Guinea dissolves 40 political parties including main opposition

CONAKRY, Guinea 

Guinea has dissolved 40 political parties, including its three main opposition groups, via a late-night decree, in the latest crackdown on civil liberties under longtime strongman Mamady Doumbouya.

Doumbouya, who came to power in a 2021 coup, was elected president in late December in a vote in which all major opposition leaders were barred.

As junta leader he has ruled Guinea with an iron fist, suppressing freedoms and banning protests.

Political opponents have been arrested, put on trial or driven into exile, while enforced disappearances and kidnappings have multiplied.

Guinea's minister of territorial administration and decentralisation ordered the dissolution of the parties late on Friday for "failure to fulfil their obligations".

The decree also stripped them of control of their assets.

Guinea's three main political parties are among those dissolved: the UFDG led by its exiled leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, the RPG led by exiled ex-president Alpha Conde, and the UFR.

"This dissolution entails the immediate loss of the legal personality and status of the parties concerned", the order said.

That includes "all political activities" as well as the use of "acronyms, logos (and) emblems" associated with the groups, it added.

The parties' assets have been placed under "sequestration" with a curator appointed to oversee their transfer, the decree said, without specifying to whom or to what entity.

Parties and civil society movements condemned the dissolution Saturday, slamming it as dictatorial.

UFDG communications coordinator Souleymane de Souza Konate said that "all red lines" had been crossed in "the final act of a true political farce whose objective is the establishment of a single-party state".

Ibrahima Diallo, a leader in the pro-democracy National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), said the move "formalized a dictatorship now established as the mode of governance. The country is sinking into profound uncertainty."

 Two well-known FNDC activists, Oumar Sylla, better known as Fonike Mengue, and Mamadou Billo Bah, have been missing since July 2024.

Doumbouya, 41, came to power in 2021 when he toppled Conde, Guinea's first freely elected president.

Guinea's new constitution, approved in a referendum last September, allowed junta members including Doumbouya to stand for election and lengthened presidential terms from five to seven years, renewable once.

Doumbouya was sworn in on January 17.

Not only have opposition voices disappeared on Doumbouya's watch but so have their family members.

Earlier this week several relatives of Tibou Kamara, a former minister and spokesman under Conde, were kidnapped.

Four family members of exiled musician and opposition figure Elie Kamano were abducted in November and the father of exiled journalist Mamoudou Babila Keita was kidnapped in September.

Doumbouya returned to Guinea Friday following a three-week absence that had raised questions about his health.

He had left Guinea on February 13 to attend an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, but had not been seen since.

Guinea has had a complex history of military and authoritarian rule since its 1958 independence.

The country is rich in minerals, but more than half of its inhabitants live below the poverty line, according to World Bank figures for 2024.

Tanzania pushes out Burundian refugees, UN concerned

KIGOMA, Tanzania 

Refugees from Burundi are being forcibly evicted from camps as Tanzania destroys their homes and churches, pushing them to return, often after years in exile.

Burundi's Interior Minister Leonidas Ndaruzaniye said this week that more than 100,000 of its citizens would be repatriated by June under a deal with Tanzania, according to local media.

There were an estimated 142,000 Burundians in two camps as of late 2025, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), having fled years of civil war, political repression and entrenched poverty in their small country in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

Refugees have told AFP they are being forced out by violence, with Tanzanian security forces overseeing the destruction of their homes in the camps at Nduta and Nyarugusu.

"They started destroying our houses in early January," said Gerard, a 33-year-old former nurse, who lived in Nduta and like others in the camp gave only his first name for fear of reprisals.

"They come with large tree trunks... to break the walls of our adobe brick houses. We can't do anything because the police are shooting at us if we try to resist," he told AFP by phone.

Entire areas, including churches, have been destroyed, with schools and hospitals closed, according to several refugees, who also said they were prevented from leaving their homes to farm.

"It is 100 percent coercion, and in that way, very illegal," Stephanie Schwartz, a researcher at the London School of Economics, told AFP.

Several refugees told AFP they were shocked at the lack of intervention by UNHCR. In a statement to AFP, UNHCR said it "has observed and expressed serious concern over actions taken by Tanzanian authorities in the refugee camps that have put significant pressure on Burundian refugees to sign up for repatriation."

Jackson, 41, who lived in Nyarugusu, said the Tanzanian authorities were using Congolese refugees from a neighbouring part of the camp to carry out the demolitions.

"The agent of the ministry of internal affairs who supervises the operation knocks on the doors and tells the owners to leave immediately with their belongings. If you hang around, the (Congolese) don't hesitate to attack your house," Jackson told AFP.

Burundi and Tanzania initially signed an agreement in December to facilitate the return of up to 3,000 people per week, UNHCR said, and some 28,000 have gone back so far this year.

Tanzanian officials did not respond to multiple attempts to reach them for comment.

A senior Burundian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the country was now a "haven of peace" and those speaking of forced repatriation were "liars".

"The refugees are returning because there is peace," the official said.

"The Tanzanians are only destroying the homes of those who have elected for repatriation." Rights activists say Burundians who go home are often targeted as dissidents by the authoritarian government.

Jackson said the refugees were left with a choice between "seeing their children at the mercy of rain, sun and cold... or being registered on the list of voluntary repatriates."

10 people killed in Nairobi as heavy overnight rains trigger floods

NAIROBI,  Kenya 

At least 10 people have died following heavy rains that pounded Nairobi overnight, with eight bodies recovered so far, including two victims who were electrocuted, police said.

The scale of the crisis prompted President William Ruto to deploy the military overnight to support search and rescue efforts as floodwaters cut off roads, submerged estates and left motorists and residents stranded in different parts of the city.

Most of the victims were swept into rivers by the raging floodwaters, with several bodies later found lodged along riverbanks and drainage channels across Nairobi.

Police said the bodies of a man and a woman were found stuck near Visa Oshwal Primary School in Parklands.

Three other bodies were recovered within Nairobi’s central region, including one in the Gikomba Kwa Mbao area, while three more victims were found in the Lang’ata area. A woman’s body was also recovered from a flooded section of Uhuru Park.

Nairobi police commander George Seda warned the death toll could rise as search and rescue operations continued on Saturday.

Authorities are also searching for the bodies of two people who drowned in Kitengela after their vehicle was swept away by floodwaters on Friday night.

Seda said rescue efforts were severely hampered by widespread flooding across roads and residential estates.

“Most roads and estates were flooded, making it impossible for rescue missions last night,” he said.

The downpour also caused extensive property damage across the city, with more than 100 vehicles damaged by floodwaters.

“In South C alone there are more than 50 cars affected. Others were overturned on the roadside and parking bays in many parts of the city,” Seda said.

The heavy rains triggered major traffic disruption, with several key roads flooded and motorists stranded for hours.

Similar incidents were reported in other parts of the country, especially in areas near rivers, with police confirming at least three additional drowning incidents outside Nairobi.

In response, the government activated emergency response mechanisms nationwide after the Kenya Meteorological Department warned that heavy rainfall will persist across much of the country, raising fears of further flooding, displacement and transport disruption.

Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said the government is coordinating national disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts as intense rains continue to affect several regions.

He urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and prioritise safety, especially when travelling near flooded roads or swollen rivers.

Iran president apologizes to neighboring countries for attacks

TEHRAN, Iran 

Iran President  Masoud Pezeshkian apologized for Iran’s attacks on regional countries, insisting that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks. 

His statement aired after repeated attacks Saturday morning on Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television.

Iran’s president also said that a demand by the United States for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should not take to their grave.”

Trump demands 'unconditional surrender' from Iran as Putin speaks with Iran's president

WASHINGTON, United States 

United States President,  Donald Trump has demanded Iran's "unconditional surrender" as the American and Israeli military continued to launch strikes.

Trump said the US and allies would make Iran "economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before" after it picked "acceptable" new leadership.

With the war close to entering a second week, it remains unclear who will lead Iran after the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei a week ago, or on what terms the US would end its offensive against Tehran, which has triggered region-wide retaliatory strikes.

Speaking on Friday, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the administration expected military operations to last four to six weeks.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said: "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!

"After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.

"IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!)."

Trump's latest intervention suggested he was not interested in a negotiated settlement to the war, though he stopped short of calling for regime change.

Since the beginning of the conflict, Trump has avoided the term "regime change", a sign he may be wary of drawing parallels between the attack on Iran and past US wars in the Middle East that he criticised before entering politics.

Other senior administration officials have made that argument on Trump's behalf in recent days, saying the president will not let the US get drawn into a protracted, open-ended conflict like in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Asked about the duration of the offensive, Leavitt told reporters: "We expect [the war] to last about 4 to 6 weeks, and we are well on our way to achieving those objectives, annihilating Iran's navy."

She also said Trump did not want Iran to be led by "a radical terrorist or a regime that chants death to America".

The White House press secretary told reporters: "[Trump] wants to take an interest in and pursuing who the next leader of the Iranian country is going to be. And that has yet to be seen, the president is discussing it."

Ugandan troops helped South Sudan with deadly airstrikes - UN

NEW YORK, United States 

Uganda helped South Sudan carry out airstrikes that killed and badly burned civilians a year ago, according to a U.N. inquiry.

Joint aerial bombardments by South Sudan and Uganda “targeted civilian-populated areas predominantly affecting Nuer communities in opposition-affiliated areas,” said the report by the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, referring to South Sudan’s second-largest ethnic group.

Ugandan troops are deployed in South Sudan to help the government of President Salva Kiir against forces loyal to opposition figure Riek Machar, who was suspended as vice president in September after he faced criminal charges. 

Ugandan military authorities say troops are in South Sudan at the invitation of the South Sudan government and in accordance with a bilateral security agreement.

While Machar is currently on trial for offenses including treason, fighting has intensified in areas seen as his strongholds, where government troops are trying to disperse the rebels.

The attacks cited in the U.N. report involved widespread use of “improvised incendiary devices,” it said.

Ugandan forces entered South Sudan in March 2025 with military hardware, including tanks and armored vehicles. That happened shortly after a militia overran a military garrison near the Ethiopian border.

Weeks later, Machar was placed under house arrest for his alleged role in orchestrating the attack, charges that he denies. The government has since relied on aerial attacks to gain the upper hand in a widening conflict with Machar’s forces and other armed groups.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni sent his army to intervene in South Sudan’s 2013-2018 civil war on multiple occasions on behalf of Kiir’s forces, helping to turn the tide in his favor. Ongoing fighting threatens a 2018 peace deal.

During one attack in March 2025 in Wunaliet, 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the capital of Juba, homes were engulfed after planes dropped “barrels of liquid that ignited,” witnesses told the U.N. commission. Survivors said they saw “civilians set alight, including a boy burnt beyond recognition.” A barracks, housing opposition soldiers, was also struck.

A day after the attack, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni's son who also serves as the top military commander, posted on X that Uganda had bombed opposition forces.

“Our air offensive will not stop until Riek Machar makes peace with my uncle Afande Salva,” he wrote. While Kiir is not actually Kainerugaba’s uncle, the term shows the closeness of the two governments.

The post, which was later deleted, accompanied a video appearing to show fiery explosions captured from an in-flight aircraft.

Flight tracking data shows that a turboprop plane that circled the area during the bombing had arrived earlier that day from Uganda and was operated by the Ugandan army, the U.N. report said.

The report does not state conclusively how many operations Uganda was involved in or the exact nature of their involvement, only that there appeared to be “high degrees of planning, operational integration and command-level authorization.”

In November, Uganda denied participating in any combat operations in South Sudan. It has also denied using “chemical weapons and barrel bombs” and said it does not attack civilians.

Last year, Amnesty International said that Uganda had violated a 2018 U.N. arms embargo that prohibits member states from providing most forms of military assistance to South Sudan, including weapons and personnel. 

An U.N. panel of experts echoed that assessment in November.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 07/03/2026

 

South Sudan soldiers to face court martial over a civilian massacre

JUBA, South Sudan 

South Sudanese soldiers, including two officers, will face a court martial over a civilian massacre last month, the army spokesman said Wednesday.

The increasingly unstable country is seeing a surge of fighting between government and opposition forces, much of it in eastern Jonglei state where at least 280,000 people have been displaced since December according to the United Nations.

At least 25 civilians, including women and children, were killed in Ayod County in Jonglei state on February 21, according to the opposition.

Army spokesman Lul Ruai Koang told our reporter that two officers, including a major, and several non-commissioned officers, had been arrested and would face charges in the capital Juba, "before they are arraigned before a competent military court martial".

He said the deaths were attributed to "some elements" under General Johnson Olony, who was filmed in January ordering troops to "spare no lives" in Jonglei.

Koang said the soldiers had "moved out without the knowledge or authorisation of the division commander".

He also said they had been part of a militia group allied to opposition forces, parts of which had not yet been fully integrated into the army.

Military integration was among the core principles of a peace agreement that ended South Sudan's five-year civil war in 2018 between President Salva Kiir and his long-time rival, Riek Machar, but it was never implemented.

Koang said the army regretted the loss of lives, adding: "We would like to once again remind our forces that their mandate is to protect civilians and their property, not to do the opposite."

It followed an impassioned plea from the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops' Conference on recent civilian killings -- in Ayod, and also in Abiemnom County near the Sudan border where at least 169 people were killed on Sunday.

"We implore you to deploy resources to protect vulnerable populations and foster a climate of dialogue and reconciliation instead of violence and revenge, consoling the bereaved and supporting the afflicted," it said in a statement.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 06/03/2026

 

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 05/03/2026