Al-Burhan Seeks Algerian Support to End Sudanese Crisis

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burah at the entrence of the presidential palace in Alger on January 28, 2024.

January 28, 2024 (ALGIERS) — Sudanese President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Sunday visited Algeria in a bid to secure the North African nation’s participation in any process aimed at ending the ongoing crisis in Sudan.

Al-Burhan met with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, discussing a range of crucial issues and interests of mutual concern to both nations. He also extended his congratulations to President Tebboune on Algeria’s recent election to the United Nations Security Council.

In a joint press conference following their discussions, Al-Burhan asserted that Sudan is currently facing a regional and international conspiracy with the participation of some Sudanese who are “conspiring against their own people.” Nevertheless, he expressed unwavering confidence in his country’s ability to overcome these challenges with the support of God, its people, and patriots from the Arab and Islamic nations.

Al-Burhan expressed his keenness on Algeria’s involvement in any initiatives aimed at addressing the Sudanese crisis, stating, “We are delighted to have Algeria present at any table for discussion and dialogue, whether African or Arab. (Algerians) are champions of truth, and we seek peaceful solutions that will enable us to overcome this ordeal.”

Algeria’s election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for a two-year term within the African Group, alongside Sierra Leone, marked a significant development. This election replaces the previous incumbents from Gabon and Ghana.

For his part, Algerian President Tebboune affirmed Algeria’s unwavering solidarity with Sudan as it navigates difficult times and “confronts the forces of evil seeking to destabilize it.”

He asserted Algeria’s preference for resolving any internal conflicts through a solely internal approach, devoid of external interference, ensuring that the Sudanese people have the ultimate say in their own affairs.

Praising the deep-rooted relations between Algeria and Sudan, Tebboune commended Sudan’s support for Algeria’s membership in the UN Security Council and highlighted the shared perspectives between the two countries on numerous regional and international issues.

Tebboune pledged that Algeria would work, through its Security Council membership, to mitigate the impact of conflicts and tensions that pose an imminent threat to global peace and stability.

Since mid-April, the country has been ravaged by a devastating war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in the loss of countless civilian lives and the displacement of over ten million people internally and externally.

International and regional actors have urged both warring parties to return to the negotiating table and finalize a permanent ceasefire agreement, which would pave the way for the delivery of humanitarian aid to those affected by the conflict and pave the way for a comprehensive political process.

(ST)

Sudanese Army Seizes Control of Strategic Khartoum Bahri Sites in Fierce Clashes

Sudanese paratoopers participated in the Khartoum North operation on January 27, 2024 (Albaladnews photo)

January 27, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Fierce clashes erupted between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum Bahri, north of the capital, on Saturday, marking the most intense fighting in months. Following the clashes, the army seized control of strategic positions previously held by the RSF.

The city of Bahri had largely remained untouched by the ongoing conflict in Khartoum due to the RSF’s firm grip on the area. However, the city’s tranquillity was shattered as the army launched a series of offensive operations against RSF positions across the city.

Military sources informed Sudan Tribune that army units launched a dawn raid on RSF positions in Kadru and surrounding areas, inflicting significant casualties on both personnel and military vehicles.

The sources further revealed that the army successfully captured the main RSF headquarters in the Kadru suburb, along with the Al-Jawafa bridge connecting Kadru to the Al-Jaili refinery.

The sources also indicated a substantial deployment of army forces from the Signal Corps to Bahri’s Industrial Street and their enhanced presence in neighbourhoods like Napata, Al-Droshab, and Samarab, which had historically witnessed a heavy RSF presence. They also reported the involvement of paratroopers in the operations, for the first time since the breakout of the conflict.

Saturday’s attacks aimed to isolate the RSF forces that hold control over the Al-Jaili refinery, and to prevent the use of Khartoum Bahri’s farms as launchpads for artillery attacks targetting the Karari military area in Omdurman. According to military experts close to the army, the operation achieved its desired objectives.

In contrast, platforms affiliated with the RSF sought to downplay the extent of their losses, claiming that a major army attack had been repelled and that the attacking force had suffered heavy casualties.

Eyewitnesses reported to Sudan Tribune that Sudanese army drones and fighter jets targeted numerous RSF sites, including large swathes of Halfaya, positions near the Manshiya Bridge, various locations in the eastern Nile, and neighbourhoods in southeastern Khartoum. These airstrikes were aimed at disrupting RSF supply lines to the fighting zones.

Meanwhile, heavy artillery fire from army bases in northern Omdurman heavily bombarded both fixed and mobile RSF targets across Bahri neighbourhoods. Residents reported hearing loud and unusual explosions emanating from various parts of Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman.

Volunteers confirmed that the intense artillery shelling on the Shambat suburb resulted in the deaths of four civilians and injuries to others, caused by shells randomly falling on civilian homes.

In recent weeks, the army has adopted a new strategy of attacking RSF positions, having previously focused on defending its main military bases from the RSF’s relentless assaults.

The ongoing conflict between the army and the RSF is nearing its tenth month, with the scope of confrontations expanding. Despite mounting international and regional pressure on both sides to cease hostilities, they remain entrenched in their positions, hoping to achieve a decisive military victory.

(ST)

Sudan Conflict Displaces over 500,000 to South Sudan: NRC

Civilians who fled the war-torn Sudan following the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) walk at the Joda South border point, in Renk County, Upper Nile state, South Sudan April 30, 2023. (Reuters/Photo)

January 28, 2024 (NAIROBI) – The ongoing conflict in Sudan has triggered a massive displacement crisis, with over 500,000 people seeking refuge in South Sudan, one of the world’s poorest countries.

This influx of refugees has placed an immense strain on South Sudan’s already fragile humanitarian situation as the country struggles to meet the needs of its own citizens.

Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, expressed deep concern about the global inaction in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Sudan. He condemned the violence and displacement that has caused countless innocent lives to be lost and countless more to be displaced.

“We cannot look away while unspeakable violations are taking place in Sudan, and neighbouring countries shoulder a burden they cannot bear,” Egeland stated.

The displacement crisis has further exacerbated South Sudan’s already dire humanitarian situation. The country, which has recently emerged from decades of civil war, was already facing a critical shortage of food, shelter, and healthcare.

The influx of refugees has stretched the already limited resources of South Sudan’s government and aid organisations.

With donor funding cuts projected to reach up to 50% this year, the humanitarian situation in South Sudan is expected to worsen significantly.

The 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan estimates that nine million people in South Sudan will need humanitarian assistance in 2024, including more than 1.6 million children under five at risk of acute malnutrition.

As the world grapples with a multitude of humanitarian crises, the plight of the Sudanese people and the burden they place on their neighbours cannot be ignored. The international community must step up its support to South Sudan and the refugees it is hosting.

Only through concerted efforts can the suffering of millions be alleviated, and the path to peace and stability be paved.

(ST)

Over 45,000 People Flee Ruined West Kordofan’s City

Civilians flee Babanusa as the ruined devastated town is the theatre of fierce fighting between the army and the RSF on January 28, 2024

January 28, 2024 (BABANUSA) – More than 45,000 residents of Babanusa have been displaced from their homes following a series of fierce clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to the Humanitarian Aid Commissioner in Babanusa locality.

The fighting, which began in the middle of last week, targeted the strategic city of Babanusa in an attempt by the RSF to seize control of the 22nd Infantry Division, the Army headquarters in West Kordofan state. The operation sparked widespread condemnation, particularly from Misseriya tribal leaders who expressed their categorical refusal to see the conflict spill over into their areas.

Over the past five days, Babanusa has been the epicentre of intense clashes, with both sides employing a wide range of weapons. The Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid in Babanusa locality, Fakhr al-Din Fadl al-Toum, told Sudan Tribune that “About 99% of Babanusa’s residents fled as a result of the confrontations, which is equivalent to 45,000 residents of the town.”

The displaced citizens have sought refuge in nearby villages and towns, including Al-Dulaima, Al-Kalait, Al-Tabboun, Al-Muglad, Al-Fula, Al-Diyah, and Ghubaysh. The Commissioner described the situation in Babanusa as “catastrophic” and called for the formation of emergency committees to provide essential services to those affected.

Eyewitnesses reported that the city has been relatively calm following two days of a cease-fire, but the impact of the fighting is still evident. The intense shelling and the use of explosive barrels by military aircraft have caused widespread destruction, affecting homes, government buildings, and infrastructure.

In a statement issued to Sudan Tribune, the Babanusa Emergency Room condemned the arbitrary arrests, killings, and displacement of civilians carried out by the RSF and the Sudanese army. The activists held the forces responsible for the safety of those detained and demanded their immediate release.

ICC Prosecutor: There are Grounds to Believe Sudan’s Warring Sides are Committing Crimes in Darfur

BY EDITH M. LEDERER

3:06 PM EST, January 29, 2024

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor told the U.N. Security Council Monday his “clear finding” is that there are grounds to believe both Sudan’s armed forces and paramilitary rivals are committing crimes in the western Darfur region during the country’s current conflict.

Karim Khan, who recently visited neighboring Chad where tens of thousands of people from Darfur have fled, warned that those he met in refugee camps fear Darfur will become “the forgotten atrocity.” He urged Sudan’s government to provide his investigators with multiple-entry visas and respond to 35 requests for assistance.

Sudan plunged into chaos last April when long-simmering tensions between the military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary, commanded by Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, erupted into street battles in the capital, Khartoum, and other areas.

Darfur, which was wracked by bloodshed and atrocities in 2003, has been an epicenter of the current conflict, an arena of ethnic violence where paramilitary troops and allied Arab militias have been attacking African ethnic groups.

The fighting has displaced over 7 million people and killed 12,000, according to the United Nations. Local doctors’ groups and activists say the true death toll is far higher.

In 2005, the Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC, and prosecutor Khan has said the court still has a mandate under that resolution to investigate crimes in the vast region.

He told the council: “Based on the work of my office, it’s my clear finding, my clear assessment, that there are grounds to believe that presently Rome Statute crimes are being committed in Darfur by both the Sudanese armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces and affiliated groups.”

The Rome Statute established the ICC in 2002 to investigate the world’s worst atrocities — war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide — and the crime of aggression.

In Darfur, Khan warned, the world is confronted with “an ugly and inescapable truth” relating back to the original conflict.

“The failure of the international community to execute the warrants that have been issued by independent judges of the ICC has invigorated the climate of impunity and the outbreak of violence that commenced in April that continues today,” he said.

“Without justice for past atrocities, the inescapable truth is that we condemn the current generation, and if we do nothing now, we condemn future generations to suffering the same fate,” Khan said.

The 2003 Darfur conflict began when rebels from the territory’s ethnic sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency accusing the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum of discrimination and neglect.

The government, under then President Omar al-Bashir, responded with aerial bombings and unleashed local nomadic Arab militias known as the Janjaweed, who are accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes.

Khan told the council Monday that some Darfuris he spoke to in Chad said what’s happening today is worse than 2003.

Last April, the first ICC trial to deal with atrocities by Sudanese government-backed forces in Darfur began in The Hague, Netherlands. The defendant, Janjaweed leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, pleaded innocent to all 31 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Khan urged the parties to the ongoing conflict to respond “meaningfully” to requests for assistance from Abd-Al-Rahman’s defense team.

The prosecutor said he was pleased to report to the council that there has been “progress” in the ICC cases against former president al-Bashir and two senior government security officials during the 2003 Darfur conflict, Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein and Ahmed Haroun.

“We’ve received evidence that further strengthens those particular cases,” Khan said. The three have never been turned over to the ICC, and their whereabouts during the current conflict in Sudan remain unknown.

What’s Behind Washington Post Hit Piece on EI?

Ali Abunimah 

Media Watch 

28 January 2024

Last Sunday, The Washington Post published its hit piece targeting The Electronic Intifada and other independent media that have consistently challenged and exposed Israel’s lies about the events of 7 October.

Written by Elizabeth Dwoskin, a Nakba denier who has expressed far-right Zionist views, the Post article falsely characterizes and misquotes The Electronic Intifada’s reporting, and attempts to smear us by association with Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists.

On The Electronic Intifada livestream on 24 January, I discussed some of the most egregious lies in Dwoskin’s piece and showed how she relied on the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), which she describes benignly as “a nonprofit tracking disinformation.”

In fact, NCRI is led by individuals closely tied to various Israel lobby groups with a long history of defaming Palestinians and advocates for their rights as “anti-Semites,” including the Anti-Defamation League.

NCRI co-founder Joel Finkelstein was a research fellow for the Anti-Defamation League and NCRI and the ADL have established a formal “partnership.”

A senior executive of NCRI is the former chief executive of the Community Security Trust, an Israel lobby group which plays a similar role in the UK to that of the ADL in North America.

During the segment, I explain how the Community Security Trust supplied the British government with fabricated quotes from Sheikh Raed Salah, a Palestinian leader with Israeli citizenship.

The group pressured the government to stop Salah entering the UK.

Following this pressure, the British government did detain and try to deport Salah in 2011 when he came to Britain for a speaking tour, a decision that a UK court overturned after agreeing that the quotes attributed to Salah were false.

Richard Benson, who headed the Community Security Trust at the time, is now the Europe director for NCRI, and remains on CST’s advisory board.

The founders of NCRI, Joel Finkelstein and Adam Sohn, regularly promote the idea that opposing Israel’s racist state ideology Zionism is the same as anti-Semitism.

In her scurrilous piece, Dwoskin failed to disclose any of these pro-Israel connections, and failed to point to any errors in The Electronic Intifada’s reporting, instead misquoting and distorting our work.

Hit piece

Dwoskin contacted The Electronic Intifada seeking comment for her article in early January. I replied at the time and posted the exchange on Twitter and it quickly went viral.

Max Blumenthal and Aaron Maté, editors of the The Grayzone, which is also smeared by the Post for its reporting on 7 October, responded to an email from Dwoskin by calling her up during a live broadcast and challenging her on her pro-Israel views.

The Grayzone has published its own response to Dwoskin’s article.

What could be the motivation for Dwoskin’s hit piece?

In the segment, I suggest that it is an effort to police and deter reporting about 7 October, by smearing anyone who questions Israel’s official narrative as a Jew hater.

It is also a specific attempt to discredit independent publications including The Electronic Intifada that have reached vast audiences since 7 October with accurate, groundbreaking reporting that mainstream US media refuse to do.

This includes reporting on how Israeli commanders ordered their forces to fire on their own people on 7 October, and debunking Israel’s claims of systematic mass rape by Palestinian fighters.

The Washington Post’s attack on The Electronic Intifada indicates the frustration Israel and its cheerleaders in the US media feel because they have been unsuccessful in imposing Israel’s version of events.

With First Amendment protections for free speech still strong in the United States, direct censorship of publications is not an option.

So there has emerged a nexus among governments, think tanks funded by governments and arms manufacturers, and big tech companies aiming to control what we can all say online.

The Washington Post article is therefore likely to be used by Israel lobby groups to pressure big tech firms to suppress the reach of journalists who challenge Israel’s lies, under the banner of fighting supposed “disinformation.”

This, however, will not stop us from doing our work and pursuing the truth.

ECOWAS Labelled as 'Threat' by Exiters Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger

By Al Mayadeen English

28 Jan 2024 22:50

The three nations accused the bloc of negligence during the 2012 Sahel upheaval, noting that it imposed "illegal, illegitimate, inhumane, and irresponsible" sanctions upon their decision to take control of their destiny.

As Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso exited the ECOWAS block on Sunday, the three countries labelled the economic alliance a "threat" to member states.

"ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, has betrayed its founding principles and become a threat to member states and their peoples, whose happiness it is supposed to ensure," the joint statement read.

The trio accuses the Nigeria-based bloc of not safeguarding them from terrorists during the Sahel region's 2012 upheaval. Instead, they argue that it imposed "illegal, illegitimate, inhumane, and irresponsible" sanctions once they opted to "take their destiny in their hands."

As a result, the governments of the three countries resolved to "withdraw from ECOWAS without delay". As for ECOWAS, the bloc mentioned that it had not received official notification of their withdrawal. 

A Western-backed economic alliance

On July 30th, 2023, ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) froze Niger's assets, imposed sanctions on the junta officials, and gave a stern warning of military intervention if the former government is not restored within a week's deadline.

Correspondingly, the junta took a set of measures to consolidate its authority and fortify its anti-imperialist stance: halting uranium and gold exports to Europe, revoking all military deals with France, and blocking French media platforms France24 and RFI. Additionally, the military leaders warned France and ECOWAS against any military intervention: stressing that they will "resolutely defend their homeland." 

Regional countries have also taken opposing stances on Niger. Original members of the Western-backed ECOWAS bloc such as Senegal have affirmed their commitment to partake in the military intervention. 

Mali and Burkina Faso who had also defected from the Western bloc vehemently opposed the threat of military intervention against Niger saying they would consider it a declaration of war against their respective nations if the ECOWAS bloc went through with the threatened military intervention. 

Alliance of the Sahel States

In recent months, these countries have solidified their stances and formed an "Alliance of Sahel States."

The withdrawal of French military forces from the Sahel, the region along the Sahara desert across Africa, has raised concerns about the potential spread of conflicts southward to Gulf of Guinea states, including Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Ivory Coast.

The prime minister appointed by Niger's military regime criticized ECOWAS for "bad faith" on Thursday, expressing dissatisfaction as the bloc largely avoided a scheduled meeting in Niamey.

Niger expected a chance to address differences with fellow ECOWAS states, but the organization had been distant, subjecting Niamey to substantial economic and financial sanctions in response to the military coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso Withdraw from West Africa Regional Bloc ECOWAS as Tensions Deepen

FILE - Three West African nations of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have quit the regional economic bloc known as ECOWAS. Their respective juntas said in a joint statement on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024 that the bloc has imposed “inhumane” sanctions to reverse the coups in their nations and has also “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism” after nearly 50 years of its establishment.

BY CHINEDU ASADU

12:58 PM EST, January 28, 2024

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — West African nations Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have withdrawn from the regional economic bloc known as ECOWAS, their respective juntas announced Sunday. They accused the bloc of “inhumane” sanctions to reverse the coups in their nations.

ECOWAS said in a statement that it wasn’t notified of the countries’ decision to withdraw.

The juntas said in a joint statement read on state television in all three countries that they have “decided in complete sovereignty on the immediate withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),” alleging that the bloc has “moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and pan-Africanism” after nearly 50 years in existence.

“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure,” their statements read.

ECOWAS said in a statement that it had not been notified of the countries’ decision to quit the bloc. Its protocol provides that withdrawal takes up to one year to be completed.

“Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali remain important members of the Community and the Authority remains committed to finding a negotiated solution to the political impasse,” it said.

Widely seen as West Africa’s top political and regional authority, the 15-nation bloc of ECOWAS — formed in 1975 to “promote economic integration” in member states — has struggled in recent years to reverse rampant coups in the region where citizens have complained of not benefitting from rich natural resources.

In parts of West Africa, ECOWAS is fast losing its effectiveness and support among citizens, who see it as representing only the interests of the leaders and not that of the masses, said Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank.

Sunday’s announcement is the latest twist in a series of events that have deepened political tension in West Africa since it experienced its latest of a string of coups — in Niger — last year. It also comes as the three nations have formed a security alliance after severing military ties with France and other European nations and turning to Russia for support.

The joint statement accused ECOWAS of failing to assist those three countries in fighting “existential” threats like terrorism — the common reason cited by their militaries for deposing their democratically elected governments.

“When these States decided to take their destiny into their own hands, it (ECOWAS) adopted an irrational and unacceptable posture in imposing illegal, illegitimate, inhumane and irresponsible sanctions in violation of its own texts,” the statement noted.

Rather than improve their situations, the juntas said the ECOWAS sanctions have “further weakened populations already bruised by years of violence.”

Last week’s botched meeting between Niger and ECOWAS — which said its delegation couldn’t visit Niger because of a flight problem — was seen by Niger’s junta as an opportunity to blame the bloc for how it has responded to the coup there, according to Cheta Nwanze, an analyst at Lagos-based SBM Intelligence geopolitical research firm.

“This withdrawal looks like an even more diminishing influence of the two traditional superpowers in West Africa — France and Nigeria,” Nwanze said.

Mali Ends Crucial Peace Deal with Rebels, Raising Concerns About a Possible Escalation in Violence

FILE - Mali Prime Minister Abdoulaye Maiga at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit, Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mali’s junta has terminated the 2015 peace deal with the Tuareg rebel groups “with immediate effect” because the rebels have failed to comply with its terms and because of “acts of hostility” by Algeria, which has been the main mediator in the peace efforts, government spokesperson Col. Abdoulaye Maiga said on state television on the night of Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)

BY BABA AHMED

11:05 AM EST, January 26, 2024

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s junta has terminated a crucial agreement with local rebels that helped maintain a fragile peace in the country’s north, the government announced, raising concerns about a possible escalation of violence.

The 2015 peace deal with Tuareg rebel groups is ending “with immediate effect” because the rebels have failed to comply with its terms and because of “acts of hostility” by Algeria, which has been the main mediator in the peace efforts, government spokesperson Col. Abdoulaye Maiga said on state television Thursday night.

Representatives of the rebel group did not immediately comment but Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it “deeply regrets” Mali’s decision to end the agreement and denied working against it.

“The Malian people must know that such unfortunate and unwelcome decisions have proven in the past that the military option is the first threat to the unity and territorial integrity of Mali, that it carries within it the seeds of a civil war in Mali, that it differs national reconciliation instead of bringing it closer together and that it finally constitutes a source of real threat to regional peace and stability,” the statement said.

The campaign by the Tuareg rebels to create an independent state of Azawad in northern Mali threw the West African nation into a violent conflict for over a decade. In 2012, they dislodged the Malian military from the town of Kidal, setting into motion a series of events that destabilized the country.

The peace deal backed by Algeria and welcomed by the United Nations reduced hostilities in the northern region before it appeared to collapse last year after both parties accused each other of failing to comply with it. Malian authorities also announced the prosecution of some rebel leaders.

Maiga noted the “absolute inapplicability” of the peace agreement and “the inability of international mediation to ensure that the obligations incumbent on the signatory armed groups are respected.”

Analysts said the formal end of the deal did not come as a surprise following months of tension between the government and the rebel groups and after years in which both sides failed to fulfil its terms. Mali and Algeria have also fallen out over the deal.

The collapse of the agreement comes after the end of a U.N. peacekeeping mission deployed to help contain the rebellion. It also comes as Mali’s military leaders — in power for more than three years — struggle to contain an Islamic extremist insurgency that has ravaged the north since 2012.

“There is a high risk of even the jihadis strengthening their own forces because some of the groups that had signed the agreement may seek to work with the jihadis,” said Shaantanu Shankar, country analyst for Africa at the Economist Intelligence Unit, adding that the junta lacks the capacity to manage the situation.

Mali’s military leaders — under pressure to hand over power to civilians — could also be using the announcement “to deviate the public opinion in Mali from the struggles (the) Junta is facing,” according to Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South Moroccan think tank.

“As for accusations against Algeria, the junta has repeatedly blamed others for its internal problems, so this fits its narrative of what’s happening in Mali,” Lyammouri added.

Blinken Pitches the US as an Alternative to Russia’s Wagner in Africa’s Troubled Sahel

BY CHINEDU ASADU

7:37 PM EST, January 23, 2024

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pitched the United States as a better security partner for Africa in place of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which he accused of exploiting coup-hit and conflict-hit nations in the continent’s Sahel region.

Blinken, who is visiting Nigeria as part of an Africa tour to strengthen bilateral relations, said the U.S. will continue to support Nigeria and other regional partners in their efforts to help stabilize the Sahel, the vast region south of the Sahara Desert that Islamic extremist groups have turned into a global terror hot spot as it struggles with a recent spate of coups.

“We hope it can make a difference in restoring the constitutional order and restoring a critical partner in trying to find security in the region,” Blinken told reporters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, speaking in particular about Niger, where a coup has threatened years of support by Western and European nations.

Until Niger’s elected President Mohamed Bazoum was deposed by his elite soldiers in July, the country had played a critical role in U.S. counterterrorism activity in the Sahel and was seen as one of the last democratic nations in the region to partner with to counter jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.

But as Niger faced sanctions from neighbors, the West and Europe, its new junta severed military ties with European nations and turned to Russia for security partnership. Neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, which have also had two coups each since 2020, have also taken similar steps.

Wagner, which is active in parts of Africa including Mali, was also one of the first sources of help that Niger’s military leaders reached out to for support after the coup.

In those African countries where Wagner is offering security support, “what we’ve seen is actually a problem (of insecurity) getting manifestly worse and worse,” Blinken said.

“You see the exploitation of people and resources by Wagner … Having said that, it’s important that we’ve been working to support our partners who are trying to find effective ways of fighting insecurity,” he added.

Blinken said that one key aspect of U.S. support to Nigeria and the rest of the Sahel is to strengthen the capacity of their security forces in terms of equipment and technology, intelligence sharing, and technical support.

“It goes to having a comprehensive approach that genuinely focuses on citizens’ security, working with local communities in partnership, demonstrating the security forces that are there, first and foremost, to protect them and to support their needs,” he added.

At a time when observers say issues concerning Africa seem to have been pushed to the back burner under President Joe Biden’s administration, such a trip by Blinken presents an opportunity to “move partnerships forward in strengthening democratic institutions” in the continent, according to Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the U.S.-based Wilson Center think tank.

Beyond supporting regional efforts to reverse the recent coups, Onubogu said America must also help in addressing the root causes of the military takeovers seen by some citizens as “an opportunity to transition to something better.”

“This trip presents an opportunity for the U.S. to have real constructive discussions with civil society actors, think tanks in the region and some government actors about what how to adapt to systems that we currently have to transition to something that is in the best interest of African citizens,” she said.

A Man is Charged with 76 Counts of Murder in a Deadly South African Building Fire Last Year

BY MOGOMOTSI MAGOME

7:53 AM EST, January 25, 2024

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A man was charged with 76 counts of murder and 86 counts of attempted murder on Thursday for allegedly causing a deadly fire at an apartment building in South Africa last year that was one of the country’s worst disasters.

Prosecutors said he made a written confession in which he admitted starting the nighttime fire that ripped through the five-story building in Johannesburg in August, killing 76 people and leaving dozens injured.

The suspect, Sithembiso Lawrence Mdlalose, was also charged with arson and was ordered to be kept in police custody until a hearing next month when his lawyer is expected to say if he will apply for bail.

He faces a possible sentence of life in prison. South Africa has no death penalty.

Mdlalose’s lawyer, Dumisani Mabunda, said he has received a copy of the confession and believes his client made it voluntarily.

Mdlalose appeared in the Johannesburg courtroom for Thursday’s hearing but didn’t enter a plea in response to the charges. He mostly spoke to his lawyer during the hearing.

Mabunda said Mdlalose had not yet indicated to him how he was going to plead in response to the charges.

Mdlalose was arrested on Tuesday after making a startling claim at a separate inquiry that he was responsible for the fire. That inquiry is looking into the causes of the fire and the failures in safety protocols that led to so many people dying. Mladalose was testifying as a resident of the building.

But he unexpectedly told the inquiry that he was a drug user and set the fire that night while trying to hide the body of a man he had killed in the basement of the building. He said he had strangled the man and then poured gasoline over his body and set it alight with a match on the instructions of a Tanzanian drug dealer who also lived in the building.

Prosecutors said Mdlalose’s confession at the inquiry could not be used in his trial because that ongoing inquiry is not a criminal proceeding.

They said he had since made a written confession in front of a judge and they had begun their own investigations.

The Aug. 31 fire happened at a building that was owned by the city of Johannesburg but had effectively been abandoned by authorities and was being run by illegal landlords who were charging people to live there.

Hundreds lived in the building, many of them in wooden shacks and other temporary structures strewn through the interior. People were living in the basement and in bathrooms, officials said.

Fire hoses and extinguishers had been removed and fire escapes were locked or chained closed, emergency responders said.

Many of the injured jumped out of windows and suffered broken limbs and backs, health officials said.

52 Killed in Clashes in the Disputed Oil-rich African Region of Abyei, an Official Says

This is a locator map for Sudan with its capital, Khartoum. (AP Photo)

BY DENG MACHOL

4:26 PM EST, January 28, 2024

JUBA, South

Sudan (AP) — Gunmen attacked villagers in the oil-rich region of Abyei claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, leaving at least 52 people dead, including a U.N. peacekeeper, and 64 wounded, a regional official said Sunday.

The motive for the attack Saturday evening was not immediately clear but it was suspected to revolve around a land dispute, Bulis Koch, Abyei information minister, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Abyei.

Deadly ethnic violence has been common in the region, where Twic Dinka tribal members from neighboring Warrap State are locked in a land dispute with Ngok Dinka from Abyei over the Aneet area, located at the border.

The attackers in Saturday’s violence were armed youth from the Nuer tribe who migrated to Warrap state last year because of flooding in their areas, Koch said.

In a statement, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) condemned the violence that killed the peacekeeper.

UNIFSA confirmed intercommunal clashes took place in the Nyinkuac, Majbong and Khadian areas leading to casualties and the evacuation of civilians to UNISFA bases.

“The UNISFA base in Agok came under attack by an armed group. The mission repelled the attack, but tragically a Ghanaian peacekeeper was killed,” the statement said.

Sudan and South Sudan have disagreed over control of the Abyei region since a 2005 peace deal ended decades of civil war between Sudan’s north and south. Both Sudan and South Sudan claim ownership of Abyei, whose status was unresolved after South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011.

The region’s majority Ngok Dinka people favor South Sudan, while the Misseriya nomads who come to Abyei to find pasture for their cattle favor Sudan. Currently, the region is under the control of South Sudan.

An African Union panel proposed a referendum for Abyei but there was disagreement over who could vote. Currently, the region is under the control of South Sudan.

Inter-communal and cross-border clashes have escalated since South Sudan deployed its troops to Abyei in March.

Mass Graves are Still Being Found, Almost 30 Years After Rwanda’s Genocide, Official Says

BY IGNATIUS SSUUNA

10:44 AM EST, January 25, 2024

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — A Rwandan official said Thursday that the remains of 119 people believed to be victims of the 1994 genocide have been discovered in the country’s south, as authorities continue to find mass graves nearly three decades after the killings.

The remains of more victims continue to be found because perpetrators of the genocide tried their best to hide possibly incriminating information, Naphtal Ahishakiye, executive secretary of the genocide survivors’ organization Ibuka, told The Associated Press.

In October, authorities first found six bodies under a house that was being built in Huye district. They have since found more bodies there after investigating further, he said.

“Those who committed the genocide,” Ahishakiye said, they fear that once the crimes are revealed, “the law will catch up with them.”

In April, Rwanda will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the genocide, in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed by Hutu extremists.

Louise Uwimana, a genocide survivor and resident of Huye district, said she was saddened to learn that her neighbors had concealed information about mass graves at a time when the government is encouraging reconciliation.

When genocide perpetrators conceal information, she said, “I question this thing called reconciliation.”

Leader of Somalia’s Breakaway Somaliland Says Deal with Ethiopia will Allow it to Build a Naval Base

BY OMAR FARUK

2:12 PM EST, January 26, 2024

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The president of Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland has said his government will press ahead with an agreement signed earlier this month with landlocked Ethiopia to give it access to the sea by way of Somaliland’s coastline.

The deal has been condemned by regional and international groups, as well as Western countries, which say it interferes with Somalia’s territorial integrity and is causing tensions that could threaten stability in the Horn of Africa region.

Somalia has also protested the deal as a threat to its sovereignty by Somaliland, a region strategically located along the Gulf of Aden that broke away from Somalia in 1991 as the country collapsed into warlord-led conflict. Somaliland has not been internationally recognized.

Somaliland’s President Muse Bihi Abdi gave more details about the memorandum of understanding he signed on Jan. 1 with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in an interview with Somaliland National Television on Wednesday.

Ethiopia, Abdi said, is seeking to lease a segment of the coastline for a naval base — and not for commercial activities as previously thought. In exchange for leasing a 20 kilometer- (12.4 mile-) stretch of Somaliland’s coastline, Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent state.

Ethiopia will still be able to conduct its import and export activities through the port of Berbera, the largest in Somaliland. Berbera is not part of the coastline stretch planned for the lease.

With a population of more than 120 million, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world. It lost its access to the sea when Eritrea seceded in 1993. Since then, Ethiopia has been using the port in neighboring Djibouti for most of its imports and exports.

Somalia has protested vehemently against the agreement that would grant Ethiopia access to the strategically important Gulf of Aden and beyond that, to the Red Sea.

Somaliland’s citizens are divided over the deal, with some seeing potential economic benefits while others fear compromising their sovereignty. The breakaway region’s defense minister, Abdiqani Mohamud Ateye, resigned over the deal.

Earlier this month, a meeting of officials from the African Union, European Union and United States reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, including the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Michael Hammer, U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa, said during that meeting that the U.S. is particularly concerned that tensions over the deal could undermine international-backed efforts to combat al-Qaida-linked militants in Somalia.

Matt Bryden, a strategic consultant at Sahan Research, a think tank based in Kenya, said several diverse actors in the region could unite against the agreement — including Egypt, Eritrea and even the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab militants — and oppose a more powerful role of Ethiopia.

“Eritrea is likely to be deeply concerned, given its deteriorating relationship with Ethiopia and its long Red Sea coastline,” Bryden said.

Egypt, embroiled in a dispute with Ethiopia over Addis Ababa’s construction of the Grand Renaissance Dam that Cairo says could hamper its share of the Nile River water, could also oppose the project, he added.

Three US Service Members Killed in Jordan Drone Attack, Biden Says

28 Jan 2024

Three US service members have been killed and “many” others wounded during an unmanned aerial drone attack on US forces stationed in northeastern Jordan near the Syrian border, President Joe Biden has said, blaming Iran-backed groups for the attack.

“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden said in a statement on Sunday.

“The three American service members we lost were patriots in the highest sense. And their ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten by our nation,” Biden added.

The deaths marked the first fatalities of US troops in the region in months of strikes against American forces across the region by Iran-backed armed groups since the war between Israel and Hamas began in Gaza on October 7.

Biden said the attack occurred on Saturday night.

“We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt – we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing,” Biden said in the statement.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

South Africa's FM Calls for Solidarity with Palestine in Global South

By Al Mayadeen English

27 Jan 2024 14:39

In an exclusive statement to Al Mayadeen, the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs calls on the countries of Africa, the Middle East, and the Global South to stand in solidarity with Palestine.

In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Naledi Pandor, affirmed that the details of the ICJ decision and temporary measures which "Israel" has been mandated to comply with are indicative of the seriousness with which the International Court of Justice is dealing with the lawsuit filed by her country.

She added that with this decision, the court has initiated the first part, which is an indication of the transition to the practical part as the court examines the evidence brought forth by South Africa.

Pandor pointed out that this is the first time a lawsuit of this kind has been filed against "Israel," and the decision was issued quickly regarding the temporary measures, describing the decision as "historic."

Through Al Mayadeen, the minister appealed to African and Middle Eastern countries and all the countries of the Global South to stand in solidarity with Palestine to follow up with the court case.

"We want civil society and governments across Africa, the Middle East, and the rest of the Southern countries, in particular, to ensure that we all stand together with the people of Palestine and ensure the collective pursuit of this case."

Earlier today, the Ugandan government denounced Judge Julia Sebutinde following her vote against all provisionary measures ruled by the International Court of Justice against "Israel" regarding the genocide in Gaza. 

Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Adonia Ayebare, took to X to blast Sebutinde, saying, “Justice Sebutinde's ruling at the ICJ does not represent the Government of Uganda’s position on the situation in Palestine. Uganda’s support for the plight of the Palestinian people has been expressed through our voting pattern at the United Nations.”

ICJ orders 'Israel' to halt genocidal acts; fails to order ceasefire 

On Friday, the ICJ charged "Israel" with six interim measures to stop impeding deliveries of aid and contain the humanitarian crisis. Sebutinde, in turn, voted against all measures and unleashed international backlash from the pro-Palestinian community on social media. 

The United Nations' highest court asserted its jurisdiction to act on the emergency measures sought by South Africa in its lawsuit against "Israel's" actions in the Gaza war.

Despite the Israeli request for dismissal, the World Court stated that it would not dismiss the case.

As the reading proceeded, the court recognized the right of Palestinians in Gaza to be protected from acts of genocide, adding that the Palestinians are a protected group under the genocide convention.  However, the ruling does not deal with the core accusation of the case - whether genocide occurred - but focuses on the urgent intervention sought by South Africa.

Among the measures South Africa requested was an immediate halt to the Israeli military operation, which has laid waste to much of the enclave and killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Engulfed by Flames – Resistance Roundup – Day 113

January 27, 2024 

Palestinians continue to resist and repel Israel's invasion. (Photo: Video grab)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

In his desperate search for any victory in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has moved his country’s military operations further south. 

It is unclear what type of victory Israel is hoping to achieve in Khan Yunis and in central Gaza, but judging from the last 113 days, Israel is unlikely to find its target, and the Palestinian Resistance will continue to fight back with ferocity.

Below are the latest statements by the two main Resistance forces in Gaza, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah.

The statements below were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form.

Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)

“Al-Qassam Brigades target a Zionist troop carrier with an Al-Yassin 105 shell in Al-Amal neighborhood, west of the city of Khan Yunis, southern Gaza Strip.

“WATCH: Scenes of Al-Qassam fighters clashing with enemy vehicles on the outskirts of the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

“Al-Qassam Brigades target a Zionist Merkava tank with an Al-Yassin 105 shell in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.

“WATCH: Scenes of several enemy aircraft used in intelligence and special operations that were seized by Al-Qassam fighters in Gaza City.”

Al-Quds Brigades (Palestinian Islamic Jihad)

“We are engaged in fierce clashes with the soldiers and vehicles of the “israeli” enemy using machine guns and anti-tank shells on the axes of advancement to the west and south of Khan Yunis city.

“We bombarded Sderot, Niram and the settlements of the (Gaza) envelope with rocket barrages.

“We targeted a Zionist Merkava tank and troop carrier with RPG shells on the axes of advance west of the city of Khan Yunis.

“We bombed enemy gatherings in the vicinity of the Abu Safiya military site east of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip with mortar shells. 

“We bombed with a rocket barrage and mortar shells a supply line and the movement of the enemy’s vehicles east of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip. 

“We bombarded, with a barrage of mortar shells, gatherings of enemy soldiers and vehicles on the advancement axes west and southwest of the city of Khan Yunis.”

Hezbollah

“In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 9:30 AM, on Saturday, 27/01/2024, targeted a deployment of the Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Jal Al-Alam site with Burkan missiles, achieving direct hits.

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 10:15 AM, on Saturday, 27/01/2024, targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers south of Al-Abad site with rocket weapons, achieving direct hits.

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 11:05 AM, on Saturday, 27/01/2024, targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers around the Doviv barracks with rocket weapons, hitting it directly.

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 11:50 AM, on Saturday, 27/01/2024, targeted the Khirbet Ma’ar (IOF) base with rocket weapons, achieving a direct hit.

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 2:35 PM, on Saturday, 27-01-2024 targeted a secret command center in the Zebdine barracks in the occupied Shebaa Farms with a Falaq 1 missile, achieving a direct hit. 

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 2:45 PM, on Saturday, 27-01-2024 targeted the espionage equipment at the Al-Bahri site with appropriate weapons, achieving direct hits.‏

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 3:45 PM, on Saturday, 27-01-2024 targeted a gathering of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Shoumera Barracks with rocket weapons, achieving direct hits.”

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Abu Obeida: Over 60 Soldiers Killed in a Week – Resistance Roundup – Day 111

January 25, 2024

Qassam Brigades spokesperon, Abu Obeida. (Photo: Qassam.net)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

The fighters “confirmed that they eliminated 53 Zionist soldiers at point-blank range, sniped 9 soldiers, and caused dozens of soldiers to fall between dead and wounded, in 57 different military missions.”

Abu Obaida, the spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades – the military wing of the Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas, announced on Friday that over 60 Israeli soldiers have been killed in operations carried out against the occupation forces in Gaza over a week.

In a statement published on the official account of the Al-Qassam Brigades on Telegram, Abu Obeida said that Al-Qassam fighters “were able to completely or partially destroy 68 military vehicles”.

Moreover, the fighters “confirmed that they eliminated 53 Zionist soldiers at point-blank range, sniped 9 soldiers, and caused dozens of soldiers to fall between dead and wounded, in 57 different military missions.” 

Below is the full statement from Abu Obeida, published here in its original form: 

“During the past week, Al-Qassam fighters were able to completely or partially destroy 68 military vehicles. 

“Our fighters confirmed that they eliminated 53 Zionist soldiers at point-blank range, sniped 9 soldiers, and caused dozens of soldiers to fall between dead and wounded, in 57 different military missions. These missions targeted the infiltrating Zionist forces with shells, anti-fortification and anti-personnel explosive devices, and machine guns. 

“They also demolished 4 houses, detonated the entrances of two tunnels and a minefield in the enemy’s soldiers, and shot down two Sky Lark reconnaissance drones, seizing 8 drones, including two suicide drones. 

“They bombarded military gatherings with mortar shells and short-range missiles across all combat fronts and launched rocket barrages of varying ranges into the Zionist entity.”

As the Soldiers Gathered ..

Thursday was also a busy day for the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, and also in Lebanon. 

Below are the latest statements by the two main Resistance forces in Gaza, and the Lebanese Resistance Movement Hezbollah.

The statements below were communicated via their Telegram channels and are published here in their original form.

Al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas)

“Al-Qassam Brigades target two Zionist Merkava tanks with Al-Yassin 105 shells west of Khan Younis city, south of the Gaza Strip.

“Al-Qassam Brigades, in conjunction with the Mujahideen Brigades, bombed a gathering of enemy forces northwest of Gaza City with short-range 107mm rockets.”

Al-Quds Brigades (Islamic Jihad)

“Our fighters blew up a Zionist tank with a Thaqib-barrel explosive in the vicinity of the Austrian neighborhood west of Khan Younis. 

“We carried out concentrated shelling on the positions of the Zionist enemy soldiers and vehicles in the Sudaniya area, northwest of Gaza City, with a barrage of heavy mortar shells, Badr-1 rockets, and 107mm rockets.

“We targeted an infantry division belonging to the Zionist enemy northwest of Beit Hanoun with guided 107mm missiles. 

“We bombed enemy vehicles and soldiers with mortar shells on the axes of advancement west and southwest of the city of Khan Younis.

“In cooperation with the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, we bombarded the enemy’s supply lines along the eastern edge in the central part of the Gaza Strip with various rocket barrages.

“In conjunction with the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, Saraya Al-Quds bombed the enemy’s supply lines along the eastern edge of the central Gaza Strip with various rocket barrages.

“We bombed a gathering of enemy soldiers and vehicles in the vicinity of the Abu Safiya military site, east of Al-Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip with mortar shells.”

Hezbollah

“In support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in support of their brave and honorable resistance, the fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 10:00 AM, on Thursday, 25/01/2024 targeted the Radar site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with rocket weapons, achieving direct hits.

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 11:00 AM, on Thursday, 25/01/2024 targeted the Jal Al-Alam site with rocket weapons, achieving direct hits. 

“The fighters of the Islamic Resistance, at 11:20 AM, on Thursday, 25/01/2024 launched an aerial attack with two attack drones on one of the sites of the air defense system and Iron Dome platforms near the Kfar Blum settlement, achieving direct hits.”

(The Palestine Chronicle)

Blow to President Ruto as High Court Bars Haiti Police Mission

FRIDAY JANUARY 26 2024

Police recruits march during a pass out parade at Kiganjo Training College in Nyeri County, Kenya on March 3, 2017. PHOTO | NMG

By NATION AFRICA

The Kenyan government has been dealt a blow after the High Court halted a UN-backed plan to deploy 1,000 police officers to Haiti to fight gangs and restore peace.

In the ruling, Justice Enock Chacha Mwita said the constitution only allows members of the Kenya Defence Forces (Kenya Army, Kenya Airforce and Kenya Navy) to be deployed to keep the peace outside Kenya.

Justice Mwita said Article 240 of the 2010 Constitution allows the National Security Council (NSC) to deploy defence forces when requested by the United Nations Security Council.

But he said the National Police Service (NPS) does not fall under the category of defence forces and "therefore cannot be deployed to Haiti".

In his ruling, Justice Mwita said: “A declaration is hereby issued that the National Security Council has no mandate to deploy Police Officers outside Kenya under Article 240 (8) of the Constitution of Kenya or any other law.”

The judge also said there was no reciprocal agreement signed between Kenya and Haiti and therefore "it will be against the law to deploy our police service to Haiti".

Does not recognise the police

In addition to declaring that Article 240 does not recognise the police as a force but as a service, the judge also ruled that President William Ruto's name should be struck out of the case, saying the law "prohibits any suit against a sitting president".

He also declared that any other government agency or person who decides to deploy police officers to Haiti will be in breach of the Constitution.

The petition was filed by Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot.

Those named as respondents were President Ruto, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, Police Inspector General Japhet Koome, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and NSC.

The judge noted President Ruto said Kenya had offered to deploy police officers to Haiti on July 2023 to curb insecurity and that the request was approved by the United Nations (UN) Security Council on October 10.

The petitioners told the judge that Ruto welcomed the move in a televised address, reiterating Kenya's willingness to deploy.

“There was no Cabinet meeting and a resultant Cabinet Memo/resolution to evince that due process was followed,” Dr Aukot stated in the petition.

In their submissions to the court, the petitioners said the Constitution does not provide for the deployment of police officers on missions outside the country, making the move unconstitutional.

Women, Feminists Across Kenya Hold March Against Femicide

SATURDAY JANUARY 27 2024

People hold banners in a protest against the prevalence of femicide in Nairobi, Kenya on January 27, 2024. PHOTO | WANGU KANURI | NMG

By NATION AFRICA

Women and feminists in Kenya took to the streets on Saturday to march against the rising cases of femicide. The nationwide protest, dubbed 'Feminists March Against Femicide', is taking place in 11 counties: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Homabay, Turkana, Kilifi, Machakos, Kisii and Nyeri.

The protest follows a series of gruesome murders of women. The most recent are the murders of Starlet Wahu, 26, who was brutally murdered in a short-term rental apartment, and Rita Waeni, a first-year university student whose dismembered body was also found in another short-term rental apartment in Nairobi.

The murders of the two women are just the tip of the iceberg of Kenya's growing femicide problem.

In 2018, Sharon Otieno, a student at Rongo University who was reportedly the girlfriend of Migori County Governor Okoth Obado, was found dead in a forest in Oyugis town, Homa Bay County. In 2019, Ivy Wangeci, a medical student, was hacked to death by a jilted boyfriend in Eldoret.

Eunice Wangari was thrown from the balcony of a 12-storey building in Nairobi in 2020, and celebrated Olympic runner Agnes Tirop was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband in 2021.

These are some of the high publicised cases of femicide in Kenya. A study conducted by the Africa Data Hub estimates that there will be around 500 femicide victims between 2016 and 2024.

Studies conducted by UN Women show that Africa recorded the highest absolute number of female intimate partner and family related killings with an estimated 20,000 victims, followed by 18,400 in Asia, 7,900 in the Americas, 2,300 in Europe and 200 in Oceania.

All these killings occur despite the existence of robust international and national legal mechanisms to combat this heinous crime. In Kenya, the Constitution of Kenya 2010 ensures that the rights of women and girls are protected under Article 27, and the Penal Code provides for penalties for violence against women and girls.

Despite this, perpetrators of most intimate partner violence and femicide crimes go unpunished. This prompted the first feminist march against femicide in Kenya. In 2019, alarmed by the rising cases of femicide and intimate partner violence, women came together to demand accountability in peaceful protests across the country.

This Saturday, Kenyan women will once again march against the rise in femicide cases in Kenya, organising online under the hashtag #TotalShutdownKe.

Several human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have shown their commitment and support for the march. In a statement released this Friday, Amnesty International announced that its members and staff will be participating in the march against femicide.

We call on all Kenyans to come out and raise their voices against the growing violence that violates international and Kenyan laws and poses an existential threat to the lives of women and girls," the statement said.

Leaders and human rights organisations have also expressed solidarity with victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.

Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga was among the first leaders to express concern over the rise in femicide cases, describing it as a "national emergency" and saying that the murder of women and girls should not be normalised.

“It is sad to see a troubling increase in the deaths of young women, leaving a trail of grief for families and friends. The abnormality of these murders cannot become the new normal. Murder is and will always be wrong, and there is no excuse,” Mr Odinga said.

Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa also called for investigations into recent acts of violence against women and warned the public against shaming victims of such crimes.

"We reiterate our commitment to promoting a culture of respect, equality and safety for all individuals in Kenya, regardless of gender. We encourage the public to stand united against violence and support efforts to create a safer environment for women and girls," she said in a statement.

The President's Advisor on Women's Rights, Harriette Chiggai, pledged to push for stiffer penalties for perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence.

"It is also my commitment to work with the judiciary to expedite cases of intimate partner violence.To this end, I will also ask the criminal justice system to ensure that survivors of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) are treated with dignity and that these cases are not delayed," Ms Chiggai said.

In the same vein, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Gladys Shollei, expressed the need for the government to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies with resources and training to combat technology-facilitated GBV.

On the other hand, the Federation of Women Lawyers (Fida) Kenya accused the National Police Service of failing over the years to bring perpetrators of intimate partner violence (IPV) and femicide to justice.