South Korea impeached President faces criminal trial

SEOUL, South Korea

South Korea's impeached President, Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court on Thursday for the first hearing of his criminal trial over insurrection charges.

Yoon arrived amid high security at the Seoul central district court, becoming the first South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case.

In December, Yoon briefly imposed martial law in South Korea and parliament subsequently voted to impeach him in mid-December.

Prosecutors have accused the suspended president of being the "ringleader of an insurrection".

They called for quick proceedings considering the case's "gravity", but Yoon's lawyers said they needed more time to review records.

Yoon's lawyer Kim Hong-il said his declaration of martial law was not intended to paralyse the state.

Instead, he said, it was meant to "alert the public to the national crisis caused by the legislative dictatorship of the dominant opposition party, which had crippled the administration."

Last month, prosecutors indicted Yoon, accusing him of orchestrating an insurrection through his brief imposition of martial law

Initially, Yoon barricaded himself inside his Seoul compound before eventually being arrested in January.

He was formally indicted on January 26 on the charge of rebellion.

The Constitutional Court is separately considering whether to formally dismiss Yoon or reinstate him as president.

The crime of insurrection is one of the few criminal charges for which the president of South Korea does not enjoy immunity. It is punishable by life imprisonment or death. However, South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.

Yoon, a conservative, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing. He called his martial law a legitimate act of governance meant to raise public awareness of the danger posed by a liberal-controlled National Assembly obstructing his agenda and impeaching top officials.

Zelensky's trust rating increases to 57% - survey

KYIV, Ukraine

Around 57% of Ukrainians trust President Volodymyr Zelensky as of February, marking an increase of five percentage points since December, according to a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) published on February 19.

The poll, carried out between Feb. 4 and 9, was published shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump alleged that Zelensky holds a "4% approval rating" without providing a source to back his claim.

The latest survey shows that Zelensky continues to enjoy support from the majority of Ukrainians, even marking a slight increase in trust after a year of steady decline in popularity throughout 2024.

Around 37% of respondents said they do not trust the president, a two-point drop since December.

"If some international partners and allies are worried about the legitimacy of the President in the context of possible peace negotiations and consider it appropriate to insist on elections, then from the point of view of Ukrainian citizens themselves, there are no problems with this," said Anton Hrushetskyi, the executive director of KIIS.

According to the latest poll from Reuters published Feb. 19, Trump's own approval rating currently stands at 44%.

Kremlin propaganda has pushed the narrative that Zelensky is an illegitimate leader, relying on the premise that his first presidential term was originally meant to end on May 20, 2024.

The false allegation ignores the fact that the Ukrainian constitution prohibits elections during martial law, which went into effect after Russia launched the full-scale invasion in 2022.

Pushing to broker a quick peace deal, Trump has begun pressuring Ukraine to hold elections while blaming Zelensky's administration for the continuation of the war.

"That's not a Russia thing. That's something coming from me," Trump said on Feb. 18 about the need to hold elections in Ukraine, claiming that his views were not influenced by Moscow's narratives.

The KIIS survey was conducted by phone, with the participation of 1,000 respondents living in Ukraine-controlled territories.

Trump calls Zelensky a 'dictator' as rift between two leaders deepens

WASHINGTON, United States

United States President, Donald Trump has spent the day attacking Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and deepening the rift between the two leaders.

His attacks came after Zelensky, reacting to US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia from which Kyiv was excluded, said the US president was "living in a disinformation space" governed by Moscow.

Speaking at a Saudi-backed investment meeting in Florida, Trump said the only thing Zelensky "was really good at was playing Joe Biden like a fiddle".

The "dictator" slur quickly prompted criticism from European leaders including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who said "it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky his democratic legitimacy".

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer made it clear he backed Zelensky in a phone call to the Ukrainian president.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Sir Keir "expressed his support for President Zelensky as Ukraine's democratically elected leader".

It was "perfectly reasonable to suspend elections during war time as the UK did during World War Two," the spokesperson added.

Zelensky is due to meet the American envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, on Thursday. He said it was crucial that the discussion - and overall co-operation with the US - remains constructive.

In a social media post, Zelensky said that peace could be more secure with the US and Europe.

Zelensky's five-year term of office was due to come to an end in May 2024. However, Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and elections are suspended.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also criticised Trump's use of the word "dictator" while German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called the comments "absurd".

"If you look at the real world instead of just firing off a tweet, then you know who in Europe has to live in the conditions of a dictatorship: people in Russia, people in Belarus," she told broadcaster ZDF.

Speaking in Florida, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator", just hours after using the same word in a Truth Social post about the Ukrainian president.

"He refuses to have elections. He's low in the real Ukrainian polls. How can you be high with every city being demolished?" Trump said.

He also referenced his attempt to get rare-earth minerals from Ukraine, accusing Zelensky's government of "breaking the deal".

His address echoed his wording of the Truth Social post where Trump said Zelensky "has done a terrible job, his country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died." In the meantime, the US was "successfully negotiating an end to the war with Russia," he said.

A White House official said Trump's post was in direct response to Zelensky's "disinformation" comments.

On Tuesday US and Russian officials held their first high-level, face-to-face talks since Russia's full-scale invasion.

The former prime minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, told the BBC that Russia was "popping champagne right now" in response to Trump's comments.

"Volodymyr Zelensky is a completely legitimate president," he said. "We cannot hold elections under martial law."

The war of words began with comments made by Trump on Tuesday at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, when he blamed Ukraine for the war.

Trump was asked by BBC News what his message was to Ukrainians who might feel betrayed, to which he replied: "I hear that they're upset about not having a seat, well, they've had a seat for three years and a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily."

"You should have never started it. You could have made a deal," Trump added.

Trump did not mention that President Vladimir Putin took the decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022.

Then on Wednesday, Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv: "We are seeing a lot of disinformation and it's coming from Russia. With all due respect to President Donald Trump as a leader... he is living in this disinformation space."

He added that he believed "the United States helped Putin to break out of years of isolation".

Later in the day, the Ukrainian leader said the world faced the choice to be "with Putin or with peace" and announced he would be meeting Washington's Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, on Thursday.

US top diplomat to boycott G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

As South Africa prepares to host foreign ministers from the G20 countries, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not be attending.

Relations between Pretoria and Washington have been strained under President Donald Trump's new administration.

Rubio criticised the country’s policies as “anti-American”.

It is the first meeting of foreign ministers from the G20 group of major economies since South Africa took over its presidency in December last year.

“The G20 is a voluntary membership grouping. So if an important country like the United States looks like it's not participating, that's a negative sign," said Professor Daniel Bradlow, a senior research fellow at the Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship at the University of Pretoria.

Last week, Trump cut aid and assistance to South Africa saying Afrikaners, who are descendants of mainly Dutch colonial settlers, were being targeted by a new law that allows the government to expropriate private land.

Bradlow said major powers such as China would likely look to fill any vacuum left by the United States in the multilateral grouping, but suggested other outcomes were possible too.

"There are a number of other countries that are middle powers, including South Africa, that could say this is an opportunity to start rethinking the way the world is governed and, how we deal with international affairs and do it in a way that's more responsive to the needs of all countries,” he said.

The G20 is made up of 19 countries representing some of the world's largest economies, as well as the EU.

Analysts say Rubio's absence represents the Trump administration's indifference to multilateral bodies, but Rubio has also directly rejected South Africa's priorities for its G20 presidency.

South Africa is the first African nation to hold the G20 presidency and its theme for the grouping this year is “solidarity, equality, sustainability".

It says it will use its position to advance the interests of poorer countries, especially with regards to debt refinancing and helping developing nations mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Frail Ugandan opposition figure back in jail after brief court appearance

KAMPALA, Uganda

Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye appeared briefly in a civilian court Wednesday as attorneys tried to secure his freedom, but a judge said he was too unwell to follow proceedings.

A visibly frail Besigye, who has been detained since November, was driven back to a maximum-security prison in Kampala, the Ugandan capital.

He went missing in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on 16 November last year, and days later appeared in a cage before a military tribunal in Kampala.

Besigye was charged with offenses concerning a threat to national security, and later charged before the same tribunal with treason, an offense which under military law carries the death penalty.

His family says he began a hunger strike to protest against his continued detention after Uganda’s Supreme Court last month ruled that military tribunals cannot try civilians.

Besigye’s attorneys say he and others who faced charges before the military court should have been released immediately.

“The justice of the case required that today there should be remedy, there should be a decision and it should be instant. Unfortunately, that is not the case,” said Erias Lukwago.

“And to make matters worse we have not been given any idea or clue as to when the decision will be given,” he said.

Justice officials say they are studying the evidence against Besigye in order to charge him in a civilian court.

Besigye’s wife, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima, says her husband is being framed and is deeply concerned about his continued detention.

“I am devastated. But I am not surprised. Besigye is a captive. He was kidnapped. He is in captivity as we all are. (President Yoweri) Museveni has put all of us in captivity,” she said.

His attorney says the charges are politically motivated.

Besigye’s continued detention is attracting more attention as his supporters, activists and others warn that he needs medical care and should be removed from prison conditions.

They say any harm to him while in custody could trigger deadly unrest in this east African country.

The four-time presidential candidate is a prominent opposition figure in Uganda and was Museveni’s most serious challenger before the recent rise of the opposition figure known as Bobi Wine.

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said the case against Besigye was “not prosecution, this is persecution”.

“Dr Besigye would not be brought to court today if it was not for pressure. This is the same judge that said the cash bonanza at parliament was legal. At the same time, this is the same judge that is sending Dr Besigye back to prison instead of sending him to hospital,” he said.

The Commonwealth group of nations, of which Uganda is a member, has urged Ugandan authorities to free Besigye and his co-accused, an assistant named Obeid Lutale.

Amnesty International also called for Besigye’s release, saying his “abduction clearly violated international human rights law and the process of extradition with its requisite fair trial protections”.

Military prosecutors accuse Besigye of soliciting weapons in meetings in Europe with the purpose of undermining national security.

The charges have not been substantiated, but the president’s son, army commander Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has alleged that Besigye plotted to assassinate Museveni.

Besigye’s case is being watched closely by Ugandans anxious over political manoeuvres ahead of presidential elections next year.

Uganda has never witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from colonial rule six decades ago.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 20/02/2025

 

South Africa’s budget postponed amid coalition dispute

JOHANNESBURG,  South Africa 

South Africa’s national budget presentation was abruptly postponed on Wednesday due to a dispute within the country’s coalition government, marking an unprecedented delay in the post-apartheid era.

National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza told lawmakers that such a postponement had never occurred in the past 30 years. The budget is now expected to be tabled on 12 March.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC), which lost its parliamentary majority in last year’s election, requires support from coalition partners to pass the budget. Its main ally, the Democratic Alliance (DA), opposed the ANC’s proposal to raise value-added tax (VAT) by two percentage points.

The delay rattled financial markets, with the South African rand falling as much as 1% against the US dollar.

Local media reports suggest the proposed VAT hike was intended to address funding shortfalls in education and social programmes. The last increase in VAT was in 2018, but the idea of another rise has faced strong resistance from opposition parties and labour unions.

South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised economy, has struggled with slow growth, rising public debt, and high unemployment in the years following the 2008-09 global financial crisis.

Uganda president dismisses Besigye's hunger strike as 'unprincipled blackmail'

KAMPALA, Uganda

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has responded to the concerns raised by Ugandans concerning Dr. Kizza Besigye's arrest and his apparent deterioration in health.

Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye (right) and Obeid Lutale stand in a steel dock at the Uganda Military General Court Martial in Makindye on December 2, 2024.

In a statement on his official X account on Tuesday, Museveni called Besigye's decision to engage in a hunger strike as "unprincipled blackmail" claiming that he should instead be demanding a quick trial.

"Is that not unprincipled blackmail? How can you be accused of serious crimes and, then, your response is a hunger strike to generate sympathy for getting bail? Why don't you demand a quick trial? The military court was ready for the trial. Let us wait for the civilian court," stated Museveni.

The president's remarks come in response to public outcry led by Opposition leader Bobi Wine regarding the detention of Besigye, a long-time opposition figure, on charges the government claims are serious and linked to national security.

On this, Museveni warned the leaders against inciting unwarranted violence.

"The answer to the charges being faced by Dr Besigye is a quick trial so that facts come out. Otherwise, you are promoting insecurity which is very dangerous for the country," he warned.

Addressing Ugandans, Museveni further argued that the key question should not be about Besigye's detainment but rather the reasons behind his arrest.

"Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu. I have seen the concern by some Ugandans regarding the remanding of Dr Besigye for the very serious offences he is alleged to have been planning. If you want a stable country, the more correct question should be, 'Why was Dr Besigye arrested?'" noted Museveni.

According to Museveni, the judicial process was initially set to proceed under the military court, but delays arose after the Supreme Court ruled that the case should be transferred to civilian courts.

He stated that the government is working on addressing legal gaps in the Court Martial while ensuring a smooth transition of the case.

"Who slowed down the trial process? It is the Courts that pointed out some gaps in the Military Courts and they ordered the transfer of the cases to Civilian Courts. The concerned people are, therefore, working on two fronts. Transfer the files to the Civilian Courts from the Military Courts as the government through the legislature closes the gaps in the Military Courts," he explained.

Museveni dismissed claims that the government is deliberately neglecting Besigye's health, pointing out that he has access to medical care both in prison and from his private doctors. The president further insisted that any additional medical needs would be addressed accordingly.

"On the issue of sickness, there is, first of all, a Gov't hospital in the Prison. Besides that, Dr. Besigye's personal doctors have been visiting him and even taking him to private clinics. If there was a need for any additional medical care, the government would be advised," he said.

Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate and former ally of Museveni, has been on a five-day hunger strike protesting his unconstitutional detention.

Sudan says Ruto broke promises by allowing RSF meeting in Nairobi

By Mwangi Maina, NAIROBI Kenya

Kenya is facing a diplomatic firestorm after Sudan's government on Tuesday accused President William Ruto of reneging on a high-level promise by allowing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups to hold discussions in Nairobi on forming a parallel government.

In a strongly worded statement, Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed Kenya for violating diplomatic assurances, citing an undisclosed January meeting where Ruto had personally assured Sudan's top diplomat Ali al-Sadiq Youssif that Nairobi would not be used as a launch pad for efforts to install a rival administration.

"The Republic of Sudan expresses its deep regret and dismay at the government of Kenya's violation of its commitments at the highest levels not to allow its territory to be a platform for activities hostile to Sudan," the Sudanese Foreign Ministry stated hours after the RSF kicked off a meeting in Nairobi.

Sudan further accused Kenya of complicity in efforts to undermine the country's sovereignty, framing the Nairobi meetings as a clear violation of international law, the African Union (AU) Constitutive Act, and the UN Charter.

"The Kenyan government has deliberately disregarded its obligations and chosen to host and support these illegitimate gatherings, which seek to destabilise Sudan and its institutions," the statement said.

This latest falling-out puts President Ruto in a precarious position, especially with the US closely watching.

The US government has sanctioned RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ‘Hemedti’ for atrocities in Sudan, including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Yet, Nairobi has rolled out the red carpet for his faction, allowing the controversial talks to proceed.

Sudan's foreign ministry did not hold back in its condemnation, warning that Kenya's actions would have consequences.

"This is a serious breach of trust, and Sudan will not stand idly by as its sovereignty is undermined under the pretext of regional mediation," the statement read.

Notably, the State House Nairobi and the Foreign Office have remained silent on Sudan's accusations. Ruto's administration has yet to clarify why Kenya went back on its assurances to Khartoum, or whether there was official approval for the RSF-led political manoeuvring in Nairobi.

Kenya's diplomatic credibility is now on the line, and with Sudan publicly exposing Ruto's broken promise, the pressure is mounting for Nairobi to explain its stance — or face the consequences.

In a statement carried by the official SUNA news agency, Sudan’s acting foreign minister Ali Al-Sadiq said the country's ambassador to Kenya had been recalled “for consultations in protest of the official reception organized by the Kenyan government for the leader of the rebel militia.”

He said those consultations would “cover all possibilities for the outcome of Sudan’s relations with Kenya.”

Rwanda suspends development cooperation with Belgium

By Michael J Kavanagh, KIGALI Rwanda

Rwanda has officially suspended its 2024-2029 bilateral aid program with Belgium, citing Brussels’ aggressive campaign to block Rwanda’s access to development finance and its leading role in pushing for EU sanctions over Kigali’s alleged support for the M23 rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Rwandan soldiers escorting surrendering Congolese soldiers from Goma crossing to Gisenyi, Rwanda

In a strongly worded statement issued Tuesday, Kigali accused Belgium of using development finance as a tool of political leverage and undermining African-led mediation efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.

“Belgium has made a political decision to choose a side in this conflict, which is its right, but politicizing development is plainly wrong,” said Rwanda.

“No country in the region should have its development finance jeopardized as a tool of leverage,” the Rwandan government added.

Belgium, the former colonial ruler of both Rwanda and the DRC, has been at the forefront of international efforts to penalize Rwanda, particularly by pressing for EU sanctions and blocking military aid over Kigali’s support for M23 rebels.

Diplomatic sources indicate that Brussels is pushing for the suspension of the EU-Rwanda minerals agreement, a February 2024 deal that gave the European Union access to Rwanda’s critical raw materials for microchips and electric vehicles. 

The deal, which was heavily criticized by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, granted the EU access to tin, tungsten, gold, niobium, and potential lithium and rare earth elements. 

Rwanda is also the world’s largest extractor of tantalum, a rare metal essential for chemical equipment and electronics.

Under the agreement, the EU committed €900 million (£750 million) to Rwanda’s infrastructure, raw materials extraction, health, and climate resilience, as part of its Global Gateway Initiative, a €300 billion rival to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

However, amid rising allegations that Rwanda uses M23 rebels to control and exploit DRC’s mineral wealth, Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin recently stated that mere diplomatic declarations were insufficient and that Europe must use its economic levers to pressure Kigali.

“The international community must consider how to respond because declarations have not been enough. We have the levers, and we have to decide how to use them,” Quintin said during a visit to Morocco.

Brussels’ push for action has gained traction within EU institutions, with Belgian MEP Hilde Vautmans, who chairs the European Parliament’s EU-Africa delegation, calling for urgent measures against Rwanda, including targeted sanctions against Rwandan leaders; a freeze on EU development aid to Rwanda and the immediate suspension of the EU-Rwanda minerals agreement.

“Given the overwhelming evidence that Rwanda is involved in supporting the M23 rebels in eastern Congo, it is imperative that the EU takes urgent action,” Vautmans said.

Tensions between Belgium and Rwanda had already been strained before the latest fallout.