Africa Intel

🇸🇳 Senegal's Pastef Party Secures Parliamentary Majority

The Pastef party, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, secured 130 out of 165 seats in Senegal's legislative elections, achieving a parliamentary majority. This result, following Faye's earlier dissolution of the house, paves the way for him to pursue an ambitious reform agenda despite current fiscal challenges.

Faye, who rose to power in April after a decisive election victory, dissolved the assembly prematurely, challenging the opposition's refusal to approve executive bills. The new parliamentary majority is expected to facilitate the pursuit of Faye's reform agenda, which was crucial in his electoral success.

However, his administration faces the immediate challenge of tackling a pressing fiscal crisis while drafting a new budget. The confirmed legislative support will be vital for enacting the President's policy objectives.

#Senegal

@africaintel

🇹🇳 Tunisian opposition leaderdoused with acid in his own home

Former Tunisian health minister and leader of the opposition Action and Achievement party Abdellatif Mekki was seriously injured after a neighbour threw acid at him in his home.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this criminal attack, which is a flagrant violation of all humanitarian laws and values. We call on the security and judicial authorities to shoulder their responsibilities, launch a prompt and thorough investigation into the circumstances of these repeated attacks, and take the necessary measures to ensure the protection of citizens," the party said.

Mekki tried to run in the presidential elections in October this year , but the electoral commission rejected his candidacy. Although the Tunisian administrative court upheld his appeal, Mekki was never included in the list of candidates for the vote.

#Tunisia

@africaintel

🇺🇬 Uganda plans to launch longest heated oil pipeline by 2027 – minister

The world's longest heated oil pipeline, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), is "still viable" despite funding delays caused by activist protests, with first deliveries expected by 2027.

Construction of the pipeline began in 2017, and it will be almost 1,500 km long. The pipeline will run from two fields on the shores of Lake Albert through Uganda and Tanzania to the port of Tanga. Part of the EACOP will pass through national parks and reserves, which has caused active opposition from environmentalists and led to a temporary halt in funding.

"The construction of the East African oil pipeline is ongoing. We have invested a lot of money in exploration and in critical infrastructure. We are now starting drilling If it were not for the injustice that was done to the pipeline, we would be talking about seeing first oil in 2025. But because of the campaigns against it, we will not see first oil next year. So we are counting on 2026, 2027," Ugandan Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said on the sidelines of the COP29 summit.

#Uganda

@africaintel

🇨🇩 Southern African bloc extends troop deployment in Congo by a year

Southern Africa's regional bloc on Wednesday extended by a year its troop deployment in Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is helping the government fight rebel groups.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) deployed the mission in Congo, a major producer of metals like cobalt and copper, in December 2023 with a one-year mandate.

"Summit extended the mandate of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo by one year, continuing the regional response to address the prevailing unstable security situation," the communique said.

Conflict in Congo's restive east has raged for decades between a myriad of rival armed groups over land and resources.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in the fighting, which has continued despite numerous ceasefires.

#DRCongo

@africaintel

🇸🇩 Sudan: Death toll in RSF siege of Wad Ashib climbs to 69

The death toll from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) siege of the town of Wad Ashib in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state has risen to 69, a local monitoring group said on Wednesday, with 42 people shot dead by the paramilitary force.

The RSF stormed Wad Ashib late last week as part of a retaliatory offensive in areas east of Al Jazirah. The ensuing siege, which included restrictions on movement, has led to a humanitarian crisis with shortages of food and medicine, according to the Al Jazirah Conference, a civilian group that monitors rights violations.

The statement added that the RSF looted and terrorized residents. Witnesses said RSF fighters forced large numbers of residents, including women, children and the elderly, from their homes. They are now sheltering on the banks of the Blue Nile with inadequate access to sanitation, shelter, medicine and food.

The RSF has controlled most of Al Jazirah state since late last year. The paramilitary force has been accused of widespread abuses, including killing, looting, arbitrary arrests and forced displacement. RSF leaders deny these accusations, blaming the violence on “outlaws” and groups linked to military intelligence.

#Sudan

@africaintel

🇲🇱 Mali Prime Minister Shoguel Maiga has been dismissed

Ina move that was largely expected, the Malian prime minister has been dismissed along with his entire government.

“The powers of the Prime Minister and members of the government have been terminated,” said a decree by Malian President Assimi Goita, which was read out on state television.

Maiga has led the government since 2021.

"What happened today in Mali, that is, the resignation of the government and the prime minister, was to be expected, since the prime minister has not behaved very responsibly lately, criticizing what he himself was involved in. We, as citizens of the country, did not expect such statements from a person at the center of the power structure," said Aliou Tounkara, a member of the Transitional Council.

According to Tunkara, with his statement the prime minister “extended his hand to the opposition.”

#Mali

@africaintel

🇳🇦 Namibia prepares for presidential election with key candidates in the race

Namibia will hold a presidential and parliamentary election on November 27, following the death of President Hage Geingob. His deputy, Nangolo Mbumba, is currently serving as interim president. This election could change the political landscape if the ruling SWAPO party loses power.

Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah is the first female presidential candidate for SWAPO. Other candidates include Panduleni Itula, who previously ran as an independent and now leads the Independent Patriots for Change, and McHenry Venaani, leader of the Popular Democratic Movement.

Bernadus Swartbooi heads the Landless People's Movement, advocating for land redistribution. Job Amupanda, a former SWAPO youth leader, leads the Affirmative Repositioning movement, focusing on land reform.

#Namibia

@africaintel

🇨🇩 Lack of education fuelling child soldier recruitment, says DRC minister

Children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being forced into armed groups as a result of poverty and a lack of access to education, the country’s human rights minister has said.

According to Chantal Chambu Mwavita these are usually street children who are vulnerable.

“It is our children who are recruited by armed groups. Child soldiers are often children who are on the streets and who wander everywhere because they can’t afford to go to school,” she said.

To tackle the problem, the DRC government has introduced free schooling for all children. Mwavita stressed that providing education is key to reducing the number of children who fall prey to armed groups.

“The Congolese government has opened the door to giving free schooling so that all these children can have access to school,” Mwavita said. She also urged the international community to intervene and bring a resolution to the war.

The ongoing conflict in the DRC has left millions displaced and has worsened the humanitarian crisis. According to Human Rights Watch, armed groups continue to recruit children, disrupt aid, and commit abuses in areas such as Goma. Efforts to stop these practices are complicated by ongoing violence and instability.

#DRCongo

@africaintel

🇲🇱 ICC sentences al-Qaida-linked former police chief to 10 years for war crimes in Mali

The International Criminal Court sentenced an al-Qaida-linked extremist leader to 10 years in prison on Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out when he headed the Islamic police in the historic desert city of Timbuktu in the west African country of Mali.

Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud was convicted of torture, religious persecution and other inhumane acts in June. Judges found he was a “key figure” in a reign of terror after Islamic extremist rebels overran Timbuktu in 2012.

Dressed head to toe in white traditional robes, Al Hassan was expressionless as he listened to the sentence being read out.

The 48-year-old was a member of Ansar Dine, an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida that held power in northern Mali at the time, and served as the ancient city’s police chief. A French-led military operation in 2013 forced the group from power, but rebel elements have continued to stage attacks on Malian and international forces.

To the disappointment of many human rights groups, Al Hassan was acquitted of several charges focusing on the abuse of women. The three-judge panel found that rape and sexual slavery did occur while his group controlled Timbuktu, but that Al Hassan couldn’t be connected to those crimes.

#Mali

@africaintel

🇨🇩 Congo accuses rebel group of 'ethnic cleansing' in country's east

Congo's government on Tuesday accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of “ethnic cleansing” in the central African nation’s east.

The minister of the interior, Jacquemain Shabani, denounced the “massive arrival of foreign populations” in the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi in North Kivu province, where locals were "expelled by violence."

More than 100 armed groups have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda. The violence has escalated as the M23 rebel group has reemerged. The conflict has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced, many beyond the reach of aid.

M23, or the March 23 Movement, is a rebel military group mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis who broke away from the Congolese army just over a decade ago. The group rose to prominence in 2012 when its fighters seized Goma, eastern Congo’s largest city on the border with Rwanda.

Congo alleges that Rwanda has been involved in war crimes in the east, and U.S. and U.N. experts accuse it of giving military backing to M23. Rwanda denies the claim, but in February admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo.

A July truce brokered by the United States and Angola has reduced the fighting between Rwandan and Congolese forces, but fighting between M23 and other militias continues.

#DRCongo #Rwanda

@africaintel

🇲🇿 Mozambique: Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane faces legal action

Mozambique’s Attorney General has filed a civil lawsuit against opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who is currently in exile, accusing him of inciting unrest following allegations of electoral fraud.

Authorities are seeking over 30 million meticais (approximately 480,000 euros) in damages for destruction caused during protests in Maputo. Mondlane has been calling for demonstrations since mid-October, denouncing what he claims is widespread fraud in the recent presidential election.

In addition to the civil suit, Mondlane is implicated in a criminal case against Vitano Singano, leader of the Democratic Revolution Party, who is accused of conspiring to attack the presidency. The alleged plot coincided with a major protest called by Mondlane on November 7.

Protests have resulted in significant casualties, with the UN reporting at least 30 deaths and civil society groups claiming over 60 fatalities. Authorities blame the demonstrations for widespread damage, while Mondlane has vowed to continue his mobilization against the government, further straining any possibility of dialogue.

#Mozambique

@africaintel

🇿🇦 South Africa’s Energy Plan to Be Submitted to Lawmakers by March

South Africa’s government expects to complete a revision of its national energy blueprint this month and submit the proposed changes to lawmakers by the end of the first quarter, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said.

The government’s so-called Integrated Resource Plan has faced criticism from energy activists for being too reliant on fossil fuels, amid calls to diversify South Africa’s energy mix and add new capacity from renewable sources. Critics have cautioned that the plan is unlikely to achieve its fundamental goal of providing a stable electricity supply.

The plan was first announced in 2019, before being overhauled last year and released for public comment in January. Since then, the government has received dozens of substantive submissions, Ramokgopa told reporters at a briefing in Pretoria on Wednesday.

The plan will be presented as the Integrated Resource Plan 2024, South African National Energy Development Institute Chief Executive Officer Titus Mathe said at the briefing.

“It’s almost like a new IRP, based on what has happened in the last 12 months or so,” he said. “We have taken the latest input assumptions and also additional data from the likes of Eskom and other organizations, and of course, the performance of Eskom has changed, so all of that was taken into account.”

South Africa’s state-owned utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. hasn’t implemented rolling power cuts since March 26 on improved generation and energy availability.

Fossil fuels will still remain a part of the mix under the new plan, Ramokgopa said.

“Their share of the mix and the aggregate distribution of the mix must be such that you are able to realize the affordability of electricity,” he said.

#SouthAfrica

@africaintel

🇲🇱🇮🇹🇧🇪 Jailed in Italy, Malian singer Rokia Traore to be handed over to Belgium

Renowned Malian singer Rokia Traore, arrested in Rome in June over an international child custody dispute, will be handed over to Belgium in the coming days after Italy's highest court rejected her appeal, her lawyer said on Wednesday.

Traore, 50, is one of Africa's best-known vocalists and a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations' refugee agency UNHCR.

"Rokia suffered an injustice. She was arrested without the Belgian criminal court hearing her voice. Now, the battle for Rokia's rights moves to Brussels," lawyer Maddalena Del Re said in a statement to Reuters.

Traore was arrested on June 20 at Rome's Fiumicino airport under a European arrest warrant. She had been sentenced to two years in prison in Belgium in Oct. 2023 in connection with a battle over custody of her daughter.

Since her arrest at Fiumicino, she has been in jail in Civitavecchia, near the Italian capital, where she had flown to hold a concert outside Rome's Colosseum.

The singer was first arrested in France in 2020 on a Belgian arrest warrant after failing to follow a court order to hand over her daughter to her Belgian father, the artist's estranged former partner.

Months after she was conditionally released, she flew to Mali on a private flight, defying orders not to leave France until her extradition case was processed. Her daughter lives in Mali.

#Mali #Italy #Belgium

@africaintel

🇺🇬🇰🇪 Ugandan politician ‘kidnapped’ in Kenya, taken to military court

Prominent Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye has appeared in a military court in Kampala after his wife said he had been kidnapped in neighbouring Kenya.

Besigye, 68, a doctor and critic of President Yoweri Museveni, was brought to the Makindye General Court Martial under a heavily armed military escort on Wednesday.

His lawyer Erias Lukwago said that Besigye appeared in the dock with Hajji Lutale Kamulegeya, another opposition figure. Lukwago said the two men were accused of being in possession of two pistols and soliciting “logistical support in Uganda, Greece and other countries with the aim of compromising the country’s national security”.

“[Besigye] has denied the charges and challenged the court’s jurisdiction to try him, and he has been remanded to Luzira Prison until December 2,” he added.

#Uganda #Kenya

@africaintel

🇳🇬 At least 50 insurgents killed, seven Nigerian officers missing after convoy attack

At least 50 Boko Haram fighters were killed on Tuesday and seven members of Nigeria's infrastructure security force were missing following an insurgent ambush on a convoy monitoring the country's power grid installations, a spokesperson said.

Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency for 15 years mainly in the northeast, has been weakened by the military and internal fighting but remains a threat as it makes deadly attacks against civilians and government targets.

Babawale Afolabi, spokesperson for the Nigerian Civil Defence Corp, a government agency set up to protect infrastructure, said security operatives were ambushed by about 200 Boko Haram fighters during the patrol mission.

Afolabi said more than 50 insurgents were killed in the fighting but seven operatives were missing, adding that efforts are underway to find them in the bush. He said "a few others" of the security force were wounded.

Although Boko Haram mainly operates in the northeast, Nigerian authorities say the group has cells in the largely Muslim Niger state, where they have previously carried attacks against the military and civilians.

In a separate attack in northeast Borno state, a military spokesperson said five soldiers were killed by suspected insurgents last Saturday.

#Nigeria

@africaintel

🇰🇪 Kenya's Catholic Church Refused to Accept $40K Donation from President

The Catholic Church in Kenya has rejected a donation from President William Ruto, who decided to hand over about $40,000 after priests criticized the government for failing to deliver on election promises.

Ruto reportedly handed over half of the donation, Ksh2.6 million, at a service on Sunday, November 17, promising to pay the rest later and also donate a bus to the parish. The money was to be used to build a house for the priest and gifts for the choir. After the donation was reported in local media, many Kenyans called on the Catholic Church to refuse the donation.

Nairobi Archbishop Philip Agnolo said the church must be independent of any political influence and the money would be returned for ethical reasons. Agnolo also said he would refuse a donation from Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who attended the same service.

"The Catholic Church categorically rejects the use of church events, such as fundraisers and services, as platforms for political self-promotion," the archbishop said.

#Kenya

@africaintel

🇨🇩 DRC minister calls for Rwandan troops to leave country

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is calling for the immediate withdrawal of Rwandan forces from its territory.

According to Human Rights Minister Chantal Chambu Mwavita the presence of the troops in the country is unnecessary and a violation of their sovereignty.

She noted that attacks by Rwandan troops and the M23 rebel group are worsening the ongoing crisis in the country.

“We simply ask that they go home and leave us alone because we have never had problems with them,” she said. Mwavita further urged the United Nations and other countries to pressure Rwanda to withdraw its forces, to prevent further atrocities from their camp.

#DRCongo #Rwanda

@africaintel

🇸🇩 Sudan's Burhan warns against signs of split in ex-ruling party

Armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday criticised factional strife within its former ruling party as risky for Sudan after a move to reinstate an ally of deposed autocrat Omar al-Bashir as the party's leader.

The National Congress Party has deep ties in the army and has seemed to sway its decision-making during the devastating 19-month-old war against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in particular hindering attempts to broker a ceasefire.

The NCP, which was in power for three decades before Bashir was ousted by a popular uprising in 2019, has in recent days shown signs of an internal schism after the party's advisory council elected Ahmed Haroun as party president.

Haroun is a close associate of Bashir and both men are wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity dating to the early 2000s war in Sudan's Darfur region. In January, the United States offered a $5 million reward for Haroun's capture.

In a speech, Burhan said the advisory council meeting was divisive. "We do not accept any political activity that threatens the unity of Sudan or its fighters," he told a economic conference in Port Sudan.

"We do not need any (political) conflicts or divisions, we have one goal which is to defeat the rebels (RSF)," he added.

After the current war erupted, Haroun and several former top Bashir deputies were sprung from prison and remain at large.

#Sudan

@africaintel

🇨🇩 Congo says mausoleum holding independence hero Lumumba’s gold-capped tooth is vandalized

Congo’s government says the mausoleum of assassinated independence leader Patrice Lumumba in the capital, Kinshasa, has been vandalized. It’s not immediately clear whether Lumumba’s remains — a single gold-capped tooth — were damaged or stolen.

A mausoleum curator told the national press agency that the coffin containing the tooth was broken Monday.

The glass doors were smashed and four suspects were arrested, the deputy mayor of the neighborhood where the mausoleum is located told the country’s main radio channel. He added that he couldn’t confirm whether the tooth was stolen or not.

It’s not clear who was responsible for the act of vandalism, Congo’s ministry of culture said in a statement Tuesday.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

#DRCongo

@africaintel