SACP Free State Provincial Executive Committee Statement

Tuesday, 25 June 2024: The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Free State Province (FS) held a Special Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) on a virtual platform to undertake an assessment and analysis of the 2024 national and provincial elections and consider the post elections developments in the province and nationally, as well as recent developments internationally, and their implications for the working class.

This work was informed by a political analysis report by the Provincial Secretary, an input from the SACP Central Committee members as well as a detailed elections report covering all districts in the province. In analysing the performance, the PEC was largely inward looking rather than focusing on the ANC and evaluated the work of the Party, our contribution and weaknesses encountered during the campaigns, with the intention to engage in self-correction. Beyond the numbers, the PEC considered the roots of the situation and conditions that led to the ANC obtaining a disappointing 40 per cent share of the vote nationally and slightly better over 50 per cent in the province.

On national and provincial elections, and post elections developments

The PEC noted that notwithstanding resource constraints, the Party in the province mounted a relatively modest independent and complementary electoral campaign across the districts, with better internal coordination and joint activities with the alliance. The SACP Chris Hani Red Brigades made a strong contribution and ensured the Party’s presence and visibility throughout the campaign. However, there is room for improvement on several aspects.

The PEC admitted unsatisfactory commitment by some Party leaders and the lack of active VD-based Party structures in several areas affected the reach of the Party. Except for engagements with shop stewards, there was insufficient campaigning amongst the organised workers, including within COSATU. Generally, subjective factors that influenced the poor electoral outcome include the anti-worker, anti-poor neo-liberal austerity agenda, weaknesses on service delivery, the conduct of leaders and weaker structures. Reneging on decisions such as collective bargaining agreements, COSATU and Party decisions in relation to electoral contests may have affected voter turnout.

The PEC noted that several parties, some heavily sponsored by domestic and global capitalist forces, who were first-time participants in elections also tilted the electoral scale mainly against the ANC, with MK Party’s disruptive impact being decisively felt.

It is undeniable that MKP and former president Zuma relied on tribal mobilisation, and used elements of populism and threats including exploiting the credentials of MK to garner support. The PEC, however, argued that to explain the MKP phenomenon by simply pointing to tribalism and popularity of JZ alone risks abandoning a thorough Marxist-Leninist enquiry necessary to understand and respond to the conditions that gave rise to the MKP phenomenon and the precipitous drop in ANC support.

The movement has to respond to the large protest vote, including by reasserting both in the battle of ideas and practice, the fundamental policy areas society thinks the movement has abandoned or moderated and reject all neo-liberal flirtations.

The PEC agreed that the Party’s decision to consolidate support for the ANC, in the face of reactionary and counter-revolutionary offensive against our collective gains was tactically correct. However, the Party’s undertaking that the support was not a blank cheque must be demonstrated practically with an uncompromising elevation of a transformative agenda that prioritises the interests of the working class and poor.

Whilst acknowledging the ANC’s own decision on forming a GNU, the PEC viewed the involvement of the DA and FF+ as a liberalising force that will inherently constrain the prospects of accelerating a necessary radical socio-economic transformation agenda necessary to respond to the voter message in the electoral result. The DA’s unyielding posture against all fundamental policy and programmatic priorities of the movement that favours the majority is well documented. Hoping for a stable government with such unavoidable contradictions is just but a wish.

Therefore, the placement of the DA in particular, at the heart of government, still with scanty detail available to characterise the GNU at this stage, invokes reminiscent scenes of the proverbial ancient Greek Trojan horse with concealed soldiers, gifted to Troy but deceptively used to breach the fortified walls of the City of Troy, once dragged inside, leading to the attack and fall of the City from within.

The PEC has decided the Party election structures must not be disbanded. The Party structures shall be strengthened and converted into organising and campaigning structures. The immediate task will be to work with and vibrate within communities, follow up community challenges raised during campaigning, advance Party campaigns and, importantly, build wall-to-wall VD-based Party structures that henceforth prepare the SACP for consolidation of state power in the lead-up to the 2026 local government elections. The PEC mandated its officials to engage and advance this option on contesting elections amongst Party structures, the Alliance and in the upcoming Central Committee and planned Special National Congress.

On the 7th Provincial Administration in Free State and the role of the movement

The PEC reiterated its message of congratulations to the new Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae and her collective of members of the Executive Council, as well as members of parliament and legislature. However, the PEC was grossly offended by the reported absence of Alliance consultation at a structural level by the ANC, on discussion about the composition and configuration of the executive council. The PEC mandated the Party Officials to formally table this and other pressing related issues with the ANC leadership in the province.

The SACP reiterated its expectations of sound political and comradely alignment and relations between political leadership and leadership of government in the province. Unity at this juncture is sacrosanct and the Party welcomes the expressed commitment by both ANC and government leadership, to discharge leadership responsibilities in a manner that render the so-called two centres of power to exist only in the fictional imagination of wedge drivers. More still has to be done to manage the unity and renewal of the movement in the province and heal divisions.

The Party will push for reconfiguration and ensure Alliance mechanisms to manage and support the work of government without micro-management. Furthermore, given limited diverse representation of the ANC in oversight structures of the legislature in the province, the PEC agreed to establish extra-parliamentary mechanisms to collaborate and strengthen the work of the government. The PEC also resolved to establish a team to work on the Party’s contribution to the programmatic priorities of government, informed by the Alliance manifesto priorities.

On the international situation

The system of capitalism is constantly digging its own grave, and the crisis of capitalism is sinking deeper and deeper into quick-sand crises. The PEC noted that inherent contradictions within the system of capitalism are at their sharpest globally, thus revealing the crisis-ridden nature of capitalism in its self-mutilating attempt to survive, global capitalism continues to occasion wars, expand its corrupting character in pursuit of profits and intensity exploitation and suffering of the working class and poor majority of the world.

Historical experiences of class struggle everywhere show that the working class in general and women in particular continue to experience intensified suffering and exploitation. We see these in the current imperialist sponsored and fascist driven wars in the Ukraine-Russia war, genocidal war in Gaza against the Palestinian people, the destabilising efforts in the Asia-Pacific, the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula as well as developing conflicts on the African continent, especially the unprecedented developments in the Sahel region. The global security architecture is in disarray, and the world has become more dangerous than ever.

The PEC, however, emphasised that, without an organised left movement internationally that coordinates and concentrates the fighting force of the Left alternative, the prospects of consolidating gains on behalf of the working class at this opportune moment may evaporate. Even potentially progressive formations such as the growing BRICS group of nations, may be hijacked, repurposed and redirected to rescue capital and prolong global suffering. In South Africa, this should mean, amongst others, waging and intensifying a battle against capitalism in general and monopolistic capital in particular as well as bourgeois collaborators in our country, including internal to our movement, represented mainly by the neo-liberal clique. The PEC understood that the task of building a powerful socialist movement must also be seen in this broader context.

Condolences

The SACP extended condolences to the victims of recent gender-based violence across the province and the killing of a woman by marauding Pit bulls. We urge law enforcement agencies and our legal systems to pass strict judgements against perpetrators of GBV and also call for the banning and ending of the domestication of untameable animals within living spaces, such as Pit bulls.

The PEC appreciated the efforts of Party comrades, including the Party Central Committee in giving our late Deputy Provincial Chairperson and first SACP Executive Mayor Comrade Lindiwe Tshongwe a dignified send-off on 1 June 2024.

ISSUED BY THE SACP FREE STATE PROVINCE

Contact:

Bheke Stofile – SACP Free State Provincial Secretary  

Mobile: 071 600 4899 

Phillip Kganyago – SACP Free State Provincial Spokesperson

Mobile: 071 896 0157

Issued by the South African Communist Party,

Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID

Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, Central Committee Member

National Spokesperson & Political Bureau Secretary for Policy and Research

FOR INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS, MEDIA LIAISON & CIRCULATION SERVICES

Hlengiwe Nkonyane

Media Liaison Officer & Digital Platforms Manager

Mobile: +27 66 473 4819

OFFICE & OTHER CONTACT DETAILS

Office: +2711 339 3621/2

Website: www.sacp.org.za

Facebook Page: South African Communist Party

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SACP Statement Following Bimonthly Political Bureau Meeting

Tuesday, 25 June 2024: “President Cyril Ramaphosa needs to move swiftly to appoint the Deputy President, Ministers and Deputy Ministers”, concluded the South African Communist Party (SACP) bimonthly meeting held on Monday, 24 June 2024. The SACP Political Bureau emphasised the importance of meaningful Alliance consultation and building and maintaining national stability and certainty. This requires decisiveness against any section that has resorted to trickery, brinkmanship and untenable demands to steal power and thus undermine the will of the people.

While the ANC did not receive the minimum of 50 per cent plus one required to form an outright majority government, it is important for everyone to recognise that it still has been voted the largest electoral party by voter support. The SACP Political Bureau denounced attempts by the DA, a party with a little over half of the ANC’s votes, at elevating itself to or usurping the role of the party with the largest votes. 

Any success from the trickery, brinkmanship and untenable demands by the DA will be tantamount to undermining the will of the people and stability in our economy and country. This neo-liberal party, whose leadership composition starkly reminds us of the persisting legacy of racism due to the stark contrast between their racial composition and the national population demographics, has to face deep-going working-class mobilisation, as will any slightest rightward shift in government policy direction. 

The DA has positioned itself against the government of national unity, which the ANC seeks to form. This is obvious from the DA’s manoeuvres to secure a hostile takeover through a grand coalition with the ANC, also involving the IFP, in which the DA will wield veto power under the guise of “sufficient consensus”. This must not be allowed to see the light of day. 

The DA’s trickery, hypocritical and untenable demands vindicate the SACP, which has on the record expressed strong opposition to a coalition with the DA. In doing so, the SACP made its preferred option of an ANC-led minority government with the features of a government of national unity clear.

The DA’s trickery, brinkmanship and untenable demands tend towards the division of the Cabinet, which would be akin to a federation of unaccountable ministers if there were to be one part of the Cabinet which would operate separately and accountable to the DA as its “ministers”, rather than adhering to the unified whole Cabinet outlined in the constitution. According to the constitution, the Cabinet is appointed by the President, to whom the executive authority is vested. It includes the Deputy President and Ministers, together with whom the President exercises the executive authority. 

The DA’s demands fly in the face of the constitution and labour law. A party that has claimed to support “the separation of party and state” is now vehemently demanding the exact opposite. It has pretended to have a problem with “cadre deployment” and anti-constitutionalism, but it is now demanding that the President must accept new practices which would amount to an exclusive DA cadre deployment. 

In a leaked letter of demands addressed to the ANC Secretary-General, dated 24 June 2024, the DA further demands that “Directors General in departments reporting to the Democratic Alliance ministers are selected by panels consisting of the Democratic Alliance ministers, and submitted to the President for his approval, and that such approval cannot reasonably be withheld” – note, not unreasonably. To pave the way for this anti-constitutionalism in favour of its exclusive cadre deployment policy, the DA is also demanding that the contracts of current DGs must be “reconsidered” – meaning terminated. 

The DGs are, correctly so, not rightless. They are covered by the hard-won labour rights enshrined in our constitution and labour law and have a defined tenure. Any arbitrary termination of their contracts would amount to an abuse of the DGs, who are unlikely to be passive. Such abuse will also lead to wasteful spending of public resources. The SACP will stand in solidarity with the National Education, Health and Allied Workers Union in the fight to protect their rights against such violation, just as it stands for the rights of all workers.

The SACP Political Bureau has approved final preparations for the first Party Central Committee plenary scheduled to take place from Friday to Sunday, 28–30 June 2024. In its focus, the SACP Central Committee plenary will conclude with a press briefing on Sunday, 30 June 2024. Solly Mapaila, the Party General Secretary, will lead the National Office Bearers with the Secretariat as the core in communicating the key outcomes of the meeting, including the initial strategic tasks and tactical steps for moving forward after the 2024 elections.

Mass mobilisation, forging a popular Left front and building a powerful, socialist movement of the workers and poor will, among others, receive greater attention from the Central Committee plenary. “This mobilisation is crucial for the people, the majority of whom is the working class, to realise progress in resolving the problems that affect them the most”, concluded the Political Bureau. 

It is pretty obvious that the top priorities that the people need exclude the DA’s trickery, brinkmanship and untenable demands. The priorities include immediate efforts to achieve large-scale employment creation, poverty eradication and radical reduction of income, wealth, racial, gender and spatial inequalities. To achieve this, the priorities include a high-impact, comprehensive industrialisation policy, adequately supported in terms of both resourcing and an enabling macro environment by developmental fiscal, monetary, international trade, infrastructure development and other developmental policies. In townships and rural areas, people want equal development attention comparable to that received by those in developed metropolitan areas. Effective delivery of public goods and services, with the productive participation of the people, is crucial in all this.

Issued by the South African Communist Party,

Founded in 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa.

Media, Communications & Information Department | MCID

Dr Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, Central Committee Member

National Spokesperson & Political Bureau Secretary for Policy and Research  

FOR INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS, MEDIA LIAISON & CIRCULATION SERVICES 

Hlengiwe Nkonyane

Media Liaison Officer & Digital Platforms Manager

Mobile: +27 66 473 4819

OFFICE & OTHER CONTACT DETAILS

Office: +2711 339 3621/2

Website: www.sacp.org.za

Facebook Page: South African Communist Party

Twitter: SACP1921

GNU Talks Hit Yet Another Deadlock as ANC’s Revised Cabinet Offer Riles DA

From left: DA leader John Steenhuisen. (Photo: Gallo Images / Darren Stewart) | President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Photo: Leila Dougan)

By Velani Ludidi, Daily Maverick

27 Jun 2024 

In the latest development in South Africa’s political landscape, the ANC and the DA have yet to reconcile their differences over Cabinet positions in the emerging government of national unity.

The DA has called a special Federal Executive meeting for this afternoon (Thursday) to deliberate on the latest developments involving the government of national unity (GNU). 

This comes as the ANC and the DA have yet to reconcile their differences over Cabinet positions in the emerging GNU. The ANC’s recent revision of its initial offer has caused significant setbacks in the ongoing discussions.

The DA had upheld its part of the initial agreement by supporting Cyril Ramaphosa’s election as President and backing Thoko Didiza as Speaker of the National Assembly. However, according to sources, the ANC’s internal pushback has led to a revision of its offer to the DA, straining the negotiations.

According to sources within the ANC, the party faced significant resistance from its internal factions, prompting a reevaluation of the proposed Cabinet roles offered to the DA. The eight other GNU parties have temporarily withdrawn from the discussions to allow the ANC and DA to resolve their disagreements.

The UDM’s Bantu Holomisa told Daily Maverick they had heard that the DA was threatening to pull out of the negotiations if the ANC stuck to its revised offer. Holomisa said the revised offer does not include trade, industry and competition departments, which does not sit well with the DA.

“The ANC should have Plan B if the DA pulls out,” he said. “Now it looks like they had a private deal before the discussions of the GNU. We are waiting for them to come back to us and it must be noted that GNU is not yet established, it’s only a statement of intent.” 

Tensions with the DA

The South African Communist Party (SACP), an ANC alliance partner, accused the DA on Wednesday of trying to overshadow the ANC. This came after a leaked letter from Helen Zille, the DA’s Federal Council chairperson, was made public. In the letter, Zille requested that DA deputy ministers be appointed in all DA-led ministries and demanded a say in the appointment of directors-general in these ministries. 

Negotiations hit a critical point on Wednesday evening when the ANC proposed a new deal involving “lesser portfolios”, which had not been previously considered. This change followed the DA’s readiness to accept seven ministers and seven deputy ministers, and several key departments. 

Sources in both the ANC and DA said the ANC’s revised stance suggested that the DA would not receive multiple significant departments within the economic cluster, leading to a deadlock.

Internal reactions and next steps

The DA’s negotiating team, empowered to make decisions, is expected to meet this afternoon with the party’s Federal Executive to deliberate on the ANC’s revised offer. DA insiders expressed dissatisfaction with the new terms, accusing the ANC of negotiating in bad faith.

The ANC has already taken steps to brief its members. Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called for extraordinary regional meetings over the weekend to inform ANC structures about the NEC’s decisions and the progress of GNU negotiations.

This is contained in a letter leaked to the media. 

Courting other alliances

Meanwhile, the ANC continues to engage with the uMkhonto Wesizwe party and the EFF. However, a deal with the EFF appears unlikely, as evidenced by leader Julius Malema’s recent social media post in which he disparaged Mbalula by referring to him as Nelson Ramodike, a derogatory comparison to a former apartheid-era figure.

DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi declined to comment on the latest developments but said the party remains committed to the statement of intent to set up a GNU. 

“The purpose of our negotiations now is to give expression to that statement so that we are able to make a positive impact on the lives of South Africans. We obviously cannot enter a government if we do not have the means to effect positive change. We are hopeful that we can reach a satisfactory agreement with the ANC.”

Impact on Parliament

The delay in finalising the Cabinet has already started to affect the operational functions of Parliament. Masibulele Xaso, secretary to the National Assembly, highlighted the uncertainty facing members of Parliament, who are unsure whether they will remain in their parliamentary roles or be appointed to ministerial positions.

As Parliament begins to set up its structures and committees following the establishment of the seventh Parliament two weeks ago, the unresolved Cabinet positions continue to cast a shadow over the legislative body’s proceedings. DM

PA Wants 'Political Bully' DA Out of GNU

The Patriotic Alliance and the DA are seemingly struggling to put their differences aside, despite having to share a bed in the GNU.

Patriotic Alliance / X: @GaytonMcK

JOHANNESBURG - The Patriotic Alliance (PA) wants the Democratic Alliance (DA) out of the Government of National Unity (GNU), describing the organisation as a political bully.

This after it emerged negotiations had stalled due to what's been described as the DA's unreasonable demand of 12 Cabinet positions.

Patriotic Alliance deputy leader, Kenny Kunene, claims the DA previously threatened to ditch the Government of National Unity.

The Patriotic Alliance and the DA are seemingly struggling to put their differences aside, despite having to share a bed in the GNU.

The two organisations have publicly expressed their discontent over working together, citing their disputes at local government level.

Kunene said that parties in the Government of National Unity would not dance to the tune of Helen Zille.

"We will continue to serve South Africans to influence policy and legislation, that is why we are in the GNU. But the DA does not want that. The DA wants its their way or the highway. They are threatening to pull out, let them pull out. Abahambe."

Meanwhile, there it remains unclear when President Cyril Ramaphosa will announce his Cabinet.

DA to Decide on Staying with GNU After ANC Makes Final Offer on Cabinet Positions

After three days of ructions between the ANC and the DA, Eyewitness News now understands the ANC has put a final offer on the table, which should pave the way for the formation of an executive.

JOHANNESBURG - After days of wrangling over positions, it is now up to the Democratic Alliance (DA) to decide whether it will move forward with its participation in the African National Congress (ANC)'s Government of National Unity (GNU) following a final offer of six ministries from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The DA sent a letter to Ramaphosa recently demanding at least 12 Cabinet posts, as well as the removal of directors general in the ministries its members would occupy.

The DA had also set its eyes on the position of deputy president.

After three days of ructions between the ANC and the DA, Eyewitness News now understands the ANC has put a final offer on the table, which should pave the way for the formation of an executive.

On Wednesday night, Ramaphosa reached out to the DA, this after attempting to manage some pushback in his own camp over his decision.

It seems Ramaphosa has settled on giving the DA six portfolios, along with seven deputies, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will get three, while the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and Good Party will be allocated one each.

This means 10 of the Cabinet positions to be dished out will be given to the ANC's opponents.

And while the letter that caused a stir on social media demanded a change of DGs in affected departments, it's understood that was an error and should not have even been put on the table.

Ramaphosa is expected to also brief the ANC's alliance partners before announcing his executive.

China Trusts in Bolivia’s Ability to Manage Coup Attempt

Coup attempt in La Paz, Bolivia, June 26, 2024. Photo: X/ @RRNoticiasqro

June 27, 2024 Hour: 8:47 am

On Wednesday, fear gripped Bolivians after tanks and heavily armed soldiers stormed the Government headquarters.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that China expressed its “hope and confidence” in President Luis Arce’s ability to properly manage the political situation in the country following the attempted coup.

She mentioned in a press conference that Beijing has taken note of reports about what it termed as “abnormal military action” in Bolivia.

Mao added that, as a “good friend and partner of Bolivia,” China trusts that the Arce administration has the capacity to “properly handle the situation and maintain national peace, stability, and development.”

She also emphasized that this ability would align with “the fundamental and long-term interests of the Bolivian people,” although she did not explicitly condemn the military action carried out by Army Commander Juan Jose Zuñiga at any point.

On Wednesday afternoon, fear gripped citizens after tanks and heavily armed soldiers stormed the Bolivian Government headquarters under the command of Gen. Zuñiga, who at the time was the Army commander.

When the first soldiers arrived at Plaza Murillo, where the headquarters of the Executive and Legislative branches are located, Arce denounced irregular mobilizations of some units of the Bolivian Army.

The heavily armed soldiers took over the entire square and reached the gate of the Government Palace and knocked it down with a war tank. Moments later, Arce came out, guarded by his ministers, and confronted Zuñiga and ordered the withdrawal of the troops to which he finally agreed to.

Venezuela Expresses Its Deep Rejection of the Attempted Coup in Bolivia

Bolivian forces during the Failed Coup, June 26,2024 Photo: EFE

June 26, 2024 Hour: 9:14 pm

“This is the path that the fascists, the extremists, coups d’état, destabilization, destruction, chaos want”, the Venezuelan head of state said.

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro denounced the coup against Bolivian democracy. “At this moment, forces that have betrayed their oath of loyalty to the State have taken the Presidential Palace in La Paz,” the Venezuelan president said.

“This is the path that the fascists, the extremists, coups d’état, destabilization, destruction, chaos want”, the Venezuelan head of state said.

Meanwhile, the foreign minister of the South American country, Yván Gil, said in his X account that Venezuela “denounces and rejects in the most forceful way, the reckless attempt of coup d’état, against the elected government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia chaired by Luis Arce Catacora, executed by some military units traitors in La Paz today”.

Likewise, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez also confirmed that Venezuela condemns “categorically any fascist and anti-democratic act that seeks to disturb the peace and alter the order of the Bolivian people”.

“The Bolivarian Government appeals to the international community, especially the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), to mobilize in favor of Bolivian democracy and repudiate this new attempt to impose a fascist and coup regime against the popular forces of our brother country,” said an official statement published by the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry.

In the statement, Venezuela said: “Venezuela expresses its absolute support to the Bolivian people and its President Luis Arce and accompanies him in the actions necessary to defeat this new attack on democracy”.

Defining the putschists as “groups protected by the dark forces that have tried to bring Latin America to a state of systematic violations of the rights conquered by the social and popular movements of our region”.

Juan Jose Zuñiga Arrested After Failed Coup Attempt

Bolivian military forces during the failed coup this afternoon, June 26,2024 Photo: @bolivia_s_c

June 26, 2024 Hour: 10:10 pm

Following an order and investigation issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Zúñiga was arrested and placed at the disposal of the authorities.

Bolivian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that the former commander of the Armed Forces of Bolivia, Juan José Zúñiga, was arrested after the attempted coup against the government of President Luis Arce.

Previously, President Luis Arce demanded that Zúñiga drop his coup and send the military to their positions, but Zúñiga refused.

Following an order and investigation issued by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Zúñiga was arrested and placed at the disposal of the authorities.

The former commander-in-chief of the Bolivian Armed Forces, Juan José Zúñiga, committed contempt for the constitutional order.

Previously, the Prosecutor’s Office of Bolivia had reported that, following the attempted coup d’état in the country against constitutional president Luis Arce, provided for the initiation of all appropriate legal actions for the initiation of the criminal investigation against General Juan José Zuñiga and those involved.

“The Attorney General of the State, Fausto Juan Lanchipa Ponce, immediately, by means of instruction FGE/JLP Nº 243/2024, ordered the beginning of all the legal actions that correspond to the beginning of the criminal investigation against General Juan José Zuñiga”, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said.

This statement took place, according to the Prosecutor’s Office, in the face of the latest events in the city of La Paz, seat of Government, and which are of public knowledge considering “the firm commitment of the Public Prosecutor’s Office to the principles that sustain the Democratic State of Law”.

The Office of the Prosecutor noted that it also provides for the deployment “of all necessary efforts to obtain evidence of conviction, as well as the issuance of summonses, subpoenas, warrants and duly substantiated resolutions that correspond to the clarification of the fact investigated and the imposition of the maximum sanction on those responsible”.

In reaffirming its commitment to legality, the Office also underlined its support for the general interests of society in the framework of the preservation of our democracy.

A PAN-ABOLITIONIST VIEW ON JULIAN ASSANGE'S RELEASE

By Julia Wright

As freedom fighters who have seen many wars from Vietnam to Algeria, from Palestine to Kanaky, we do not take the good news that comes our way lightly.

First because we fought and put our lives on the line for it.

Second, because there is always a dark lining to a silver cloud.

Third, because good news of a battle won if treated correctly can lead to a victory if we stay sober and do not get too heady.

The liberation of Julian Assange is certainly a battle won but should be viewed in the wider context of the release of only one political prisoner among a legion of others taken captive by the USA hegemon.

In a pan-abolitionist optic, Julian Asange's freedom is meaningless unless it is connected to the release of all the political prisoners the empire has taken inside and outside its borders.

If Joe Biden's government had to reluctantly let Julian Assange go it is for three main reasons :

1) Mass mobilisation for Assange maintained worldwide over decades in spite of the betrayal by the press - the very class whose freedom was at risk.

2) The grassroot mobilization of peoples worldwide for Palestine has shown luminol on the bloody hands of the very war criminals Wikileaks denounced - war criminals who walked free while Assange was behind bars.

The post October 7th resilience and the longevity of the Palestinian uprisings both in Gaza, throughout the world and within the belly of the beast is both the direct context and one of the causes of Julian Assange's freedom today.

The powers-that-be could not afford a Julian Assange front to open up on top of the already un-manageable Palestinian one. Something had to give.

3) The Democrats are desperately in need of political theatre to appease an electorate increasingly uncommitted as it rightly identifies Biden's government with genocide.

In conclusion, the question would be: at a time when the monolithic front of the hegemon is cracking and the warmongers are desperate to don a mask of benevolence and "electorability", should we not seize the time to make a stronger than ever, frontline case for the other political prisoners - Leonard Peltier, Kamau Sadiki, Rashid Johnson, Jamil Al Amin, Mumia Abu-Jamal (who remains a truth-to-power journalist behind bars) to quote only a few ?

Lets remember the advice of Assata Shakur and Dhoruba Bin Wahad: save the living while it is still time - there will always be time to honor the ancestors.

Kwame Nkrumah: "The independence of one African State is meaningless unless it is connected with the independence of all African States".

(c) Julia Wright. June 26, 2024. All Rights Reserved to the Elaine Legacy Center and the Richard Wright Civil Rights Center

WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Returns to Australia a Free Man After US Legal Battle Ends

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrived in Australia aboard a charter jet hours after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets. The deal with the Justice Department concludes a drawn-out legal saga.

BY RICK RYCROFT AND ROD MCGUIRK

3:36 PM EDT, June 26, 2024

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange returned to his homeland Australia aboard a charter jet and raised a celebratory clenched fist as his supporters cheered on Wednesday, hours after pleading guilty to obtaining and publishing U.S. military secrets in a deal with Justice Department prosecutors that concludes a drawn-out legal saga.

Assange told Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a phone call from the capital Canberra’s airport tarmac that Australian government intervention in the U.S. prosecution had saved his life, Assange lawyer Jennifer Robinson said.

Assange embraced his wife Stella Assange and father John Shipton who were waiting on the tarmac, but avoided media at a news conference less than than two hours after he landed.

“Julian wanted me to sincerely thank everyone. He wanted to be here. But you have to understand what he’s been through. He needs time. He needs to recuperate and this is a process.” Stella Assange told reporters.

Assange was accused of receiving and publishing hundreds of thousands of war logs and diplomatic cables that included details of U.S. military wrongdoing in Iraq and Afghanistan. His activities drew an outpouring of support from press freedom advocates, who heralded his role in bringing to light military conduct that might otherwise have been concealed from view and warned of a chilling effect on journalists. Among the files published by WikiLeaks was a video of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack by American forces in Baghdad that killed 11 people, including two Reuters journalists.

The case came to a surprise end in a most unusual setting with Assange, 52, entering his plea in a U.S. district court in Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands. The American commonwealth in the Pacific is relatively close to Assange’s native Australia and accommodated his desire to avoid entering the continental United States.

Albanese said Assange told him during their phone call he was looking forward to playing with his sons, conceived while the father was in self-exile in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London for seven years.

“He described it as a surreal and happy moment, his landing here in our national capital, Canberra,” Albanese told reporters in Parliament House. “I had a very warm discussion with him this evening. He was very generous in his praise of the Australian government’s efforts.”

Robinson said she became “very emotional” when she overheard Assange’s conversation with the prime minister.

“Julian thanked him and the team and told the prime minister that he had saved his life. And I don’t think that that’s an exaggeration,” Robinson said.

Assange’s British court hearings in which he fought extradition to the United States had heard evidence of his failing health and potential risk for self-harm in the U.S. penal system.

Assange was accompanied on the flights by Australian Ambassador to the United States Kevin Rudd and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Stephen Smith, both of whom played key roles in negotiating his freedom with London and Washington.

The flights were paid for by the “Assange team,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said, adding his government played a role in facilitating the transport.

Albanese told Parliament that Assange’s freedom, after he spent five years in a British prison fighting extradition to the U.S., was the result of his government’s “careful, patient and determined work.”

It is unclear where Assange will go from Canberra and what his future plans are. His South African-born lawyer wife and mother of his two children, Stella Assange, has been in Australia for days awaiting his release.

Another of Julian Assange’s lawyers, Barry Pollack, expected his client would continue vocal campaigning.

“WikiLeaks’s work will continue and Mr. Assange, I have no doubt, will be a continuing force for freedom of speech and transparency in government,” Pollack said.

Assange’s father John Shipton said ahead of his son’s arrival that he hoped that his first-born child was coming home to the “great beauty of ordinary life.”

“He will be able to spend quality time with his wife, Stella, and his two children, be able to walk up and down the beach and feel the sand through his toes in winter, that lovely chill,” Shipton said.

The plea deal required Assange to admit guilt to a single felony count but also permitted him to return to Australia without any time in an American prison. The judge sentenced him to the five years he’d already spent behind bars in the U.K. fighting extradition to the U.S. on an Espionage Act indictment that could have carried a lengthy prison sentence in the event of a conviction. He was holed up for seven years before that in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London.

The conclusion enables both sides to claim a degree of satisfaction.

The Justice Department, facing a defendant who had already served substantial jail time, was able to resolve — without trial — a case that raised thorny legal issues and that might never have reached a jury at all given the plodding pace of the extradition process. Assange, for his part, signaled a begrudging contentment with the resolution, saying in court that though he believed the Espionage Act contradicted the First Amendment, he accepted the consequences of soliciting classified information from sources for publication.

The plea deal, disclosed Monday night in a sparsely detailed Justice Department letter, represents the latest — and presumably final — chapter in a court fight involving the eccentric Australian computer expert who has been celebrated by supporters as a transparency crusader but lambasted by national security hawks who insist that his conduct put lives at risks and strayed far beyond the bounds of traditional journalism duties.

Prosecutors alleged that Assange teamed with former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning to obtain the records, including by conspiring to crack a Defense Department computer password, and published them without regard to American national security. Names of human sources who provided information to U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan were among the details exposed, prosecutors have said.

The indictment was unsealed in 2019, but Assange’s legal woes long predated the criminal case and continued well past it.

Weeks after the release of the largest document cache in 2010, a Swedish prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Assange based on one woman’s allegation of rape and another’s allegation of molestation. Assange has long maintained his innocence, and the investigation was later dropped.

He presented himself in 2012 to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, where he claimed asylum on the grounds of political persecution, and spent the following seven years in self-exile there, welcoming a parade of celebrity visitors and making periodic appearances from the building’s balcony to address supporters.

In 2019, his hosts revoked his asylum, allowing British police to arrest him. He remained locked up for the last five years while the Justice Department sought to extradite him, in a process that encountered skepticism from British judges who worried about how Assange would be treated by the U.S.

Ultimately, though, the resolution sparing Assange prison time in the U.S. contradicts years of ominous warnings by Assange and his supporters that the American criminal justice system would expose him to unduly harsh treatment, including potentially the death penalty — something prosecutors never sought.

Last month, Assange won the right to appeal an extradition order after his lawyers argued that the U.S. government provided “blatantly inadequate” assurances that he would have the same free speech protections as an American citizen if extradited from Britain.

His wife, Stella Assange, told the BBC from Australia that it had been “touch and go” over 72 hours whether the deal would go ahead but she felt “elated” at the news.

Assange on Monday had left the London prison where he has spent the last five years after being granted bail during a secret hearing last week.

___

McGuirk reported from Melbourne, Australia. Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi and Kimberly Esmores in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, Eric Tucker in Port Pierce, Florida, Napat Kongsawad and David Rising in Bangkok and Jill Lawless and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.

Kenya’s President Says He Won’t Sign Finance Bill that Led Protesters to Storm Parliament

BY EVELYNE MUSAMBI

11:22 AM EDT, June 26, 2024

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan President William Ruto said Wednesday he won’t sign into law a finance bill proposing new taxes, a day after protesters stormed parliament and several people were shot dead. It was the biggest assault on Kenya’s government in decades.

The government wanted to raise funds to pay off debt, but Kenyans said the bill caused more economic pain as millions struggle to get by. The chaos on Tuesday led the government to deploy the military, and Ruto called protesters’ actions “treasonous.”

The president now says the bill caused “widespread dissatisfaction” and he has listened and “conceded.” It’s a major setback for Ruto, who came to power vowing to help Kenyans cope with rising costs but has seen much of the country, led by youth, unite in opposition to his latest attempt at reforms.

“It is necessary for us to have a conversation as a nation on how to do we manage the affairs of the country together,” he said.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports amid heavy police presence, Kenya starts clearing debris after protests.

Kenyans faced the lingering smell of tear gas and military in the streets a day after the latest protests saw thousands storm parliament, an act of defiance that Ruto had called an “existential” threat. At least 22 people were killed, a human rights group said, and police were accused of some shooting deaths.

Ruto acknowledged deaths, calling it an “unfortunate situation,” and offered condolences. He said about 200 people had been wounded.

Nairobi has seen protests in the past, but activists and others warned the stakes were more dangerous. Ruto on Tuesday vowed to quash unrest “at whatever cost,” even as more protests were called at State House on Thursday.

“We are dealing with a new phenomenon and a group of people that is not predictable. If it would have been the normal demonstrations, I’d say it will fizzle out with time, but we don’t know whether these people will fear the army,” said Herman Manyora, an analyst and professor at the University of Nairobi.

He said the president missed an opportunity in his national address Tuesday night to adopt a more conciliatory approach.

Kenya’s High Court on Wednesday ordered the military deployment suspended after a challenge by the Kenya Law Society.

Kenyans united beyond tribal and other divisions in the effort to keep the finance bill from becoming law. It would have raised taxes and fees on a range of daily items and services, from egg imports to bank transfers.

There were no reports of violence Wednesday, but there was fear. Civil society groups have reported abductions of people involved in recent protests and expect more to come. The High Court ordered police to release all people arrested in the protests. Ruto said those allegedly abducted had been released or processed in court.

Many young people who helped vote Ruto into power in 2022 with cheers for his promises of economic relief now object to the pain of reforms. Part of the parliament building burned Tuesday, and clashes occurred in several communities beyond the capital.

At least 22 people were killed, the Kenya National Human Rights Commission said. Commission chairperson Roseline Odede said 300 others were injured and 50 people were arrested.

The mother of a teenager killed, Edith Wanjiku, told journalists at a morgue that the police who shot her son should be charged with murder because her 19-year-old son had been unarmed.

“He had just completed school and was peacefully protesting,” she said.

Parliament, city hall and the supreme court were cordoned off with tape reading “Crime Scene Do Not Enter.” Authorities said police fired over 700 blanks to disperse protesters in the Nairobi suburb of Githurai overnight.

“My plea to the president is to listen to us and understand that this financial bill they want to pass is not as important as people’s lives,” said one Nairobi businessman, Gideon Hamisi. “Many young people lost their lives yesterday. I am a young man, and I feel deeply pained by what transpired.”

Opposition leader Raila Odinga called for dialogue, asserting that Kenya’s constitution had been suspended. “Kenya cannot afford to kill its children just because the children are asking for food, jobs and a listening ear,” he said in a statement.

In Nairobi, a regional hub for expatriates and home to a United Nations complex, inequality among Kenyans has sharpened along with long-held frustrations over state corruption. The booming young population is also frustrated by the lavish lifestyles of politicians including the president. Some who had passionately supported Ruto, who won power by portraying himself as a “hustler” of humble background, feel betrayed.

The youth, commonly referred to as Gen Zs, mobilized the protests and sought to keep lawmakers from approving the finance bill Tuesday. Ruto had had two weeks to sign the bill into law.

The president’s concession was “self preservation” by a leader worried about his reputation, opposition Sen. Edwin Sifuna wrote on X.

The events are a sharp turn for Ruto, who has been embraced by the United States as a welcome partner in Africa while frustration grows elsewhere on the continent with the U.S. and some other Western powers.

In May, Ruto went to Washington in the first state visit by an African leader in 16 years. On Tuesday, as the protests exploded, the U.S designated Kenya as its first major non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa, a largely symbolic act but one highlighting their security partnership. Also Tuesday, hundreds of Kenyan police deployed to lead a multinational force against gangs in Haiti, an initiative that brought thanks from U.S. President Joe Biden.

Now Kenya’s government, along with protesters, face pleas for calm from partners including the U.S., which joined a dozen other nations in a statement Tuesday expressing “deep concern” over the violence and abductions.

“How did we get here?” Kenya’s vice president, Rigathi Gachagua, asked Wednesday in nationally broadcast comments after the president’s turnabout, openly wondering how the government had become so unpopular in just two years. “We were the darling of the Kenyan people.”

___

Associated Press journalist Brian Inganga in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed.

Kenya President Ruto Declines to Sign Finance Bill into Law

WEDNESDAY JUNE 26 2024

Kenya's President William Ruto on Wednesday bowed to pressure from Kenyans after several protests and has declined to sign the Finance Bill 2024 to law.

The move follows Tuesday's deadly protests that saw demonstrators breach Parliament premises for the first time in Kenya's history.

“Following the passage of the Bill, the country witnessed widespread expression of dissatisfaction with the Bill as passed, regrettably resulting in the loss of life, destruction of property and desecration of constitutional institutions. I send condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate manner.

“Consequently, having reflected on the continuing conversation around the content of the Finance Bill, 2024, I will decline to assent to the Bill,” he said in a televised address from State House on Wednesday flanked by the ruling party members of Parliament who voted for the Bill.

President Ruto’s decision will likely be seen as an attempt to de-escalate already rising tensions following Tuesday’s countrywide demos.

Kenyan Anti-Tax Organizers Call for More Mass Demonstrations After Deadly Police Violence

WEDNESDAY JUNE 26 2024

Kenyan protesters vowed on Wednesday to keep up their demonstrations against new tax hikes, a day after police opened fire on crowds trying to storm parliament, leaving at least eight people dead and scores wounded.

As heavily armed officers patrolled the streets of the capital Nairobi, supporters of the week-old protest movement took to X, using the hashtag #tupatanethursday, or "see you on Thursday" in a mix of Swahili and English.

An online outpouring of anger over tax increases has swelled into a nationwide protest movement calling for a political overhaul, in the most serious crisis of President William Ruto's two-year-old presidency.

Many social media users focused on Ruto's speech after the clashes, in which he said the attack on parliament was the work of "criminals pretending to be peaceful protesters".

"Good morning fellow CRIMINALS Tupatane Thursday to do what CRIMINALS do," one X user posted.

Nairobi's main public mortuary received the bodies of six people killed in Tuesday's protests, a police officer posted there told Reuters. Another two bodies and 160 people with injuries came into the Kenyatta National Hospital, two health officials said.

Ruto said in his televised address to the nation late on Tuesday that the debate about the tax measures - which lawmakers passed minutes before parliament was breached - had been "hijacked by dangerous people".

The government ordered the army deployed to help the police deal with a "security emergency", though there were no reports of troops on the streets of Nairobi on Wednesday.

Last week, protesters had circulated a schedule that called for the occupation of parliament on Tuesday and the occupation of State House, the president's office and residence, on Thursday.

Protester Wellington Ogolla said he would head back out onto the streets.

"It's our right to demonstrate ... We are just expressing ourselves," he told Reuters as he walked through downtown Nairobi, where the smell of tear gas lingered in the air.

Lawmakers removed some tax hikes from the final version of the finance bill, including ones on bread and cooking oil, but inserted others in an effort to avoid a budget gap.

Protesters say they want the whole bill scrapped, and many are now demanding that Ruto resign.

He won election almost two years ago on a platform of championing Kenya's working poor but has been caught between the competing demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - which is urging the government to cut deficits to obtain more funding - and a hard-pressed population.

The protest movement, which has no formal leadership and has primarily organised on social media platforms, turned out thousands of supporters in dozens of towns and cities on Tuesday.

2 Dead, 20 Injured in Mortar Attack on DR Congo Base, South Africa Military Says

WEDNESDAY JUNE 26 2024

Soldiers are seen on a vehicle in Sake, Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on February 11, 2024. PHOTO | XINHUA

South Africa's military said on Wednesday that a mortar attack on one of its bases in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo a day earlier had killed two people and injured 20 others.

South African troops are in Congo as part of a deployment by Southern African regional bloc SADC to help the government fight rebel groups.

"Four members who were critically injured have been hospitalised, whilst the rest who suffered minor injuries are expected to be discharged soon," the South African National Defence Force said in a statement.

In February another mortar attack on a South African base in Congo killed two and wounded three others. At the time President Cyril Ramaphosa hit back at opposition criticism that the South African contingent in Congo was ill-equipped.

Tanzania Meat Export Surged Significantly in 2023, Livestock Ministry Says

TUESDAY JUNE 25 2024

Cattle keepers entering Rwanda from Tanzania at Rusumo border. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

By XINHUA

Tanzania's meat exports have seen a significant rise, jumping from 1,774.3 tonnes in 2022 to 14,701.2 tonnes in 2023, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Abdallah Ulega said Monday.

Ulega said the growth in meat exports attributed to the government's efforts to revitalise the livestock sector, including a substantial increase in budget allocation for the sector, rising from Tsh32.1 billion (about $12.2 million) in the 2021/2022 fiscal year to Tsh112 billion shillings (about $42.6 million) in the 2023/2024 fiscal year.

Speaking at the launch of the World Bank's The 21st Tanzania Economic Update Report in Dar es Salaam, which focuses on the livestock sector, Ulega said Tanzania's development of critical infrastructures is important for enhancing the transportation of livestock and related products to both domestic and international markets.

Furthermore, Ulega said Tanzania has undertaken major legal and regulatory reforms aimed at creating a conducive business environment, facilitating the trade of livestock and livestock products while ensuring that the private sector operates in a favorable and predictable business climate.

According to the World Bank, Tanzania currently boasts a cattle population of 36.6 million, making it the second-largest cattle population in Africa after Ethiopia. 

West Africa’s Top ISIL Leader is Killed: Niger Army

By Al Mayadeen English

24 Jun 2024 15:28

Military commander says top ISIL leader Abdullah Suleiman Adwal is announced dead.

Niger's army announced it had killed a significant Islamic State member during a military operation in the western part of the country.

The confrontation occurred in the Tillaberi region, an unstable area known as the "three borders" zone between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. Despite heavy security force presence, insurgents have conducted attacks there for years.

The army reported that Abdoulaye Souleymane Idouwal, described as "an influential member of the Islamic State," was killed in a raid on Friday. Additionally, on Thursday, nine "terrorists" were killed, and 31 were arrested in an operation in the same region.

The army claimed to have "destroyed the attackers' means of movement" and "seized their communication equipment."

Civilians in Tillaberi are often targeted by jihadist fighters, leading to significant displacement.

Niger is currently governed by military leaders who took power in a coup in July, citing the deteriorating security situation as the reason for their takeover.

It is worth noting that the military government is also battling Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in other regions.

Top US Military Officials Attend African Defense Chiefs Meeting

By Al Mayadeen English

25 Jun 2024 16:49

Aiming to exit Niger by mid-September alongside France, the US faces challenges in maintaining its strategic footprint amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Amid orders to withdraw from key Sahel states, including Niger and Chad, American Air Force General Charles Q. Brown, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stressed the US commitment to maintaining strong partnerships in West Africa.

Ahead of a meeting on Monday in Botswana of African defense chiefs, General Brown told reporters that he plans to strengthen ties with regional partners, potentially relocating military capabilities previously stationed in Niger to other countries.

While specific nations were not disclosed, Reuters reported discussions involving Benin, Ivory Coast, and Ghana as potential hosts for future US military presence.

The Pentagon's decision to withdraw troops from Niger follows the country's termination of defense cooperation with the US earlier this year, citing ineffective counterinsurgency efforts against longstanding jihadist threats in the Sahel region.

Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine noted that the US threatened the country with sanctions and warned Nigerien authorities regarding their diplomatic engagements with Iran and Russia.

Aiming to exit Niger by mid-September alongside France, the US faces challenges in maintaining its strategic footprint amidst shifting geopolitical dynamics.

Recent leadership changes in Niger, including the ousting of former President Mohamed Bazoum, have prompted a reevaluation of foreign military presence, with an increasing focus on security partnerships aligned with national sovereignty.

General Michael Langley, addressing ongoing "security threats" across the Sahel, stressed the US role as an "enabler" for African nations to achieve their security objectives.

Discussions at the Africa Chiefs of Defense Conference, co-hosted by AFRICOM and Botswana, are expected to center on collaborative strategies to address regional instability and extremist activities.

Zambian MP Refutes Need for US Military Presence in the Country

By Al Mayadeen English

24 Jun 2024 20:12

Opposition member Stephen Kampyongo tells RT that the aims of the American military in his nation remain unknown.

Stephen Kampyongo, a member of Zambia's National Assembly, stated that the country had no need for US military deployment, questioning the importance of security cooperation between Washington and Zambia.

In an exclusive interview for RT, the opposition Patriotic Front MP made the remark in response to regional worries over the prolonged presence of US Africa Command (AFRICOM) personnel in Zambia, as well as calls from parliamentarians for their evacuation.

Speaking to RT on Saturday, Kampyongo stated that AFRICOM's aims in the nation are "not well spelled out," which has raised concerns in Zambia and its southern African neighbors, particularly Zimbabwe.

Washington announced the establishment of AFRICOM's Office of Security Cooperation in the US Embassy in Lusaka, Zambia's capital, in April 2022. The US claimed the move was to boost "military-to-military relations" and extend areas of cooperation in force management, modernization, and professional military education for Zambian security services.

The initiative has been widely opposed, despite the government's repeated claims that the center's main goal is to train national troops for UN operations.

Brian Muntayalwa Mundubile, another Patriotic Front MP, had criticized Zambia's government for failing to engage with Southern African Development Community (SADC) member nations before signing a deal with AFRICOM.

In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa expressed that the US was attempting to strengthen its forces in Zambia from a "security point of view and from the point of financial support for Zambia."

On Thursday, Zambian parliamentarians allegedly requested responsibility from the government in dealing with regional issues, saying that hosting AFRICOM personnel might strain relations with neighbors.

In a legislative session, Kampyongo informed Zambia's foreign affairs minister, Mulambo Haimbe, that while other members of the SADC bloc "may be quiet," "they share the same concerns as Zimbabwe."

Asked whether he believes the US is attempting to impose its policies on Zambia's government, Kampyongo told RT, “It’s not desirable for… the United States... to impose an international request on us,” adding that “any international policy must be premised on mutual respect, appreciating the sovereignty of each state."

South Africa, Libya, and Nigeria have already resisted the development of AFRICOM in Africa, claiming that Washington will increase its influence on the continent and prioritize safeguarding its oil interests.

This comes as the US faces numerous setbacks in Africa. American troops in Niger are set to leave by mid-September after the administration terminated a security pact, and the Pentagon recently announced US troops are slated to depart from Chad.

Alarms Sound Over New Fatal Mpox Strain Detected in Democratic Republic of Congo

By Al Mayadeen English

Experts have warned of the risk of a global Monkeypox outbreak after a new strand was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Scientists have warned of the international transmissibility of a new strain of Mpox (monkeypox) that is killing children and causing pregnant women to miscarry their fetuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

The disease seems to be highly contagious and could be rapidly transmitted through sexual or non-sexual contact, particularly in crowds, such as schools, The Guardian reported. 

In the South Kivu province, hundreds of infected individuals headed to a hospital in Kamituga, in what doctors coined the "tip of the iceberg" for a wider outbreak.

Mpox is a variant of smallpox and induces flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions all over the body. There are three recognized strains of the virus that are known to have low fatality rates, however, the newly transmitted virus in Congo is a mutation of the clade I strain. Doctors and experts found that it possesses a 5% fatality rate in adults, and 10% in children, while also causing miscarriages among pregnant women. 

Clade I is usually transmitted through the consumption of infected bushmeat, which would rapidly infect the household. 

However, it was initially speculated that the outbreak was caused by Clade II via sexual contact because of the site of detection of the first case of the virus, but scientists genetically tested the mutation to determine the exact strain.

The risk of global outbreak

Trudie Lang, professor of global health research at Oxford University, said the situation was extremely worrying due to the unavailability of vaccines in Congo. Meanwhile, the number of mild and asymptomatic cases is not known yet, which poses an additional danger because of the long intubation time it takes for the symptoms to manifest. This means that the virus could be transmitted in the community before the infected individual realizes they have it. 

John Claude Udahemuka, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda, who is involved in the medical response to Mpox, said, "It’s undoubtedly the most dangerous of all the known strains of mpox, considering how it is transmitted, how it is spread, and also the symptoms."

Cross-border movement is widely frequent between the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, and other bordering countries, which increases the risk of international transmission. 

Udahemuka consequently urged countries across the world to fully prepare for a global outbreak, saying "Everyone should be able to detect the disease as early as possible. But more important, everyone should support the local research and local response so that it doesn’t spread."

Monkeypox still global health emergency: WHO

In 2022, the World Health Organization's emergency committee ruled that monkeypox should remain listed as a global health emergency. 

The experts "maintained the consensus view that the incident continues to meet the... criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern" after a discussion on the virus that rapidly began spreading throughout the globe in May 2022, as per a statement from WHO.

Experts indicated that while some progress had been achieved in containing the disease, it was still too soon to declare the emergency finished.

The announcement added that WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has acknowledged and concurred with the experts' recommendations.

Assange's Father 'Doing Cartwheels' Over Son's Freedom

By Al Mayadeen English

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange's father, John Shipton, shares his joy over his son's recent release from prison, and his return to Australia.

John Shipton, the father of Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange, said on Wednesday that he was "doing cartwheels" following his son's release from the British Belmarsh Prison.

"Doing cartwheels is a good expression of the joy that one feels," he said on Australian broadcaster ABC.

Shipton celebrated his son's release from incarceration and the prospect of being able to lead a normal life with his wife and two children upon returning to his native country Australia.

"He will be able to spend quality time with his wife Stella, and his two children, be able to walk up and down on the beach and feel the sand through his toes in winter -- that lovely chill -- and be able to learn how to be patient and play with your children for a couple of hours -- all of the great beauty of ordinary life," he said. 

He criticized his son's treatment by the US authorities, saying free speech was the most important tenet of the US constitution: "You can't possibly call yourself a civilisation if you act outside of the constitution that embraces your nation."

Stella Assange took to X to update on her husband's freedom following his court appearance in Saipan.

WikiLeaks also posted an update on Assange, who is expected to arrive in Canberra shortly.

Assange had been imprisoned in the high-security Belmarsh Prison in London since April 2019 after British police were allowed to raid the Ecuadorian Embassy where he had secured asylum in 2012. 

The United States sought to put Assange on trial for publishing US military secrets and evidence of war crimes in the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is accused of publishing some 700,000 confidential documents relating to US military and diplomatic activities.

On Tuesday, newly filed court papers indicated that Julian Assange entered into a plea deal with the United States government.

Hezbollah, Yemen Drone Downing Challenge 'Israel', US Air Dominance

By Al Mayadeen English

A report from Breaking Defense underscores the challenge posed by Hezbollah and the Yemeni Armed Forces to the air superiority of the US and "Israel".

The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah and Yemen's Armed Forces carried out a series of operations downing drones, revealing their enhanced air defense capabilities and tactics, which are now believed to be pushing "Israel" and the United States to review their air operations plans in the region, experts told Breaking Defense. 

Since the outbreak of confrontations between Hezbollah and the Israeli occupation along the Lebanese border, the Israeli occupation force suffered the loss of five medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) Hermes-450 and Hermes-900 drones to missiles fired by the Resistance in South Lebanon.

During the same period, the United States lost three MQ-9 Reapers over Yemen to Yemeni missiles fired by the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), according to the report. 

The Breaking Defense report highlights that those numbers were never seen before by Hezbollah or the Yemeni Armed Forces, describing the recent Yemeni downing of an MQ-9 drone as "record-breaking". 

What are experts saying? 

Given the recent success, experts believe the US and "Israel" may need to adjust their concept of operations while operating unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.

“A growing credible threat against coalition medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) and even high altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones can indeed undermine [Israeli and US] air dominance (being able to do whatever they want in the air) and jeopardize their ability to obtain timely intelligence,” Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, wrote in an email.

Shaan Shaikh, deputy director and fellow for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Missile Defense Project, told Breaking Defense that the air defense systems used by Hezbollah and the YAF could “deter or decrease Israeli and US drone operations in Yemen and Lebanon. Alternatively, Israeli and US operators may choose to eat the costs and continue their intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.”

Senior adjunct international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, Said Bruce Bennett, said that "Israel and the United States will need to gradually just their operating procedures. Those adjustments would likely involve some combination of operating differently, enhancing electronic and other countermeasures, and trying to identify and suppress adversary SAMs." 

Also, the Director of the Military and Security Studies Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Michael Eisenstadt, stressed that the air operations in Lebanon and Yemen are "getting more challenging." 

What comes next

On June 10, Hezbollah attempted to shoot down an Israeli fighter jet, raising concerns about potential risks to Israeli air dominance, which has not faced serious challenges since the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982.

According to experts, the process of shooting down "much faster and more sophisticated jet fighters" will push the US and "Israel" to keep developing their technology to keep up with the evolving capabilities and threats.

Bennett said, “Israel and the United States will need to gradually adjust their operating procedures. Those adjustments would likely involve some combination of operating in a different manner, enhancing electronic and other countermeasures, and trying to identify and suppress adversary SAMs.”

Iran, Saudi Arabia Aim to Deepen Bilateral Relations

By Al Mayadeen English

“We believe that there should be no obstacle in the way of this process," said Iranian Interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani in a meeting with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji.

Iranian Interim Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji in Tehran to discuss the further enhancement of the countries' bilateral relations. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 19th Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) ministerial meeting on Monday.

“We believe that there should be no obstacle in the way of this process,” Bagheri Kani said, emphasizing the countries' determination to strengthen ties in various areas.

For his part, El-Khereiji underlined that Iran and Saudi Arabia share several commonalities, especially history and culture, stressing these facets as additional incentives to promote and strengthen diplomatic relations between the nations.

During the meeting, the Iranian minister expressed gratitude towards Saudi officials for facilitating the affairs and peaceful return of Iranian pilgrims who performed the Hajj rituals. In turn, El-Khereiji expressed his condolences for the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, highlighting that the Iranian people will overcome this situation through the success of the presidential election.

After seven years of strained ties, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen missions in respective countries after a series of talks brokered in Beijing, China, under the auspices of Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2023.

Iran, Saudi Arabia can create bright future for region: MBS to Mokhber

In late May, acting Iranian President Mohammad Mokhber thanked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) for extending condolences on the passing of President Ebrahim Raisi, affirming the commitment to fostering warm Tehran-Riyadh relations.

Mokhber received a phone call from MBS, during which the Saudi Crown Prince offered his condolences on the passing of Raisi and his companions in a helicopter crash.

Bin Salman underscored the significance of enhancing ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia for the broader region and the Islamic world, highlighting their pivotal roles.

"Tehran and Riyadh play a pivotal role in the region and the Islamic world, and by expanding relations between them, they can create a bright future for the region," he said.

On his part, Mokhber regarded the advancement of relations with neighboring and friendly nations as one of President Raisi's notable and strategic accomplishments.

IOF to Recruit Haredim into New Reserve Force Amid Manpower Shortage

By Al Mayadeen English

The Israeli occupation forces are looking to form a new reserve force that consists of volunteers and soldiers who have reached exemption age, due to the troop shortage they are facing.

Israeli media revealed on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation army is pushing for the formation of a new force, the 96th Division - David Division, due to the scarcity of troops responsible for various security tasks. 

Amir Bohbot, the military correspondent for the Israeli Walla news website, explained that the force would consist of soldiers who have reached the age of military exemption and volunteers, including Haredi Jews. 

According to the Human Resources Division, the number of soldiers in the force could reach up to 40,000 after the military exemption age was raised by two years. 

Bohbot further noted that the Haredim might be drafted in reservist brigades, then battalions, while simultaneously maintaining their lifestyle. Volunteers could also be enlisted with the reservist force.

What is the force like? 

Reserve Major General Moti Baruch, who was the commander of the Rehabilitation and Training Command in the Armed Forces, the commander of the Staff Corps, the commander of the Habilda (Steel) Division, the commander of the Aidan Division, and the commander of the Nahal Brigade, was selected to form the 96th Force, Bohbot relayed. 

The new force's recruitment center, according to Bohbot, would enlist fighters, commanders, and officers from the combat formations of infantry brigades, special units, engineering, and corresponding security organizations, trained as rifle marksmen 07 and above. A combat support force will also be recruited, including soldiers and officers from a variety of professions.

He explained that the division was described by the general staff as a light division, which means that it would not be supplied with armored personnel carriers and tanks.

In this context, Bohbot pointed out that this step may correct an error made by the general staff, which dismissed quite a few soldiers who had not reached the age of exemption over the past decade, and who could have contributed to the ongoing defense and security tasks.

Desperate times, desperate measures 

Previously, Israeli media reported that the military was looking to establish a new reserve force amid a dire need for thousands of recruits. 

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi had informed the occupation government that the Israeli occupation forces required 15 more battalions because of the severe shortage among their ranks, the Israeli army radio reported. 

On his part, the head of the National Unity Party in "Israel", Benny Gantz, said that "Israel's" security requires more soldiers, while the head of the Israeli Labor Party, Yair Golan, called for the mandatory conscription of all Israelis. 

The Israeli Army Radio also reported that the army reserve units began searching for volunteers to fight through advertisements on WhatsApp, as the war enters its ninth month.

No more choices for the Haredim

Amid a severe shortage and desperate need for soldiers, the Israeli High Court of Justice's nine-judge panel unanimously voted on Tuesday for the conscription of Haredi Jews into the military, and the halt of all subsidies and funds allocated for institutions that do not comply with the ruling, according to the Jerusalem Post. 

As the Haredim have been relentlessly protesting against the occupation government's decision to impose a mandatory draft into the military on the community, a drastic change in the political atmosphere in "Israel" could be anticipated, even leading to new elections. 

The Supreme Court's decision will be immediately applied, unlike a precedent made in April, which endured delays for fund freezing until August 8. 

For decades, ultra-Orthodox men of military age have avoided Israeli army conscription by enrolling in yeshivas for Torah study and obtaining repeated one-year service deferrals until reaching the age of exemption. In 2017, the High Court ruled such mass exemptions illegal and discriminatory. Subsequent occupation governments have attempted without success to devise new legislation to address the issue while seeking repeated deferrals from the court.