Rwanda troops clash with DRC police - Congolese sources

KIVU, DR Congo

A clash between Rwandan soldiers and DR Congo police on a small island in Lake Kivu sparked panic given ongoing tensions between Kigali and Kinshasa, Congolese sources said Sunday.

Police stationed on Ibindja island in eastern Congo, on the south side of the lake which the neighbours' border bisects, challenged three boats carrying armed Rwandan troops as they approached their base on Saturday, a DRC navy source based in the region said on condition of anonymity.

According to the source, a DRC policeman went to challenge the soldiers as to why they were on the Congolese side of the border.

After a discussion, "voices were raised and there were exchanges of gunfire," sparking panic among locals in earshot in Chivumu village.

Several families fled the island and took refuge just across the water at Birava, local civil society representative Jackson Kalimba said.

Naval sources said the Rwandan troops returned to base without disembarking on the island and Archimede Karhebwa, DRC local assistant administrator, said the situation was under control Sunday.

He said one police officer had suffered a gunshot wound and added the local naval regiment was on alert pending military high command taking "measures to reinforce surveillance of Lake Kivu".

Rwandan authorities contacted by AFP had not commented on the spat by Sunday afternoon.

Relations between the neighbours have been tense owing to the recent resurgence of the Tutsi-led rebel group M23.

The group has pledged to retreat from conquered territories after months of advancing towards Goma, capital of the DRC province of North Kivu at the northern end of the lake and likewise bordering Rwanda.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing the rebels, which Rwanda denies. - AFP

Mali defends Russian ties and opposes options for UN force

UNITED NATIONS, New York

Mali’s foreign minister defended the military government’s cooperation with Russia last weekend and rejected three options proposed by the U.N. chief to reconfigure the U.N. peacekeeping force in the west African country where Al-Qaida and Islamic State extremist groups are driving insecurity.

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop

Abdoulaye Diop told the U.N. Security Council that security is the country’s top priority and Mali will not continue to justify its partnership with Russia, which is providing training and equipment to the military. He did not mention Russia’s Wagner Group, the private military contractor with ties to the Kremlin.

But Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ internal review released this week of the 17,500-strong U.N. mission, known as MINUSMA, noted that Mali’s longstanding security partnership with France and others deteriorated over concerns about Wagner Group personnel operating in support of the Malian armed forces, which he said Russian officials have publicly acknowledged.

U.S. deputy ambassador Richard Mills said the United States welcomes the U.N.’s acknowledgement in the internal review of the Wagner Group’s presence in Mali.

He called Wagner “a criminal organization that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses in Mali and elsewhere.” The U.S. has slapped several waves of sanctions on Wagner and its owner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a rogue millionaire with longtime links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last year, France pulled its troops out of Mali, where they had been helping drive Islamic extremists from the country for nine years, following tensions with the ruling junta and the arrival of Wagner mercenaries.

“Their presence is equated to regular abuse against Malian civilians and increasing obstruction of MINUSMA,” France’s deputy U.N. ambassador Nathalie Broadhurst told the Security Council on Friday. “This is not acceptable.”

Mali has struggled to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency since 2012. Extremist rebels were forced from power in Mali’s northern cities with the help of a French-led military operation, but they regrouped in the desert and began launching attacks on the Malian army and its allies. Insecurity has worsened with attacks on civilians and U.N. peacekeepers in central Mali as well.

In August 2020, Mali’s president was overthrown in a coup that included Assimi Goita, then an army colonel. In June 2021, Goita was sworn in as president of a transitional government after carrying out his second coup in nine months.

Foreign minister Diop told the council that Goita is “resolutely committed” to holding a referendum on a draft constitution in March, electing deputies to the National Assembly in October and November, and holding presidential elections in February 2024.

He said the government remains committed to defending its territory, protecting its people and implementing a 2015 peace agreement.

The peace agreement was signed by three parties — the government, a coalition of groups called the Coordination of Movements of Azawad that includes ethnic Arabs and Tuaregs who seek autonomy in northern Mali, and a pro-government militia known as the Platform – but the movements suspended participation in December.

Diop called their decision “regrettable” but said “we hope soon to reach a common understanding with our brothers from the signatory movements.”

Secretary-General Guterres’ internal review of MINUSMA called Mali “one of the most difficult operating environments for peacekeeping,” citing significant air and ground restrictions imposed by Malian security authorities. The restrictions have exposed peacekeeping personnel “to security risks in an already dangerous environment in which 165 peacekeepers have been killed and 687 injured by hostile action since July 2013,” he said.

The secretary-general said the mission’s operations will come under additional pressure because four countries that have contributed troops are pulling them out, which will mean a loss of over 2,250 troops.

Guterres said MINUSMA’s ability to deliver on its mandate — protecting civilians, supporting improvement of the security and political situation and monitoring human rights — will hinge on advances in the political transition, progress in implementing the peace agreement and freedom of movement for peacekeeper and their intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

The secretary-general said expansion of MINUSMA’s mandate in 2019 without additional manpower overstretched the mission and “the current situation is unsustainable.”

He proposed three options: increasing the force by either 3,680 or 2,000 uniformed personnel; reconfiguring the force to support its existing priorities or to focus primarily on supporting the peace agreement; or ending the peacekeeping mission and transforming it into a political mission.

Mali’s Diop said the U.N. chief’s proposals don’t meet Mali’s aspirations for a more robust security operation which would include engaging in offensive actions and patrols, especially as part of its mandate to protect civilians.

On human rights, he said, the government “will staunchly oppose any and all instrumentalization and politicization of this issue,” but will strive to protect rights.

Diop said the government participated in the internal review in the hope it would “respond to the deep aspirations of the Malian people.”

“That has not come to pass,” the foreign minister said. “However, the government of Mali remains open to dialogue with the United Nations in the coming months to ultimately identify the way ahead.”

Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called security “the overriding priority” during Mali’s transition “owing to the security vacuum resulting from a hasty withdrawal of French and European military units.”

Nonetheless, he said, Malian forces over the last few months “have demonstrated that they can indeed achieve results in the fight against terrorism,” adding that the Russian training “is bearing fruit.”

When it comes to the options for reconfiguring MINUSMA, Nebenzia said, Mali’s needs and opinion are “an overriding priority.”

By contrast, U.S. envoy Mills expressed serious concern at the transitional government’s restrictions on MINUSMA which make its extremely volatile operating environment more dangerous for peacekeepers and civilians.

He demanded that the government lift all restrictions, reiterating the internal review’s conclusion that MINUSMA’s success will hinge on the support it gets from the transitional authorities.

Mills said continued obstructions “should force this council to seriously reconsider its support for MINUSMA in its current form.” - AP

Demonstration in Burkina Faso in support of "sovereignty"

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso

Several thousand people demonstrated in Ouagadougou for the "sovereignty" of Burkina Faso, in support of the junta in power, a few days after the confirmation of the departure of French forces from the country by the end of January. 

"We have decided to take our destiny in hand and it is not the international community or anyone else who will stop us," said Pan-Africanist Fatime Nahor N'Gawara.

With anti-France feelings running high in many of its former colonies in West Africa, Paris is being forced to retreat ever further from the increasingly unstable region and re-think its presence, experts say.

After the ruling junta in Mali forced French troops out last year, the army officers running neighbouring Burkina Faso followed suit this week, asking Paris to empty its garrison in the next month.

Under President Emmanuel Macron, France was already drawing down its troops across the Sahel region, who just a few years ago numbered more than 5,000, backed up with fighter jets, helicopters and infantry fighting vehicles.

Around 3,000 remain, but the forced departures from Mali and Burkina Faso -- as well as the Central African Republic to the south last year -- underline how anti-French winds are gathering force.

"France is paying for its desire to maintain a very significant political and military presence in its former dominions," said Jean-Herve Jezequel, a region specialist from the International Crisis Group (ICG), a conflict-focused think tank.

After the independence movement in the 1950s and 60s, Paris still intervened regularly in the domestic affairs of its former colonies and for decades retained sway through business and political ties under an unofficial policy known as "Francafrique".

Today its influence has shrunk and it faces growing competition from Russia, but its permanent military presence and the existence of common regional currencies underpinned by the French central bank are targets for populist politicians.

"The idea that the former colonial power can retain such a strong military presence is hard to stomach for many people," Jezequel told AFP, adding that there remained a "post-colonial hangover that has not been resolved".

Gilles Yabi, founder of the Senegal-based WATHI think-tank, told AFP there was a "desire from some sections of society to enter a new phase, to grasp a 'new independence'."

The biggest source of anti-French feeling is Paris's military intervention in Mali in 2013 to beat back jihadists who were advancing from the north and threatening to overrun the government in the capital Bamako.

Though the operation was a success and the elected government saved, any credit has long since disappeared.

A heavy French presence afterwards failed to stop the insurgency spreading, with the violence spilling over into neighbouring countries and now threatening communities all over the Sahel region beneath the Sahara desert.

"It is clear that it (France) has not managed to stop the continued worsening of the security crisis, which has many, many different causes," said Paul Melly, an expert on the Sahel and consulting fellow at the Chatham House, a London-based think tank.

"People say 'if they're here, what use are they?'", he said.

Social media posts and deliberate disinformation campaigns -- for which Paris blames Russia -- have also fanned exaggerated or false stories about French exploitation of minerals and gold in the region, or even French support for jihadist groups.

Politicians, particularly army figures with no democratic legitimacy, are quick to see an opportunity.

"When you're a fragile military regime that has taken power quite recently, standing up to the French or telling them to get out is one way of keeping a bit of the base on side," Melly added.

But France-bashing is not limited to coup leaders in Mali or Burkino Faso.

In Senegal, President Macky Sall is regularly accused by his opponents of taking instructions from his "master" in Paris ahead of elections next year, with top rival Ousmane Sonko backing a reset in relations.

Tanzania government squeezes Maasai by seizing livestock, report says

MOMBASA, Kenya

The Tanzanian government is seizing livestock from Indigenous Maasai herders in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in its latest attempt to clear way for tourism and trophy hunting, a report released Thursday said.

The update from the Oakland Institute, a U.S.-based environmental think tank, found that the government forcefully confiscated some 5,880 cattle and 767 goats and sheep from the Maasai in November and December last year and is demanding that owners pay heavy fines. 

Those failing to pay have their livestock auctioned and moved away.

“Livestock is central to the Maasai culture and livelihoods,” Anuradha Mittal, executive director, The Oakland Institute told The Associated Press. “Losing cattle is therefore catastrophic for them. With this new tactic the government’s goal is clearly to drive them away from their ancestral lands.”

The government has remained adamant that the relocations will pave the way for safari tourism, conservation and trophy hunting for lions, elephants and other famous large species, aiding the country’s environment and economic development. It termed the Maasai’s displacement as “voluntary,” adding it would suit the lives of the semi-nomadic pastoralists.

But Mittal said the government’s assertions that the relocations would better the lives of the Maasai are “a blatant lie.” He added that the government “continues to prioritize tourism revenues over everything else, including lives.”

Previously the government has been accused of denying access to essential health services, grazing lands, water points and salt licks to compel the Maasai to move out of the area.

Salangat Marko, a herder from Ololosokwan village in Loliondo where pastures are being cleared, is worried for the future of his family.

“We are in a bowl of economic suicide,” he said. “A community depending on livestock without grazing land. I have cows with no grass and water. Herders intimidated and beaten ... where do we go and what do we feed our children?”

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Maasai villages occupy a small fraction of the site, within the Loliondo commune.

In June last year the Tanzanian government was accused of using violence against Maasai people protesting their eviction, attracting heavy international criticism. But the Maasais suffered a setback when a regional court ruled in favor of the evictions.

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, normally based in Gambia, is currently in Tanzania to seek information on the human rights situation for Indigenous peoples in the Loliondo and Ngorongoro areas.

Several Tanzanian human rights agencies have urged the commission to be impartial and organize confidential private hearing sessions with victims of the displacement and civil society organizations well away from ongoing state-sponsored efforts. - AP

Fighting intensifies in eastern Congo, displacing hundreds

By Christina Malkia, KINSHASA DR Congo

Fighting intensified around a town in eastern DR Congo Thursday as a rebel group seeking to expand the territory it controls increased pressure on government troops defending it, forcing hundreds of civilians to flee their homes.

By evening it was unclear who controlled Kitchanga in North Kivu province. Videos on social media appeared to show fighters in the M23 group celebrating and claiming they’d captured the town. It was impossible to independently verify their authenticity.

Congo for months has accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23 group — whose origins lie in the region’s ethnic fighting — and powerful voices in the West have openly agreed. Rwanda denies backing the group, which is one of dozens operating in mineral-rich eastern Congo.

At a Nov. 23 summit in Angola, which included Congo’s president and Rwanda’s foreign minister, regional leaders called for a cease-fire in eastern Congo to be followed by a withdrawal of rebels from major towns under M23 control.

The group said it would leave some of the occupied territories before Jan. 15, but some areas remain under its control and it’s seeking to capture others from government forces. M23 has been accused by the United Nations and rights groups of atrocities against civilians.

Kitchanga is a key town as it sits on the last open route between North Kivu’s main economic hubs of Goma and Butembo. The others were cut off due to the fighting.

Many of Kitchanga’s inhabitants fled Thursday’s violence.

“We have just been through the war in Kitchanga, we saw M23 killing people, we were afraid, that’s why we fled so we wouldn’t die too,” said Angelique Mukeshimana. The mother of four went to a makeshift displacement site on the outskirts of Goma, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) away leaving all her belongings behind.

The fighting comes days before Pope Francis is due in Congo’s capital Kinshasa for a three-day visit. The trip was originally supposed to include a stop in the east, however the Vatican scrapped that amid the rising violence.

M23′s political spokesman, Lawrence Kanyuka, in a statement Thursday accused government troops of attacking civilians in Kitchanga and elsewehere, and said the rebel group was “obliged to intervene and stop another genocide.”

A spokesperson for a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo said more than 500 civilians have taken refuge in and around the U.N. peacekeeping base in Kitchanga, where they’ve been given tents, food, water and first aid.

“The M23 must cease all hostilities and withdraw from the occupied areas,” Ndeye Khady Lo said.

Analysts say the rebel group’s drive to expand has devastating consequences for civilians.

“If reports that the group has taken control of Kitchanga ... are true, this is yet another indication of the group’s ongoing territorial ambitions and apparent unwillingness to withdraw,” said Daniel Levine-Spound, a researcher at the Center for Civilians in Conflict.

“The group’s continued westward expansion also raises meaningful fears that M23 could seek to fully encircle Goma. Sustained international pressure, including on M23’s backers, will be critical in halting the group’s advance,” he said.

Largely comprised of Congolese ethnic Tutsis, M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when it seized Goma on the border with Rwanda. It’s part of long line of rebel groups linked with Rwanda since the 1990s when the country sought out ethnic Hutu militias, who had fled to Congo after killing Rwandan Tutsis during the genocide.

US military kills senior IS group official in Somalia

NAIROBI, Kenya

US special operations forces have killed a senior Islamic State group official and 10 other terrorist operatives in remote northern Somalia, senior Biden administration officials announced Thursday.

The operation targeted Bilal al-Sudani, a key financial facilitator for the global terrorist organization, in a mountainous cave complex.

President Joe Biden was briefed last week about the proposed mission, which came together after months of planning. He gave final approval to carry out the operation this week, according to two officials who briefed reporters on the operation on the condition of anonymity.

Sudani, who has been on the radar for US intelligence officials for years, played a key role in helping to fund IS operations in Africa as well as the ISIS-K terrorist branch operating in Afghanistan, the officials said.

He had originally been designated to the Treasury Department in 2012 for his role with al-Shabab, another terrorist organization, operating in Somalia.

"Given the remote location of the operation, the assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed. Protecting civilians remains a vital part of the command’s operations to promote greater security for all Africans," US Africa Command said in a statement.

One American involved in the operation was bitten by a military dog, but was not seriously injured, according to an administration official.

US officials provided scant details about how the operation was carried out or the circumstances surrounding al-Sudani's killing. One official said that US forces had intended to capture al-Sudani but that did not prove to be “feasible” as the operation was carried out.

The operation comes days after Africa Command said it had conducted a collective self-defense strike northeast of Mogadishu, the capital, near Galcad. In that incident, Somalia National Army forces were engaged in heavy fighting following an extended and intense attack by more than 100 al-Shabab fighters.

The US estimated approximately 30 al-Shabab fighters were killed in that operation.

The offensive by Somalian forces against al-Shabab has been described as the most significant in more than a decade. - AP

France recalls ambassador from Burkina Faso after agreeing to withdraw troops

PARIS, France

France said on Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador from Burkina Faso, a day after agreeing to demands from the ruling junta to pull out troops from the former French colony in Africa's Sahel region.

"In the context of the latest developments in Burkina Faso, we have decided to recall our ambassador to Paris for consultations on the state and perspectives of our bilateral relations," the foreign ministry said.

Burkina on Monday said it had asked France to withdraw within a month its contingent of some 400 troops currently stationed in the country and on Wednesday Paris agreed to do so.

It marked the latest scaling down of France's military presence in Africa after the junta in neighbouring Mali also insisted French troops leave and President Emmanuel Macron drew the curtain on the over decade-long anti-jihadist mission.

Both Mali and Burkina Faso fell out with Paris after a military coup brought a junta to power and the French presence became increasingly unpopular among the public.

Jihadist activity continues in the region while concern grows over the increasing influence of Russia, in particular through the presence of mercenaries from the Wagner Group run by an ally of President Vladimir Putin.

Burkina is one of the poorest and most volatile countries in Africa.

Thousands of troops, police and civilians have been killed and around two million people have fled their homes since jihadists launched an insurgency from neighbouring Mali in 2015.

More than a third of the country lies beyond the control of the government, and frustration within the army at the mounting toll triggered two coups last year. - AFP

Africa's uncertain economic outlook in 2023

DAKAR, Senegal

For the first time since 2009, global growth will be weak, not going beyond 2%, according to the IMF figures.

Growth in Africa will therefore be subject to external shocks and be plunged into uncertainty. 

To cope with the unpredictability of the international market and possible crises, economists urged African states to reduce their reliance on the outside by diversifying their economies putting great emphasis on agriculture and industrialization.

Cameroonian economist Eugène Nyam gives us his insight on the matter.

In Togo, the Guaranteed Minimum Inter-Occupational Wage has risen from 60 to nearly $90. Representatives of private-sector employers and trade unions agreed on this increase.

A measure that should support the purchasing power of the poorest classes. A report by our correspondent in Lomé, Serge Koffi.

Argan oil from Morocco is renowned for its many benefits. The turnover of the sector tripled between 2012 and 2019 to reach nearly 110 million dollars. 

The kingdom has integrated argan into its agricultural strategy for 2023. It aims to transform the traditional crop into a modern, profitable and high-value sector and plans to double its production and promote the emergence of new middle-class farmers.

French troops to withdraw from Burkina Faso within a month

PARIS, France

France’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that French troops deployed to fight extremists in Burkina Faso will withdraw within a month following a demand by the country’s military rulers — which came after a similar move from neighbouring Mali.

A top official at the foreign ministry said France has formally received from Burkina Faso a decision to terminate the 2018 agreement on the presence of French troops in the country.

“We will respect the terms of this agreement” which provides that the decision takes effect a month after the written notification, the official said, requesting anonymity in line with the French government’s customary practices.

About 400 French special forces members are based in Burkina Faso as part of a broader military deployment aimed at fighting extremists in Africa’s Sahel region.

Anti-French sentiment has grown in Burkina Faso, a former French colony, since junta leader Ibrahim Traore seized power in September. Traore has been more overtly open to working with other countries, notably Russia.

Protesters took to the streets of the capital Ouagadougou this month to call for the ouster of the French ambassador and the closure of a French military base north of the capital.

The move by Burkina Faso’s regime comes five months after France completed its withdrawal from Mali after nine years fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Many of those are now based in Niger and Chad instead.

About 3,000 French soldiers are deployed in the Sahel region.

Eswatini activist's murder sparks outrage

By Kate Bartlett, JOHANNESBURG South Africa

The government of Eswatini has criticized speculation it may have been responsible for the killing of well-known human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko and has pledged to investigate. Maseko, who was shot dead at his home Saturday, was an outspoken critic of the government, which rights groups say made him a target in the past.

Rights groups, Western embassies, and the U.N. have all expressed concern over the killing.

By most accounts Maseko, who was shot dead by unknown gunmen at his home over the weekend, was one of Eswatini's shining lights, a rare critical voice in Africa's last remaining absolute monarchy.

The 52-year-old, a former fellow at American University's Washington College of Law, was a human rights lawyer, prominent opposition politician and columnist.

He was a thorn in the side of the government of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, and had been jailed for more than a year in 2014. Maseko's death came just hours after the king, Mswati III, spoke against activists challenging his rule.

Robert Shivambu, Amnesty International's southern Africa spokesman, called for justice for Maseko's family.

"The cold-blooded unlawful killing of Thulani Maseko offers a chilling reminder that human rights defenders, especially those at the front of calling for political reform in Eswatini, are not safe," Shivambu said. "If they're not being persecuted, harassed or intimidated by the state, they are at risk of losing their lives. Maseko's family deserves justice; his killers must be brought to trial."

Shivambu said any investigation must be conducted separately from the government and its agencies.

Eswatini, a small kingdom bordering South Africa and Mozambique and a former British colony, has been ruled by the king since 1986.

He has absolute power and has regularly been accused of human rights abuses. In 2021, there were large pro-democracy protests that resulted in several deaths.

Eswatini government spokesman Alpheous Nxumalo hit back at what he said were unjust "insinuations" on social media that the government had any hand in Maseko's killing.

"The position of government is the same, we are baffled, we are taken aback, and we are very disappointed that you are quoting political activists in the country and in South Africa who are blaming government for the murderous crime that has been committed against the person of Mr. Maseko," Nxumalo said. "Government has got no, absolutely no, hand in the murder of Mr. Maseko."

He said an investigation was under way into who was responsible.

"Mr. Maseko has been doing human rights activism in this country for a long time," Nxumalo said. "He has been out to schools internationally, came back, continued with his agenda. He was absolutely no threat whatsoever at any given time as we were pursing our political agenda in the country."

Amnesty's Shivambu said Maseko's death, which already has sent a chilling message to pro-democracy activists across the country, may signify an escalation in attacks against those who are openly seeking political reforms.

The story has made international headlines, with United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Türk urging an impartial investigation into the killing. The U.S. embassy in Eswatini expressed "profound sadness" at the murder, while the European Union voiced "grave concern" about the rights situation in Eswatini.

"Much of Africa less democratic, safe, secure than in 2012" - Report

By Krista Larson, DAKAR Senegal

A new report on African governance released Wednesday finds much of the continent is “less safe, secure and democratic” than it was 10 years ago, citing a surge in military coups and armed conflicts.

The democratic backsliding now threatens to reverse decades of progress made in Africa, according to an index of governance compiled by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that notes 23 successful and attempted coups since 2012.

“This phenomenon of coup d’etats that was common in the ’80s seems to have become fashionable again in certain parts of Africa,” said Ibrahim, a British billionaire born in Sudan who is using his fortune to promote democracy and political accountability in Africa.

His foundation’s report cited eight successful coups just since 2019. Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso have seen two each during that time, further destabilizing a part of the world already under siege by Islamic militants.

The report’s authors also found overall security problems pervasive: Over the past decade, nearly 70% of Africans saw security and rule of law decrease in their countries, they said. More than 30 countries declined in this category, according to the index.

People walk amidst destruction at the scene of a double car bombing at a busy intersection, a day after the attack, in Mogadishu, Somalia, Oct. 30, 2022.

South Sudan ranked at the bottom, followed by Somalia, Eritrea, Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Burundi, Libya and Equatorial Guinea.

Government violence against civilians and political unrest increased across Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the report says, with governments using restrictions to clamp down on dissent.

“Although this trend predates the pandemic, existing antidemocratic tendencies have been accelerated by the introduction of restrictive measures and emergency provisions that have been left in place for an extended time period,” it said.

The index did chart improvements in some economic, education and gender equity categories, Ibrahim said. However, the report only analyzed data through the end of 2021 so did not take into account the full impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Exiled Tanzania opposition stalwart returns with demand for 'new constitution'

By Our correspondent, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

Tanzanian opposition stalwart Tundu Lissu arrived back in his homeland on Wednesday to a rousing welcome from supporters after spending most of the past five years in exile following an assassination attempt.

The one-time presidential candidate was greeted by supporters in the red, white and blue colours of his Chadema party, our correspondent said.

Lissu, who was shot 16 times in 2017 in assassination attempt and spent most of the years since in Belgium, arrived on a flight from Brussels via Addis Ababa.

Thousands of supporters waving flags and blowing vuvuzela horns formed a 15-kilometre (10 miles) procession from the Julius Nyerere International airport to Temeke, for the grand welcoming rally.

The 55-year-old, wearing a tan suit and dark sunglasses, beamed at the crowd from the sunroof of a car and shook hands with supporters as it crawled into the city centre.

The former legislature's return follows President Samia Hassan's announcement this month that a ban on political rallies imposed by her hardline predecessor John Magufuli would be lifted, in an overture to the opposition.

Addressing the cheering crowd  today, Lissu call for unified push for new constitution and independent electoral commission before 2025 general elections.

"Without new constitution, nothing will be done. We can't have fair and free elections if we don't have independent commission that also can be in place if we have new constitution." He insisted.

He said the governance problems, poverty, health and debt burden facing Tanzania are caused by the current constitution. 

He told his supporters that it is possible to have the new constitution before 2025 if the stakeholders agree to come together and force the government to initiate the process.

Lissu told opposition members that the urge to write new constitution started 30 years back but the ruling party have been reluctant implement it for fear of loosing election. "I am optimistic that we will write a new chapter this year... 2023 is an important year in the history of our country, support us with whatever you have to reach our goal." He said.

Last Saturday, Chadema held its first mass rally since the lifting of the 2016 ban, led by its leader Freeman Mbowe in the lakeside city of Mwanza. The political activities’ ban was imposed in 2016 by Magufuli at the onset of his first term in office, which was marked by the imposition of draconian rules.

The government's olive branch was cautiously welcomed by rights groups and the opposition as a boost for democracy, with Hassan overturning some of the authoritarian policies imposed by John Magufuli.

AU envoy calls for cessation of hostilities in DRC North Kivu region

NAIROBI, Kenya

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed concern about the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Eastern DRC's North Kivu region, where fighting has erupted between various armed groups, including the Armed Forces of the Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the M23.

In a statement issued by the Office of the Retired President (ORP), Uhuru who is the regional bloc’s facilitator and AU envoy urged the DRC government and the international community to increase their assistance to IDPs displaced by the conflict.

Amidst reports of targeted civilian killings by armed groups and thousands of internally displaced people as a result of the two days of fighting in the area, the former head of state also called for an end to all hostilities and adherence to the Luanda and Nairobi Peace process Agreements.

In the most recent attack, suspected Allied Democratic Forces fighters killed at least 23 people in eastern DR Congo. 

According to local civil society leader Roger Wangeve, the attack happened overnight on Sunday in the village of Makugwe in the Beni region of North Kivu province. Wangeve put the death toll at 24.

"The ADF surprised 17 people in a small bar where they were drinking beer, and executed them," he said.

A Congolese army spokesman in the region put the death toll at 24 with 10 people missing.

Wangeve added that militants also looted and torched several homes and shops in the village and carried off several villagers into the bush.

The ADF is one of the deadliest groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a volatile region which has been plagued by militia violence for decades.

The ADF has been accused of slaughtering thousands of Congolese civilians and carrying out bomb attacks in Uganda.

In 2021, the United States officially linked the ADF to IS and added it to its list of foreign terrorist organisations.

On January 15, suspected ADF operatives detonated a bomb in a church in North Kivu, killing at least 14 people and injuring another 63.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi placed North Kivu and neighbouring Ituri province in a "state of siege" in 2021, replacing civilian administrators with military and police personnel in a bid to stem the violence. - CitizenTV

China uses US debt battle to deflect pressure on Africa debt

BEIJING, China

The Chinese government says the United States should stop pressuring it on debt relief for Zambia and get its own financial house to avert a default and possible repercussions for the global economy.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stands in the "Door Of No Return" on Goree Island, Senegal, Saturday Jan. 21, 2023.

The Chinese embassy in Zambia responded Tuesday to remarks by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who said on a visit to the African nation this week that it’s crucial to address its heavy debt burden with China.

“The biggest contribution that the U.S. can make to the debt issues outside the country is to … cope with its own debt problem and stop sabotaging other sovereign countries’ active efforts to solve their debt issues,” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.

Chinese development banks have emerged as major lenders to poorer countries around the world for natural resource, transport and power projects, though that lending has fallen sharply in the past five years, according to Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center.

In responding to Yellen, China zeroed in on the battle between Republican lawmakers and the Democratic Biden administration over raising the U.S. debt limit to allow more borrowing to keep the government running.

The embassy statement then turned to Zambia, saying that China has made some progress as co-chair of a creditors committee seeking a sustainable solution. It said China looks forward to the U.S. playing a constructive role in the process.

“Even if the U.S. one day solves its debt problem, it is not qualified to make groundless accusations against or press … other countries out of selfish interests,” the statement said. - AP

 

Chris Hipkins becomes New Zealand prime minister as Jacinda bids emotional farewell

WELLINGTON, New Zealand

New Zealand welcomed a new prime minister on Wednesday, six days after Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation ahead of an upcoming election.

Chris Hipkins, 44, was sworn in on Wednesday at an inauguration ceremony in the capital Wellington.

Hipkins was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and spearheaded the country’s Covid-19 policies in 2020. Before becoming prime minister, he was minister of education, minister of police, minister for the public service, and leader of the house.

Hipkins was unanimously endorsed on Sunday by the ruling Labour party to succeed Ardern as its leader. He was the only nominee.

Videos show Ardern leaving Parliament on Wednesday to cheers and applause from onlookers. Several lawmakers and members of staff had gathered outside, some of whom were clearly emotional as they said goodbye.

Ardern attended her last official outing as prime minister on Tuesday, joining the annual Māori religious festival in the village of Rātana with Hipkins.

Chris Hipkins

“I have experienced such love, compassion, empathy and kindness in the job. That has been my predominant experience. So I leave feeling gratitude for having this wonderful role for so many years,” Ardern told reporters at the event.

“I would hate for anyone to view my departure as a negative commentary on New Zealand,” she added.

Ardern said the most important advice she gave Hipkins is “you do you.”

“This is for him now. It’s for him to carve out his own space, be his own kind of leader. Actually, there is no advice I can really impart. I can share information, I can share experiences, but this is now for him,” she said.

“You won’t find me commenting on domestic politics, I’ve had my time,” Ardern said, adding: “I’m ready to be a backbench MP, I’m ready to be a sister and a mom.”

When Ardern became prime minister in 2017 at the age of 37 she was New Zealand’s third female leader and one of the youngest leaders in the world. Within a year, she had become only the second world leader to give birth in office.

She announced her intention to resign last Thursday, speaking candidly about the toll the job has taken and reflecting on the various crises she has faced as head of the nation, including both the Covid-19 pandemic and the deadly 2019 Christchurch terror attack.

“The only interesting angle that you will find is that after going on six years of some big challenges, I am human. Politicians are human,” she said. “We give all that we can for as long as we can, and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.” - CNN