Uganda opposition leader's lawyer sentenced to 9 months in jail by Court Martial

KAMPALA,  Uganda 

The Uganda's General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala has handed Dr. Kizza Besigye’s lawyer, Eron Kiiza, a nine-month jail term in prison after finding him guilty of contempt of court.

Advocate Eron Kiiza (centre)

This follows his earlier arrest today morning.

He was at the Military Court to represent his clients, Kizza Besigye and Obeid Lutale.

However, he was arrested and whisked away.

Kiiza was returned to court on Tuesday afternoon and sentenced to nine months in jail.

The military court didn’t allow Kiiza to defend himself, nor were the charges read to him. He was not allowed any time for mitigation.

In his ruling, the Court Martial Chairman, Brigadier Freeman Mugabe stated that Kiiza had confronted and assaulted the court orderly, and despite being warned, he did not heed the advice. 

US determines Sudan's RSF committed genocide, imposes sanctions on leader

WASHINGTON,  United States 

The United States determined on Tuesday that members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan and it imposed sanctions on the group's leader over a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions from their homes.

The moves deal a blow to the RSF's attempts to burnish its image and assert legitimacy - including by installing a civilian government- as the paramilitary group seeks to expand its territory beyond the roughly half of the country it currently controls.

The RSF rejected the measures.

"America previously punished the great African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, which was wrong. Today, it is rewarding those who started the war by punishing (RSF leader) General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, which is also wrong," said an RSF spokesman when reached for comment.

The war in Sudan has produced waves of ethnically driven violence blamed largely on the RSF. It has also carried out mass looting campaigns across swathes of the country, arbitrarily killing and sexually assaulting civilians in the process.

The RSF denies harming civilians and attributes the activity to rogue actors it says it is trying to control.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement the RSF and aligned militias had continued to direct attacks against civilians, adding they had systematically murdered men and boys on an ethnic basis and had deliberately targeted women and girls from certain ethnic groups for rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The militias have also targeted fleeing civilians and murdered innocent people escaping conflict, Blinken said.

"The United States is committed to holding accountable those responsible for these atrocities," Blinken said.

Washington announced sanctions on the leader of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, barring him and his family from travelling to the U.S. and freezing any U.S. assets he might hold. Financial institutions and others that engage in certain activity with him also risk being hit with sanctions themselves.

It had previously sanctioned other leaders, as well as army officials, but had not sanctioned Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as attempts to bring the two sides to talks continued.

Such attempts have stalled in recent months.

"As the overall commander of the RSF, Hemedti bears command responsibility for the abhorrent and illegal actions of his forces," the Treasury said.

Seven RSF-owned companies located in the United Arab Emirates and one other person were also hit with sanctions over their roles in procuring weapons for the RSF, Blinken said.

The companies represent part of an extensive financial network including gold and banking cultivated by Dagalo and his family members that stretches from the UAE to Sudan and neighbouring countries.

Ghana’s John Mahama returns as president

ACCRA, Ghana 

John Mahama has been sworn in on Tuesday, January 7 as Ghana’s president for the third time, as the country faces its worst economic crisis in a generation.

Mahama, who started his political career as the communications minister, won the presidential election late last year after pledging to tackle the economic crisis, corruption and unemployment.

The 65 year old, who was previously Ghana's president between July 2012 and January 2017, replaces former President Nana Akufo-Addo. Mahama was first sworn in as president when President John Evans Atta Mills died in July 2012. He served the rest of that term and then won an election in 2012.

Mahama promised to “reset” the country on various fronts during a campaign that prioritized the economy and largely appealed to young Ghanaians who saw the vote as a way out of the country’s economic crisis.

The election in December for both president and members of parliament was held against the backdrop of the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation and was seen as a litmus test for democracy in a region shaken by extremist violence and coups. 

West Africa’s regional bloc of ECOWAS said the election was generally peaceful, a continuing trend in Ghana.

Andrew Takyi, founder of a local fintech company, Zee Pay, told The Associated Press: “l am hopeful that President Mahama will use the 24-hour economy he campaigned on to improve the country. He can use that to widen the tax base of small and medium enterprises to improve revenue.”

Innocent Appiah, a senior media research officer at the Precious Minerals Marketing Company, said he expects the Mahama administration to “prioritize transparency and accountability in the extractive industry, ensuring that the PMMC plays a more effective role in regulating and monitoring the sector.”

“I anticipate policies that promote value addition, local content development and community engagement, ultimately leading to increased revenue generation and socio-economic benefits for Ghanaians,” he said.

Enyonam Agble, a trader attending the inauguration, said: “There was so much corruption under President Akufo-Addo and all we want is the recovery of all that had been stolen to rebuild the country.”

Barrick Gold may suspend Mali operations as gold shipments remain blocked

By Our Correspondent, TORONTO Canada

Barrick Gold has announced that it may temporarily suspend operations in Mali unless the government lifts restrictions on gold shipments within the coming week.

The company is facing what is described as a confiscation order, which poses significant challenges not only to its operations but also to the broader local economy and its workforce.

Barrick Gold president and CEO Mark Bristow noted that the inability to ship gold not only affects operations but has broader implications for the local economy, including its 8,000 employees and its many local service providers.

“If this issue is not resolved within the coming week, Barrick will have no choice but to temporarily suspend operations at Loulo-Gounkoto.  Such an action would be deeply regrettable but necessary, as previously reported.” Bristow said in a press release made available to our Correspondent.

The company has been in a dispute with the Malian Government since 2023 over a contract based on new mining rules. Recently, an arrest warrant was issued for Bristow.

“Barrick continues to be a steadfast partner to Mali and its people, contributing significantly to the country’s economic and social development over nearly three decades.  We are committed to dialogue and finding a mutually acceptable resolution that allows us to secure the future of Loulo-Gounkoto as a vital economic contributor to Mali,” Bristow said.

Bristow also highlighted the ongoing detention of several Barrick employees in Mali on unfounded charges, stating that the company is actively working to secure their release and ensure their well-being.

He reiterated that the safety and rights of its workforce remain a critical priority for Barrick. - osoropj@gmail.com

U.S. accuses Russia of funding both sides of Sudan's war

By Michelle Nichols, UNITED NATIONS

The United States accused Russia at the United Nations on Monday of funding the two warring parties in Sudan, an apparent step up from Washington's previous assertion that Moscow was playing both sides of the conflict to advance its political objectives.

The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, triggering the world's largest displacement and hunger crisis.

In November Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution that called on the warring parties to immediately cease hostilities and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. The remaining 14 council members voted in favor of the text.

"Russia chose obstruction: standing alone as it voted to imperil civilians, while funding both sides of the conflict – yes, that's what I said: both sides," the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council on Monday, without giving further details.

When asked to elaborate, a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the U.N. said Washington was aware of Russia's "ongoing interest in Sudan's gold trade" and condemns any material support for the warring parties – "whether it be through illicit gold trading or the provision of military equipment."

"We believe Sudanese authorities' gold mining cooperation with sanctioned Russian entities and individuals could prove inimical to Sudan's long-term interests and the aspirations of the Sudanese people for an end to the war," the U.S. mission to the U.N. spokesperson said.

In response, Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said: "We regret that the U.S. tries to judge other world powers by its own yardstick."

"It's obvious that in the Pax Americana which our American colleagues try to preserve at any price, relations with other countries are built only on their exploitation and criminal schemes aimed at U.S. enrichment," he said.

Reuters was unable to immediately contact Sudan's warring parties for comment.

In December, Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia rejected what he called "fabrications spread by Western countries and their media" that Moscow was trying to play both sides to gain an advantage from the war.

At what she said would likely be her last council meeting, Thomas-Greenfield became visibly emotional while addressing her counterparts on Sudan, a crisis that has been a focus for her during her four years at the world body.

"For all the disappointment that I couldn't do more, that we – all of us – didn't do more – I still remain hopeful," she said. "Hopeful that the representatives sitting around this table – the colleagues who have become friends – will continue this sacred mission, this ultimate responsibility."

Thomas-Greenfield was appointed by President Joe Biden. Donald Trump will succeed Biden on Jan. 20.

"China, North Korea helping drive Russia’s war in Ukraine" - Blinken

SEOUL, South Korea

United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said Monday that North Korea and China are the “biggest ongoing drivers” allowing Russia to carry out its war in Ukraine, and that security assurances will need to be a part of potential future negotiations ending the conflict.

Speaking during a visit to South Korea, Blinken said North Korean supplies of artillery, ammunition and troops, along with Chinese support for Russia’s military industrial base are giving the Russian military the backing it needs to continue carrying out the fight it started in February 2022.

He said North Korea is already seeing a return on its involvement in the conflict in the form of Russian military equipment and training for North Korea troops.

“We believe it has the intent to share space and satellite technology with the DPRK,” Blinken said.

With only two weeks left in the Biden administration, the United States has been rushing to send remaining authorized aid to Ukraine amid uncertainty about how President-elect Donald Trump may approach the war.

Blinken said Monday the U.S. has been trying to make sure Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself, and to have the “strongest possible hand” at a future negotiating table with Russia.

"If there is going to be, at some point, a ceasefire, it's not going to be, in Putin's mind, 'game over'," Blinken said. "His imperial ambitions remain, and what he will seek to do is to rest, to refit, and eventually to re-attack.”

Blinken said it is necessary to have an "adequate deterrent in place so that he doesn't do that, so that he thinks twice – three times – before engaging in any re-aggression.”

Ukraine’s military said Monday it shot down 79 of the 128 drones that Russian forces deployed overnight in attack targeting multiple Ukrainian regions.

The intercepts took place over the Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Sumy, Vinnytsia and Zhytomyr regions, the Ukrainian air force said.

Officials in Cherkasy reported damage to residential buildings and a grain warehouse from falling drone debris.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it destroyed 12 Ukrainian aerial drones, all in areas along the Russia-Ukraine border.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said the attacks injured three people and damaged several residential buildings.

Venezuela arrests 125 'foreign mercenaries' including one Israeli - report

CARACAS, Venezuela

Venezuelan authorities announced on Monday the arrest of an Israeli national suspected of working as a mercenary for the United States in an alleged plot to stage a coup against the government.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello (above) said that a total of 125 mercenaries from 16 different nationalities had been detained as part of ongoing operations to thwart what the government described as destabilization efforts.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it is aware of the situation and is investigating the claims.

Further details about the Israeli national or the circumstances of the arrest were not immediately available.

Cabello’s statement is the latest in a series of accusations by the Venezuelan government, which has frequently blamed the U.S. for attempting to undermine its leadership.

There has been no immediate comment from American officials regarding the allegations.

Tibet earthquake kills at least 53

TIBET, China

A strong earthquake killed at least 53 people in Tibet on Tuesday and left many others trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the region of western China and across the border in Nepal.

The official Xinhua News Agency said 62 other people were injured, citing the regional disaster relief headquarters.

About 1,500 fire and rescue workers were deployed to search for people in the rubble, the Ministry of Emergency Management said.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and was relatively shallow at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6 miles). China recorded the magnitude as 6.8.

The epicentre was about 75 kilometres (50 miles) northeast of Mount Everest, which straddles the border. The area is seismically active and is where the Indian and Eurasia plates clash and cause uplifts in the Himalayan mountains strong enough to change the heights of some of the world’s tallest peaks.

The average altitude in the area around the epicentre is about 4,200 meters (13,800 feet), the China Earthquake Networks Center said in a social media post.

State broadcaster CCTV said there are a handful of communities within 5 kilometres (3 miles) of the epicentre, which was 380 kilometres (240 miles) from Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and about 23 kilometres (14 miles) from the region’s second-largest city of Shigatse, known as Xigaze in Chinese.

About 230 kilometres (140 miles) away in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, the earthquake woke up residents and sent them running out of their homes into the streets. No information was immediately available from the remote, mountainous areas of Nepal closer to the epicentre.

There have been 10 earthquakes of at least magnitude 6 in the area where Tuesday’s quake hit over the past century, the USGS said.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns

OTTAWA, Canada

Under growing pressure from his own party, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced he will step down and end his nine-year stretch as leader.

Trudeau said he would stay on in office until his Liberal Party can choose a new leader, and that parliament would be prorogued - or suspended - until 24 March.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," he said during a press conference Monday.

Trudeau's personal unpopularity with Canadians had become an increasing drag on his party's fortunes in advance of federal elections later this year.

"Last night, over dinner, I told my kids about the decision that I'm sharing with you today," he told the news conference in Ottawa.

"I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process," he said.

The president of the Liberal Party, Sachit Mehra, said a meeting of the party's board of directors would be held this week to begin the process of selecting a new leader.

In a statement, he added: "Liberals across the country are immensely grateful to Justin Trudeau for more than a decade of leadership to our Party and the country."

"As Prime Minister, his vision delivered transformational progress for Canadians," he said, citing programmes his government has implemented like the Canada Child Benefit and the establishment of dental care and pharmacare coverage for some medication.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said "nothing has changed" following Trudeau's resignation.

"Every Liberal MP and Leadership contender supported EVERYTHING Trudeau did for 9 years, and now they want to trick voters by swapping in another Liberal face to keep ripping off Canadians for another 4 years, just like Justin," Poilievre wrote on X.

Trudeau, 53, had faced growing calls to quit from inside his Liberal Party, which ramped up in December when deputy prime minister and long-time ally Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned.

In a public resignation letter, Freeland cited US President-elect Donald Trump's threats of tariffs on Canadian goods, and accused Trudeau of not doing enough to address the "grave challenge" posed by Trump's proposals.

Trump has promised to impose a tax of 25% on imported Canadian goods - which economists have warned would significantly hurt Canada's economy - unless the country takes steps to increase security on its shared border.

Trudeau said Monday that he had hoped Freeland would have continued as deputy prime minister, "but she chose otherwise".

Canada has since announced that it will implement sweeping new security measures along the country's US border in response to the threat.

In an online post, Trump claimed that pressure over tariffs led to Trudeau's resignation and repeated his jibe that Canada should become "the 51st State".

"If Canada merged with the U.S., there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them," he wrote.

Since 2019, the Liberal Party has governed as a minority party.

Following Freeland's resignation, Trudeau lost the backing of parties that had previously helped keep the Liberals in power - the left-leaning New Democrats, who had a support agreement with the Liberals, and the Quebec nationalist party, Bloc Quebecois.

The largest opposition party, the Conservatives, have maintained a significant two-digit lead over the Liberals in polls for months - suggesting that if a general election were held today, the Liberals could be in for a significant defeat.

Liberals will now choose a new leader to take the party into the next election, which must be held on or before 20 October.

A senior government official told our Correspondent that the race is an open contest, and that the Prime Minister's Office will fully stay out of the process, leaving it to Liberal Party members to decide their future.

Speaking to reporters, the Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-François Blanchet suggested that an early election be called once the Liberals choose their new leader.

N Korea says new hypersonic missile will 'contain' rivals

SEOUL, South Korea

North Korea has claimed it fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead which "will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region".

The launch on Monday - Pyongyang's first in two months - came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Seoul for talks with some of South Korea's key leaders.

Hypersonic weapons are more difficult to track and shoot down, as they are able to travel at more than five times the speed of sound.

North Korea is claiming their missile flew 12 times the speed of sound, for about 1,500km.

South Korea's military earlier said the missile flew 1,100km before falling into the sea, adding that it "strongly condemns" this "clear act of provocation".

North Korea has previously test-fired hypersonic missiles. Pictures published by KCNA showed that Monday's missile resembled one that was launched in April last year, but Pyongyang claims the recent one features a new "flight and guidance control system" and a new engine made of carbon fibre.

The country's leader Kim Jong Un said Monday's launch "clearly showed the rivals what we are doing and that we are fully ready to use even any means to defend our legitimate interests", state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday.

Ankit Panda, a nuclear weapons specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the launch of a new weapon is "unsurprising".

"We've known that North Korea has been working with composite materials for use in missiles for a number of years now.

"The appeal of these materials is to broadly improve the performance and reliability of the payload... Better materials can increase the odds of their survival to the target," he told our correspondent.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken met acting president Choi Sang-mok, where he described the alliance between Washington and Seoul as a "cornerstone of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula".

South Korea's military says it has strengthened surveillance for the North's future missile launches and is "closely sharing information" on the launch with the US and Japan.

The launch took place amid political chaos in South Korea, which has embroiled the country for weeks after suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law attempt in December.

Yoon, who was stripped of his presidential powers after lawmakers voted to impeach him, now faces arrest. The constitutional court is also deliberating whether he should be removed from office.

Pyongyang previously mocked Yoon's shock martial law declaration as an "insane act" and, with no suggestion of irony, accused Yoon of "brazenly brandishing blades and guns of fascist dictatorship at his own people".

North Korea is widely regarded as one of the world's most repressive totalitarian states. Its leader Kim Jong Un and his family have ruled the hermit nation for decades as a dictatorial dynasty, developing and promoting a cult of personality.

The last time Pyongyang fired missiles was in November, a day before the US presidential election, when it launched at least seven short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast.

Earlier that week, the US had flown a long-range bomber during trilateral military drills with South Korea and Japan in a show of power, drawing condemnation from Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 07/01/2024

 

Over 30 million in need of aid in war-torn Sudan - UN

PORT SUDAN, Sudan

More than 30 million people, over half of them children, are in need of aid in Sudan after twenty months of war, the United Nations said on Monday.

The UN has launched a $4.2 billion call for funds, targeting 20.9 million people across Sudan from a total of 30.4 million people it said are in need in what it called “an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.”

Sudan has been torn apart and pushed to the brink of famine by the war that erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than eight million internally displaced, which, in addition to 2.7 million displaced before the war, has made Sudan the world’s largest internal displacement crisis.

A further 3.3 million people have fled across Sudan’s borders to escape the war, which means over a quarter of the country’s pre-war population, estimated at around 50 million, are now uprooted.

Famine has already been declared in five areas in Sudan and is expected to take hold of five more areas by May, with 8.1 million people currently on the brink of mass starvation.

Sudan’s army-aligned government has denied there is famine, while aid agencies complain that access is blocked by bureaucratic hurdles and ongoing violence.

Both the army and the RSF have been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war.

For much of the conflict, the UN has struggled to raise even a quarter of the funds it has targeted for its humanitarian response in the impoverished northeast African country.

Sudan has often been called the world’s “forgotten” war, overshadowed by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine despite the scale of the horrors inflicted upon civilians.

Four missing Kenyan youths freed amid uproar over abductions

By Basillioh Rukanga, NAIROBI Kenya 

Four young Kenyan men who went missing just before the Christmas holidays have been found alive, family members and rights groups say.

Kenya has been gripped by a wave of disappearances, with the state-funded rights group saying that over 80 people have been abducted in the last six months.

The abductions generally target government critics and are widely believed to be the work of security agents, although the government has not admitted responsibility.

They began in June last year during nationwide anti-tax protests, but they increased in December, when AI-generated photos of the president in a coffin were widely shared.

The youth-led protests forced President William Ruto to withdraw a series of planned tax rises and shook his government, leaving his authority badly undermined.

Those released on Monday include 24-year-old student Billy Mwangi in Embu, in the central Mount Kenya region.

Local MP Gitonga Mukunji told journalists that Mr Mwangi "was whipped and beaten while in a dark room. He is traumatised".

His father said he was not able to discuss what he had gone through and had been taken to hospital.

"He came home around eight in the morning. He walked by himself - his mother and I saw him. We thank everyone who has prayed and supported him," he told the Daily Nation news site.

Last week, Mr Mwangi's father broke down in court as he pleaded for his son to be released.

A relative of 22-year-old Peter Muteti, who was seized in the capital on 21 December, told our correspondent on Monday that he had been reunited with the family but was disoriented and unable to speak about the ordeal.

Amnesty International Kenya welcomed the releases and urged "the State to free all abductees and hold those responsible accountable".

Two weeks ago the police denied responsibility for the abductions carried out by men in plain clothes across the country, some of which were captured on CCTV.

On Monday the police released an update acknowledging the freeing of the abducted men, saying they were in already contact with one who had presented himself at a police station.

The police said investigations into all cases of missing people were underway.

Rights groups and other Kenyans have linked the abductions to a shadowy intelligence and counter-terrorism unit of the security forces.

Amid the public uproar, President Ruto said last month: "We are going to stop the abductions so that our youth can live peacefully and have discipline", while urging parents to take care of their children.

Until now, no-one had been freed since he spoke on 27 December, with activists planning protests on Monday to push the government to act.

Two other youths - Ronny Kiplangat and Bernard Kavuli – have also been released, their families told local media.

Mr Kavuli, a content creator, was seized on the outskirts of the city in December, while Mr Kiplangat is the brother of satirical cartoonist Kibet Bull, who also went missing last month.

Kibet Bull is known for his silhouette cartoon memes critical of the president. Two others were seized after posting AI-generated images of the president in a coffin.

Police said that Mr Kavuli had been assisting them with their investigations after he had presented himself to a police station at Moi's Bridge in western Kenya.

A statement said that they would reach out to the three others "and their families and give them all the necessary support as we seek further information to assist ongoing investigations".

The Law Society of Kenya has filed a legal case against the state, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of seven individuals abducted last month, including those who have now been released.

The situation continues to stoke fear across the country, with parents worried about the safety of their children and activists vowing to maintain pressure until all missing persons are accounted for.

Kenyan lawyer granted practicing certificate to represent Besigye in Uganda Martial Court

KAMPALA, Uganda

Uganda Law Council has granted Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua a special practising certificate to represent Ugandan veteran opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye and his aide, Obeid Lutale who are on remand.

On December 23, 2024, Ms Karua resubmitted her application expressing grave concerns about the Council’s December 6 decision to dismiss her initial application to represent her clients.

Karua had applied for a special practising certificate to appear before the General Court Martial which remanded Dr Besigye and Obeid. However, the application was declined by Uganda’s Law Council, the authority that grants licences to lawyers to practise, citing Section 18 of the Advocates Act.

The section imposes restrictions on the temporary grant of the right to practise law in Uganda.

Dr Besigye and Hajj Lutale are expected to return to court on Tuesday January 7, 2025.

Bangladesh issues second arrest warrant for exiled Hasina

DHAKA, Bangladesh

A Bangladeshi court has issued a second arrest warrant for exiled former leader Sheikh Hasina, this time for her alleged role in enforced disappearances, the chief prosecutor said on Monday.

Dhaka has already issued an arrest warrant on charges of crimes against humanity for 77-year-old Hasina, who fled to old ally India in August after she was toppled by a student-led revolution.

Her 15-year tenure saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor of the domestic International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), said the second warrant relates to enforced disappearances during her rule.

More than 500 people were allegedly abducted by Bangladeshi security personnel, with some detained in secret facilities for years.

Victims have begun coming forward since Hasina's ouster with harrowing accounts of their ordeals.

"The court issued a warrant against Sheikh Hasina and 11 others, including her military adviser, military personnel, and other law enforcement officials," Islam told reporters.

Bangladesh asked India in December to send Hasina back to face trial, a demand to which Delhi declined to respond.

Islam said the court wanted to go ahead with the trial.

"We want to ensure the trial concludes as soon as possible, but that doesn't mean we will break the law or impose a verdict without due process," he told reporters.

Dozens of Hasina's allies have been taken into custody since her government collapsed, accused of involvement in a police crackdown that killed more than 700 people during the unrest that led to her ouster.