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During campaigning, demonstrations were banned or violently dispersed, prompting concern from rights groups who have said authorities have cracked down on dissent.
Nationwide protests have taken place since October 7 despite the disbanding of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
The demonstrators have been accused of attacking police stations and personnel.
The rallies which are mostly attended by young people have become avenues to vent against corruption and unemployment.
Rights groups say at least 15 people have been killed the demonstrations began in early October.
Malian authorities have charged six prominent figures, including a former prime minister, with seeking to mount a coup in August last year, their lawyers said. The public prosecutor’s office in the capital Bamako said in a statement on Thursday that six people were under investigation for “plotting against the government, criminal association, insulting the head of state and complicity”. A group of lawyers defending the six said the individuals, who include Boubou Cisse, the last prime minister before the August move, had been charged with an “attempted coup”. “All of those charged are civilian figures with no established connection to anyone in the military,” they said. Five of the six have been detained in custody, except for Cisse whose whereabouts are unknown, the public prosecutor said. Apart from Cisse, those charged include his half-brother Aguibou Tall, who runs an agency connected with telecommunications, and Mohamed Youssouf Bathily, a campaigner and radio presenter popular among young Malians and whose stage name is Ras Bath. The others are Vital Robert Diop, director of Mali’s Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMI), an agency that is in charge of gambling on horse races, and two senior financial officials, Mamadou Kone and Souleymane Kansaye. Another person who was arrested earlier, but later released, is the secretary of the president’s office, Sekou Traore, who holds the ranks of a magistrate and minister. His case has been referred to the prosecutor general to the Supreme Court, the public prosecutor said. Cisse denied on December 23 having any involvement with any alleged plot. The allegations came during a period of turbulence in the African nation following the removal of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita by army officers on August 18. Threatened by international sanctions, the military rulers handed power to a caretaker institution which is supposed to last for up to 18 months until elections are held. But disenchantment at the slow pace of reforms is growing, increased by accusations that figures with army links dominate the transitional government. In its statement, the prosecutor’s office did not use the term “attempted coup” as the lawyers did. It alleged there had been deeds that “harmed domestic security” and serious evidence of a “criminal enterprise” and “actions to sabotage” initiatives taken by the transitional authorities. On Monday, security sources said a number of people had been detained on December 21, while the prosecutor’s office said a “preliminary inquiry” had been opened “relating to violations of state security”. In the run-up to their arrest, social media posts said there had been a scheme to “destabilise” Mali’s post-coup transitional institutions. Mali, an impoverished landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel, is notoriously volatile. The August 18 coup was the fourth since the nation gained independence from France in 1960. It came after weeks of escalating protests against Keita, who had become unpopular over perceived corruption and failures to roll back an armed rebellion that has
The news comes as coronavirus infections spike again in parts of Africa, especially South Africa, where a rapidly spreading variant of the coronavirus now makes up most of the new cases
[HRW] Goma -- The Congolese authorities have not arrested a rebel commander wanted for multiple crimes under a June 2019 warrant even as his forces have continued to carry out summary killings, rapes and sexual slavery, extortion, and forced recruitment of children.
[This Day] The government of Estonia has invited the Chairman of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria and Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, as one of the panelists in an online cross-continental hackathon titled: \"EU-Africa: The Post Crisis Journey.\"
By Dana Hull and Ed Ludlow | Bloomberg Tesla trimmed prices for its cheapest Model 3 and Model Y while raising prices for the Performance versions, according to the electric carmaker’s website. The Model 3 Standard Range Plus is now 2.6% cheaper at $36,990 in the U.S. The price of the Model Y Standard Range […]
[HRW] Geneva -- Monitoring, Tough Message on Dire Rights Situation Long Overdue
[The Conversation Africa] Almost a decade after the United Nations set aside November 2 as a day to reflect on ending impunity for crimes against journalists, crimes against media workers in Kenya are still widespread. The coverage of elections and corruption cases has typically prompted these attacks. But now the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed more of the state's intolerance towards journalists in their line of duty.
[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah, has called on African countries to focus efforts on crafting policies and programs that can create skills and technological advancement on the continent. Delivering a statement on behalf of His Excellency, Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia, at the African Union (AU) 14th Extraordinary Session on Sunday, December 6, 2020, via virtual in Monrovia, the Liberian Foreign Minister reminded heads of state o
If you’ve seen Lady Sings the Blues and think you have The United States vs. Billie Holiday figured out, you are in for a surprise. A shock even. For decades, the picture most of us have had of…
[Nation] Inundated with an avalanche of demands by politicians whose support is key to the success of their handshake project, President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga are opting for targeted meetings to enlist the support for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), as signature collection kicks off in the coming week.
Analysis - We lost colleagues. Others were intubated. It was really scary…. [I am] praying to have a vaccine soon. —“Fernanda”, nurse at a public hospital in Ceará state, Brazil, July 28, 2020
Though badly bruised from its pummelling at the polls on September 3, the People’s National Party (PNP) will recover from its worst electoral beating in 40 years, elder statesman P.J. Patterson has said. But the former prime minister and party...
[East African] The African Union brokered negotiations over Ethiopia's Nile dam project ended without a breakthrough at the weekend as the three countries disagreed on the role of experts.
[HRW] Kinshasa -- The Congolese authorities and the United Nations have not done enough to hold human rights violators to account and deliver justice to victims a decade after the landmark UN Congo Mapping Exercise Report was published in October 2010, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.
Seven-time Olympian Seiko Hashimoto has been appointed as the president of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee after the resignation of Yoshiro Mori.
The anniversary of the 15th Amendment is a good time to recommit to protecting democracy and ensuring ballot access for all.
Interview - How has Covid-19 affected HIV services in Africa?
NAIROBI (Reuters) - The world risks a “moral catastrophe” if COVID-19 vaccinations are delayed in Africa while wealthier regions inoculate their entire populations, the head of the continent’s disease control body said on Thursday. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hopes significant vaccination campaigns on the continent will begin in April, its head, John Nkengasong, told reporters. “That’s a long way to go given that this virus transmits very quickly,” he said, adding that in Africa, “the second wave is here with a vengeance”. Cases of the new coronavirus increased by nearly 19% since last week and deaths increased by 26%, according to Africa CDC data. Africa has recorded 2.7 million coronavirus infections and 64,000 deaths as of Thursday, it says. South Africa, where a new variant of the virus has been detected, recorded 82,000 cases in the past week, he said. “We cannot delay, we need those vaccines and need them now,” Nkengasong said. The major blockers to vaccinations beginning in Africa are global availability of doses and financing, he said. Wealthy nations have acquired vaccines in excess of what they need, he said. “We don’t have to get into a moral crisis, where these things are stocked in the developed world and we in Africa are struggling to have,” Nkengasong said. The African Union is in talks with the European Union, Canada and pharmaceutical companies to secure vaccines, he said, in addition to what Africa has been promised by the COVAX programme, co-led by the World Health Organization, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. COVAX is a global scheme to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to poorer countries “This would easily become a moral catastrophe if we should not come together as one to address going forward as early as possible in 2021 and meet Africa at its point of need.” Approval processes for various vaccines will likely be fast-tracked through a central African Union process, he said. A handful of nations on the continent are further along. Morocco said earlier this month it plans to roll out China’s Sinopharm vaccine within weeks as soon as its Phase 3 trials are over, while Egypt received its first shipment of Sinopharm vaccines on Dec.11. South Africa expects to get the COVAX vaccine by the second quarter of 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday. The COVAX alliance said on Dec. 18 its first deliveries were due in early 2021, without giving a specific date. African governments should learn the lesson that local manufacturing of vaccines and strong testing capacities are critical, Nkengasong said, noting that the continent faced the same scenario of a scramble for vaccines - and Western nations far ahead - more than a decade ago during the H1N1 swine flu outbreak. - Reuters
[DW] Museveni has won a sixth term as president of Uganda while his main challenger, Bobi Wine, has countered with allegations of vote-rigging.
Ahead of Uganda's January 14 election, President Yoweri Museveni's government continues to limit the opposition's voices by blocking campaigning, enabling an environment that cannot facilitate a fair and free vote, according to rights groups.
Niger is set for a second round of vote as no candidate clinched the needed majority for a first round win in the December 27 vote. Former Prime Minister and favorite to win Mohammed Bazoum, of the ruling party, came first with 39.33 percent of the vote.
Country receives 200,000 jabs from state-owned Chinese manufacturer, with 600 000 expected to arrive next month.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said Africa was robbed of its developmental momentum through co-ordinated efforts by imperialists to destroy its rich socio-political and economic heritage and culture. BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA Mnangagwa said this while addressing delegates during the ground breaking ceremony of the Museum of African Liberation in Harare. He said the peace, tranquillity and path to development enjoyed by the continent was interrupted through the narrative of discovery, slavery, occupation and colonialism. “More than 500 years ago, Africa was robbed of development momentum through coordinated efforts to destroy its rich socio-political and economic heritage and culture,” Mnangagwa said. “Systematic falsehoods were developed to erase our memories and project us as a home of darkness; all these setbacks and disappointments never suppressed the need for freedom and total emancipation.” He added: “We rose and resolved to fight until we realised our freedom and restored our human dignity which had been quenched out of us, by successive years of colonial oppression, even so freedom and independence remain incomplete until we have total control of our rich God given natural resources. “To this day, our quest for the unhindered right to access and utilise our natural resources continue being hampered, in the case of Zimbabwe, sanctions, constrain the realisation of our full socio-economic potential.” He said former imperial powers continue to fan divisions in other countries on the continent so that they can have an opportunity to pilfer and loot resources during the chaos. “Learning from our history and past, the time has come for us to deliberately and more consciously defend interested as people of Africa,” Mnangagwa said. “Through this continental project, let us put to rest the one side Euro-centric narratives which have been perpetuated in the public space for too long.” He said Zimbabwe was honoured by the African Union to host this museum and play a coordinating role in the structure of a unique repository of our African liberation heritage. “Zimbabwe dedicated this piece of land to the preservation of the rich liberation war heritage of our great African continent,” he said. Addressing journalists on Monday, secretary for war veterans in the Zanu PF politburo, Douglas Mahiya said the former freedom fighters have committed to partner the Institute of African Knowledge (INSTAK) in the legacy project through providing accurate and authentic information about the country’s armed struggle. “As veterans of the Zimbabwean armed struggle, we remain consistent and persistent in our quest to help Zimbabweans and Africans at large understand the true and authentic story of the liberation countries, which include Zimbabwe,” Mahiya said. Mahiya said they noted with grave concern the knowledge gap between what other external voices have presented to our people as the true record of our armed struggle. “It has taken us forty years to finally wake up and take practical steps in documenting our liberation war story
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni reacts with defiance to international criticism of a government crackdown on the opposition and Facebook closing down the ruling party's account, two days before presidential and parliamentary polls
[HRW] Nairobi -- Ratify UN Treaty; Investigate; Ensure Truth, Justice and Healing
Hundreds of Ethiopians gathered Thursday to donate blood for troops fighting in the northern Tigray region, as officials tried to rally support for a week-old conflict Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said was going his way.
The government also announced that police had arrested 150 people in the capital suspected of trying to carry out \"terror attacks\" on the orders of Tigray's ruling party.
Prime Minister Abiy blames the Tigray ruling party for a conflict that analysts fear could spiral into a protracted civil war.
Hundreds have died and thousands have fled the country since Abiy, last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner, sent troops and warplanes into Tigray last week after a months-long feud with the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).
Abiy said the TPLF -- which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly three decades before he took office in 2018 -- had crossed a \"red line\" and attacked two federal military bases, which the party denies.
Thursday's blood drive was organised by the office of Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abebe, who claimed the population was unified against the TPLF while donating blood herself.
\"The aim of this blood donation is to express our respect for our army,\" she told journalists as a nurse drew blood from her left arm.
\"The attack done by TPLF to our army is shameful for Ethiopia. Never happened in our history. We want to condemn this.\"
Tigray has been under a communications blackout since the military operation was launched on November 4, making it difficult to verify the situation on the ground as both sides make conflicting claims.
In a Facebook post Thursday, Abiy said government forces had \"liberated\" the western zone of Tigray -- made up of six zones, plus the capital and surrounds.
Abiy also accused TPLF-aligned fighters of \"cruelty\", saying that when the army took control of the town of Sheraro they \"found bodies of executed defence force personnel whose hands and feet were tied\". There was no immediate reaction from the TPLF.
Under Abiy, Tigray's leaders have complained of being unfairly targeted in corruption prosecutions and removed from top positions.
Tensions soared as Tigray defiantly held its own elections in September, insisting Abiy was an illegitimate leader after national polls were postponed due to the coronavirus.
-'Rule of law'-
The conflict has seen multiple rounds of airstrikes targeting arms and fuel depots along with heavy fighting in western Tigray.
The UN said Wednesday some 11,000 Ethiopians had sought refuge in neighbouring Sudan, and Ethiopia has acknowledged some of its troops at one point retreated into neighbouring Eritrea, highlighting the conflict's potential to draw in the wider Horn of Africa region.
Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, quoted by state news agency SUNA as he hosted Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh, on Wednesday called for a \"stop to the fighting as soon as possible\" and a return to the negotiating table.
The African Union has also called for an immediate stop to fighting and for dialogue, as internationa
