🇩🇿 Amnesty urges Algeria to free detained journalist

Rights group Amnesty International has urged Algeria to immediately release jailed journalist Ihsane El Kadi. The journalist is accused of illegally receiving money from people and organizations “in exchange for carrying out activities that could harm state security".

Amnesty said the accusations against the journalist were "trumped-up state security related offences" and condemned what it called a “ruthless campaign to silence critics”.

The journalist was remanded on 29 December, days after being detained. On Sunday, a judge renewed the decision to hold him in pre-trial detention.

#Algeria

@africaintel

🇰🇪 Kenya's President alleges plot to kill electoral chief in last polls

Kenya's President William Ruto has made accusations of a plot to abduct and kill the head of the electoral commission in the run up to the announcement of the presidential results last year. The president claimed the plot to abduct Mr Chebukati was sanctioned by the "highest" office.

At the time of elections, electoral commission chairman Wafula Chebukati said he had done his duty despite receiving threats.

The president's rival at the elections, Raila Odinga’s party, ODM, has scoffed at the remarks, calling it a “well-choreographed chorus". “They should present the claims before a commission of inquiry when it is formed."

#Kenya

@africaintel

🇬🇭 Ghana-based aid and advocacy groups call for debt cancellation amid crisis

More than two dozen aid and campaign groups called on Wednesday for international creditors to cancel a large portion of Ghana's debts as it struggles to contend with an economic crisis.

Signatories of the letter said the key challenge was to get private lenders to agree to a significant debt cancellation. "The G20 can help by making clear that Ghana will be politically and financially supported to remain in default on any creditor which does not accept the necessary debt restructuring," they added.

Ghana's consumer inflation rose driven by rising fuel, utilities and food costs. International reserves have dwindled to less than two months of import cover. The government asked to restructure its bilateral debt under the G20 common framework platform earlier this month.


#Ghana

@africaintel

🇸🇴 Somalia to expand offensive against al-Shabab

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said the government will soon launch the second phase of an offensive against al-Qaeda-allied al-Shabab militants in the south-west, where the group controls several towns and villages.

The president added that after recent military successes in the central regions of Somalia, the planned offensive would take a shorter time “because al-Shabab is weakened”.

#Somalia

@africaintel

🇬🇶 New details regarding the arrest of Equatorial Guinea President's son

One of the sons of the president of Equatorial Guinea has been arrested on suspicion of illegally selling a plane belonging to the national airline.

State media said Ruslan Obiang Nsue is alleged to have sold the 74 seater turboprop to a company based in the Canary Islands. The suspect used to run the national airline in Equatorial Guinea.

#EquatorialGuinea

@africaintel

🇨🇩 Shots fired at DR Congo protest against regional force

Police in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have reportedly fired tear gas and live bullets at people protesting against the presence of regional troops.

The East Africa regional force - composed of soldiers from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Burundi - was deployed in November 2022 to enforce peace if that part of the country. But activists have accused it of inaction and called for protests on Wednesday in the provincial capital, Goma.

Local reports say tear gas and live bullets were fired at the protesters. At least two journalists were hit by what are believed to be tear gas cannisters, but they survived without injuries. Two other journalists have been taken into police custody.

#DRC

@africaintel

New Africa renewable energy initiative to unleash 1.2 terawatts, unlock $850m

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the African Climate Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, ClimateWorks Foundation, and the Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA) launched the Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (AREMI) at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week to drive investment and mobilise action in African countries to scale up renewable energy manufacturing capabilities.

The new international initiative will help drive the financial, technical, and socioeconomic investments required to advance clean energy development and transition in Africa, with a remarkable 1.2 terawatts of energy potential, 14 million new jobs, and 6.4% growth in GDP available under a green transition scenario.

@songofoil

🇬🇲 Gambia declares seven days of mourning after VP dies

The Gambia's President Adama Barrow has declared seven days of mourning following the death of Vice-President Badara Alieu Joof at the age of 66.

Joof died on January 17 in India after a short illness. He was thought to have been receiving treatment there, but the government has not confirmed this.

A government statement described Mr Joof as a "scholar of profound intellect", and an "honest Gambian who spent his entire life trying to improve the lot of mankind".

#Gambia

@africaintel

🇬🇶 Vice-president ordered half-brother's arrest over plane sale

Equatorial Guinea's Vice-President Teodorin Obiang ordered the arrest of his half-brother after an inquiry found he had illegally sold a state-owned jet to a Spanish company, and pocketed the money, a government statement says.

The vice-president "expressed indignation" when he learned that Ruslan Obiang Nsue, the assistant director of state-owned Ceiba International airline, had sold the jet, the statement said.

He has asked his father - the president - to suspend his half-brother from "all his functions in the state company", it added.

#EquatorialGuinea

@africaintel

🇱🇾 The Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, held talks in Benghazi with U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Libya Leslie Ordeman and Deputy Commander of the U.S. Air Force in Africa, General John D. Lamontagne.

The details have not been released, yet.

#Libya #USA

@africaintel

🇧🇫 Abducted Burkina women flee jihadist gunmen through bush

A few women managed to escape armed militants who had kidnapped them and other women in Burkina Faso last week.

Women asked to remain anonymous for fear over their safety. The escapee said the militants forced the women to walk through the bush for a whole day.

"The next morning they assembled us again ... It was at this moment that some of us decided to take a risk. Those who were lucky managed to escape," one of escaped women said.

Another survivor, who did not wish to be named, told the abductors gathered women into groups and made them shepherd stolen sheep to disguise what was happening.

#BurkinaFaso

@africaintel

🇮🇹🇹🇳 Italy and Tunisia seek to address migration setbacks

The head of Italian diplomacy on Wednesday said Italy is "ready to increase" the flow of legal migrants from Tunisia but calls for more efforts against illegal immigration.

Antonio Tajani, Italian foreign minister on his visit to Tunisia reiterated on the need to reduce irregular immigration and strengthen regular immigration between the two countries.

Tajani also announced the upcoming organization of a Business Forum to "further strengthen the presence of Italian companies" in Tunisia, which last year Italy became the first trading partner.

#Italy #Tunisia

@africaintel

🇱🇾🇹🇷 Turkey's National Intelligence Organization director met with the heads of GNU and HCS

Turkey's National Intelligence Organization director Hakan Fidan met with GNU head Abd al-Hamid al-Dbeiba, Deputy Presidential Council head Abdullah al-Lafi, Libya Central Bank head al-Siddiq al-Kabir and High Council of State head Khaled al-Mishri.

After that meeting, Fidan also spoke with the head of the Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Manfi, and the head of the Libyan intelligence services, Major General Hussein al-Aib.

Hakan Fidan affirmed that his country continues to support all political efforts to find solutions to issues aimed at achieving stability in Libya.

#Libya #Turkey

@africaintel

🇩🇿🇬🇧 British military delegation arrives in Algeria to strengthen bilateral military cooperation

Algerian People's National Army (PNA) Chief of Staff Said Shangriha held talks with Martin Elliott Sampson, senior advisor to the British Ministry of Defense for the Middle East and North Africa, on strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries.

Sampson arrived in Algeria at the head of the British military organization. The meeting took place at NPA headquarters. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the context of regional and international security.

#Algeria #GreatBritain

🇨🇩🇺🇳 Bodies found in mass graves in DR Congo

Peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have discovered mass graves containing the bodies of 49 civilians following a series of attacks blamed on a local armed group.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the United Nations, told that the graves had been uncovered in two villages in northeastern Ituri province. A total of 42 victims, including six children, were discovered in a mass grave in the village of Nyamamba, while the bodies of seven other men were found in another village, Mbogi, he said.

Haq said the UN was calling for an investigation that would establish whether the mass graves and the attacks were linked.

#DRC

@africaintel

🇷🇼🇨🇩 Rwanda sets up emergency camp as more Congolese refugees arrive

Rwanda has set up an emergency refugee camp in Rubavu District in anticipation of a possible influx of refugees in the coming weeks amid fears of renewed fighting in eastern DR Congo between government forces and the M23 rebels.

Nkamira Transit Centre was opened on January 16 and there were 670 Congolese refugees as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Most refugees come from North Kivu province where there are fears of renewed fighting between the M23 rebels and the coalition including the Congolese army and armed militia groups.

#Rwanda #DRC

@africaintel

🇸🇳 Senegal opposition leader to face rape trial

A Senegalese judge has ordered an opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, to face trial for alleged rape. Sonko, a 48-year-old former tax inspector, has denied the charge and says he is the victim of a plot by President Macky Sall.

Sonko, who came third in Senegal's presidential election in 2019 -- has enjoyed a rapid political rise thanks in part to his popularity with young people and has declared himself a candidate for the 2024 elections.

He has been accused of rape by an employee of a beauty salon where he went for a massage.

#Senegal

@africaintel

🇱🇾 Fierce fighting took place at night in the Libyan capital

Overnight in the area of Qasr bin Ghashir in southern Tripoli, there were fierce clashes between al-Rada and the Judicial Police on the one side and the so-called "111th Brigade" on the other.

Al-Rada attacked a 111th Brigade checkpoint in front of Tripoli's airport because the brigade's fighters refused to hand over the airport to the company that was to begin rebuilding it, demanding payment of a large sum of money for airport security that the fighters had provided for the past several years.

The fighting stopped after the 444th Brigade intervened. The situation in the area is stable for now.

#Libya

@africaintel

🇷🇺🌍 Russia wants to trade with African countries in local currencies

Russia and African nations are moving towards settlements in national currencies, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov revealed on Wednesday, adding that the parties are preparing documents on rearranging the mechanism of cooperation.

Lavrov’s announcement was made during a press conference on the results of the activities of Russian diplomacy in 2022. The official earlier stated that Russian and African partners are working on reducing, though gradually, trade in the US dollar and the euro in mutual trade payments.

#Russia

@africaintel

🇪🇹 TPLF says Eritrean forces still in Tigray

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has refuted remarks by African Union (AU) mediator Olusegun Obasanjo that Eritrean forces have withdrawn from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region.

Obasanjo told that “all Eritrean forces” who had been fighting alongside Ethiopian federal troops in the Tigray war had pulled back to the Eritrean border.

However TPLF official said “The fact is Eritrean forces are still in Tigray, not at the borders! This recent picture shows Eritrean forces in Shire. Tigray had handed over heavy weapons, and Eritrean and non-ENDF forces should have concurrently left Tigray as per the pact.”

#Ethiopia

@africaintel