Chad threatens to exit regional security force after deadly attack

N'DJAMENA,  Chad 

Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby has issued a stark warning that his country may withdraw from a regional security coalition, citing frustrations over its effectiveness in countering insurgent threats in the Lake Chad region.

Deby’s remarks came during a visit to the area on Sunday, where he expressed concerns about the Multinational Joint Task Force's (MNJTF) impact in tackling armed groups.

The announcement followed an attack in late October that claimed the lives of around 40 Chadian soldiers. The incident, reportedly carried out by suspected Boko Haram militants, highlights the ongoing security challenges facing the region.

The Lake Chad basin borders Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon, each contributing troops to the MNJTF, which was formed to counter insurgent activity across these national borders.

Deby emphasized his disappointment in the level of coordination within the force, pointing to "a lack of joint efforts against the common enemy." He argued that the force, intended to streamline operations and intelligence-sharing, has instead "seemed to be in a slump."

The potential withdrawal of Chad a nation recognized for its well-trained and resilient military would be a considerable setback for the MNJTF, which has struggled to unify its approach amid various challenges.

The Lake Chad region has remained a flashpoint for militant attacks, with insurgent activity spilling over from Boko Haram’s origins in northeastern Nigeria since 2009.

At this time, the governments of Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon have not commented on Deby’s statement.

Former Bulivia president on hunger strike to push government for political dialogue

By Isabel Debre, LAUCA Ñ Bolivia

Bolivia’s transformative and divisive former President Evo Morales said Sunday that he would press on with a hunger strike until the government of his protégé-turned-rival agreed to a political dialogue.

His act of dissent aims to defuse street protests that have paralyzed the nation in recent weeks over what Morales’ supporters condemn as his political persecution.

Morales, a larger-than-life figure still towering over Bolivian politics five years after his fraught ouster, spoke on his third day without food from the misty tropics of Chapare, Bolivia’s rural coca-growing region that serves as his stronghold.

“My fight is to improve the situation in the country and to start a dialogue without conditions on two fronts, one economic and one political,” Morales told The Associated Press from the office of the coca growers’ federation that he long has led.

The ex-president said he began his hunger strike Friday in hopes of “international organizations or friendly governments” facilitating talks with his political nemesis, President Luis Arce.

Tensions have surged over the past three weeks since pro-Morales supporters set up crippling roadblocks aimed at rebuking Arce — Morales’ former economy minister with whom he’s now vying to lead Bolivia’s governing socialist party into next year’s elections.

Protesters have choked off major highways in defiance of an attempt by Arce’s government to revive a 2016 statutory rape case against Morales, an ethnic Aymara who was the first member of an Indigenous community to become the president of Latin America’s only Indigenous-majority nation.

Morales has denied any wrongdoing. “My crime is being Indigenous,” he said on Sunday.

The AP reached Morales after an arduous 11-hour journey by car, motorcycle and foot over hills and through the highlands, circumventing road blockades, crisscrossing routes littered with debris and toppled trees and squeaking through over a dozen security checkpoints, in some cases manned by profiteers.

Roadblocks are a common protest tactic in Bolivia, where the mountainous terrain means a few strategically positioned checkpoints can can isolate major cities and bring the whole nation to a halt.

That’s exactly what happened earlier this month, marooning hundreds of thousands of residents in the highlands, raising fears of food and gasoline shortages and hiking up the prices of basic goods in major cities, including La Paz, the capital.

“I see people rising up even more,” said Eusebio Urbano, a farmer protesting in support of Morales at one of the road blockades Sunday. “I don’t know what this government thinks. ... They don’t try to solve anything. We must keep pushing until it leaves.”

Under public pressure to quell the unrest, Arce’s government sent some 3,000 police officers armed with tear gas and backed by helicopters to break up the blockades by force.

Eduardo Del Castillo, a senior Cabinet minister, said security forces had arrested dozens of protesters in clearing the main road linking Cochabamba, Bolivia’s third-biggest city, with La Paz. Authorities transferred over 50 of the demonstrators to pre-trial detention in the capital on charges related to violating public order, he said.

“What happened was very inhumane,” Morales said of the crackdown, adding that his refusal to eat was also aimed at pressuring authorities to release the 66 detainees. “These are humble people who were presented as terrorists.”

29 children may be sentenced to death for protesting against cost-of-living crisis in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria

Twenty-nine children could be facing the death penalty in Nigeria after they were arraigned Friday for participating in a protest against the country’s record cost-of-living crisis. Four of them collapsed in court due to exhaustion before they could enter a plea.

A total of 76 protesters were charged with 10 felony counts, including treason, destruction of property, public disturbance and mutiny, according to the charge sheet seen by The Associated Press.

According to the charge sheet, the minors ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old.

Frustration over the cost-of-living crisis has led to several mass protests in recent months. In August, at least 20 people were shot dead and hundreds more were arrested at a protest demanding better opportunities and jobs for young people.

The death sentence was introduced in the 1970s in Nigeria, but there have been no executions in the country since 2016.

Akintayo Balogun, a private lawyer based in Abuja, said the Child Rights Act does not allow any child to be subject to criminal proceedings and sentenced to death.

“So taking minors before a federal high court is wrong, ab initio, except if the government is able to prove that the boys are all above 19 years,” Balogun said.

The court eventually granted 10-million-naira ($5,900) bail to each the defendants and imposed stringent conditions they are yet to meet, Marshal Abubakar, counsel to some of the boys, said.

“A country that has a duty to educate its children will decide to punish those children. These children have been in detention for 90 days without food,” Abubakar said.

Yemi Adamolekun, executive director of Enough is Enough, a civil society organization promoting good governance in Nigeria, said authorities have no business prosecuting children.

“The chief justice of Nigeria should be ashamed, she is a woman and a mother,” Adamolekun said.

Despite being one of the top crude oil producers in Africa, Nigeria remains one of the world’s poorest countries. Chronic corruption means the lifestyle of its public officials rarely mirrors that of the general population. Medical professionals often strike to protest meager wages.

The country’s politicians and lawmakers, often accused of corruption, are some of the best-paid in Africa. Even the president’s wife — her office nowhere in the constitution — is entitled to SUVs and other luxuries funded by taxpayers.

Nigeria’s population of over 210 million people — the continent’s largest — is also among the hungriest in the world and its government has struggled to create jobs. The inflation rate is also at 28-year high and the local naira currency at record lows against the dollar.

On Thursday, Nigeria was classified as a “hotspot of very high concern,” in a report from United Nations’ food agencies, as large numbers of people are facing or are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity in the West African country.

Angry crowds boo and throw eggs at Spanish king as he visits flood-hit Valencia

VALENCIA, Spain

Angry residents booed and threw eggs at Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia as they visited the Valencia region, where more than 200 people have died in devastating floods.

The king faced chants of “murderer” as he visited hard-hit Paiporta, just outside of Valencia city, along with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and regional governor Carlos Mazon, where locals accuse authorities of a lax response to the disaster.

After they posed for a photo, the crowd began hurling insults at the king, Mazon and Sanchez. The crowd surged forwards as security opened umbrellas to try and protect them from projectiles.

Confronted by one resident, Felipe remained calm and lowered his umbrella to listen to him as police struggled to control those gathered. Queen Letizia also also spoke with furious residents and seemed visibly shaken, holding her head in her hands.

The Royal Family’s social media channel released video in the aftermath of the protest, showing the king and queen embracing distraught residents. One man fell weeping into the king’s arms and in another shot, the King is seen hugging two crying women.

It is unusual for a Spanish king to face such fierce anger up close. Felipe is a relatively popular figure, who ascended the throne after the abdication of his father.

The anger appeared largely directed at Mazon and Sanchez, who left early even as the king insisted on staying on despite the chaos.

Sanchez’s office in a statement said that the prime minister had been taken away, following security protocol. In a statement on X, Mazon said he understood the anger and praised the “exemplary” conduct of the king.

At least 214 people are now confirmed dead from the floods and the toll may climb higher. Among the latest victims was a 70-year-old woman whose body was found more than 12 kilometers (seven miles) from her house

The slow and uncoordinated response to the crisis has infuriated many in Valencia. Text alerts came hours after warnings of flooding from the weather service.

On Saturday, Sanchez ordered 5,000 more troops to help with salvage efforts in flooded areas, calling the storm the “worst natural disaster” in the county’s history.

He addressed the anger and frustration at the slow response by authorities, admitting it was “not enough”.

Part of the problem has been political. Mazon and Sanchez are from different parties, and under Spain’s political system, Spain’s federal government cannot release emergency funds and resources without the authorization from a regional government. That didn’t happen until Saturday, four days after the floods hit.

On Sunday, authorities called on residents to take shelter as the Spanish Weather Agency increased its weather alert in the coastal Valencia area to the maximum red level due to more expected rain.

By Monday, the red rainfall warnings expired for Valencia, according to Spain’s meteorology department, AEMET, though orange and yellow rainfall and storm warnings were in effect for parts of Castellón and Tarragona.

Social media videos posted by locals show police vehicles going through the streets of Aldaia in eastern Spain telling residents through a megaphone to go home and avoid the areas next to the local ravine.

Volcano eruption kills several in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia

At least nine people died after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in eastern Indonesia erupted on Sunday, spewing explosive plumes of lava and forcing authorities to evacuate several nearby villages, officials said Monday.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Sunday at 11:57 p.m. local time (11:57 a.m. ET), belching a fiery red column of lava, volcanic ash and incandescent rocks, Hadi Wijaya, a spokesperson for the Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, said Monday.

“After the eruption, there was power outage and then it was raining and big lightning which caused panic among residents,” he told Reuters, adding that the authority had raised the status of the volcano to level IV or the highest.

The agency has recommended clearing a radius of more than 4 miles.

Fiery lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements about 2 miles from the crater, burning and damaging residents’ houses, Hadi said.

As of Monday morning at least nine people had died, said Heronimus Lamawuran, a local official at East Flores area, adding that the eruption had affected seven villages.

“We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages” that are located about 13 miles from the crater, he said.

The nearest villages were covered by thick volcanic ash on Monday morning, Heronimus added.

The authorities are still gathering data on the number of evacuees and damaged buildings.

Indonesia sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.

This eruption follows a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia. In May, a volcano on the remote island of Halmahera, Mount Ibu, led to the evacuation of people from seven villages.

North Sulawesi’s Ruang volcano also erupted in the spring, prompting authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people.

Last December, a surprise eruption at Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province killed two dozen climbers on their way up the up the nearly 9,480-foot mountain.

Top Iranian commander blames U.S. for "terrorism in Muslim world"

TEHRAN, Iran

Hossein Salami, chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), on Sunday said the United States policies are to blame for the terrorism and divisions in the Muslim world.

Salami made the remarks at a rally to mark the 45th anniversary of the former U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran and the "National Day of the Fight against Global Arrogance," also known as the "National Student Day."

Speaking at the gathering, the IRGC chief commander stressed that the "phenomenon of Takfiri (extremist) terrorism and bloody divisions in the Muslim world" were all outcomes of the U.S. policies.

Salami described the United States as a "paradoxical identity," according to the official news agency IRNA.

He added while the United States spoke of global peace, security and order, it was the source of all "crimes, massacres and occupations" in the world.

Iranians took to the streets on Sunday, staging a march to the premises of the former U.S. embassy, chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel. The demonstrators waved flags of Iran, Hezbollah and Palestine, as well as pictures of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and slain leaders and commanders of Iran and the regional resistance groups.

At the end of the rally, the demonstrators issued a statement vowing allegiance to Iran's supreme leader and condemning Israel's "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon, "which are being perpetrated with the direct participation and support of the United States."

They also called on the international community to work towards the achievement of ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.

A few months after the victory of Iran's Islamic Revolution in February 1979, Iranian university students took over the U.S. embassy building, saying that the embassy was, based on the documents found in it, planning to overthrow the Islamic Republic and serving as an espionage base for the U.S. government. Iran commemorates the takeover every year by holding nationwide rallies.

"No Rwandan troops in Mozambique capital controlling demonstrations" - Rwandan government

KIGALI, Rwanda

The spokesperson for the Government of Rwanda, Yolande Makolo, said this Sunday that the Rwandan armed forces do not have troops in Maputo, in the operations that attempt to control the post-election demonstrations, contradicting several messages that have been circulating for several days.

Yolande Makolo

” There are no Rwandan troops in Maputo. Rwandan Security Forces are deployed strictly in Cabo Delgado province, in joint operations with Mozambican forces against extremist Islamist fighters that have been terrorizing residents in the province.”, wrote Yolande Makolo, on her official account on the social network X, in a response to a message from another user.

“This is a lie”, she also declared, in response to the same message, about the rumours circulating in Maputo about the mobilization of Rwandan forces and armoured vehicles to the capital, in view of the demonstrations that continue to take place, contesting the election results.

A force of more than 2,000 Rwandan soldiers, which began to be reinforced last April, has been fighting terrorist groups that have been operating for seven years in the province of Cabo Delgado, northern Mozambique, since 2021, notably protecting the area where the French company TotalEnergies has a project to exploit natural gas, following an agreement between the two governments.

Maputo on Sunday recorded the first day without riots, after three consecutive days of demonstrations, mainly by supporters of presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, and interventions by the police, who always resorted to firing tear gas to disperse them.

The Mozambican capital thus experienced the first day of some normality since Wednesday, after consecutive days of streets and avenues being blocked with garbage containers, burning tires and stone-throwing by protesters, which were stopped by the authorities.

In the suburbs, all markets are operating with high demand, even abnormal for a Sunday.

Venâncio Mondlane called for a general strike and demonstrations for a week in Mozambique, starting on October 31, and marches in Maputo on November 7.

The presidential candidate called this the third stage of the challenge to the results of the general elections of October 9, which follows the protests held on October 21, 24 and 25, which led to clashes with the police, resulting in at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and 500 arrests, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a Mozambican non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes.

On October 24, the National Elections Commission (CNE) announced the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975), in the election for President of the Republic of October 9, with 70.67% of the votes.

Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos, extra-parliamentary), came in second place, with 20.32%, but has said he did not recognize these CNE results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.

Lightning kills 13 children at Uganda refugee camp

KAMPALA, Uganda

A lighting strike at a refugee camp in Uganda has killed 13 children and one adult, police say.

They say the victims were attending a church service on Saturday evening when the lightning struck. Another 34 people were injured.

The incident occurred at Palabek Refugee Settlement in the north-west of the country. The area has recently seen heavy rains with thunder and lightning.

Kituuma Rusoke, spokesperson for Uganda Police, told BBC News that the adult killed on Saturday was 21 years old. Mr Rusoke did not reveal the exact ages of the children who died.

Palabek Refugee Settlement is home to more than 80,000 refugees and asylum seekers, according to the UN's refugee agency. Many are from neighbouring South Sudan.

Four years ago, lightning killed 10 children in the city of Arua, also in north-western Uganda.

The children were struck while taking a break from a game of football.

Impresive landmark as Barcelona FC go nine points clear

BARCELONA, Spain

La Liga leaders Barcelona continued their excellent early season form under Hansi Flick as they swept aside city rivals Espanyol to move nine points clear of Real Madrid.

Fresh from thrashing Real in their El Clasico encounter last week, Barca's attacking play was again sensational at times, with teenage winger Lamine Yamal once more looking a class above his contemporaries.

He bent in a wonderful cross with the outside of his foot which Dani Olmo turned in off the crossbar for the 12th-minute opener.

Another talented youngster, Marc Casado, then played an equally good ball in behind the Espanyol defence 11 minutes later, with captain Raphinha timing his run perfectly to clip the ball home.

Defensively, Barca's incredibly high line once again made life interesting, with Espanyol having two goals ruled out for narrow offside calls.

Full-back Omar el Hilali squared for Jofre Carreras to sweep in, but the strike was ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR). Moments later, Olmo got his second with a thumping shot from the edge of the area to put Barca 3-0 up.

Early in the second half Alvaro Tejero's effort for the visitors was also ruled out after another close offside call.

Captain Javi Puado, though, swept in at the far post 18 minutes after the break to reduce the deficit.

Espanyol improved as Barcelona shut down, but the fourth-bottom side were second best throughout as their dismal derby record continued.

They have now gone 27 straight derbies without a win over Barcelona and have lost six of their past seven games in La Liga.

Flick's side have won 11 of their 12 league games under the German and, since their sole loss at Osasuna at the end of September, have won six in a row in all competitions, scoring 24 goals in the process.

They visit Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Wednesday and will look to maintain this wonderful run of form.

Earlier on Sunday, third-placed Atletico Madrid beat Las Palmas 2-0 to move to within a point of Real in the table.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 4/11/2024

 

Botswana’s President Masisi concedes after his party lost ‘massively’

GABORONE, Botswana

Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, has accepted his fate following his party's poor performance in the 2024 General elections.

Speaking to the media this morning, Masisi said as a presidential candidate he has accepted defeated and confirmed he has personally called Umbrella for Democratic (UDC) president Duma Boko to congratulate him.

Masisi said he first made the call yesterday and another call this morning.

“I will also hand over all outstanding government matters to the new president so he may address them after his inauguration. I will continue to serve the interests of my beloved Botswana within the parameters of our constitution,” Masisi said.

Duma Boko

“I promise to do my part to build a strong country from within and to work with the new administration to ensure that every citizen has opportunities at their fingertips. I look forward to attending the inauguration,” Masisi said.

The process of handing over Government Masisi said will "start tomorrow or as in my discussion with the president elect, at a time convenient to him.

"We will begin all administrative work to facilitate the transition, and I assure you that I will not take any actions to hinder or slow down this process.”

Kenya swears in new Deputy President, replacing impeached one

NAIROBI, Kenya

Professor Kithure Kindiki has been sworn in as the third Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya under the 2010 Constitution.

In line with the Assumption of Office Act, Prof. Kindiki took two oaths—the oath of allegiance and the oath of due execution of the office of Deputy President—during a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

After taking the oaths shortly before 11 a.m., Kindiki proceeded to the ceremonial table, where he signed the oaths, committing to diligently execute his duties and perform his functions in accordance with the law.

The oaths were then transmitted to the Chief Justice, who countersigned them alongside the Deputy President. The Chief Justice's seal was affixed to each oath by court officials before they were handed over to the Attorney General for safekeeping.

Following this, President Ruto was invited on stage by the Chief Registrar of the Judiciary for the ceremonial handover of the Constitution of Kenya to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

The ceremony concluded with a brief photo session featuring the President and his Deputy, followed by a photo with the Chief Justice, the First Lady, and the spouse of the Deputy President.

Kindiki succeeds Rigathi Gachagua, who was impeached from office by Parliament for gross violations of the Constitution.