Billions of dollars in gold flows illegally out of Africa each year - report says

DUBAI, United Arabs Emirates 

An official within the UAE government's media office said the country has taken significant steps to address concerns around gold smuggling and the risks it poses. 

The continued growth of the UAE's gold market reflected the confidence of the international community in its processes, the official said, responding on behalf of the country's press office without providing further identification.

"The UAE remains steadfast in its efforts to combat gold smuggling and ensure the highest standards of transparency and accountability within the gold and precious metals sector," the official said.

The Swiss government said it was aware of the challenges identifying the origins of gold and that it had introduced measures to prevent illegal flows.

"Switzerland is and stays committed to improve the traceability of commodity flows, the transparency of statistics and the quality of controls," Fabian Maienfisch, spokesperson for Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, said.

The report compared export data from African countries with import data from non-African countries, along with other calculations, to extrapolate the data. Among its recommendations, it called on African states to take steps to formalize artisanal and small scale mining and reinforce border controls.

It also called on non-African states to publish the identity of the countries of origin and the countries of dispatch of imported gold, and to work with authorities to identify illicit gold flows.

S. Africa opposition reacts to latest election results

JOHANNESBURG,  South Africa 

South Africa’s main opposition leader said Friday morning that breaking the African National Congress’s majority is “the way to rescue South Africa,” as 60% of votes have been counted with long-time ruling party ANC only holding just under 42%.

That represented a huge drop from the 57.5% it received in the last national election in 2019, although the final results from Wednesday's election have not yet been declared.

More than 50% is required in order for ANC leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to remain president under South Africa’s parliamentary system.

“They’re going to end up in the low forties,” said John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance party. “And that obviously opens up a whole new universe for politics in South Africa.”

The Democratic Alliance, a centrist party, held more than 20% of the vote when Steenhuisen spoke from the IEC center.

Other major parties include the MK party, ran by former president Jacob Zuma, and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters party ran by former ANC member Julius Malema.

Steenhuisen claimed that the DA has a multicultural voter base, stating that “If I look at our growth amongst Black South Africans, it’s doubled from the last election."

He added: "If I look to the parties to the left and right of me, they’re able to draw from very limited pools of voters, and they’re virtually monochromatic.”

Steenhuisen said he was open to working with the ANC, although he would have to first speak with a group of other parties that he has a pre-election agreement with.

The ANC first gained power in 1994, when the party, led by Nelson Mandela, won the first democratic elections in the country which signaled the end of Apartheid rule.

Widespread discontent with the ANC has spread in recent years, with many upset about the country’s unemployment and high cost of living.

The electoral commission has said that results are expected Sunday, though they could be announced sooner.

Controversial private jet for Kenya president's trip to US was hired by UAE - Government

NAIROBI, Kenya

In response to recent concerns regarding the controversial private jet chartered by Kenya President, William Ruto for his recent trip to the United States, Kenya State House Spokesperson, Hussein Mohamed has issued a statement explaining the specifics surrounding the leased aircraft.

This comes after Ruto, on Thursday, asserted that he only spent Ksh.10 million to charter the luxurious UAE jet, further highlighting that the amount was a considerable reduction from his initial proposal of Ksh.20 million to his Arabian "friends".

ALSO READ: “Some friends” helped pay for Kenya President's private jet for US trip

Ruto's sentiments did not sit well with many Kenyans who questioned the integrity of the President's purported allies. Many were perplexed why the so-called allies only charged Ruto Ksh.10 million for a round trip to the U.S., a journey that was estimated to cost upwards of Ksh.200 million.

In his rejoinder Mohamed emphasized that Kenya's engagement in the international arena involves partnerships with numerous countries, serving as friends and allies in mutual cooperation and prosperity.

Specifically addressing the issue of the jet used by President Ruto, the State House spokesperson noted that the aircraft was provided by the UAE government and not by any individuals as previously alleged.

"Kenya operates in the international multilateral arena and is therefore a friend, partner, and ally to many countries. As explained by the President on Thursday, the cost of the jet he traveled in for the historic and successful US State Visit was offered by friends of Kenya at a relatively low cost," said Mohamed.

"In this specific case, the United Arab Emirates Government offered the aircraft at less than KSh10 million. This was the most efficient and economical way for the President and his delegation to undertake a trip of this magnitude."

Referencing the UAE's 2018 donation of military equipment to Kenya, Mohamed underscored the long-standing relationship between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi.

Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei hosts Syria’s president in Tehran

TEHRAN, Iran 

Syrian President Bashar Assad met Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a close ally, in Tehran on Thursday to offer condolences for the death of President Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s Student News Network (SNN) reported.

Raisi died when his helicopter crashed on May 19 near the Azerbaijan border.

Khamenei and Assad met last in 2022 in Tehran, during which both sides called for stronger relations.

On Thursday, Assad and Khamenei said ties were strong, according to a statement by the Syrian presidency.

Assad was able to turn the tide of Syria’s civil war, which erupted from mass pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011, with crucial help from Iran’s proxy militias and Russia’s military intervention in 2015.

Israel, whose existence is not recognized by the Islamic Republic, has mounted frequent attacks on what it has described as Iranian targets in Syria, where Tehran-backed forces including Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia have deployed over the past decade to support Assad in Syria’s war.

Africa leaders call for reform of 'unjust' debt structure to accelerate growth

By Mariama Diallo, NAIROBI Kenya 

Africa has what it takes to transform and grow its economy but faces rigid barriers, including a sometimes unfriendly global financial architecture, say leaders who gathered in Nairobi this week for the African Development Bank’s annual summit.

While the continent’s average GDP growth is estimated to have slowed in 2023, African economies remain resilient, Africa Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said at the meeting.

"The African Development Bank projects that Africa's real GDP growth will rise from 3.1 percent in 2023 to 3.7 percent in 2024 and 4.3 percent in 2025. 

Importantly, more than half — that is 31 countries — achieved higher GDP growth rates in 2023 than in 2022," Adesina said.

GDP, or gross domestic product, is used to measure the economic health of a country.

As Africa’s bank, the AFDB — which turns 60 this year — has the responsibility to mobilize financing to develop the continent, said Adesina, the former Nigerian agriculture minister.

That work is done, he added, against the backdrop of major global challenges including “heightened geopolitical tensions, the disruption of global value chains, rising food and energy crisis, increasing debt service payments and, of course, the devastating effects of climate change … from droughts to floods, cyclones to unpredictable weather patterns, the loss of lives and poverty. And enormous fiscal cost to countries."

Heavy rains and flash floods recently killed hundreds and displaced thousands across East Africa, where the U.N. estimates that 1.6 million people were affected.

In Kenya, the rains killed more than 280 people, displaced about 53,000, and destroyed thousands of crops.

Kenya’s President William Ruto was among those who attended the summit, along with leaders and officials from Zimbabwe, Somalia, Namibia, Rwanda, Congo-Brazzaville, Libya and others.

Ruto said with the world’s 10 fastest growing economies being in Africa, the continent has what it takes to succeed, but it faces the rigid barrier of the global financial architecture that is misaligned with the continent's aspirations.

"We routinely borrow from international markets at rates far above those paid by the rest of the world, often up to 8 or 10 times more,” he said.

Ruto, Adesina and other leaders called for a reform of the global financial architecture to mobilize even more financial resources they say are needed to accelerate Africa's growth and development.

"The debt problem faced by many countries, which consume the largest share of national resources and starve [the] development agenda, we are a direct result of [this] unjust financial architecture,” Ruto said. 

“This situation not only makes debt unsustainable but also undermines growth, prevents countries from investing in resilience."

That sentiment was echoed by African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, who said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which tested economies worldwide and especially in Africa, is still being felt.

He said that all of the African Union’s member states have been caught in the spiral of an ever-pernicious debt which keeps them under the control of lenders with suffocating demands, despite numerous promises to alleviate this burden.

An economic outlook published during the summit by the bank lays out a mixture of policies that are needed to address some of the continent's challenges. 

These include promoting local production and diversifying import sources to address rising food prices, and helping reform the current global financial architecture to help with debt restructuring.

South Africa releases early results from pivotal poll

JOHANNESBURG,  South Africa 

Early results have been announced from what is seen as South Africa's most closely fought elections since the African National Congress (ANC) came to power 30 years ago.

With results from around 27% voting districts counted so far, the ANC is leading with 43%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 25%.

The radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has about 9%, while the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) of former President Jacob Zuma is on around 8%.

Final results are expected over the weekend.

The initial results suggest the ANC will lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since Nelson Mandela led the party to victory following the end of the racist system of apartheid in 1994.

Many voters blame the ANC for the high levels of corruption, crime and unemployment in the country.

The respected Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the News24 website have projected that the party's final vote could be around 42%, a big drop from the 57% it obtained in the 2019 election.

This would force it go into a coalition with one or more of the other parties in order to form a majority in parliament.

The DA has liberal economic policies, while both the EFF and MK favour more state intervention and nationalisation, so the choice of partner would make a huge difference to South Africa's future direction.

It is unclear whether President Cyril Ramaphosa will remain in power, as he could come under pressure from the ANC to resign if the party gets less than 45% of the final vote, said Prof William Gumede, chairman of the non-profit Democracy Works Foundation.

"The ANC could turn him into a scapegoat, and a faction within the party could push for him to be replaced by his deputy, Paul Mashatile. The EFF and MK are also likely to demand his resignation before agreeing to any coalition with the ANC," Prof Gumede told reporters.

South Africans do not directly vote for a president. Instead they vote for members of parliament who will then go on to elect the president.

The initial results show that the ANC is suffering heavy losses to MK, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, where Mr Zuma's party is leading with 43% of the vote to the ANC's 21%.

Mr Zuma caused a major shock when he announced in December that he was ditching the ANC to campaign for MK.

KwaZulu-Natal is the home region of Mr Zuma, and the province with the second-highest number of votes, making it crucial in determining whether the ANC retains its parliamentary majority.

Although Mr Zuma has been barred from running for parliament because of a conviction for contempt of court, his name still appeared on the ballot paper as MK leader.

If MK wins KwaZulu-Natal, it would be a "major upset" and herald the "potential decimation" of the ANC in the province, Prof Gumede said.

The ANC also risks losing its majority in the economic heartland of Gauteng, where the party currently has 36% to the DA's 29%.

Wednesday's election saw long lines of voters outside polling stations late into the night across the country.

“Some friends” helped pay for Kenya President's private jet for US trip

NAIROBI,  Kenya 

Kenya’s President William Ruto has defended using a private plane for his recent trip to the US. In his response, he replied critics saying that the plane cost about 10 million shillings ($73,000).

He added this was a discounted rate offered by "some friends," and cheaper than the national airline, which he initially planned to use.

Ruto rejected claims that the trip cost $1.5 million, calling them exaggerated. Speaking at a National Prayer Breakfast in Nairobi on Thursday May 30, he emphasized he wouldn’t waste taxpayers' money, despite backlash and questions from the public.

During his three-day official visit to the US, Kenya secured investment deals worth billions of dollars. During the visit, vice President Kamala Harris announced the formation of a new partnership to help provide internet access to 80% of Africa by 2030, up from roughly 40% now.

Besides launching the nonprofit Partnership for Digital Access in Africa, Harris announced an initiative geared toward giving 100 million African people and businesses in the agricultural sector access to the digital economy.

Upon returning, Ruto explained he was initially set to book Kenya Airways for himself and 30 others. However, friends offered a cheaper private jet when they learned he would fly commercially.

Ruto insisted he leads by example in cutting costs and urged critics to "relax." Yet, questions persist about the appropriateness of accepting such offers.

Some Kenyans, like Karani Mutonga and Mwangi Maina on X (formerly Twitter), demanded transparency about these friends and their motives, suggesting potential geopolitical implications.

This spending controversy comes as Ruto’s government faces criticism for perceived extravagance amid rising taxes and public dissatisfaction since he took office in 2022.

UK Parliament officially dissolved ahead of July 4 election

LONDON, England

As the United Kingdom gears up for a pivotal moment in its political landscape, the country's Parliament has been officially dissolved in preparation for the eagerly anticipated general election slated for July 4.

The dissolution of Parliament on early Thursday marks the commencement of a crucial phase in the UK, setting the stage for a fiercely contested battle for governmental control between the major political parties.

With Prime Minister Rishi Sunak leading the Conservative Party and Keir Starmer at the helm of the Labour Party, all eyes are on these two political powerhouses as they vie for voter support in the upcoming election.

Against a backdrop of economic challenges and societal concerns, including stagnant growth and rising living costs, both parties are poised to offer competing visions for the future of the nation.

Sunak's support for Israel's genocidal war on Gaza and how he and Starmer approach the Israel-Palestine conflict in the coming days is expected to impact voter decision.

Pivotal electoral period

According to current polling trends, a victory for the opposition Labour party would signal the end of a 14-year era of Conservative governance, paving the way for a centre-left administration under the leadership of former barrister Starmer.

Sunak would want to see the Conservatives extending their political dominance toward the two-decade mark, solidifying their position in the political landscape.

With the dissolution of Parliament, candidates from various parties will now embark on rigorous campaigning efforts across constituencies nationwide, seeking to sway voters with their policies and promises.

With the UK entering a pivotal electoral period, the outcome of the July 4 election holds significant implications for the country's trajectory and governance in the years ahead.

China hosts Arab leaders at summit focused on trade and the Israel-Hamas war

TAIPEI, China

Chinese President Xi Jinping called for an international peace conference focused on the Israel-Hamas war and promised more humanitarian aid as he opened a summit with leaders of Arab states Thursday in Beijing.

“As war is raging causing tremendous suffering, justice can’t be absent and the two-state solution can’t be shaken,” Xi said in a speech opening the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum.

He called on Arab states to deepen cooperation in areas such as trade, clean energy, space exploration and health care.

The summit attended by heads of state from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Tunisia among others was set to focus on China’s expanding trade ties and on security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Beijing and the Arab states back the Palestinians in the conflict, where Israel is facing growing international condemnation after the strike in the southern Gaza city of Rafah in which at least 45 were killed over the weekend. The overall Palestinian death toll in the war exceeds 36,000, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Beijing has long backed the Palestinians and denounced Israel over its settlements in the occupied territories. It has not criticized the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7 — which killed about 1,200 people — while the United States and others have called it an act of terrorism.

However, China does have growing economic ties with Israel.

“China’s priorities in the region are primarily economic,” said Maria Papageorgiou, a lecturer in politics and international relations at University of Exeter. “It wants to continue the momentum established in recent years with Gulf states and expand its investments, particularly in trade, technology (5G networks), and other cyber initiatives.”

Additionally, China wants to present itself as an alternative to the West and a more credible partner to the region, one that doesn’t interfere in the nations’ domestic affairs nor exert pressure, Papageorgiou said.

Present at the forum is Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who met Xi on Wednesday. The two leaders signed a series of cooperation agreements in areas such as infrastructure, technology and food imports meant to further their countries’ ties.

China has invested billions of dollars in Egyptian state projects, including a Suez Canal economic zone and a new administrative capital east of Cairo.

Investments between Egypt and China amounted to around $14 billion in 2023, compared to $16.6 billion in 2022, according to Egypt’s statistics agency.

Also at the forum are Tunisia’s President Kais Saied, Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Bahrain King Hamad.

The China-Arab States Cooperation Forum was established in 2004 as a formal dialogue mechanism between China and Arab states.

China is Tunisia’s fourth-largest trading partner after Germany, Italy and France. Beijing has financed hospitals and sports complexes in Tunisia, and its companies have been contracted to build strategic infrastructure such as bridges and deep-water Mediterranean ports.

South Africa counts ballots in most competitive election since apartheid

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Counting began in each voting station shortly after polls closed, in some cities long after the planned 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) Wednesday shutdown, with long queues of voters snaking into the night.

The final result is not expected to be known before the weekend, but observers will scour turnout figures and partial results to predict whether the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has finally lost its overall parliamentary majority.

If President Cyril Ramaphosa's party drops below 50 percent for the first time since it came to power in 1994 -- in South Africa's first democratic, post-apartheid election -- it will force him to seek coalition partners if he is to be re-elected by parliament to form a new government.

READ ALSO: South Africa gears up for 'most unpredictable' vote

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said a last-minute rush in urban voting and high turnout were to blame for Wednesday's late finish, but many voters complained at polling stations that the three-ballot system was too complex.

"We are experiencing a late surge and are processing a large number of voters," IEC chief Sy Mamabolo told reporters, predicting that the final turnout figure would be "well beyond" the 66 percent recorded in the last election in 2019.

The ANC has dominated South African politics since the late liberation leader Nelson Mandela won the country's first democratic election and began an unbroken run of five presidents from the party.

The party remains respected for its leading role in overthrowing white minority rule, and its progressive social welfare and black economic empowerment policies are credited by supporters with helping millions of black families out of poverty.

But over three decades of almost unchallenged rule, the party leadership has been implicated in a series of large-scale corruption scandals, while the continent's most industrialised economy has languished and crime and unemployment figures have hit record highs.

In Durban, accountant and first-time voter Sibahle Vilakazi, 25, found herself trapped in a huge queue winding away from her polling station but insisted she would not be daunted.

"We're honestly in need of change in this country and I think that is why the queues are so long," she said. "I'm not giving up, we need to see the change."

In Soweto, Kqomotso Mtumba, a 44-year-old bank official, said she voted ANC in the past but had now chosen an "upcoming party" whose manifesto had impressed her.

Against this background, Ramaphosa's opponents from both the left and the right came to the polls on Wednesday hoping either to replace the ANC with an opposition alliance or force the party to negotiate a coalition agreement.

Voting in his hometown of Soweto, the emblematic centre of the anti-apartheid struggle, Ramaphosa insisted "the people will once again invest confidence in the ANC to continue leading this country".

But John Steenhuisen, leader of the biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), predicted no single party would win an outright majority, creating an opening for his party and an alliance of smaller outfits.

"For the first time in 30 years, there's an opportunity for change in South Africa," he said after voting in his home city, Durban.

Opinion polls suggest the ANC could win as little as 40 percent of the vote, down from 57 percent in 2019, but no opposition party is expected to break the 25 percent forecast for Steenhuisen's centre-right DA.

If the ANC outperforms the predictions and gets close to 50 percent it could shore up a majority by allying itself with some of the four dozen smaller and regional parties contesting the election.

If it drops to 40 percent it could patch up ties with one or both of the radical left parties led by former ANC figures: firebrand Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) or former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK).

The DA, which pledged to "rescue South Africa" through better governance, free market reforms and privatisations, brands such a notion the "Doomsday Coalition" and hopes to get itself to 50 percent with a broad alliance of smaller parties.

DR Congo announces long-awaited government

KINSHASA, DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo has finally formed a government, some six months after President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in for a second term.

The country conducted its general election on December 20, 2023. It was followed by bitter negotiations between various coalition partners that had helped Tshisekedi cross the finish line.

In a dispatch publicised early on Wednesday, Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, who resigned in February, was formally replaced by Judith Suminwa (pictured above).  Ms Suminwa had been appointed on April 1 but had not taken up the task yet.

Now she will have to present her programme, including budgetary proposals, to the National Assembly. The National Assembly is also expected to formally approve the new Cabinet which comprises 54 ministers.

Tshisekedi expects that the endorsement for his Cabinet will go as planned especially since he enjoys a majority, with 406 MPs out of the 500 on his side.

There have been major changes in the new government, notably in the security dockets. Just over a week after the failed coup d’état, and the persistent war and armed groups, the Tshisekedi government has changed the ministers of defence and security.

Former Vice-President and ex-warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba is no longer leading the Ministry of Defence. He will now be Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Transport. Bemba will be replaced at the defence ministry by Guy Mwadiamvita, a close associate of President Tshisekedi and a member of the President’s UDPS party.

The Ministry of the Interior and Security is now occupied by Jacquemain Shabani, also close to the Congolese head of state, who replaces another close friend, Peter Kazadi. Tshisekedi has entrusted the Ministry of Justice to Constant Mutamba, 35, who comes from the “moderate opposition” and was an unsuccessful candidate in the December 2023 presidential election.

Christophe Lutundula leaves the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will be replaced by Thérèse Kayiwamba. Patrick Muyaya, the Minister for Communication and Government Spokesman, has been reappointed. 

The new government should set about implementing President Tshisekedi’s programme for his second term in office.

According to the Congolese head of State’s communications director, Eric Nyindu, the new government is “a mission team” which should work to “consolidate the achievements of Tshisekedi’s first term in office.”

That mission is also about job creation: The Congolese president has promised to create 6.4 million jobs during his second term.

“The other mission of Judith Suminwa’s government is to diversify the Congolese economy; the government will have to give the Congolese people more purchasing power; guarantee greater security for citizens; facilitate access to basic services and speed up reforms in the civil service, in particular,” added Nyindu.

Uhuru joins observers at polling stations as South Africa elections begin

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

Kenya’s former President, Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday joined other international observers in South Africa as the nation's General Elections kicked off across the country.

The head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) Kenya's former President Uhuru Kenyatta (second right) and other international observers at polling stations during the South Africa's General Elections

Kenyatta who is the head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) visited some polling stations during the South Africa's General Elections on May 29, 2024.

This year's election is a significant milestone in South Africa's democratic journey, with a record 27.79 million registered voters, the highest number since the end of apartheid.

The Independent Electoral Commission confirmed the substantial voter registration, indicating strong democratic engagement among South Africans.

Voters are casting their ballots to elect a new National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures in each of the nine provinces.

Uhuru and his team engaged other observers throughout the day to share insights and assessments on the electoral process.

Their presence underscores the importance of transparency, fairness, and credibility in the election.

The African Union Election Observation Mission's involvement highlights the African Union's commitment to supporting democratic processes across the continent.

Haiti names new Prime Minister as country plots return to order

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

United Nations development specialist Garry Conille was named Haiti’s new prime minister on Tuesday evening, nearly a month after a coalition within a fractured transitional council sought to choose someone else for the position.

The long-awaited move comes as gangs continue to terrorize the capital of Port-au-Prince, opening fire in once peaceful neighbourhoods and using heavy machinery to demolish several police stations and prisons.

Council member Louis Gérald Gilles told The Associated Press that six out of seven council members with voting power chose Conille earlier Tuesday.

He said one member, Laurent St. Cyr, was not in Haiti and therefore did not vote.

Conille has been UNICEF's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean since January 2023 and previously served as Haiti’s prime minister from October 2011 to May 2012 under then President Michel Martelly.

He replaces Michel Patrick Boisvert, who was named interim prime minister after Ariel Henry resigned via letter in late April.

Henry was on an official trip to Kenya when a coalition of powerful gangs launched coordinated attacks February 29, seizing control of police stations, shooting at Haiti’s main international airport and storming the country’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

Henry was locked out of the country by the attacks, with the airport in the Port-au-Prince capital remaining shuttered for nearly three months.

Gang violence is still surging in parts of Haiti’s capital and beyond as Conille takes over the helm of the troubled Caribbean country awaiting the U.N.-backed deployment of a police force from Kenya and other countries.

Conille studied medicine and public health and helped develop health care in impoverished communities in Haiti, where he helped coordinate reconstruction efforts after the devastating 2010 earthquake.

He worked for several years at the United Nations before Martelly designated him as prime minister in 2011.

Conille resigned less than a year later following clashes with the president and his Cabinet over an investigation into government officials who have dual nationality, which is not allowed by Haiti’s constitution.

In addition to picking a new prime minister, the council also is responsible for selecting a new Cabinet and holding general elections by the end of next year.

Executions worldwide jumped last year to the highest number since 2015, Amnesty report says

By Osoro Nyawangah, LONDON England

The number of executions recorded worldwide last year jumped to the highest level since 2015, with a sharp rise in Iran and across the Middle East, Amnesty International said in a report released Wednesday, May 29.

The figure represents a 30% increase when compared to the year before., and was the highest recorded by Amnesty since 2015, when 1,634 people were known to have been executed.

The number of countries that carried out the executions in 2023 was the lowest on record at 16, according to the UK-headquartered NGO.

"The lowest number of countries on record carried out the highest number of known executions in close to a decade," Amnesty said in its annual report on the death penalty and executions.

The human rights monitor attributed the "alarming” jump in executions to Iran, where numbers saw a nearly 50% rise when compared to 2022. Iranian authorities executed at least 853 people last year, compared to 576 in 2022.

"The Iranian authorities showed complete disregard for human life and ramped up executions for drug-related offences, further highlighting the discriminatory impact of the death penalty on Iran's most marginalized and impoverished communities," Agnes Callamard, Amnesty's secretary-general, said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the United States made up the other four countries with the highest number of executions last year.

In the US, executions rose for the second consecutive year, from 18 to 24, all carried out by five states using lethal injections. 

The report notes that the real number of executions is likely higher. Amnesty attributed this due to the classification of such data as confidential in countries like China, where "thousands of people" allegedly executed not included in the calculations.

"China has yet to publish any figures on the death penalty; however, available information indicates that each year thousands of people are executed and sentenced to death,” it said, renewing its call for data.

Amnesty said "little or no information" was available on other countries, especially Belarus and North Korea, "due to restrictive state practice" there.

South Africa gears up for 'most unpredictable' vote

PRETORIA, South Africa

South Africans braced Tuesday for a tight general election that may loosen the ruling ANC's 30-year hold on power with many voters fed up with unemployment, crime and corruption.

For a second day, 1.6 million "special voters" including the elderly, essential workers, police and prisoners, were allowed to cast their ballots early.

The rest of South Africa's 27million-strong registered electorate will be called on Wednesday to elect provincial legislatures and a new national parliament. The latter then chooses the president.

For the first time since the advent of democracy, the African National Congress is at risk of losing its outright majority and could be forced to negotiate a coalition.

"This is certainly South Africa's most unpredictable election since 1994," political analyst Daniel Silke said.

"It reflects the broad-based economic decline that the country has been languishing under now for the better part of the last decade or so."

Under the leadership of the late Nelson Mandela, the ANC won freedom for black South Africans after decades of apartheid. It then helped build a strong democracy and lifted millions out of poverty by creating a broad social welfare system.

But many in the country of 62 million now blame it for overseeing massive graft and mismanaging the economy.

"I will not vote for ANC but I don't know who I will vote for," said Nomsa Cele, 55, a hawker selling hats and jewellery on the quiet beachfront of Durban, the largest city in the battleground province KwaZulu-Natal, whose streets are plastered with electoral posters.

In the bustling streets of Umlazi township, one of the biggest in KwaZulu-Natal, rival tents for the ANC and the radical left opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were pitched outside Umlazi Commercial High School.

Busisiwe Mthethwa told AFP her ballot was secret but said with a slight smile she would vote for the "red party", implying she was leaning towards the EFF.

The 62-year-old said she had not cast her vote in 2019 because "she had lost hope in the ruling party's corruption tactics" but believed "it's now time to make my vote count and kick them out."

An Afrobarometer survey last week showed that unemployment, currently at 32.9 percent, rolling blackouts, corruption and poverty were the most urgent problems South Africans want to be addressed.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is seeking a second term, defended his record in a speech to the nation on Sunday, citing progress in fighting graft and fixing gaps in electricity production among other successes.

"We have placed South Africa on a new trajectory of recovery and laid a strong foundation for future growth," the 71-year-old said.

"We cannot afford to turn back. There is more work to be done."

He has also promised to usher in universal credit and push ahead with plans to provide health coverage.

But polls suggest the ANC could win as little as 40 percent of the vote, down from 57 percent in 2019.

Under South Africa's post-apartheid constitution, MPs are elected on a party list system, and the executive president is chosen from among their number by the Cape Town-based parliament.

If the ANC has fewer than 201 seats, Ramaphosa would have to negotiate with opposition parties and independent MPs to secure a majority and return to government headquarters in Pretoria.

It could face stark choices. On the right, it is beset by the Democratic Alliance (DA), which has vowed to "Rescue South Africa" by rolling back the ANC's race-based economic empowerment programmes and to boost growth through privatisation and deregulation.

On the left, it is bleeding support to former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) and Julius Malema's EFF, which favour radical reforms like land redistribution and the nationalisation of key economic sectors.

Were the party to come close to 50 percent however, it could also strike a potentially easier deal with some of the dozens of smaller groups on the ballot.

"The choosing of its partners will ultimately set the scene for South Africa's future course," said Silke.

"But the ANC will be a weaker party... And indeed, the future of President Ramaphosa could also very well be in doubt as a result of a poor ANC performance."

Tanzania Premier league ends with surprising results

DAR ES SALAAM,  Tanzania 

The 2023/24 season of the NBC Tanzania Mainland Premier League has ended today with Azam FC finishing second behind the champions, Yanga while the giants, Simba SC finished third and Coastal Union fourth.

Azam FC finished in second place after a 2-0 victory against JKT Tanzania with goals from Yeisson Mandoza in the 58th minute and Feisal Salum Abdallah in the 71st minute at the Nyankumbu Secondary Stadium, Geita.

Simba has finished where it was, the third place despite a 2-0 victory also against JKT Tanzania, the goals of Saido Ntibanzokiza in the 88th minute with Ande Essomba Onana's penalty in the 90th minute +2 at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

The results mean that Azam finished with 69 points, just exceeding the average of Simba SC goals - all behind Yanga who finished with 80 points after a 4-1 victory against Tanzania Prisons today at Azam Complex Stadium, Chamazi in Dar es Salaam.

Yanga's goals today were scored by Burkinabe, Stephane Aziz Ki in the 11th, 12th and 79th minutes, the other was scored by Zambian, Kennedy Musonda in the 52nd minute, while Tanzania Prisons was scored by Beno Ngassa in the fifth minute.

The Premier League champion and the second winner qualify for the African Champions League and the third and fourth winners go to the African Confederation Cup.

In addition, Burkinabe attacking midfielder Stephane Aziz emerged as the top scorer with 21 goals ahead of Azam FC star, native Feisal Salum who scored 19 goals.

Other Premier League matches results today were; Coastal Union drew goalless with KMC at Mkwakwani Stadium in Tanga, Namungo beat Tabora United 3-2 at Majaliwa Stadium, in Lindi region, Mashujaa FC beat Dodoma City 3-0 at Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma  , Ihefu SC beat Mtibwa Sugar 5-1 at Liti Stadium in Singida and Kagera Sugar beat the locals, Singida Fountain Gate 3-2 in Mwanza.

As a result, the teams of Mtibwa Sugar and Geita Gold have bid farewell to the Premier League, while Tabora United and JKT Tanzania have to go for playoff in home and away and the overall winner will remain in the Premier League, the loser will go to face Biashara United who qualified from the Championship to try again to return  back to the Premier League.

Spain, Norway, Ireland recognize Palestine

MADRID,  Spain 

Spain and Norway, along with Ireland, became the most recent countries to recognize Palestinian statehood on Tuesday, drawing anger from Israel.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said that the day would "remain etched in Spanish history" after the Cabinet approved the move.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide also hailed the "milestone" moment as the decision to recognize a Palestinian state came into effect.

The three European countries had planned a simultaneous recognition in the hopes that its symbolism would spur other countries to also commit to recognition, however, on the same day the Danish parliament voted down a proposal for such a move.

"It's the only way of advancing toward what everyone recognizes as the only possible solution to achieve a peaceful future, one of a Palestinian state that lives side by side with the Israeli state in peace and security," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised address before the Cabinet meeting.

Israel has repeatedly condemned the move and on Tuesday its foreign minister accused Sanchez of inciting the genocide of Jews.

Israel's operations in Gaza, especially its most recent move into Rafah, have left it increasingly isolated on the international stage.

Following recognition by Spain, Norway and Ireland, the number of UN member states that recognize a Palestinian state has increased to 146 out of 193, according to Albares. 

Three permanent UN Security Council members — France, the UK and the US — do not recognize it, though.