EU Parliament to debate arrest and risk of execution of Tanzania opposition leader

BRUSSELS, Belgium

The European Union Parliament will hold an urgent debate on Wednesday, May 7 regarding treason case facing Tanzania’s chief opposition leader, Tundu Lissu.

Tanzanian police surround a vehicle belonging to opposition leader Tundu Lissu moments before his arrest in Mbinga district on April 9, 2025.

The presidential contender in the coming general election, Lissu who’s charges could lead to a death sentence, is the Chairperson of Tanzania's main opposition party - CHADEMA.

His party has been disqualified from the elections for advocating electoral reforms and the establishment of an independent electoral commission.

Under agenda heading - Arrest and risk of execution of Tundu Lissu, Chair of Chadema, the main opposition party in Tanzania; the debate will address concerns around human rights, democracy and political oppression under President Samia Hassan.

Tundu Lissu

According to the official website of the European Parliament, the debate will take place from 13:00 to 22:00. Following the debate and the drafting of the resolution referenced 2025/2690 (RSP), European lawmakers will vote on it the next day, May 8th, 2025.

After just three months at the helm of CHADEMA, Lissu was last month arrested and detained for a speech allegedly calling for the public to launch a rebellion and disrupt the elections.

He was not allowed to enter a plea on the treason charge but pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of publishing false information.

Tundu Lissu and his supporters

Prior to his arrest, he had been holding gatherings across the country with a rallying call of "no reforms, no elections".

He said the current system was rigged in favour of the ruling CCM party, adding that without reforms, there was no point in taking part in the elections.

The government has declined to take him to an open court, insisting that his case be conducted remotely.

Lissu’s lead advocate, Peter Kibatala, told the press in Dar es Salaam last week that their client refused to have the case heard online because he was denied his right to have enough time to communicate with his lawyers.

"I am issuing an official statement from our client that Lissu intends to officially begin a hunger strike next week (Tuesday) until justice is served." He told journalists.

Tanzania faces significant human rights challenges, including abuses by security forces, restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly and association, along with issues related to the rights of marginalized groups like the Maasai. 

Tanzania police brutality, a citizen is denied (beaten) access to court premises 

There are also concerns about the independence of the judiciary, the handling of refugees, and the implementation of economic, social, and cultural rights. 

While the government has taken some steps to address human rights, challenges persist, and international human rights organizations continue to express concerns arbitrary arrests, disappearances, harassments and beatings of opposition members.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 06/05/2025

 

Pope Francis’ final gift to Gaza

VATICAN CITY, Italy

One of Pope Francis’s “popemobiles” is being transformed into a mobile healthcare unit for children and sent to the Gaza Strip, the Vatican’s official media outlet said on Sunday.

In one of his final wishes before his passing, Francis entrusted the popemobile used during his 2014 pilgrimage of the Holy Lands to the Catholic aid network Caritas Jerusalem, Vatican News said, to help respond to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Francis asked that the vehicle be used to help injured and malnourished children in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

Caritas are converting the vehicle into a mobile health station by retrofitting it with medical equipment for diagnosis, examination, and treatment of children, and other life-saving supplies.

Staffed with doctors and medics the new clinic on wheels will be sent to communities that lack access to functioning healthcare facilities, once safe access to Gaza is feasible, Caritas said.

“It’s not just a vehicle, it’s a message that the world has not forgotten about the children in Gaza,” Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden, said in a statement.

World peace was a core message throughout Francis’ pontificate, with him having called for ceasefires of both the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars on multiple occasions, the final of which was on Easter Sunday – the day before his death.

Francis had been making near-nightly calls to the Holy Family Church – Gaza’s only Catholic church – which had been serving as a de facto shelter for its community of worshippers and some Muslims throughout Israeli military campaigns that followed the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas.

He had also controversially installed a Nativity scene during Christmas festivities depicting a baby Jesus swaddled in a keffiyeh, a traditional Palestinian garment now heavily associated with pro-Palestine movements and activism, which the Vatican removed from display shortly after it was put on display.

The Conclave that will vote for Francis’ successor assembles on Wednesday.

AUC chief condemns hospital bombing ahead of Juba visit

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has “unreservedly condemned” the bombing of a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) health facility in Old Fangak, a town in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, by the country’s army on Saturday morning.

The condemnation came a day before Mr. Youssouf’s scheduled two-day visit to Juba, South Sudan’s capital, beginning Monday. The trip takes place amid heightened political and security tensions following the detention of First Vice President Riek Machar on March 26.

On April 24, Mr. Youssouf held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, where they addressed regional peace and security.

Uganda, a key ally of President Salva Kiir, deployed troops to South Sudan in early March to bolster the government amid fears of renewed conflict.

Mr. Youssouf will lead a delegation that includes Mohamed Abdi, the deputy executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Their agenda includes meetings with South Sudan’s foreign minister, Monday Semaya; presidential adviser Gen. Kuol Manyang; and senior cabinet members before an expected discussion with President Salva Kiir.

A Foreign Ministry document dated May 3 outlined the schedule, noting that the officials would depart on Tuesday after additional meetings.

The Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it had extended “a cordial invitation” to Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Mohamed Abdi Ware, the deputy executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, to visit South Sudan.

The ministry further said the joint visit was intended to “facilitate meaningful diplomatic and political dialogue.”

In a statement issued on Sunday and seen by Radio Tamazuj, Mr. Youssouf denounced the attack on Old Fangak as “a flagrant breach” of international humanitarian law, citing the loss of lives and property, as well as the denial of civilians’ right to health care and protection.

He urged the South Sudanese government to investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable, calling it a “heinous crime.”

The AU official also expressed hope for peace, stability, unity, and national reconciliation in South Sudan, urging parties to the 2018 peace agreement to recommit to its implementation.

It remains unclear whether the African Union Commission delegation will be permitted to meet with Mr. Machar, who remains in detention. Previous requests by high-level officials, including representatives from Kenya, the AU Panel of the Wise, and the European Union, have been denied.

President Kiir faces growing pressure from the United States and other Western nations to release Mr. Machar, implement the peace deal, and prepare for long-delayed elections, now scheduled for December 2026.

In the latest violence, at least seven people were reported killed after the MSF-run hospital and a nearby market were bombed in Old Fangak, raising fears of a return to civil war.

The hospital, the only one in Fangak County—home to more than 110,000 people—was destroyed along with all its medical supplies, according to MSF.

South Sudan’s government has not yet commented on the attack.

Hours before the bombing, South Sudan’s army chief, Gen. Paul Majok Nang, vowed retaliatory strikes after several river barges were allegedly hijacked. He blamed the attacks on forces linked to Mr. Machar, who have denied involvement.

Mr. Machar was arrested in March along with several associates and accused of plotting a rebellion. The government has recently designated nine counties as “hostile”—a term implying allegiance to Mr. Machar—fueling suspicions that the country could be sliding back into conflict.

A 2018 peace agreement led to the formation of a unity government with Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar at the helm, but elections have been repeatedly delayed. The deal also called for the disbandment of militias and the creation of a unified national army, but armed groups remain loyal to rival political factions.

Trump says he won't seek a third term

WASHINGTON, United States

United States President Donald Trump has denied that he is considering a third presidential term, a move which experts agree is banned under the US Constitution.

"I'll be an eight-year president, I'll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important," Trump told NBC's Meet the Press with Kristen Welker in an interview that aired on Sunday.

Trump, 78, has previously said that he was "not joking" about wanting to serve a third, or even fourth, term as US president.

He later said his statements were meant to troll the "fake news media".

His company, The Trump Organization, has been selling "Trump 2028" hats, fuelling armchair speculation that he may seek to remain in office after his second term ends in January 2029.

In the interview, recorded from his residence in Florida on Friday, Trump said that he has had many "requests" from people asking that he consider seeking to remain in office.

"So many people want me to do it," Trump said, just days after celebrating his first 100 days of his second term.

"It's something that, to the best of my knowledge, you're not allowed to do. I don't know if that's constitutional that they're not allowing you to do it or anything else," Trump said.

He added that "there are many people selling the 2028 hat".

"But this is not something I'm looking to do," he said, going on to list Republicans who could take his place, including Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Constitution's 22nd Amendment says that "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice".

Changing the Constitution would require a two-thirds approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as approval from three-quarters of the country's state-level governments.

However, some Trump supporters suggest there is a loophole in the Constitution, which has been untested in court.

Asked by NBC whether anyone has approached him with these theories, Trump deflected, answering that "in a capacity of being a big supporter, many people have said different things".

During the interview, Trump also rejected criticism of his handling of the economy.

"Look, yeah. Everything's OK," he said after his tariff plan roiled international economies, leading the US economy to shrink for the first time since 2022.

"I said, this is a transition period. I think we're going to do fantastically," he added.

Asked if the US economy may continue to shrink, he responded: "Anything can happen. But I think we're going to have the greatest economy in the history of our country."

He later added that there is a chance that tariffs may be permanent, telling the interviewer: "If somebody thought they were going to come off the table, why would they build in the United States?"

Trump also denied that Americans will need to prepare to see fewer goods for sale in shops, as the trade war continues.

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying they don't need to have 30 dolls. They can have three," he said.

"They don't need to have 250 pencils. They can have five."

Nguema takes power in Gabon

LIBREVILLE, Gabon

General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was sworn in as president of Gabon Saturday after winning almost 95% of votes in April 12 election, having served as interim president since taking power in a 2023 coup.

Nguema, 50, won the election with 58,074 votes, which accounts for 94.85% of votes cast, according to the final results announced by the Constitutional Court.

He was expected to win the election, being widely seen in the Central African country as the man who put an end to the Bongo dynasty, which ruled the country for more than 50 years.

Nguema, the former head of the country’s Republican Guard, toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba nearly two years ago.

Following the coup, soldiers proclaimed Nguema, a cousin of deposed president Ali Bongo Ondimba, as president of a transitional committee to lead the country.

Many accused the Bongo family of living in oil-funded luxury while much of the population struggled.

The inauguration was held in the Angondjé stadium and was attended by several high-profile African leaders, including both President Felix Tshisekedi of Congo and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who have been in peace talks in recent months due to the ongoing conflict between Congolese forces and Rwanda-backed rebels in Congo’s east.

This year’s election was seen as a crucial election for the central African nation’s 2.3 million people, a third of whom live in poverty despite its vast oil wealth.

Nguema gained support on a platform of anti-corruption and promised to develop the country, focusing on key campaign promises including improving the healthcare sector, building roads, and giving jobs to young people.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 05/05/2025

 

Paramilitaries strike Port Sudan for first time, army says

PORT SUDAN,  Sudan 

A drone attack launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) struck a military airport in the city of Port Sudan on Sunday, according to the Sudanese army.

It marks the first time RSF attacks have reached the city - the de-facto capital of Sudan's military-led government - since the conflict between the warring factions erupted two years ago.

Sudanese army spokesperson Nabil Abdullah said the RSF had launched several "suicide drones" at the eastern Red Sea port city, targeting the Osman Digna Air Base, "a goods warehouse and some civilian facilities".

He said no injuries had been reported but the attack had caused "limited damage". The RSF has not commented on the incident.

Sudan plunged into conflict in April 2023 when a vicious power struggle broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF, a powerful paramilitary group, ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule.

At least 150,000 people are estimated to have died in the ensuing civil war, with some 12 million forced to flee their homes.

The United Nations has described the situation in Sudan as the world's largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis, with over 30 million people in need of aid and millions facing acute food shortages and famine.

Prior to the attacks on Sunday, Port Sudan had avoided bombardment and was regarded as one of the safest places in the war-ravaged nation.

After the SAF lost control of the capital Khartoum early in the war, Port Sudan became the de facto headquarters for the military-led government helmed by General Abdel Fattah-al Burhan.

UN agencies moved their offices and staff to the coastal city and hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians have fled there during the war.

"We were on the way to the plane when we were quickly evacuated and taken out of the terminal," a traveller told AFP news agency on Sunday following the strikes.

The airport has been closed and all flights suspended, a government source told AFP news agency.

Kenya security scare as flying shoe hits President during rally

By Amos Khaemba, MIGORI Kenya 

Kenyan President William Ruto was hit with a flying shoe while addressing a crowd in Migori.

The head of state was breaking ground for the 298-unit Kehancha Affordable Housing Project, Kuria West, when the ugly incident happened.

The rally was temporarily disrupted as security officers moved in quickly to secure the head of state.

The head of state narrowly escaped unhurt after a shoe was thrown at him. 

In a viral video the president can be seen blocking the shoe that flew his way, past security, and nearly hitting his head. 

The unexpected happened in Kehancha town as Ruto began giving his speech, forcing him to halt for a few minutes. 

The president's security team got hold of the perpetrators before they could escape the scene. 

The president later proceeded with his speech and asked the police to release the perpetrators. This shocking act has been condemned by local leaders, including residents.

M23 rebels shift focus to economic control in Eastern Congo

GOMA, DR Congo 

The M23 insurgents who routed Congo’s army to take control of the eastern part of one of Africa’s most populous nations now face a task as mundane as it is daunting: governing. 

The long-term success of their uprising, which aims to overthrow the current leadership in the capital of Kinshasa, requires showing they can bring order and prosperity to the regions they already hold.  

Whether they can pull it off depends in large part on reviving the economy in seized areas that are home to more than five million people. 

Virtually all banks are closed. Currency shortages abound. With supply chains disrupted, prices of some staples have jumped.

Now, residents are finding themselves subject to new taxes imposed by the insurgents, who need money to finance their revolution. 

The changes can be seen near the town of Rubaya, where M23 has moved quickly to tighten its grip on a slice of Congo’s vast mineral wealth.  

Small, artisanal mines there produce around one-sixth of the world’s supply of coltan, a metallic ore crucial to the production of smartphones and other electronic devices.  

M23 now charges a tax of 15% on the value of that coltan production, according to rebel officials and traders who disclosed that figure for the first time to our reporter. 

Rebel administrators are rolling out other levies too. Private businesses and aid agencies have been handed tax bills.  

They’re imposing duties as high as 20% on small-time traders to sell staples like bananas, cloth and cooking charcoal, even as cash-strapped consumers tighten their belts. 

“Customers don’t come any more,” said Rachelle Monimpo, who sells clothes in a Goma market.

“It’s becoming very complicated for us to get the money to pay this tax.” 

Journalists recently visited the M23-controlled cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as Rubaya, a town to the west, and spoke to more than three dozen officials, residents, traders and businesspeople living or operating there.  

Most requested anonymity to speak freely about the latest upheaval in the years-long conflict in Congo.  

The fighting has displaced more than 4 million people, involved dozens of armed groups and sucked in armies from three neighboring countries.  

Over the past four months, M23 made a lightning advance across eastern Congo that has sent hundreds of thousands more residents fleeing. 

During the day, the streets of Goma and Bukavu bustle with motorcycle taxis and pedestrians.  

Many businesses are open. The cities’ border crossings with neighbouring Rwanda are booming as Congolese residents stream across to obtain cash and goods. 

As night falls, however, Goma and Bukavu are largely deserted, aside from rebel patrols and remnants of pro-government militia groups roaming the streets. 

M23 receives backing from the government of Rwanda, according to the United Nations. 

In response, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the European Union have imposed a range of punitive measures, including cutting aid and sanctioning Rwandan officials and entities suspected of supporting the rebels. 

Rwanda has repeatedly denied funding, arming or training M23. 

But Rwanda’s ruling party, mainly headed by ethnic Tutsis, shares the same concerns as the Tutsi-dominated M23 insurgents over the purported threat posed by rival Hutu groups operating in eastern Congo. Rwanda has said that it will do whatever it takes to defend itself.