Mozambique conflict increased in November – UN Report

MAPUTO, Mozambique

The armed conflict in northern Mozambique, worsened in November, leading to “the highest number of attacks recorded since July 2021,” according to a United Nations report released this Monday [January 10]: “Mozambique: Cabo Delgado, Nampula & Niassa Humanitarian Snapshot – November 2021 “.

“In November, conflict increased in northern Mozambique—with the highest number of attacks recorded since July 2021—and displaced more than 20,500 people, of whom 51 per cent were children, 28 per cent women, and 4 per cent people with vulnerabilities,” according to IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM).

In total, there are an estimated 734,000 internally displaced people in northern Mozambique (figures consolidated up to five weeks ago), a decrease of about 9,000 from the data collected in September.

“With the start of the lean season,” until harvests kick off in April, “it is estimated that over 1.1 million people in Cabo Delgado, Nampula and Niassa face high levels of food insecurity,” the document adds.

According to the United Nations, only one in 10 displaced families in Cabo Delgado has an adequate diet.

Malaria, febrile syndrome and diarrhoea remain the major diseases in Cabo Delgado, with almost 741,700 cases, 154,000 and over 40,100, respectively.

Among the displaced, 90% point to lack of shelter as the most urgent need, followed by food (88%), non-food items (70%), clean water and sanitation (60%) and health (41%).

Morocco beat Ghana 1-0

YAUUNDE, Cameroon

The Atlas Lions of Morocco have stopped Ghana 1-0 in their opening Group C match at the on-going TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations 2022.

Sofiane Boufal netted the lone goal after 83 minutes at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.

It was a mix-up in the Black Stars' defending line that gave Boufal a chance to strike the ball past Ghana’s goalkeeper Joseph Luke Wollacot.

The game started with the two teams matching each other well, but Morocco’s veteran captain Ghanem Saiss had the first good chance when he headed the ball off target after 7 minutes. Zakaria Aboukhlal later had his long shot saved by the Black Stars goalkeeper after 14 minutes.

Ghana’s defending line marshaled by Alexander Djiru and Andrew Kyere-Yiadom remained tight, closing out the Moroccans. Ghana also had Thomas Teye Partey fire his free kick off target after 33 minutes.

Towards the interval Morocco failed to make use of a freekick taken from close range after Partey had pulled down Sofiane Boufal. But it was Joseph Paintsil’s last effort in the first half when he ran past two Moroccan defenders, but shot wide off target.

After recess the two teams stepped up in attack, but Ghana’s skipper Andre Ayew came close after 65 minutes but missed the target. The Black Stars again came close when Morocco’s goalkeeper punched for a corner a well taken Joseph Paintsil shot after 72 minutes.

But it was the more organized Morocco team that took advantage in the 83rd minute and netted the lone goal. The Atlas Lions continued to push forward and had another chance after 87 minutes, but they failed to connect from a well taken free kick.

Morocco who reached the group of 16 in the AFCON 2019 now top Group C before Comoros later face Gabon.

IMF warns developing countries of 'economic turbulence'

WASHINGTON, United States

Emerging economies should gird for possible rough times as the US Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates and world economic growth slows because of the Omicron variant of Covid-19; the IMF warned Monday.

The International Monetary Fund, which is scheduled to release updated economic forecasts on January 25, said that for now global economic recovery from the ravages of the pandemic should continue this year and next.

But "risks to growth remain elevated by the stubbornly resurgent pandemic," IMF economists Stephan Danninger, Kenneth Kang and Helene Poirson wrote in a blog post.

The highly contagious Omicron strain has spread like wildfire around the world since mid-December, causing record numbers of new Covid cases in the latest wave of the global health crisis.

Omicron, which seems to cause less severe disease than previous strains of the coronavirus, is causing countries to reinstitute health measures that hamper economic growth.

"Given the risk that this could coincide with faster Fed tightening, emerging economies should prepare for potential bouts of economic turbulence," the economists said, as these countries are also confronting elevated inflation and substantially higher public debt. 

The Fed has signalled that it will raise key interest rates sooner and more aggressively than it had planned, in order to counter rampant inflation in the US that is hitting US households and consumption -- the engine of economic growth in America.

Higher interest rates mean financing costs for some emerging economies with dollar-denominated debt will rise. 

These countries are already lagging behind in the global economic recovery and thus less able to absorb added expenditure.

"While dollar borrowing costs remain low for many, concerns about domestic inflation and stable foreign funding led several emerging markets last year, including Brazil, Russia, and South Africa, to start raising interest rates," the IMF said.

Quicker Fed rate hikes could rattle financial markets and cause tighter financial conditions on a global scale, the blog says.

The risk is there will be a slowing of demand and trade in the US, as well as capital flight and a depreciation of the dollar in markets of emerging countries.

The IMF recommended that emerging economy nations "tailor their response based on their circumstances and vulnerabilities."

And central banks that are raising interest rates to fight inflation should engage in "clear and consistent communication" so people better understand the need for price stability, the international lender said.

Uganda opposition chief warn Museveni 'not to meddle with constitution' again

KAMPALA, Uganda

The leader of the National Unity Platform Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine has told the people of Mityana that they will not allow the regime to amend the Constitution to have Parliament elect the president.

Robert Kyagulanyi (R)

Kyagulanyi made the remarks while speaking at the burial of Mutyaba Yusuf who passed away on Tuesday.

Mutyaba was a grandfather to Najja Sherif, the NUP deputy secretary for research who also doubles as the speaker, Wakiso district local government.

The burial took place at Bombo Village in Mityana district.

Kyagulanyi remarks followed rumours that the ruling NRM party wants to change the Constitution and introduce a parliamentary system where the president is elected by Parliament.

Deputy Attorney General, Jackson Kafuuzi has dismissed such reports.

Kyagulanyi vowed that this will not work, adding that every time the Constitution stands in the way of the “dictator’s wishes, he amends it to suit him”.

Pres. Yoweri Museveni

“He is now trying to amend it again to have only MPs elect the president. Of course, this is intended to enable him to impose upon Ugandans a leader of his choice, having seen how unpopular he and his preferred successors are in the country. Too bad for him because we shall firmly reject that,”he said.

Kyagulanyi also told the people of Mityana that since President Museveni overwhelmingly lost elections in the central region, he has made it a habit to accuse Baganda and NUP supporters in Buganda of being tribal.

“He forgets that if Baganda were indeed tribal, they would never have been the same people to host, clothe, feed and hide him as they did while he waged his disastrous 1980s war in Luweero triangle,” he said.

SADC extraordinary summit postponed

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has postponed the extraordinary summit of heads of state and government that was originally scheduled to be held, in virtual format, on Friday.

A Thursday statement from the SADC Secretariat said that the summit will now be held next Wednesday, 12 January, in the Malawian capital of Lilongwe. Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera is the current chairperson of SADC, and he will chair the extraordinary summit.

The purpose of the summit, the statement added, is “to review progress of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) which was deployed to support Mozambique to combat terrorism and acts of violent extremism”.

Prior to the summit, on Tuesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, will convene an extraordinary meeting of the Troika of the SADC Organ on Political, Defence and Security Cooperation. Attending this meeting will be the three current members of the troika, namely South Africa, Botswana and Namibia, plus Mozambique.

The Troika summit will be followed, on Tuesday evening, by an extraordinary session of the SADC Council of Ministers.

The statement notes that, “in accordance with the SADC Treaty, the SADC Summit is responsible for the overall policy direction and control of functions of the community, ultimately making it the policy-making institution of SADC”.

Clearly, the Summit’s immediate priority must be to decide on the future of SAMIM. The mission was deployed in July 2021 following approval by an Extraordinary SADC Summit held in Maputo, on 23 June 2021, as a regional response to support Mozambique in the fight against terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Eight SADC member states have provided personnel for SAMIM, namely South Africa, Botswana, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, working under the overall coordination of the Mozambican defence forces. A non-SADC member, Rwanda, is also supplying forces to assist in the anti-terrorist drive.

The summit is expected to decide on whether to extend the mandate of SAMIM, and for how long. - Africa

Terrorists continue to raid Cabo Delgado villages in Mozambique

MAPUTO, Mozambique

As leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) prepare to hold an extraordinary summit on Friday, to discuss the fight against terrorism in Mozambique, jihadist groups have continued to launch attacks in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

According to a report in Thursday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, there have been around ten attacks in three Cabo Delgado districts since New Year’s Day.

On 1 January itself, terrorists attacked the Nova Zambezia village in Macomia district, where they murdered four people. Two of them are said to be relatives of the district administrator, Tomas Badae.

The following day the villages of Imbada and Nogororo, in Meluco district, came under attack. Houses were set on fire but there are no reports of any casualties, perhaps because the villagers fled into the bush to escape the raiders.

Also on Sunday, some of the population of Litingina village, in Nangade district, fled from their homes, when it was confirmed that a group of nine terrorists had been seen in the vicinity. The following day it was confirmed that this group had indeed passed through the village. It was believed that they were on their way to the neighbouring province of Niassa, or perhaps to the border with Tanzania.

On Tuesday, jihadists attacked Mariria and Mugide villages, burning down houses, though again no casualties were reported. Later the same day another attack was reported against the Vida Nova village in Macomia, and again it seems there were no casualties.

The terrorists also struck at Mueda district on Tuesday afternoon, with an attack on Havara village, in the Negomano administrative post, near the border with Tanzania.

Most of these attacks, “Mediafax” notes, were carried out by small groups of no more than ten terrorists. Not all the attackers were bearing firearms – some were carrying machetes and similar weapons.

Such small-scale raids show that, although the main jihadist bases in Cabo Delgado have been dismantled, the terrorists still pose a threat to the lives and livelihoods of local people,

The SADC summit must decide the future of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM), which has been fighting alongside the Mozambican defence and security forces, and members of the Rwandan armed forces against the islamists.

Sudanese security forces kill 3 in new anti-coup protests

CAIRO, Egypt

Sudanese security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition Thursday, killing at least three people as thousands once again took to the streets in the capital of Khartoum and other cities to protest the October military takeover of the country.

The spasm of violence is the latest since the October 25 coup that has scuttled hopes of a peaceful transition to democracy in Sudan. 

Thursday’s fatalities bring to at least 60 the number of people killed since the coup, and hundreds have been wounded in clashes with security forces trying to thwart protests, according to the Sudan Doctors Committee, which tracks the casualty tolls.

In Omdurman, the twin city of Khartoum, two protesters were killed Thursday, while in the Sudanese capital’s district of Bahri one demonstrator was shot and killed, according to activist Nazim Sirag and the Sudan Doctors Committee.

Sirag said one of the fatalities in Omdurman was a man who was shot in the head and died before reaching the hospital. Many were wounded, including by gunshots, the activist and the committee said.

The United Nations again urged restraint from Sudanese security forces, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday. He said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “has been on the phone on this issue for the last few days” and even before that, and U.N. special envoy Volker Perthes who is in Khartoum has been talking to partners and key parties over the last few days.

Earlier Thursday, as protesters took to the streets, activists posted live videos on social media showing protesters waving the Sudanese flag in several cities and chanting: “Power to the people!” and “The military belongs in the barracks!”

Social media also swarmed with images showing tear gas clouding rallies in Khartoum, and protesters hurling stones and throwing back empty gas canisters at security forces.

The Sudanese Professionals Association, which has spearheaded many rallies since the coup, called earlier on protesters to march to the presidential palace, the seat of the ruling military government in Khartoum.

Thursday’s protests come less than a week after Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok resigned from office citing failure to reach a compromise between the generals and the country’s pro-democracy movement. Hamdok was ousted in the coup, only to be reinstated a month later following a deal with the military meant to calm tensions and anti-coup protests.

The deal was rejected by most political groups and parties who insisted the generals should promptly hand power over to civilians. Meanwhile, the military said they would not relinquish power until a new government is elected in July, as laid out in a constitutional document governing the transitional period.

The advocacy NetBlocs group said on Twitter that the mobile internet was disrupted ahead of the protests, a routine measure taken by authorities since the coup. Some activists also tweeted that many bridges and roads were closed.

Sudan has been politically paralyzed since the coup. The military takeover came more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019. - AP

3,280 schools closed in Burkina Faso due to terrorism

DOUALA, Cameroon

Raids by armed extremists have forced the closure of more than 3,000 schools in Burkina Faso, affecting thousands of students and teachers, the government said Wednesday.

The Ministry of National Education, Literacy, and the Promotion of National Languages said that as of Dec. 31, 2021, 3,280 schools had been closed.

The figure accounts for 13.09% of the country's schools or 511,221 students and 14,901 teachers.

"This is very impressive and there are reasons for concern," government spokesman Alkassoum Maiga said at a press briefing.

However, 205 schools involving 39,812 students and 1,099 teachers have been reopened and 25 schools have also been relocated, according to Maiga.

"This allows us to meet the education imperative, especially for those in exam classes," he said, pointing to the re-enrollment of 135,981 students whose parents are internally displaced persons (IDPs).

In May 2021, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that closures affected 304,450 students, including 156,456 boys and 147,994 girls, and 11,068 teachers, including 7,259 men and 3,809 women, noting "a fairly turbulent security situation."

The West African country has been the target of recurring terrorist attacks since 2015.

After “the first Burkinabe school attacks were recorded in 2017, the number and severity of these attacks have been on the rise,” according to Human Right Watch.

"School attacks and disruptions to schooling have reduced the quality of education provided and caused many students to fall behind academically," the organization noted.

Terrorism has also caused the internal displacement of more than 1.4 million people and food insecurity for more than 2.8 million people, OCHA reported.

Tanzania Speaker resigns following misunderstanding with President over loans

By Our Correspondent, Dodoma Tanzania

Tanzania's National Assembly Speaker, Job Ndugai, on Thursday January 6 bowed to growing pressure for his resignation following his misunderstanding with President Samia Hassan over government's "excessive" borrowing.

He has been on the position since November 2015 until his resignation today after disagreeing with the President over a loan of 1.3 trillion and rising national debt. He is the first Speaker to resign in Tanzania's history.

The drama caught momentum  on Monday when the Speaker went public and apologised to the president for earlier saying that the country was in danger of being auctioned over its growing external debt burden.

Ndugai said he had not intended to “disrespect” the President and the executive.

He also claimed that the video clip of his remarks, that went viral on social media triggering a huge political backlash, had been “smartly edited” to misinterpret his core message of less dependence on external borrowing by his enemies.

The Speaker said his enemies were trying to use social media to “create an agenda out of nothing and attack the current administration by dragging me as the Speaker into it.”

In his resignation statement before the press today, Ndugai said he had already tendered a formal resignation letter to his ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) secretary general, copied to the Clerk of the National Assembly, to allow for the process of installing a new Speaker to begin.

“This is a personal and voluntary decision and I have made it with the wider interests of the nation, government and my party at heart.” He said. 

The move comes on the back of mounting pressure from CCM local leaders across the country throughout the week.

On December 27 last year, at a public rally in his Kongwa constituency in Dodoma, Ndugai questioned the country’s continued borrowing from external sources, saying it is not sustainable. He suggested that the country should instead borrow internally or base on taxes and levies.

Following his apology, President Hassan who seemed to refer to him  slammed those criticising her administration’s focus on seeking external loans to pay for development projects instead of sourcing the funds locally by raising domestic taxes and expanding internal revenue streams.

The President said her government would not be discouraged from prioritising external loans over domestic taxes as the quickest way to complete key projects already on track such projects as the Standard Gauge Railway (estimated to cost  7.5 billion USD) and Julius Nyerere Hydropower (estimated to cost 2.9 billion USD)

“There are people who thought these projects would ground to a halt so they would have something to say. That’s not going to happen. There is no country anywhere that doesn't borrow – even the so-called developed countries have bigger loan debts than ours. We will borrow, borrow and borrow in order to finish the projects we have started.” She said.

The President who is also the chairperson of the ruling party categorically stated that she no longer trusted Ndugai as a political ally in the face of divisive factions coming to the fore within CCM well ahead of the next general election in 2025.

                        courtesy

Amid the growing pressure from within the party for Ndugai to resign following this latest statement from the president, a growing number of outsiders were also calling for his protection under the universal principle of separation of powers.

“Since Ndugai heads the Legislature, which is primarily responsible for maintaining checks and balances on the Executive arm of government, his resignation over this particular matter would be setting a bad precedent,” said Edmund Msangi, a seasoned journalist and political commentator.

Ndugai’s resignation sets the stage for legislators to vote in a new Speaker when parliament begins its first session of 2022 in the capital Dodoma on February 1.

The House is presently dominated by the ruling CCM party. - Africa

Sudan's army commander declines EU-Troika calls for dialogue

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan’s coup leader rejected calls by the Troika and the European Union to appoint a new prime minister in accordance with the Constitutional Declaration, which gives the right of his nomination to the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).

General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan

After the resignation of Abdallah Hamdok, the Troika and the European Union on Tuesday urged the Commander in Chief of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to select a prime minister after a dialogue with his partners in the transition.

They stressed that continuing to rule the country alone would undermine the credibility of the transitional government and plunge the nation into conflict.

In response to this call, al-Burhan through his military spokesman declined the call of the main supporters of the economic reforms in Sudan.

“We welcome the suggestions of friends, but the most important thing is a solution that stems from the national will,” said Brig Gen al-Tahir Abu Haja, Media Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces in a statement released by the official Sudan News Agency.

Abu Haja stressed that the current vacuum must be filled “in the shortest possible time”.

The military official added that the army and the security forces are able to protect the transition until the establishment of a democratic civil state in Sudan.

Al-Burhan has already refused a mediation by the African Union to settle the ongoing crisis in Sudan saying he prefers internal efforts.

On October 25, the Commander in Chief of the Sudanese army dissolved the transitional government and arrested the prime minister, government officials and political leaders. Also, he declared a state of emergency in the country.

The military leader accused the FFC forces of seeking to achieve partisan interests and neglecting transition’s reforms.

In fact, he was angered by their calls for the implementation of the security reforms, which end the army economic privileges, and the handover of the Sovereign Council’s chairmanship to civilians in line with the constitutional declaration.

In New York, the UN spokesperson commented on the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General and his special envoy to end the Sudanese crisis.

“The Secretary-General continues to urge all Sudanese stakeholders to find common ground towards a path that meets the legitimate democratic aspirations of all Sudanese people,” Stéphane Dujarric.

He added that UNITAMS Head Volker Perthes continues to discuss the situation with the Sudanese stakeholders in Khartoum as he seeks to narrow the gap between the political and military leaders.

On January 4, al-Burhan received Perthes to discuss the way forwards after Hamdok’s resignation two days before. - Africa

EU urges Uganda to release activist Kakwenza

KAMPALA, Uganda

The European Union (EU) has joined other rights bodies in demanding the unconditional release of Ugandan novelist and activist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, held incommunicado for more than a week despite court ordering police to free him.

Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was also held and allegedly tortured last year after writing The Greedy Barbarian, a novel about high-level corruption.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Mr Eamon Gilmore, the EU special representative for human rights, urged the authorities in Kampala to release Mr Kakwenza, who was kidnapped by gunmen on December 28 and disappeared until police acknowledged holding him.

“Uganda: I’m alarmed by reports of alleged torture and incommunicado detention of author Rukirabashaija Kakwenza. He remains in detention without trial, despite a court order for his unconditional release. I urge Ugandan authorities to uphold rule of law and due process,” he tweeted.

Mr Gilmore’s concerns were shared by Ms Maria Håkansson, the ambassador of Sweden to Uganda, who expressed “full support” for the EU representative.  

The EU delegation to Uganda, which manages the “EU-Uganda relations, programmes and activities” also supported the call-in response.

Mr Gilmore, a former deputy prime minister, and minister of foreign affairs of Ireland is charged with enhancing the presence, effectiveness and visibility of EU human rights policy in the EU external actions.

Police say they are holding Mr Kakwenza on allegations of offensive communication after a series of belittling, derogatory and abusive tweets about President Museveni and his son, Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba (Commander of Land Forces).

He has, however, not been formally charged. 

In the days leading to his arrest, Mr Kakwenza repeatedly tweeted about the family, especially Lieutenant General Kainerugaba.

Mr Rukirabashaija’s wife, Ms Eva Basiima, and his lawyer Eron Kiiza said he had been tortured.

“A search is ongoing at Mr Rukirabashaija’s home in Iganga. He is urinating blood. He has swollen legs. He is clearly tortured. He needs urgent medication and counselling,” Mr Kiiza said.

In April 2020, Mr Rukirabashaija was detained and questioned about his novel, The Greedy Barbarian. 

He penned another book, Banana Republic: Where Writing Is Treasonous about his ordeal while in custody, which caused his arrest in September 2020. 

Mr Kakwenza was last year named the International Writer of Courage at the PEN Pinter Prize ceremony; an award is given to someone who has been persecuted for speaking out about their beliefs.

In December 2020, the European Council adopted a regulation establishing a global human rights sanction regime that allows the EU to target individuals, entities and bodies – including state and non-state actors – responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide.

In February last year, the European Parliament pushed for sanctions against individuals and organisations responsible for human rights violations in the country under the EU sanctions regime, following the 2021 General Election.

US special envoy to visit Ethiopia for peace talks

NAIROBI, Kenya

United States Special Envoy for the Horn of African Jeffrey Feltman, who is due to step down from the role at the end of January, will visit Ethiopia on Thursday for peace talks aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict.

A programme announced by the US State Department said Mr Feltman will return to Addis Ababa, for the third time since his appointment in April last year, to try and convince leaders to choose dialogue.

“I can confirm that Special Envoy Feltman will be in Addis Ababa January 6th for meetings with senior government officials to discuss prospects for peace talks.

“We’ll have more on his travels in the coming days, and we do expect to have more to read out then. He is planning to go back to Khartoum as well,” said Ned Price, the Department’s spokesman.

Feltman had tried before, and was often rebuffed, including a famous snub by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Mr Price said that the United States government continues to call for a ceasefire in Ethiopia.

“We have said for some time now that we seek an immediate cessation of hostilities, an end to ongoing human rights abuses and violations, unhindered humanitarian access, and a negotiated resolution to the conflict in Ethiopia, precisely because, in addition to the human suffering, it threatens peace and security in the Horn of Africa.

“This is in some ways an opportune time for the special envoy to engage with senior Ethiopian government officials, with Tigrayan forces having withdrawn into Tigray, and the Ethiopian Government stating it does not intend to pursue those forces into Tigray,” Mr Price said.

“There will be no military solution to the conflict. And we continue to support diplomacy as the first, the last, and the only option.

“And we reiterate our call for the Ethiopian Government to start a credible, inclusive national dialogue that includes comprehensive, transparent, transitional justice measures, including accountability for those responsible for atrocities.”

11 Zimbabweans drown in river Limpopo crossing to South Africa

LIMPOPO, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe and South Africa police are collaborating to search for people who are reported to have drowned while crossing the Limpopo River on Sunday.

So far one body has been retrieved at a crossing point near Maroy Farm some 40km west of Beitbridge town.

Efforts were by end of the day yesterday underway to retrieve two more bodies spotted on the deeper end of the South African side of the Limpopo River.

It is reported that divers from the two countries failed to retrieve the two bodies on Tuesday due to the high-water current in the river.

The police officer commanding Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said they were continuing with the efforts to retrieve the bodies.

He said the search was initiated on Monday after two women reported that their husbands had drowned near a crossing point closer to Nottingham Estate on Sunday.

“The divers came across the three bodies on Tuesday while searching for two men who were reported to have drowned on Sunday,” said Chief Supt Nyongo.

“However, the bodies we have spotted so far are not of those two men. As police, we are still treating them as missing persons. Searches are still on and efforts are being made to retrieve two more bodies that were seen at the same point at a deeper end”.

He said police suspect there could be more cases of drowning along the Limpopo River, where the level of water has relatively risen.

Police warned people against using illegal crossing points as they risk prosecution or drowning in the Limpopo River.

The latest drowning incidents come a few days after Zimbabwean security rescued six people who got stranded at a crossing point near Dulivhadzimu Gorge, after a wooden makeshift boat they were using capsized.

The group was part of 15 people who were dumped in the middle of the river by some criminals who were assisting them to cross.
The men ran away upon spotting some security officials who were patrolling near the crossing point. - Africa

Gabon and Ghana join powerful UN Security Council

NEW YORK, USA

The United Nations Security Council got five new members Tuesday, as Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the United Arab Emirates formally took up the posts they won in an election in June.

Gabon and Ghana each have been on the council three times before and the UAE once.

The 15-member council is the United Nations’ most powerful body. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are permanent members, with veto power.

Other members are elected by the 193-member General Assembly for two-year terms that are allocated by global regions.

The African continent non-permanent seats on the Security Council, were held by Kenya, Tunisia and Niger.

South African and Senegalese presidents had last year called for a permanent representation of the African people in the council.

Council members also can convene meetings on security topics of particular interest to them, and smaller countries get to share a prominent platform with world powers.

More than 50 of the U.N.'s 193 member countries have never been elected to the council since it formed in 1946. - Africa

Niger police seize over 200Kg of cocaine from mayor's vehicle

NIAMEY, Niger

A Nigerien Mayor and his driver have been arrested by the police for attempting to smuggle 214 kilos of cocaine to Libya. The Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (OCRTIS) said Wednesday.

Seized cocaine is seen on a table at the premises of the Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drug Trafficking (Octris) in Niamey on January 5, 2022. 

The drugs seized on Sunday, as well as the arrested mayor and driver and their vehicle, were presented to the press in Niamey where they had been transferred on Monday.

According to the spokesperson for OCRTIS, Nana Aïchatou Ousmane Bako, the police were "on the trail of a quantity of drugs brought in from Mali which was about to be transported to Libya."

The investigation "led to the seizure on 2 January of 199 bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 214.635 kilos in a vehicle belonging to the mayor's office in Fachi (north) on which the mayor was traveling" and which was heading for Dirkou, a Nigerian town close to Libya, she added.

She added this is the first time the country has seized such a large quantity of cocaine.

Nana Aïchatou explained, the drugs, which have a "market value of 11.73 billion CFA francs on resale", or nearly 17 million euros, were destined for Europe.

In his response to the situation, Niger's interior minister, Hamadou Adamou Souley said "The government will spare no effort to track down drug traffickers."

Fachi is an oasis in the heart of the Ténéré desert, more than 1,600 km from Niamey and 450 km from Agadez, the major city in northern Niger. The 2,000 or so inhabitants of Fachi derive most of their income from the date and salt trade.

Drug seizures are becoming common in Niger, whose vast northern desert - especially the Salvador Pass area near the Libyan border - is a notorious corridor for drug, arms, and migrant smuggling, and is home to jihadist groups.

In March 2012, 17 tonnes of cannabis resin with a street value of 20 billion CFA francs (more than 30.4 million euros) from Lebanon, via the Togolese port of Lomé, were intercepted in Niger.

Also in June 2018, three tonnes of cannabis resin concealed in crates of fruit and vegetables from the Maghreb and with an estimated value of three billion FCFA (€4.5 million) had been intercepted in Niamey.