced Drone Warfare
Sudan’s army is deploying advanced anti-jamming drones in battles against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Kordofan and Darfur, military sources said, as both sides escalate the conflict with sophisticated aerial weapons. The army’s domestically produced “Safrouq” drones have played a pivotal role in recent clashes. At the same time, the RSF has intensified its own attacks using newly acquired strategic drones, according to military officials and analysts. In May, Sudan’s Defence Industries System announced it had developed the Safrouq, a drone with a range of 600 km designed for both reconnaissance and direct attack missions. The aircraft has a 3.3-meter wingspan, can carry a payload of up to 40 kg, and flies at a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It is also equipped with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology to counter electronic warfare, a key feature in the evolving battlefield. The Safrouq kamikaze drone proved effective in a recent battle for the city of Bara against the RSF, according to the sources. … Separately, the RSF has used its own fleet, including Chinese-made FH-95 strategic drones and other kamikaze models, to attack critical infrastructure. Last Tuesday, RSF drones struck the Al-Markhiyat power station in Omdurman, the Khartoum refinery, and the Yarmouk arms factory, causing substantial damage. Sudan Tribune
Concern Grows for Safety of South Sudan Opposition Leader Facing Treason and Other Charges
Amnesty International on Friday called for a public trial of a South Sudanese opposition figure facing treason and other criminal charges, in a case that some worry could deepen political tensions in the east African country. South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir announced Thursday that he suspended Riek Machar as the country’s first vice president, effectively ending the transitional government of unity that forestalled a return to full-blown war. In addition to treason, Machar and seven others face charges of murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and military assets and crimes against humanity. Authorities have kept Machar and his wife under house arrest since March, and concern for his safety is growing because he has not been seen in public for months. Authorities did not say when Machar’s trial was due to start. “We remind the authorities of their obligation of the right to a public hearing,” Amnesty’s regional office said in a statement. “This means that not only the parties and victims in the case, but also the general public, independent observers and the media have the right to be present during criminal trials.” … Daniel Akech, a senior analyst for South Sudan with the International Crisis Group, told The Associated Press that the case against Machar appeared to be “a pretext for a political power struggle.” AP
South Sudan Flooding Displaces 100,000 in Matter of Weeks: UN
Severe flooding sweeping through large parts of South Sudan has displaced around 100,000 people in recent weeks, the UN said Friday, warning the number could quadruple by the end of the year. The United Nations refugee agency said the new cycle of flooding was washing over the world’s youngest country just as renewed conflict is threatening a fragile peace. … In recent weeks, [Marie-Helene Verney, UNHCR’s representative in South Sudan,] said, rising waters had submerged vast areas in Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states. “There’s about 100,000 people who have been displaced,” Verney said. “If this trend continues, we’re looking at more than one million people affected during the next few months, of (whom) 400,000 will be displaced,” she warned. That would exceed the numbers already displaced due to devastating flooding in South Sudan last year, she said. The situation is particularly concerning, Verney stressed, “in a year when we are seeing really a very sharp increase in armed conflict, (and) where we are still tackling arrivals from Sudan”, which is facing a brutal civil war and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, according to the UN. AFP
Mozambique Looks to Rwanda to Beat Rebels
Islamic insurgents are making a deadly comeback in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region, following a brief lull in violence after Rwanda’s intervention, with tens of thousands of people displaced in recent weeks. And that has meant Mozambique is turning to the old ally for new back-up, signalling a longer stay of Rwandan troops in the southern African country. Rwanda first deployed its forces into the resource-rich region of Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique, four years ago and they were followed by a South African Development Community (Sadc) contingent. Both missions were meant to subdue the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jamaah (ASWJ) insurgents. … A new status of forces agreement with Kigali was announced on August 29 with provisions for a fresh counter-insurgency strategy for the restive Mozambican region. … The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), in its latest situation report, says over 50 000 people were displaced in the region in the past month due to the renewed insurgency. … The situation marked a dramatic reversal from gains made last year where Rwandan forces had succeeded in flushing the insurgents out of Cabo Delgado. … After dislodging the insurgents from most parts of Cabo Delgado, the Rwandan troops had scaled down their operations to provide static security and patrolling major roads. They were also limited to providing security to commercial sites and observers say this allowed the insurgents to regroup and to launch attacks against the Mozambican army. The East African
Opposition Candidate Mpina Cleared to Contest Tanzania Presidential Election
Tanzania’s national electoral commission on Saturday accepted the nomination papers of Luhaga Mpina, a senior politician from the second largest opposition party, enabling him to contest next month’s presidential election following a court order. A high court ruling on Thursday overturned a previous decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that had prevented Mpina from lodging his electoral nomination papers after he was disqualified. His disqualification meant incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has been in office since March 2021, would potentially face opposition only from smaller parties in the October 29 election. Mpina, who is the top candidate for the Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) party, successfully challenged the decision to disqualify him by the Office of Registrar of Political Parties, citing complaints that his party had failed to comply with nomination procedures. … Opposition parties face an uphill battle trying to dislodge Hassan and her ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, amid a government crackdown on rivals. Leading opposition party CHADEMA was disqualified in April from contesting the election after failing to sign the electoral code of conduct as part of its call for reforms. Party chairperson Tundu Lissu is in jail after being charged with treason amid criticism of Hassan’s human rights record. Reuters
Algeria Forms New Government after Sifi Ghrieb Named PM
The Algerian presidency announced on Sunday the formation of a new government under the leadership of Sifi Ghrieb, who was named prime minister earlier in the day having held the role in an interim capacity. Ghrieb was first appointed interim premier after his predecessor, Nadir Larbaoui, was dismissed on August 28 by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune without explanation. On Sunday, Tebboune’s office said Ghrieb would permanently assume the role, later confirming he had formed a government following a request from the presidency. … Ghrieb holds a doctorate in materials science and previously served as chairman of the board for Algerian Qatari Steel. According to a statement from the presidency, the heads of the foreign affairs and justice portfolios — Ahmed Attaf and Lotfi Boudjemaa, respectively — will remain unchanged, while Tebboune himself will continue to head the defence ministry. Transport minister Said Sayoud will retain the role while also taking over as interior minister, with former interior minister Brahim Merad becoming state minister in charge of state services and local authorities. The energy portfolio has been split between hydrocarbons, led by the incumbent Mohamed Arkab, and renewables, to be led by Mourad Adjal. Professor of cardiology Mohamed Esseddik Ait Messaoudene will take over the ministry of health. AFP
Libya Government Reaches Agreement with Armed Group to End Tripoli Tensions
Libya’s UN-recognised government based in Tripoli has reached a preliminary accord with a powerful armed group to end months of tensions that have flared into occasional violence, a government adviser and local media said Saturday. Negotiations between the government and the Radaa Force were facilitated by Turkey, according to the same sources. Ziyad Deghem, an adviser to the head of the Presidential Council transitional body, said the details of the accord “will be announced to the public at a later date”. … The North African country is still plagued by division and instability after years of unrest following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime leader Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. … In mid-May, there were clashes in Tripoli between forces loyal to the government and armed groups that the authorities are trying to dismantle. Among them is the Radaa Force, which controls the east of the capital and Mitiga airport, as well as prisons and detention centres. According to a source within the group, cited by Al-Ahrah, the two parties agreed to a “neutral and unified force… managing and securing four airports” in the west, including Mitiga. The airport, controlled by Radaa since 2011, is the only one to serve the Libyan capital with commercial flights. AFP
EAC Regional Broadcasting Satellite Initiative Endorsed at Key ICT Meeting
The East African Community Regional Communication and Broadcasting Satellite Initiative has been endorsed during a key ICT meeting. The initiative approved at the Northern Corridor Integration Project (NCIP) Cluster’s Joint Ministerial Meeting in Nairobi in November 2023 seeks to provide affordable broadband and broadcasting services, reduce dependence on foreign satellite providers and address connectivity gaps in underserved areas. The endorsement comes following a meeting last week by regional leaders aimed at advancing the Northern Corridor Integration Project. The meeting also aimed at finalising the adoption of the Northern Corridor Integration Project (NCIP) report, set to be presented at an upcoming ministerial round table. The NCIP, initiated in 2013 by Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, and later expanded to include South Sudan, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, aims to enhance regional integration through transport, energy and ICT infrastructure along the Northern Corridor, a vital trade route connecting landlocked nations to the Port of Mombasa. The Standard
DR Congo Begins Vaccinating Against New Ebola Outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo began on Sunday a vaccine programme against a fresh Ebola epidemic, which has killed 28 people in the country since late August. A first load of 400 doses against the often fatal viral disease was handed out in the hotspot town of Bulape, in the central Kasai province, the World Health Organization said. The last outbreak of Ebola in the vast central African nation was three years ago and killed six people. Its deadliest, lasting from 2018 to 2020, left 2,300 dead out of 3,500 people known to have been infected. According to the latest toll from the Congolese health authorities on Sunday, 28 deaths and 81 confirmed cases have been registered since the first confirmed infection of a pregnant 34-year-old woman on August 20. … The first shipment of vaccines was handed out to those most at risk from the virus, including frontline health workers and close contacts of infected people, the WHO statement said. Delivery of another 45,000 vaccines to the DRC had been approved by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, the United Nations health agency added. AFP
Morocco’s Quake Survivors Demand More Help as World Cup Spending Ramps Up
Two years on from Morocco’s 6.8-magnitude quake, the pace of recovery efforts has frustrated many victims, and critics point to a contrast to the country’s fast-paced investments in stadiums and infrastructure projects ahead of the African Cup of Nations in December and the 2030 World Cup. Last week, on the second anniversary of the quake, dozens of survivors staged a protest in front of Morocco’s parliament in Rabat, calling on the government to take reconstruction aid as seriously as World Cup projects. … “We are happy to see large stadiums, theatres and highways in Morocco. But there is also a marginalised and forgotten Morocco that needs political will,” said Montasir Itri, a leader in the group supporting quake survivors. The government has spent 4.6 billion Moroccan dirhams ($510 million) on housing aid for quake victims as of September, offering 140,000 dirhams (about $15,500) in aid for totally destroyed homes and 80,000 for partially damaged ones. By comparison, it has allocated more than 20 billion dirhams to prepare stadiums for global tournaments. … According to government data, out of 59,675 homes damaged in the quake, 51,154 homes have been rebuilt. Local authorities in Al Haouz said only 4% of homes have yet to begin construction. They also said all tents had been dismantled. But Itri’s group disputes these figures, saying many survivors are still living in tents and even for those who have secured new housing, aid has not been enough. Reuters