67,000 displaced in Mozambique by latest wave of insurgent attacks – Government

MAPUTO, Mozambique

Mozambique’s government said on Tuesday that 67,321 people had fled the armed attacks in recent weeks in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, adding that some people are returning to their points of origin.

“At this point, we’re talking about 67,321 displaced people, which corresponds to 14,217 families,” said Filimão Suaze, the cabinet spokesman, speaking at a press conference at the end of its weekly session.

The displaced people have fled to other parts of Cabo Delgado province and to the district of Eráti, in Nampula province, and are staying in accommodation centres or with relatives, Suaze said.

The authorities are endeavouring to “improve the accommodation conditions” of the displaced, he continued.

“But we are also seeing a movement of some people returning to their places of origin, as the causes that led them to flee dissipate,” the cabinet spokesman added.

Asked if the government had discussed the possibility of imposing a state of emergency in Cabo Delgado, Filimão Suaze replied that this scenario “does not arise”.

According to an estimate released today by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with data up to Sunday, the new wave of terrorist attacks in Cabo Delgado has caused 58,116 displaced people in just over two weeks.

According to a weekly bulletin from the intergovernmental agency, the attacks took place between 8 and 25 February, mainly in the districts of Chiùre and Macomia, with 54,534 and 2,626 displaced in that period respectively, but mainly children (35,295).

“Attacks and the fear of attacks by armed groups,” says the IOM, occurred above all in Ocua, Mazeze and Chiùre-Velho, in the Chiùre district, with the displaced fleeing to the town of Chiùre (15,354) or to Erati, in the neighbouring province of Nampula (33,218).

IOM records show that 11,901 families were displaced by boat, bus or on foot in just over two weeks of February in the south of Cabo Delgado province.

In the same bulletin, the IOM states that between 22 December 2023 and 25 February 2024, “sporadic attacks and fear of attacks by armed groups” in Macomia, Chiure, Mecufi, Mocímboa da Praia and Muidumbe have already led to the flight of 15,470 families, totalling 71,681 people.

Several terrorist attacks in the south of Cabo Delgado have caused deaths among the population over the last two weeks in villages in the Chiùre district, leading to the flight of at least 13,000 people to the town of Chiùre alone, concentrated in resettlement camps set up in three schools, but also in family homes, according to a source from the local authority.

In recent weeks, the extremist group Islamic State (IS) has claimed several attacks and fatalities, especially in the south of Cabo Delgado province, after a period of several months of calm.

The province has been facing attacks claimed by IS for six years, which has led to a military response since July 2021, with support from Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), liberating districts near gas projects.

Tshisekedi willing to meet Kagame over eastern DRC violence

KINSHASA, DR Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi has expressed his willingness to meet with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame to address the ongoing instability in the Eastern DRC.

This statement came during Tshisekedi’s visit to Angola, where he met with Angolan President Joao Lourenco in the capital Luanda. Angola’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Tete Antonio revealed this development following a meeting between Lourenco and Tshisekedi.

Antonio said that Lourenco, acting as the mediator appointed by the African Union (AU), had engaged in discussions with both Tshisekedi and Kagame during the 37th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Angola has been tasked with facilitating the meeting between the two leaders, although specific dates have not yet been mentioned. The mediation efforts stem from the need to address the recent escalation of conflicts in the Eastern DRC, particularly involving the M23 rebels, and to restore relations between the DRC and Rwanda.

The DRC has accused Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, an accusation Kigali denies. The rebel group, which resurfaced in late 2021, has triggered conflicts and humanitarian crises and seized major strongholds on Congolese soil.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement issued earlier this month that it was deeply concerned by the dire consequences for civilians, including an estimated 135,000 internally displaced people fleeing the town of Sake toward the nearby city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province in the DRC, where tensions have been on the rise with intensive fighting between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and M23 rebels.

The mediation process, led by Lourenco, has already yielded the adoption of a roadmap on the pacification of the eastern region of the DRC, also known as the Luanda Process, which aims to peacefully resolve the conflicts in the region and foster cooperation between the DRC and Rwanda.

NATO allies rule out sending troops to Ukraine as Russia rebukes Macron

WASHINGTON, US

The United States and key European allies said on Tuesday they had no plans to send ground troops to Ukraine, after France hinted at the possibility, and the Kremlin warned that any such move would inevitably lead to conflict between Russia and NATO.

French President Emmanuel Macron had said on Monday that Western allies should exclude no options in seeking to avert a Russian victory in Ukraine, though he stressed there was no consensus at this stage.

His comments, made at a hastily convened meeting of European leaders in Paris on ways to boost flagging support for Kyiv, come amid battlefield gains by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces in eastern Ukraine as well as growing shortages of ammunition and manpower on the Ukrainian side.

However, Germany, Britain, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic distanced themselves from any suggestion they might commit ground troops to the Ukraine war, now in its third year.

“…There will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European countries or NATO states,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius was equally adamant.

“Boots on the ground is not an option for Germany,” Pistorius told reporters during a visit to Vienna.

The White House later reiterated that it too had no plan to send ground troops, instead urging U.S. lawmakers to approve a stalled security aid bill that would ensure Ukrainian troops got the weapons and ammunition needed to continue their fight.

Seeking to clarify Macron’s remarks, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Tuesday the president had in mind sending troops for specific tasks such as helping on mine clearance, production of weapons on site, and cyberdefence.

“(This) could require a (military) presence on Ukrainian territory, without crossing the threshold of fighting,” Sejourne told French lawmakers.

Scholz did say that European leaders now appeared willing after Monday’s talks to procure weapons from countries outside Europe as a way of speeding up military aid to Ukraine.

Germany has become the second biggest supplier of military aid to Kyiv since Russia launched its full-blown invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, but is extremely wary of steps that would draw the NATO alliance into direct conflict with Russia.

The Kremlin issued a swift warning about what was at stake.

“The very fact of discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is a very important new element,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, commenting on Macron’s remarks.

Asked about the risks if NATO members did deploy troops to fight in Ukraine, Peskov said: “In that case, we would need to talk not about the probability, but about the inevitability (of a direct conflict).”

Russia and the United States – the big power behind NATO – have the world’s largest arsenals of nuclear weapons. President Joe Biden has cautioned that a conflict between Russia and NATO could trigger World War Three.

The possibility in particular of German troops being deployed to ex-Soviet territory is hugely sensitive for Russia, whose fierce resistance to Hitler’s invasion during World War Two is an integral part of national identity. Putin has even cast Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a struggle against “Nazis”, a stance Kyiv and the West dismiss as cynical and absurd.

A senior Ukrainian official welcomed Macron’s decision to raise the possibility of sending Western troops to his country.

“This shows, firstly, an absolute awareness of the risks posed to Europe by a militaristic, aggressive Russia,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written comment on Macron’s statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, rattled by the resistance of some U.S. Republicans to providing more aid for Kyiv, has stepped up his lobbying of European governments for more artillery shells and longer-range weapons.

The Czech Republic this month announced plans, backed by Canada, Denmark and others, to finance the rapid purchase of hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds from third countries to dispatch to Ukraine.

100 poor Uganda mothers jailed for sending children to beg on streets

KAMPALA, Uganda

Kampala Capital City Authority City Hall court has sent more than 100 Karamojong mothers back to Napak for rehabilitation and to serve a one-month community service sentence for sending their children to the streets to beg.

The Karamojong are a Nilotic ethnic group, agro-pastoral herders living mainly in the north-east of Uganda. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics in 2019 reported that Karamoja suffers the highest poverty rate of 60.2 percent, way above Uganda's national average of 21.4 percent. 

Magistrate, Edgar Karakire found the mothers guilty of sending children to beg in a public place. They have been on remand in Luzira prison for three weeks.

In June 2022, City Council passed a Children's Protection Ordinance which makes it punishable for one to send children on the streets to beg.

They were rounded up by City Council law enforcement officers from various streets in the city ahead of preparations for the recently concluded NAM and G77 conferences in Kampala.

They were arraigned before the court for plea-taking and later remanded to prison after pleading not guilty to the charge against them.

At City Hall court, the women who were carrying their children, however, pleaded guilty and asked the court for leniency, arguing that they had not wasted the court's time.

They also asked to be sent back to Napak to start a new life with their children.

The court accepted their pleas since City Council prosecutor, Hillary Musiimenta, left it to the court's discretion to hand an appropriate punishment.

Karakire noted that the offence of sending children to beg on the streets is so rampant but considered the mothers' plight some of whom are widows and have no source of income to look after the children.

Although the offence attracts a maximum jail term of six months upon conviction, the magistrate ordered that they be returned to Napak for rehabilitation and also do community service as a punishment. He further cautioned them against sending their children back to the streets.

The court also ordered that in case the mothers fail to serve their punishment, they will be jailed for one month.

This is not the first time that the Karamojong mothers have been convicted by the same court over the same charges.

Saudi crown prince meets with Ukraine president in Riyadh

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Riyadh on Tuesday.

During their meeting, aspects of Saudi-Ukrainian relations were reviewed, and the latest developments in the Ukrainian-Russian war were discussed, Saudi Press Agency reported. 

The crown prince stressed the Kingdom’s support for all international endeavors and efforts aimed at resolving the crisis and achieving peace, and continuing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian repercussions of the war. 

Zelensky wrote on social media platform X that he would discuss prisoners of war and deportees with the crown prince.

“The Kingdom’s leadership has already contributed to the release of our people. I am confident that this meeting will also yield results,” he wrote. 

The crown prince was involved in securing the release of 10 foreign prisoners captured in Ukraine in September 2022 which then enabled a major prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.

The president added that he will discuss “promising areas of economic cooperation and Saudi Arabia’s involvement in Ukraine’s reconstruction” during his visit. 

Zelensky left Riyadh later on Tuesday evening and was seen off by deputy govenor of Riyadh Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz.

A ferry sinks in the Nile in Egypt, killing at least 10 people

CAIRO, Egypt 

A ferry carrying day labourers sank in the Nile just outside the Egyptian capital, killing at least 10 of the 15 people on board, authorities said Monday.

The five who survived were transported to a hospital and later discharged, the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement. The cause of the sinking was not made immediately clear.

The ministry allocated compensation of 200,000 Egyptian pounds (around $6,466) to each family of the deceased and 20,000 ($646) to each of the five injured.

The labourers were on their way to work at a local construction firm. It took rescue teams hours to recover the bodies, according to local media which aired live-stream videos on social media platforms showing divers searching for the dead as villagers waited on the Nile banks.

The incident took place in the town of Monshat el-Kanater in Giza, which is one of three provinces forming Greater Cairo.

Many Egyptians make their way using boats daily, especially in Upper Egypt and the Nile Delta. Sailing along the Nile is also a favourite pastime during holidays in the Arab world's most populous country.

Ferry, railway and road accidents are common in Egypt mainly because of poor maintenance and the lack of regulations.

In 2022, two people died and eight went missing after a small truck they were riding in slid off a ferry and plunged into the Nile. And in 2015, 35 people died in a collision between a passenger boat and a scow on the Nile

Benin offers 2,000 troops to Haiti force, US ambassador says

WASHINGTON, US

Benin has offered 2,000 troops to support a planned Kenyan-led international force to help Haitian national police fight armed gangs, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a press conference on Monday.

The United Nations authorised the mission in October, a year after Haiti's unelected government requested it. The UN estimates the conflict in the Caribbean nation killed close to 5,000 people last year and has driven some 300,000 from their homes.

Thomas-Greenfield, speaking in Guyana where she traveled to lead the US delegation to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) summit there, said she had learned just before starting the trip that Benin had offered the troops to support the force.

She said some Caribbean countries that had pledged support had called for more Francophone nations to join the effort.

A US statement issued on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last week had announced "financial, personnel, and in-kind commitments to the mission" from Benin, France and Canada, the latter which later announced 80.5 million Canadian dollars ($60 million) for the mission.

The United States has itself committed $200 million and pledged to boost efforts to stem the flow of illicit arms to the Caribbean region. The UN estimates firearms held by Haitian gangs are largely smuggled from the United States.

Thomas-Greenfield added that Guyana had also pledged funds to the mission, though she did not give an amount.

Kenya, which has pledged to lead the mission, offered 1,000 police officers, but a local court later barred the move as unconstitutional. President William Ruto has, however, said the plan will go ahead and meetings have since continued.

So far public offers to support the security force, which is based on voluntary contributions, have come largely from developing nations in Africa and the Caribbean.

Thomas-Greenfield said she had held meetings with Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry and encouraged both him and opposition groups to agree on a path forward, noting that no time frame has been set for the country's long-awaited elections.

Henry, who came to power after the assassination of the country's last president in 2021, had pledged to step down by early February, but later said security must first be re-established in order to ensure free and fair elections.

Terrorism problem for entire country, Mozambique archbishop warns

MAPUTO,Mozambique

The violence in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado should be regarded as a problem, not only of that province, but of the entire country, the Catholic Archbishop of the provincial capital, Pemba, Juliasse Sandramo, has warned.

Cited by the independent television station STV, the archbishop said the terrorists active in Cabo Delgado could spread across the whole country.

“Mozambican society should mobilise to face terrorism”, he urged. “It would be a serious mistake to think that the struggle against terrorism should take place only in Cabo Delgado. It should take place across the country, because there are links. We are dealing with a certain type of extremism. It may have a religious stamp, but it is extremism, it is radicalism, and its ideas can be spread throughout the country”.

The military presence of Mozambique and its allies is important, said the Archbishop, but there should also be “a struggle to raise awareness so that every Mozambican takes a clear position and fights against all those who spread hatred, all those who spread ideas that make it difficult for Mozambicans to live together

Sandramo noted that, because of the recent upsurge in terrorist attacks, thousands of people have fled from their villages. The Catholic Church, he said, is working in Chiure town to assist the displaced people, but they lack almost everything

“Those who managed to leave their villages when they realized that the insurgents were approached were able to take some food with them”, he said. “But those who were taken by surprise left with nothing”.

Not only did they have no food, but they have no shelter, and it is now raining in Cabo Delgado. These destitute people require support from all Mozambicans, the Archbishop urged.

The terrorist raids have disrupted road transport in Cabo Delgado. Transport operators, cited by the independent daily “O Pais”, say they are afraid to travel on the province’s roads – and, in any case, few passengers are willing to risk the journey.

Operators told reporters that the jihadist raids are destroying their business.

One bus driver, Azarias Sambo, who has been in the business for the past decade, said “we haven’t been able to carry many passengers since last year, and in recent days it’s got much worse. Some days we only carry 15 passengers in a bus”.

Raul Langa, Deputy Chairperson of the Cabo Delgado Transporters’ Association, complained of the shortage of passengers.

“The attacks in the north mean that people are so scared that they don’t want to travel”, said Langa. He feared that the future for transport operators in Cabo Delgado was “ever more uncertain”.

US names new special envoy to conflict-ridden Sudan

WASHINGTON, US

The United States will appoint a new special envoy for Sudan on Monday, as Washington seeks to bring an end to a war that has wrecked parts of the country and killed tens of thousands of people.

Former diplomat and U.S. member of Congress Tom Perriello will assume the special envoy role, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement provided to Reuters ahead of the announcement, as the U.S. seeks to bring increased focus to the conflict after the failure of talks so far.

In a statement, Perriello said he will build on efforts of partners across Africa and the Middle East to bring an end to the war, a humanitarian crisis and atrocities.

"This appointment reflects the urgency and importance President Biden and Secretary Blinken have placed on ending this war, putting a stop to rampant atrocities against civilians, and preventing an already horrific humanitarian situation from becoming a catastrophic famine," Perriello said.

The U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey has left his role, Blinken said in the statement.

Daniel Rubinstein will serve as interim charge d'affaires as director of the Office of Sudan Affairs, Blinken said. He will be based in Ethiopia.

War broke out in Sudan last April over disputes about the powers of the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) under an internationally-backed plan for a political transition towards civilian rule and elections.

The army and the RSF had shared power with civilians after the fall of former leader Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising in 2019, before staging a coup two years later.

The fighting has wrecked parts of Sudan including the capital Khartoum, killed more than 13,000 people according to U.N. estimates, drawn warnings of famine, and created an internal displacement crisis.

The Rapid Support Forces are accused by the U.S. of participating in an ethnic cleansing campaign in West Darfur, along with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The army, which has carried out a widespread airstrike campaign, is also accused of war crimes by the U.S.

Perriello previously served as special envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and as a U.S. representative from Virginia.

Rubinstein recently led the U.S. delegation at talks on Sudan in the Saudi city of Jeddah. Neither side maintained commitments made in the talks.

The U.S. military evacuated American government personnel from Khartoum in April last year and suspended operations at its embassy there after fighting between Sudan's rival commanders broke out.

ECOWAS lifts sanctions against Guinea and Mali

ABUJA, Nigeria

These decisions mark a step by ECOWAS towards resuming dialogue with the Sahel juntas. Burkina Faso, one of the four states governed by military regimes since 2020, also subjected to ECOWAS sanctions, is not mentioned.

After Niger, Guinea, and Mali. In a statement released on Sunday, February 25, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) announced "lifting financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea" and "lifting restrictions on the recruitment of citizens of the Republic of Mali for positions within ECOWAS institutions."

ALSO READ: ECOWAS lifts coup sanctions onNiger in a new push for dialogue

The regional organization had convened a new extraordinary summit on Saturday to discuss "politics, peace, and security in the Republic of Niger," as well as "recent developments in the region." The lifting of sanctions against Guinea and Mali was not specified during the final address by Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission on Saturday evening.

In Guinea, ECOWAS had banned financial transactions with its member institutions a year after Colonel Mamadi Doumbouya took power, overthrowing President Alpha Condé in September 2021. On Monday, the junta leader announced by decree the dissolution of the government in office since July 2022.

In Mali, which has experienced two coups, in 2020 and 2021, the regional bloc had imposed economic and financial sanctions, which it lifted in July 2022 when the ruling junta announced its transition timetable.

ECOWAS "decided to immediately lift" the heaviest sanctions imposed on Niger since the military regime took power in Niamey, overthrowing elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July, announced Mr. Alieu Touray on Saturday afternoon.

Burkina Faso, one of the four states governed by military regimes since 2020, also subjected to ECOWAS sanctions, is not mentioned in the regional organization's final statement.

These decisions mark a step by ECOWAS towards resuming dialogue with these three military regimes, as Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, which have notably turned away from France and drawn closer to Russia, announced in January their intention to leave ECOWAS. The three countries have grouped together within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

Presidents Ruto, Museveni meet over Raila Odinga's African Union job

KISOZI, Uganda  

President of Kenya, William Ruto, his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni and Kenya’s chief opposition leader Raila Odinga on Monday held talks in Uganda.

President William Ruto (grey suit), Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni (white shirt), and ODM leader Raila Odinga having a discussion in Uganda.

Photos shared by President Ruto on his social handles showed the three having a discussion at a grazing field looking after cows.

Museveni, their host, is known to be a pastoralist who often spends his free time looking after his cattle.

A statement by Ruto disclosed that the trio discussed, among others, the candidature of Raila for African Union Commission chairmanship.

“Had the pleasure of meeting President Yoweri Museveni at his Kisozi country home in Uganda. We discussed critical issues that affect our two countries such as energy and petroleum,” Ruto said.

“Also discussed was the declared candidacy of Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the Africa Union Commission chairmanship.”

Raila on February 15 declared his interest in the AUC chairmanship seat saying he was ready for the role.

“I am inclined to accept the challenge and I am ready and I offer myself to be of service,” Raila said after holding talks with Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo at his Karen home.

Obasanjo is reported to have brokered a deal that gave birth to Bi-partisan Talks which ended anti-Ruto protests by the Azimio coalition.

The opposition had sustained protests against the Ruto regime, a move that caused instability which is a key ingredient for economic growth.

For one to be a candidate for the seat, the person must have the backing of his or her mother country.

President Ruto’s government has committed to supporting Raila to clinch the seat.

Ruto further stated that Kenya and Uganda are committed to the deepening of the long-established diplomatic and economic ties between each other.

He said they are focused on bringing all the seven East African Community nations closer to their ultimate goal of forming the East African Federation.

US begins its largest military exercise in East Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya 

A United States-led military exercise code-named "Justified Accord" begins in Kenya on Monday, with more than 20 nations taking part in what has been billed as the largest event of its kind in East Africa.

The 11-day exercise, which will end next Thursday, is aimed at increasing participating countries’ readiness for peacekeeping missions, crisis response and humanitarian assistance, according to state-owned Somali broadcaster SNTV and Kenyan media.

Dozens of US-trained Somali commandos will take part in the exercise, which private news website Kenyans.co.ke said will bring together 1,000 personnel and units from 23 nations.

The US military said Justified Accord is its "largest exercise in East Africa".

"Justified Accord showcases the desire of US and partner nations to increase readiness and interoperability for regional security and crisis response," the military said.

The US has led similar exercises in East Africa in recent years as the region grapples with a deadly al-Shabab insurgency and other security challenges.

Nigerian army denies report of coup plot

ABUJA, Nigeria 

The Nigerian army has strongly denied claims of a coup plot. The Defence Headquarters labelled the reports false and urged the public to disregard them.

This comes after Sahara Reporters suggested that the Presidential Guard, tasked with the president's protection, was on alert due to coup suspicions.

The report alleged that emergency meetings had been held with the Nigerian president.

In response to the article, DHQ said its full commitment was to protecting and sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

The West African country is currently suffering a punishing economic crisis, with some warning the country is at a tipping point.

At least 15 dead in Catholic church attack in Burkina Faso

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso

At least 15 people have been killed and two others injured following an attack on a Catholic church in north-eastern Burkina Faso on Sunday.

It took place during Sunday worship in Essakane village in Oudalan province - close to the border with Mali. Few details have been given.

A church official indicated the gunmen were suspected Islamist militants.

There was no immediate response from the authorities in the West African country's capital, Ouagadougou.

A statement by the head of the local diocese, Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, said 12 people were killed instantly, while three others died at the hospital.

"In this painful circumstance, we invite you to pray for those who died in faith, for the healing of the wounded, and for the consolidation of grieving hearts," the statement reads.

It is the latest atrocity in the country to be attributed to Islamist militants.

More than a third of Burkina Faso is currently under the control of insurgents.

The authorities have been battling Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, which have taken over large swathes of land and displaced millions of people in the Sahel region.

In the last three years, churches have been targeted and scores of worshippers killed.

Burkina Faso, which is ruled by a military dictatorship, recently pulled out of the regional political and economic bloc, Ecowas, along with its Sahel neighbours, Mali and Niger.

They cited lack of support from Ecowas in the fight against terrorism as one of the reasons for wanting to exit the union.

The three junta-led countries had already been suspended from the bloc, which had been urging them to return to democratic rule.

Earlier this month, Burkina Faso's military-backed president Ibrahim Traoré said Russian troops could deploy to fight jihadists in the West African country if needed.

Tunisia court sentences ex-president Marzouki in absentia

TUNIS, Tunisia

A Tunisian court sentenced former President Moncef Marzouki to eight years in prison in absentia on Friday on charges of assaulting the state security and inciting Tunisians against each other, a judicial official said.

This is the second prison sentence against Marzouki, who resides in Paris, after a judge sentenced him in 2021 to four years in absentia.

Mohamed Zitouna, the spokesperson of the Tunis court, said the verdict was based on statements by Marzouki that included incitement in a speech he gave in Paris, without giving further details.

Marzouki, who was president from 2011 to 2014, is a fierce critic of President Kais Saied.

Saied closed Parliament, sacked the government and began ruling by decree in 2021, a step that Marzouki and main opposition leaders described as a coup.

The Tunisian president, who enshrined his new constitutional powers in a referendum with a low turnout in 2022, has denied his actions were a coup and said they were needed to save Tunisia from years of chaos.

Most opposition chiefs were arrested since last year, including Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the Islamist Ennahda party, and Abir Moussi, the leader of Free Constitutional.

Authorities also detained prominent opposition figures Jawher Ben Mbarek, Khayam Turki, Ghazi Chaouachi, Issam Chabbi, Abdelhamid Jalasi and Ridha Belhaj last year in a crackdown on suspicion of plotting against state security.

The opposition accuses Saied of muzzling the press and imposing authoritarian rule, and says his constitutional changes have pulled apart the democracy built after a 2011 revolution.

Saied rejects those accusations and has called his critics criminals, traitors and terrorists and warned that any judge who freed them would be considered abetting them.