UN 'very concerned' by high journalist death toll in Gaza

NEW YORK, US

The United Nations on Monday voiced alarm at the number of journalists killed in the war in Gaza, a day after two Al Jazeera reporters died in an alleged Israeli strike on their car.

Al Jazeera on Sunday said two of its Palestinian journalists were killed in the southern city of Rafah, in what it claimed was an Israeli "targeted killing".

"Very concerned by high death toll of media workers in Gaza," the UN rights office said on X, formerly Twitter.

"Killings of all journalists, including Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Abu Thuria in reported IDF strike on car must be thoroughly, independently investigated to ensure strict compliance with international law, and violations prosecuted," it said.

Dahdouh and Thuria, who also worked as a freelance video journalist for AFP and other news organisations, were killed while they were "on their way to carry out their duty" for Al Jazeera in the Gaza Strip, the network said.

A third freelance journalist, Hazem Rajab, was seriously injured.

Witnesses told AFP that two rockets were fired at the car -- one hit the front of the vehicle and the other hit Dahdouh, who was sitting next to the driver.

Asked about the accusations of a targeted attack on journalists, Florencia Soto Nino, a deputy spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York, said: "This is something that at the moment we cannot verify.

"But what we know is that many of them (journalists) have died and we have repeatedly called for their profession to be respected so that they are able to do it freely and in safety."

The Israeli army told AFP that it had "struck a terrorist who operated an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF troops", adding that it was "aware of the reports that during the strike, two other suspects who were in the same vehicle as the terrorist were also hit".

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 79 journalists and media professionals, the vast majority Palestinian, have been killed since the war began.

Israel's relentless bombardment and a ground invasion of Gaza have killed at least 23,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Gaza health ministry's latest toll.

Israeli airstrike killed an elite Hezbollah commander Monday in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon

The Lebanese group Hezbollah says one of its commanders has been killed in a strike in southern Lebanon believed to have been carried out by Israel.

Wissam Tawil (pictured center) was reportedly a member of the group's elite Radwan Force, and one of the most prominent Hezbollah figures to be killed in the current violence.

Israel's military did not comment, but it did say it had hit Hezbollah targets in response to cross-border attacks.

The clashes have raised fears of a wider regional conflict.

Hezbollah is an Iran-backed group that wields considerable military and political power in Lebanon. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK and other Western powers.

Its fighters have exchanged fire with Israeli forces almost every day along the border since the start of the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on 7 October.

Israel's prime minister told soldiers stationed on the border with Lebanon on Monday that he was determined to "do everything necessary to restore security to the north".

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that two people - whom it did not name - were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted a car in the al-Dabsha area of Khirbet Selim at around 10:15 (08:15 GMT) on Monday.

The strike caused the vehicle to veer off the road and catch fire, it added.

Pictures from the scene showed the burned-out wreck of a car on a roadside.

Lebanese security sources said one of those killed in the strike was Wissam Tawil and that the other was also a Hezbollah fighter.

Three sources told Reuters news agency that Tawil was the deputy head of a unit within Hezbollah's Radwan Force, whose well-trained members are considered the group's special forces.

AFP news agency meanwhile cited another source as saying that Tawil "had a leading role in managing Hezbollah's operations in the south" of Lebanon.

Later, Hezbollah issued a statement announcing Tawil's death and describing him as a "commander". It did not confirm that he was killed in a strike, saying only that he "rose as a martyr on the road to Jerusalem".

The statement provided no details about Tawil's role in Hezbollah, but the group published photos showing him shaking hands with its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and sitting next the late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US strike in Iraq in 2020.

The group also announced that its fighters had fired at Israeli forces in the Shtoula area of northern Israel and in the disputed Shebaa Farms/Mount Dov area in the occupied Golan Heights.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it would not comment on foreign media reports about Tawil's death.

However, not long after the incident in Khirbet Selim it put out a statement saying that it "struck a number of areas in Lebanese territory" after an anti-tank missile was launched towards the northern Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona.

"Additionally, [Israeli Air Force] fighter jets struck a series of Hezbollah terror targets in Lebanon, including military sites in which Hezbollah terrorists operated," it added.

On Monday afternoon, the IDF said a jet carried out another series of strikes after an aerial defence array intercepted a "suspicious aerial target" that crossed from Lebanon, triggering sirens in the Kfar Blum area.

An Israeli soldier was also lightly injured by an anti-tank missile that was fired towards Mount Dov, it added.

Over the weekend, the IDF's chief spokesman said it had targeted significant military assets of Hezbollah and carried out "damaging" strikes on the Radwan Force in an effort to drive them away from the border. It came after a rocket and missile barrage launched from Lebanon damaged an air traffic control base on Mount Meron.

The cross-border violence over the past three months has already killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters, as well as several Israeli soldiers and Israeli and Lebanese civilians. But so far, Hezbollah has calibrated its actions to prevent a full-scale war with Israel.

Last week, reacting to a suspected Israeli strike that killed Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri and six other people in Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut, Hassan Nasrallah warned Israeli authorities against starting a conflict. "Whoever thinks of war with us... he will regret it," he said.

However, crucially, there was no threat from Hezbollah's leader to escalate its actions.

Many in Lebanon still remember the destruction caused by the month-long conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and, with Lebanon suffering a massive economic crisis, there is no public support for any military confrontation. Miscalculation, however, is always a risk.

The Israeli military’s chief of staff has warned Hezbollah that it is ready for another war

And, in Israel, some senior figures have touted a potential larger offensive against Hezbollah to reduce the threat posed by the group and allow the return of thousands of residents who have been evacuated because of constant attacks.

"We'll create a completely different reality [in the north], or we'll get to another war," IDF chief of staff Lt Gen Herzl Halevi said on Sunday.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told soldiers at a base in Kiryat Shmona that he wanted to "send a message to Hezbollah".

"Hezbollah made a big mistake with us in 2006 and it is also doing so now. It thought that we were like 'spider's cobwebs'. Suddenly, it sees what kind of 'spider'. It sees great force here, the unity of the people, the determination to do everything necessary to restore security to the north," he said.

"Of course, we prefer that this be done without a wide-ranging campaign, but that will not stop us," he added.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who has been meeting Arab leaders on his latest regional tour, has been trying to de-escalate tensions.

He is also expected to call for Israel to reduce the intensity of its fighting in Gaza amid reports of dozens of Palestinians killed in the latest air strikes.

Gambian ex-minister goes on trial in Switzerland for murder

BELLINZONA, Switzerland

A former interior minister of Gambia was going on trial Monday in Switzerland on charges including crimes against humanity for his alleged role in years of repression by the west African country’s security forces against opponents of its longtime dictator.

Advocacy groups hailed the trial of Ousman Sonko, Gambia’s interior minister from 2006 to 2016 under then-President Yahya Jammeh, as an opportunity to reach a conviction under “universal jurisdiction,” which allows the prosecution of serious crimes committed abroad.

Sonko was taken Monday in a police van to Switzerland’s federal criminal court in southern Bellinzona.

He applied for asylum in Switzerland in November 2016 and was arrested two months later. 

The Swiss attorney general’s office said the indictment against Sonko, filed in April, covers alleged crimes during 16 years under Jammeh, whose rule was marked by arbitrary detention, sexual abuse and extrajudicial killings.

“The trial of Ousman Sonko is another major step in the search for justice for victims of brutal crimes and their families committed under Jammeh’s rule,” said Sirra Ndow, coordinator of the Jammeh2Justice campaign.

Swiss prosecutors say Sonko is accused of having supported, participated in and failed to stop attacks against regime opponents in the country, which juts through neighboring Senegal. The alleged crimes include killings, acts of torture, acts of rape and numerous unlawful detentions, Swiss authorities say.

Philip Grant, executive director at TRIAL International, which filed a case in Switzerland against Sonko before his arrest, said he was “the highest-level former official to be tried under the principle of universal jurisdiction in Europe.”

The trial is set to run through January 30.

In November, a German court convicted a Gambian man, Bai Lowe, of murder and crimes against humanity for involvement in the killing of government critics in Gambia. The man was a driver for a military unit deployed against opponents of Jammeh.

Sonko, who joined the Gambian military in 1988, was appointed commander of the State Guard in 2003, a position in which he was responsible for Jammeh’s security, Swiss prosecutors said. He was made inspector general of the Gambian police in 2005.

Sonko was removed as interior minister in September 2016, a few months before the end of Jammeh’s government, and left Gambia for Europe to seek asylum.

Jammeh seized control in a 1994 coup. He lost Gambia’s 2016 presidential election but refused to concede defeat to Adama Barrow, and ultimately fled amid threats of a regional military intervention to force him from power.

Sierra Leone court-martial charges 27 soldiers over 'Coup Attempt'

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone

Twenty-seven Sierra Leonean soldiers on Monday appeared before a court-martial which charged them with mutiny over their alleged role in what authorities say was an attempted coup in November.

Security was stepped up around the courthouse in the capital Freetown where the proceedings were later adjourned to Wednesday.

The 27 accused struggled to all squeeze onto the stand at the court-martial.

Justice Minister Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley was also present in the courtroom, according to the AFP journalist at the scene.

On November 26, armed attackers stormed a military armory, two barracks, two prisons and two police stations, clashing with security forces.

Twenty-one people were killed, and hundreds of prisoners escaped before authorities were able to regain control after what they deemed a coup attempt by members of the armed forces.

At least 80 people were arrested in connection with the clashes, most of them military personnel.

Former president Ernest Bai Koroma was charged last week with treason and other offences for his alleged role in the events.

Koroma’s case was adjourned until January 17.

Authorities have charged 12 other people with treason in connection with the coup attempt, including Amadu Koita, a former soldier and bodyguard of Koroma.

The violence in Sierra Leone at the end of November had sparked fears of another military coup in West Africa, where Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea have all experienced putsches since 2020.

Nigeria's President suspends poverty minister facing financial probe

ABUJA, Nigeria

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Monday suspended his poverty minister following allegations that she diverted public funds into a private bank account.

The measure against humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation minister Betta Edu (pictured right) came days after another senior official was suspended over corruption charges.

Tinubu came to power last year promising to crack down on graft in Nigeria.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had called for Edu to be sacked and prosecuted "over the alleged looting of almost $50 million" from a social investment fund "meant for the wellbeing of the poor."

The opposition party claimed this included approximately $661,000 "audaciously diverted by her (Edu) to a private account."

Tinubu has ordered a probe after documents allegedly related to the transfer of funds were published in local media. AFP could not independently verify those claims.

Last week Tinubu suspended the head of the social investment fund agency Halima Shehu over alleged corruption. She was arrested and released on bail, according to local media.

The PDP accused Tinubu of presiding over "unprecedented treasury looting."

But Tinubu's spokesman said the president had suspended Edu in line with his "commitment to uphold the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and accountability."

Tinubu ordered Nigeria’s anti-corruption body to investigate the ministry and vowed to make changes to "win back lost public confidence" in schemes for poor households, spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said.

Tinubu came to power last year promising reforms and swiftly suspended several officials, including former central bank chief Godwin Emefiele and ex-head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa.

But Edu is the first minister the president has suspended.

Nigeria remains one of the lowest ranked on Transparency International's widely watched corruption perceptions index.

Pope Francis condemns global crises in address to Ambassadors

ROME, Italy

Pope Francis addressed ambassadors accredited to the Holy See on Monday, delivering a comprehensive overview of global challenges and the escalating violations of international humanitarian law.

He mentioned a plethora of ongoing worldly tribulations, such as the Israel-Hamas conflict, migration issues, climate crises, the immoral production of nuclear and conventional weapons, but also the complex socio-economic and political issues plaguing the African continent.

"Turning our gaze to Africa, we are witnessing the suffering of millions of people as a result of the numerous humanitarian crises that various sub-Saharan countries experience due to international terrorism, complex social political problems, and the devastating effects of climate change. Added to these are the effects of the military coups d’état that have occurred in several countries and certain electoral processes marked by corruption, intimidation and violence," said the Pontiff.

From Algeria to South Africa, a third of Africa is poised to participate in elections in 2024, with significant issues at stake in at least 18 countries entering an election year. Among these nations are Mali, Chad, and Burkina Faso, grappling with the aftermath of coups – provided the junta leaders in these countries adhere to their commitments.

“2024 will witness elections being held in many nations. Elections are an essential moment in the life of any country, since they allow all citizens responsibly to choose their leaders” he added.

In the coming year, the fate of several African economies hangs in the balance, as reported by various news outlets.

For some, the current debt crisis serves as a crucial turning point, offering a window of opportunity to enact substantial reforms and fortify fiscal resilience. Conversely, a larger contingent is anticipated to fall short, implementing only the essential reforms necessary to maintain financial support from entities like the IMF, the World Bank, and other donors.

The year ahead stands as a critical juncture for these economies, where strategic decisions will shape their trajectories in the post-debt crisis landscape.

While inflation is expected to see a general decrease in 2024, the long-term repercussions on households' purchasing power will persist. Additionally, countries reliant on food imports may face intensified challenges as currency depreciations contribute to the strain on household incomes.

France’s Macron moves to name new government chief in reshuffle

PARIS, France

French President Emmanuel Macron could choose a new prime minister as soon as Monday, according to his entourage, as he fights political setbacks.

French President Emmanuel Macron and French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne review troops during a national tribute ceremony for late French politician and former European Commission President Jacques Delors

The position of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has been tenuous ever since an immigration bill pushed by Macron was voted down in parliament last month. It was finally passed with many controversial changes imposed by the center-right opposition.

Macron, who is also facing a growing challenge from the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen, met with Borne Sunday night.

His office said the discussion centered on flooding in northern France and a looming freeze across the country, but observers said they likely discussed a widely-predicted cabinet reshuffle.

Francois Bayrou, a centrist leader whose early endorsement of Macron was key to his initial 2017 election, told BFM television that “a change is necessary” in the government makeup.

Under the French system, the president sets general policies, but the prime minister is responsible for day-to-day government management, meaning they often pay the price when an administration runs into turbulence.

Macron has over the past week consulted about reinvigorating his administration with Bayrou, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, and former prime minister Edouard Philippe.

No final decisions appeared to have been taken before the meeting with Borne however.

A close Macron adviser said the president was “finalizing his choices” and “things will move at the start of the week, probably with a new prime minister Monday.”

But another associate of the president added: “Everything is possible, including doing nothing.” That would mean Borne could still keep her job.

If she is replaced, the two leading candidates are Sebastien Lecornu, the 37-year old defense minister, and Julien Denormandie, the 43-year-old former agriculture minister who has been close to Macron for a decade.

Choosing between the two risks exacerbating tensions within Macron’s movement. Denormandie has been with Macron from the start of his presidential campaign. Lecornu later jumped ship from the center-right The Republicans party.

Macron’s political party lacks a majority in parliament and is already riven by disagreements over the immigration law, which was greatly hardened as a condition for receiving necessary support from The Republicans.

Some 200 French intellectuals, actors, and union leaders issued a call Sunday to protest against the law on January 21, saying it represented a “dangerous turn for the Republic.”

Denormandie almost founded a start-up with Macron in 2014 before becoming his deputy chief of staff when Macron was Economy Minister under President Francois Hollande. Denormandie has been working in the private sector since 2022.

Lecornu joined Macron in 2017, and would follow in the footsteps of two previous prime ministers — Philippe and Jean Castex — who also defected from The Republicans.

Lecornu has become a close adviser to Macron, who has used his experience in local and regional government. However, one close adviser warned that “we are maybe moving too quick to condemn” Borne.

In her 20 months as prime minister, the 62-year-old Borne — France’s second female head-of-government — has pushed through 30 pieces of legislation and has overcome previous doubts about her future.

AFCON Côte d'Ivoire 2023 'Kings' to pocket US$7m

CAIRO, Egypt

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has increased by 40% boost in the Prize Money for the triumphant team at the upcoming TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d'Ivoire this month.

The victorious squad at the TotalEnergies AFCON Côte d'Ivoire 2023 will now be awarded a staggering USD 7,000,000. This significant increase aims to elevate the prestige of the tournament and further incentivize top-tier performances on the African football stage.

The runner-up of the TotalEnergies AFCON Côte d'Ivoire 2023 will not be left empty-handed, as their prize money sees an impressive rise to USD 4,000,000. This move by CAF demonstrates a commitment to recognizing and rewarding excellence throughout the competition.

Furthermore, the stakes have risen for the semi-finalists, with each team in this stage now securing USD 2,500,000. The four quarter-finalists will also enjoy an increased reward, with USD 1,300,000 allocated to each of them.

Dr Patrice Motsepe, the President of CAF, expressed his enthusiasm for the positive strides made in the past two years in enhancing the Prize Money across various CAF competitions.

Speaking on the AFCON Winner's prize, which has been elevated to USD 7,000,000, he noted that this 40% increase from the previous amount signifies CAF's dedication to fostering football development.

Dr Motsepe is confident that a portion of the Prize Money will play a pivotal role in advancing football infrastructure and benefitting all stakeholders involved, including providing support to Member Associations in their administrative endeavors.

Zambian schools shut for three more weeks due to cholera

LUSAKA, Zambia

Schools in Zambia will remain closed for an additional three weeks following the festive holidays, causing a delayed start to the academic year.

The Ministry of Education announced on Thursday that both primary and secondary students, originally scheduled to return next Monday, will now resume classes on January 29.

The Ministry of Health in Zambia reported on Sunday that the cholera outbreak, which began in October 2023, has resulted in 3,015 confirmed cases and 98 fatalities.

The alarming situation prompted concerns about the nation's "health security," as stated by the Ministry of Health in a previous warning.

Zambia's education minister has issued directives to ensure the safety of students and staff upon their return.

The minister emphasized the need for a thorough cleaning of all learning institutions, provision of clean water and sanitation facilities, installation of adequate handwashing points, and the availability of disinfectants.

This proactive approach aims to mitigate the risk of further cholera transmission within educational settings, prioritizing the health and well-being of the student population.

4 dead, 22 injured in Indonesia train collision

BANDUNG, Indonesia

Four people were killed and at least 22 injured when two trains carrying hundreds of passengers collided in Indonesia on Friday, officials said.

The front carriages of both trains were a mangled wreck while others further back had derailed and overturned on a stretch of tracks cutting through rice fields in West Java province.

No fatalities have been reported among the nearly 500 passengers on board, with all four deaths reported so far involving train crew.

The crash between an intra-city train carrying 287 passengers and a local line with 191 on board took place at 6:03 am local time (1103 GMT) near Cicalengka, railway operator PT KAI said.

“KAI is deeply saddened and expresses its condolences for the death of four train officers, who were train driver, assistant, steward and security guard,” said a spokesman for the company.

The number of injuries reported have varied. Police have put the number at 37 while the railway operator said 22 people were injured.

Police spokesperson Ibrahim Tompo said all passengers have been evacuated with those injured taken to local hospitals.

But he said that a joint rescue team was still working to recover the body of one train crew member killed in the crash.

“One victim who is believed to have died still cannot be evacuated because the victim was buried in the material of the carriage,” Tompo said.

The cause of the accident is not yet known.

The Transportation Ministry has deployed teams to assist with the evacuation and conduct an investigation into the accident.

“We also apologize for this accident which has disrupted railway services, especially in West Java,” said ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati.

Transport accidents are not uncommon in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation where buses, trains and even planes are often old and badly maintained.

Last November, a collision between a train and a minibus at a level crossing in Lumajang, East Java province, killed at least 11 people and injured several others, an official told local media.

In 2015, 16 people were killed after a commuter train crashed into a minibus on a level crossing in the capital Jakarta.

In 2013, seven people were killed and scores more injured when a commuter train collided with a fuel tanker in Jakarta and burst into flames.

Oscar Pistorius released from prison, 11 years after the murder of his partner

PRETORIA, South Africa

Former South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on Friday January 5 and is "now at home", placed on parole, almost eleven years after the murder of his partner Reeva Steenkamp, ​​the prison administration confirmed.

Journalists gather near the house of Oscar Pistorius' uncle in Waterkloof, a suburb of Pretoria, on January 5, 2024. 

“He was admitted to the community corrections system and is now home,” the administration said in a statement. “We who are still here are condemned to life,” responded the victim’s mother, June Steenkamp, ​​in a written statement.

On the night of February 13 to 14, 2013, Oscar Pistorius killed model Reeva Steenkamp , ​​29, by shooting four times through the bathroom door of her bedroom in his ultra-secure Pretoria home.

A year earlier, the athlete had become a legend by lining up with the able-bodied in the 400 meters at the London Olympic Games, a first for a double amputee.

Arrested in the early morning of Valentine's Day 2013, Oscar Pistorius denies having fired in a fit of rage, claiming to have believed in the presence of a burglar. A version that he maintained throughout the legal saga which kept the media in suspense for the following four years.

At the end of his first trial opened in 2014 and broadcast live on television, the runner, nicknamed "Blade Runner" in reference to his carbon prostheses, received five years in prison for manslaughter.

But the prosecution considers the sentence "scandalously lenient" and calls for it to be reclassified as murder. After several calls and the crude reading of an autopsy report from the victim which caused the accused to vomit, the latter was finally sentenced at the end of 2017 to 13 years and five months in prison for murder.

South African law provides that a person convicted of murder is eligible for a reduced sentence once half of their sentence has been completed. At the end of November, the prison administration announced the early release of Oscar Pistorius.

As part of his placement on parole until the end of his sentence in 2029, Oscar Pistorius must undergo therapy on anger management and violence against women.

He is not allowed to consume alcohol. He must also carry out community service, but he must be present at a designated home in a suburb of Pretoria at certain times of the day.

Israel ‘has gone too far,’ Lebanon’s caretaker PM warns

BEIRUT, Lebanon

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned what he described as repeated Israeli violations of the country’s sovereignty in a meeting on Thursday with Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro, UNIFIL’s head of mission and force commander.

Mikati told the leader of the peacekeeping force that Israel has ignored UN resolutions for years, and called for “voices to be raised” in the UN in support of Lebanon.

The caretaker prime minister’s comments coincided with the funeral of Hamas deputy political leader Saleh Al-Arouri, who died in a suspected drone strike in southern Beirut on Tuesday.

Al-Arouri was buried in the Palestinian Al-Shuhada cemetery in Shatila, Beirut, along with two Hamas officials, Azzam Al-Aqra’ and Mohammed Al-Rayes, who were also killed in the blast.

Gunshots were fired in the air during the funeral, and mourners raised the Palestinian flag and banners of Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Lebanese security services are investigating Al-Arouri’s death, while Hezbollah is also carrying out its own probe into the assassination.

A security source said that the investigations are “complex,” and focused on the type of drone, its route, and the specifications of the missiles launched.

Retired Brig. Gen. George Nader suggested in a media statement that there might be “an agent from the decision-making circle, and not from outside, if we were to talk about a security breach.”

Nader said: “Israel has technology that allows it to fly drones at 30,000 feet or 7,000 meters without being heard or seen. Fighter jets can launch missiles at a distance of 15,000 meters without being heard or seen, with very high accuracy exceeding 99 percent.”

He added: “There are two ceilings above the room where Al-Arouri was present that were destroyed and fell on him. This indicates the capabilities that Israel possesses.

“Technically, the assassination has several possibilities, and we must wait for the investigation.”

Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, in a statement denouncing Al-Arouri’s assassination, questioned the reason for “the presence of this number of armed Palestinian organizations and other armed organizations in various Lebanese regions, including in Beirut’s southern suburbs.”

He said: “In principle, this matter requires the approval of the Lebanese official authorities, especially since Lebanon is ultimately a republic that must preserve and protect its sovereignty and emphasize not endangering its security and stability.”

Siniora’s reaction came as Israel’s operations on Thursday targeted border villages, including Maroun Al-Ras, near a Lebanese army point, where a fighter jet launched two air-to-surface missiles.

The Israeli army attacked the former Israeli detention site in the town of Khiam with phosphorus bombs, and shelled the outskirts of Bint Jbeil, Yaroun, and Aita Al-Shaab. 

Hezbollah announced on Thursday that it had targeted “a position of Israeli soldiers in Shtula and the Al-Jardah military point, and a gathering of soldiers in Metula and the Branit military site, achieving direct hits.”

Israeli media said Hezbollah fired an anti-tank missile toward Metula, hitting a building there.

Israeli drone strikes continued late on Wednesday and Thursday, targeting residential buildings.

Hezbollah paid a heavy toll, losing nine fighters in less than 24 hours, including field official Hussein Hadi Yazbek in the Naqoura area.

On Wednesday evening, the Israeli army stepped up its attacks, destroying a three-story building in Naqoura with drones.

Among Hezbollah members killed were Hadi Ali Rida from Teffahta, Ibrahim Afif Fahs from Jibchit, and Hussein Ali Mohammad Ghazaleh from Adloun, in addition to Abbas Hassan Jammoul, Hassan Dakik, and Mohammad Hadi Obeid.

Sudan recalls Kenya envoy over paramilitary chief visit

AL-JAZIRA STATE, Sudan

Sudan recalled its ambassador from Nairobi Thursday in protest at Kenyan President William Ruto’s hosting of talks with paramilitary commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, its acting foreign minister said.

Dagalo, whose forces have been at war with the regular army led by Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan since April, has been touring African capitals on his first visit abroad of the conflict.

He already visited Uganda, Ethiopia and Djibouti as well as Kenya and is currently in South Africa, to the anger of Burhan, whose administration has lost ground to the paramilitaries in recent months and is eager to deny them international legitimacy.

In a statement carried by the official SUNA news agency, Sudan’s acting foreign minister Ali Al-Sadiq said the ambassador had been recalled “for consultations in protest of the official reception organized by the Kenyan government for the leader of the rebel militia.”

He said those consultations would “cover all possibilities for the outcome of Sudan’s relations with Kenya.”

Ties between Burhan and the Kenyan government have been strained for months, as Nairobi has sought to keep lines of communication open with Dagalo so it can mediate in the conflict.

Over the past few days, Hemetti has met with the leaders of Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and South Africa. He received official receptions with a guard of honours at the Addis Ababa airport, while he was welcomed with traditional dances at Nairobi airport before meeting President William Ruto at the presidential palace.

In contrast, the receptions hosted by President Museveni and President Cyril Ramaphosa were limited to their respective private residences, outside the presidential palaces.

Prior to this incident, Sudan’s Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had warned against treating the commander of the RSF, which is engaged in hostilities against the Sudanese army, as a legitimate representative of the Sudanese state. He had also stated that Sudan would take “appropriate measures” in response to such a reception.

It is worth noting that all heads of diplomatic missions have left Sudan and have chosen to establish offices in Port Sudan instead.

The war has killed more than 12,190 people, according to a conservative estimate from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, and forced more than seven million to flee their homes, according to UN figures.

Mediation efforts are largely at a standstill amid deep animosity between the rival generals.

Although Burhan’s administration continues to put out statements as the Sudanese government, Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces control the streets of Khartoum as well as nearly all of Darfur and much of the central state of Al-Jazira, Sudan’s pre-war breadbasket.

US dismisses SA's case against Israel as 'meritless'

WASHINGTON, US

The United States on Wednesday criticized South Africa for bringing a genocide case against Israel before the UN's top court, rejecting accusations against its ally over the war in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague will hold hearings from January 11 to January 12 on a filing by South Africa that alleges "genocidal acts against the people in Gaza" and seeks to order Israel to end the military operation.

"This submission is meritless, counterproductive and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a briefing.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said separately that from a U.S. assessment, "We have not at this point seen acts that constitute genocide."

"Genocide is, of course, a heinous atrocity," Miller told reporters. "Those are allegations that should not make be made lightly."

The court usually takes one or two weeks to issue a decision on emergency measures after the hearings. The court's rulings are final but it has no authority to enforce them.

Israel has angrily rejected the accusation by South Africa, with the foreign ministry calling it "blood libel," a reference to ancient antisemitic conspiracies.

South Africa has often criticized Israel and alleged parallels to its own history of apartheid.

In The Hague application, South Africa says that Israel has been acting "with the requisite specific intent... to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group."

Palestinian Hamas militants infiltrated Israel on October 7 and killed some 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

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Sierra Leone’s ex-president set to appear in court on treason charges

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone 

Ernest Bai Koroma was this week charged with treason and other offences over his alleged involvement in the failed plot to unseat the government of his successor Julius Maada Bio. 

More than 20 people were killed in November when key sites across the country were attacked, including a military barracks and a prison where more than 2,200 inmates were set free. 

The Bio government has said the failed coup was orchestrated mostly by security officers loyal to Koroma, Sierra Leone president for 11 years until 2018 who has been under house arrest since last month.

Treason convictions can carry lifetime imprisonment penalties, according to Sierra Leone’s penal code. 

West and central Africa have been hit by a string of coups in recent years, leaving many regional leaders wondering whether they might be the next to be removed.

Soldiers have seized power twice in Mali and Burkina Faso, and once in Chad, Gabon, Guinea and Niger since 2020. 

The treason charges against such a prominent figure in Sierra Leone have further ratcheted up tensions in a country still divided over a disputed election last year and scarred by an 11-year civil war that killed more than 50,000 people.

Tensions have been high in Sierra Leone since Bio won re-election in a vote that international and local monitors say was not transparent and riddled with irregularities. 

MPs from Koroma’s All People’s Congress (APC) party, whose presidential candidate lost the vote, refused to take their seats in parliament after the poll and demanded an election rerun. 

The political paralysis caused a US agency to pause work on the disbursement of a grant worth more than $450mn. 

The charges against Koroma came a day after 12 other people were also charged with treason as well as “harbouring, aiding and abetting the enemy”. 

Those charged include Amadu Koita, a Koroma bodyguard who has criticised Bio on social media, and Bai Mahmoud Bangura, a senior official in the former president’s party. 

Abdul Karim Kamara, an APC spokesperson, told the Financial Times that it was “difficult” to respond to the treason charges levelled against Koroma amid claims that a deal had been reached with the regional Ecowas bloc for the former president to temporarily relocate to Nigeria. 

“We saw the Ecowas letter saying the president would travel to Nigeria and shortly after that he was summoned to appear in court”.

Ecowas, the west African group of nations, had been involved in dialogue with Sierra Leonean authorities since last month. 

Macky Sall, president of Senegal, and Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo visited Freetown in December to meet Koroma and Bio. 

A letter sent by Ecowas to Bio and seen by the Financial Times referred to a relocation agreement reached during Sall and Akufo-Addo’s visit and said Nigeria would host Koroma on a “temporary basis”. 

Koroma would leave Freetown for the Nigerian capital Abuja this week, according to the letter that also urged the Sierra Leonean government to drop all “legal and administrative procedures” against Koroma. 

In an interview with the FT, Sierra Leone foreign minister Timothy Musa Kabba denied a deal had been struck to allow Koroma to go to Nigeria. 

Kamara, the APC spokesperson, also said any suggestions that members of his party were involved in any coup plot was a “non-starter” because the party only stood to benefit from democratic rule. 

“We only exist as a political party when there’s a democracy. How does a coup benefit us? We might not want Bio as president but a coup would not answer our quest for leadership either.”