Africa Media Review for September 20, 2024

Attack in Mali Capital Killed More than 70, Security Sources Say
An attack in the Malian capital, Bamako, targeting a military police training camp and airport left more than 70 people dead and 200 wounded, security sources said Thursday, one of the highest tolls suffered in recent years. The attacks Tuesday in Bamako were the first of their kind in years and dealt a forceful blow to the ruling junta, experts said. The death toll has put scrutiny on the junta’s military strategy and its claims that the security situation is under control despite militants roaming the region for years. The operation claimed by the al-Qaida-linked Group to Support Islam and Muslims (JNIM) has prompted widespread shock and condemnation within the West African country. Many Malians have taken to social media to demand accountability for what they consider a security lapse. A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that 77 people had been killed and 255 wounded in Tuesday’s attacks. An authenticated confidential official document put the toll at around 100 and identified 81 victims. … Against a backdrop of severe restrictions on freedom of expression under the governing junta, virtually no public figures in Mali have spoken out against the alleged security lapse. VOA/AFP

West Africa Struggles with Rising Violence
Benin and Togo emerged as the most affected areas, with a 18% rise in violent incidents compared to the previous period. Northern Benin, in particular, experienced heightened insecurity, with kidnappings and attacks on civilians becoming more frequent. The region suffered 15 security incidents in just two months, resulting in the deaths of 19 soldiers and security agents. While Togo has seen an uptick in violent clashes between security forces and non-state armed groups in the Savanes region, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire reported relatively more stable situations. Ghana experienced a single community clash that resulted in three deaths, and Côte d’Ivoire remained largely unaffected by major security incidents. The humanitarian crisis in the region has also escalated, with the number of refugees and asylum seekers increasing by 5% between May and July 2024. Côte d’Ivoire remains the primary destination for refugees, welcoming over 4,500 new arrivals during this period. APA

UN Expresses Disappointment over Extension of South Sudan’s Transitional Period to 2027
Nicholas Haysom, head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), expressed deep regret as the UN backed the extension of South Sudan’s transitional period until February 2027. Speaking at an extraordinary meeting of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission in Juba on Wednesday, Haysom remarked, “While the UN will endorse the extension of the transitional period, we do so with real regret and disappointment.” The meeting, attended by government officials, diplomats, regional stakeholders, civil society representatives, and the UN, focused on the decision to prolong the transition in South Sudan, initially set to end in 2024. Haysom underscored that the same issue arose two years ago, stating, “Two years ago, we were in an identical situation as we are today and gave our support specifically under the condition that there would be no more extensions. Today, it is sadly evident that the country is not ready for elections that we could confidently expect to generate a credible and peaceful outcome.” South Sudan continues to face numerous challenges, including a stagnant peace process, severe economic hardship, and widespread flooding, all of which have hindered progress. Crucial milestones outlined in the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement remain unmet. AfricaNews

Nigeria: 67 CSOs Condemn Tinubu Govt’s Human Rights Violations, Crackdown on Dissents
A coalition of 67 civil society organisations has criticised the President Bola Tinubu administration’s habitual crackdown on dissents and undermining of Nigeria’s civic environment, amid increasing public discontent fuelled by corruption and policies with negative impacts on ordinary Nigerians. In a statement shared with Premium Times on Thursday, the coalition maintained that the administration’s style of governance and policies have intensified socio-economic challenges and created an atmosphere of fear, where legitimate grievances are met with violence rather than constructive dialogue. … “The actions taken by the government in recent weeks have raised serious concerns about the state of democracy and human rights in our nation. It is alarming to witness the increasing measures aimed at stifling voices that challenge the status quo, as well as the systematic targeting of organisations and individuals who advocate for transparency, accountability, and social justice,” the statement said. The coalition expressed deep concern about the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government’s use of security agencies as tools of harassment and intimidation against labour groups and outspoken civil society organisations. Premium Times

33 Congolese Fishermen Killed on Lake Kivu in a Span of Nine Month
Over the past nine months, 33 Congolese fishermen have been killed and 56 others injured on Lake Kivu, allegedly by soldiers suspected to belong to the Rwandan naval force. The attacks occurred during nighttime fishing activities, according to local sources. The grim statistics were revealed by the Synergy of Lake Kivu Fishermen’s Associations in a recent meeting with provincial authorities, where they appealed for protection from ongoing violence. One fisherman, Mushagalusa Salomon, has narrowly escaped his attackers four times, but each time his fishing nets and boat were taken by the assailants. “Sometimes they arrive in groups of nine in a boat and start throwing stones at us. We have to jump into the water, and that’s when they take our belongings. If you don’t jump, they kill you and take everything,” Salomon explained. … Attempts to obtain a response from the Rwandan naval forces were unsuccessful, as tensions between the two countries continue to strain diplomatic relations. AfricaNews

Mpox is Not under Control in Continent, Warns Africa CDC
The mpox outbreak in Africa is still not under control, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned on Thursday, adding that cases were still increasing in several countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the recent outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified. Countries in the continent are struggling to respond to another major outbreak coming at the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic that exposed weak health systems that were unprepared to deal with a major public health crisis. The number of mpox cases in Africa has surged 177 percent, and deaths have increased 38.5 percent compared with the same period a year ago, data from the Africa CDC showed. “We can say today that mpox is not under control in Africa. We still have this increase of cases that is worrying for all of us,” Jean Kaseya, director general of Africa CDC, told a weekly briefing on the outbreak. The East African

Aid Workers Risk Death and Kidnap in Ethiopia’s Troubled Amhara Region
In late July, Yared Melese, a 30-year-old NGO worker, checked into a hotel in North Wollo zone, part of Ethiopia’s troubled Amhara region. He had gone to assess humanitarian needs on behalf of Action for Social Development and Environmental Protection Organisation (ASDEPO), an Ethiopian non-profit. That night he and three colleagues were abducted by armed men. … Yared was the sixth humanitarian worker to be killed this year in Amhara, where government forces are fighting local militias known as Fano. The UN also counts eight incidents of kidnap involving UN or NGO staff, nine incidents of robbery, and four where UN vehicles have been commandeered. Almost the whole of Amhara – a region larger than Bangladesh, with as many people as Malaysia – is shaded pink or orange on the UN’s access maps, indicating that violence makes it difficult for aid to reach many of those in need. What began as a political conflict is turning into a more general erosion of law and order, where armed groups have proliferated and kidnapping of civilians has become common. New Humanitarian

‘A Disaster’: Homes Lost, Relatives Missing in Floods in Northeast Nigeria
Halimah Abdullahi has spent most of the last week peering out of the gates of the displaced person’s camp she and her family are squatting in, hoping that her three-year-old toddler, Musa, will suddenly come waddling towards her, safe and sound. The boy disappeared as Abdullahi struggled to join a queue and register for the cooked food aid the Borno State government had been giving out to displaced people in the camp. … Abdullahi is one of an estimated 300,000 people displaced by floods that hit Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri early last week. Some 37 people have died, according to government figures. A million people were affected by the deluge, which authorities say is the worst in 30 years. … Before last week, Maiduguri was already home to camps for internally displaced people (IDPs), where hundreds who fled conflict in the region live. Borno State is burdened by a 15-year-running armed rebellion by Boko Haram. The armed group is against Western influence in the region and seeks to create an Islamic caliphate. Al Jazeera

Morocco Arrests 152 People for Allegedly Inciting Illegal Migration to Ceuta
Morocco has arrested 152 people, who will now face trial on accusations they used social media to incite an attempt at mass illegal migration into the adjacent Spanish enclave of Ceuta, a government spokesperson said. In recent days, thousands of mostly young Moroccan men rushed to the northern city of Fnideq, bordering Ceuta, to attempt a crossing. Their efforts were thwarted by the heaviest security deployment ever seen the city, according to human rights activists there. “All attempts have been foiled,” spokesman Mustapha Baitas said at a news conference late on Thursday. “Some 3000 people attempted illegal migration,” he said, in a first official comment days after the crossing attempt. Spain’s two enclaves on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, Ceuta and Melilla, share the only land borders between the European Union and Africa. They sporadically experience waves of attempted crossings by migrants trying to reach Europe. … In the first eight months this year, Morocco stopped 45,015 people from illegally migrating to Europe, according to interior ministry figures. VOA/Reuters

Ousted President Quits Gabon Politics, Calls for Wife’s Release
Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo has announced he will quit politics a year after he was toppled from power by a military coup. “I wish to reaffirm my withdrawal from political life and the definitive renunciation of any national ambition,” Mr Bongo said in a letter addressed to the Gabonese people. The 65-year-old also called for the release of his wife and son who are in detention awaiting trial on corruption allegations. It is not clear whether his statement follows any negotiations with the military rulers, or if he is hoping that by agreeing to quit politics, he will secure his family’s freedom. … The army seized power last August, shortly after Mr Bongo was declared the winner of the election, which was disputed by the opposition. … His wife and son are being held in pre-trial detention on allegations of embezzling public funds. Mrs Bongo is facing charges of money laundering, forgery and the falsification of documents. She has not made any public comment on the charges. BBC

Chad Agrees to Bring Back US Forces
The U.S. is returning Special Forces troops to Chad after leaving at the country’s request nearly five months ago. “We have reached an agreement on the return of a limited number of Special Forces personnel,” Maj. General Kenneth Ekman, who oversaw the recent U.S. withdrawal from Niger at the request of U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. Michael Langley, told VOA in an exclusive interview Thursday. “It was a presidential decision by [Chadian] President [Mahamat] Deby, but the decision is made, and now we’re working through the specifics on how we return,” he added. In April, the U.S. pulled out some 70 Special Forces personnel from Chad ahead of the nation’s presidential election. Deby won that election and ultimately decided to allow U.S. forces to return, a decision that was only recently relayed to U.S. Africa Command. VOA

Guinea Stadium Massacre Fugitive Extradited from Liberia
Guinea’s most wanted fugitive – a former senior military officer who escaped from prison last November – has been extradited from neighbouring Liberia, along with his son. Ex-Col Claude Pivi will now serve his life sentence after being convicted in absentia for his role in a massacre of opposition supporters at a stadium in the capital Conakry in 2009, Guinea’s military prosecutor said. He and his son, Verny Pivi, were arrested on the border of the two states during a routine security check on Tuesday. Photos circulating online showed Pivi looking frail and handcuffed alongside his son, who is accused of orchestrating the prison break that freed his father. … The charges stemmed from one of the worst massacres in the nation’s history – the killing of more than 156 people after troops opened fire at an opposition rally in September 2009 to demand a return of civilian rule.

Zambia Leads Solar Shift amid Southern Africa’s Hydroelectric Drought
With a prolonged drought affecting the supply of hydroelectricity all over southern Africa, a growing number of people are turning to solar to fill the energy gap. Spotlight on Africa focuses this week on progress made in Zambia. While floods are devastating West Africa, about 68 million people in southern Africa are suffering the effects of an El Nino-induced drought which has wiped out crops across the region. Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, and Zambia are facing severe drought conditions, leading to widespread devastation. The impact is stalling economic growth and raising serious concerns about food security in the region. In Zambia, the drought that has gripped southern Africa since early this year has led to rolling power cuts in a country that relies heavily on hydropower. Some inhabitants, , however, have already turned to solar power as an alternative. RFI