🇧🇯🇳🇪 Benin suspends transit of goods into Niger

The government of Benin has suspended the transit of imported goods through its key port of Cotonou into neighboring Niger.

"Shipments of goods after October 25, 2023, bound for Niger are suspended at the port of Cotonou until further notice", the Director General of the Port of Cotonou said.

Eenoo said the measure was taken because of congestion at the Cotonou port.

#Benin #Niger

@africaintel

🇱🇾🇮🇱🇵🇸 The Libyan eastern Parliament calls on ambassadors of countries supporting Israel to leave the country “immediately”

The Libyan eastern House of Representatives called on the ambassadors of countries supporting Israel to leave the country immediately, in protest against their countries’ support for Israel in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

It pointed out that if "the massacres committed by this Zionist enemy do not stop, we demand that the Libyan government stop exporting oil and gas to countries that support" Israel.

A statement by the Libyan House of Representatives included that "the war taking place in Gaza today is a genocidal war led by the United States of America and the West against a defenseless and besieged people."

It is not clear how the request for the departure of ambassadors will be implemented, as the headquarters of foreign diplomatic missions are located in the capital, Tripoli, where the rival government is in power.

#Libya #Israel #Palestine

@africaintel

🇿🇦 Opposition parties to challenge Basic Education Amendment Bill in South Africa

The DA, FF+ and ACDP in Parliament have vowed to challenge the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill in court.

The reason of this challenge is a controversial Basic Education Act that have been passed recently. The Act propose to introduce liability for parents who do not provide schooling for their children in the form of fines or imprisonment for up to 12 months.

South Africans were also puzzled by other provisions concerning the sale of alcohol on school grounds and allowing teenagers to have abortions without their parents' knowledge.

“But we want to stress that we are not against the procedure. We are against the essence of the act and if we had to stop it with procedural mechanisms, we will do so and it’s a content that we are against it,” says FF+.

#SouthAfrica

@africaintel

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe opposition to boycott "criminal" by-elections

Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa says his party will not participate in what he described as "criminal" by-elections to fill 15 seats for members who were controversially recalled from parliament.

The seats were left vacant after a man, who declared himself as the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party’s interim secretary-general, said the MPs were no longer members.

Consequently, by-elections have been scheduled for 9 December after the parliamentary speaker declared the seats vacant earlier this month.

Chamisa dismissed the recalling of the lawmakers, saying Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-declared secretary-general of the party, was an "impostor".

"We don’t participate in crime," he added.

#Zimbabwe

@africaintel

🇲🇦 Four blasts kill one, injure 3 in Western Sahara said Morocco's authority

Four explosions late on Saturday in the city of Smara in Morocco-controlled Western Sahara killed one man and injured three others, local authorities said.

The blasts damaged two houses, authorities said in a statement, without adding further details.

Morocco considers Western Sahara its own territory, but the Algerian-backed Polisario Front wants an independent state there.

In November 2020, Polisario said it had resumed its armed struggle.

Most of the fighting was described by the UN as "low intensity", and occurring mostly in the uninhabited eastern part of the Morocco-built security wall.

#Morocco

@africaintel

🌍 Main Events in Africa on October 22-28

🇪🇬🇵🇸🇮🇱 Egypt continues its mediation efforts in Israel-Hamas conflict. Humanitarian aid started entering Gaza crossing from Egypt. As of Monday 17 aid trucks entered Gaza from Egypt. Meanwhile Turkey sent two more planes of aid to Egypt for Gaza, plans more. France's Macron travelled to Egypt to meet Sisi in an attempt to discuss the Israel-Hamas war. He also announced naval aid to Egypt for Gaza.

🇲🇱 UN peacekeepers have left two bases in the northern Mali. When MINUSMA abandoned camp in Aguelhok it was immediately captured by the Azawad militants. After they captured every equipment they wanted, Tuareg-rebels left and Jihadists attacked the base on show for the public.

🇪🇬🇮🇱🇵🇸 Missile stroke buildings in Egyptian Red Sea town of Taba near Israeli border. Sisi urges all to respect Egypt's sovereignty after drone incidents.

🇵🇸🇮🇱🌍 Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held in Tunisia, Somalia, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco. In Morocco and Kenya protests were banned. Meanwhile, Kenyan MP was also censured for wearing Palestinian scarf.

🇳🇪 This week EU agreed on framework for Niger sanctions. Later US Senate rejected bid to remove troops from Niger despite considering the July events in Niger as coup d'etat . Meanwhile Iran continues attempts to increase its presence in Sahel region and Iran's foreign affairs minister went to Niger on a working visit.

🇨🇩 The conflict on the east of DRC intensifies. Rebels recaptured the town of Kitshanga in North Kivu province. Suspected Islamist militants killed 26 people in the town of Oicha. One Kenyan soldier was killed because of rebel mortar attack. Meanwhile stray bullet hit Rwandan near DR Congo border. Later DR Congo accused the Rwandan defense forces of incursion into its territory.

🇪🇹🇪🇷 This week rumors started to appear about the military build-up on both sides of the Eritrea-Ethiopia border, because of Ethiopia PM's careless and controversial Red Sea remark. However later Abiy Ahmed wanted to allay Eritrea's fears of invasion and said e would not invade any nation.

🇲🇬 A collective of opposition candidates took part in the Madagascan presidential elections have held a major rally in the capital and denounced "illegitimate electoral process".

🇰🇵🇺🇬 North Korea closed embassy in Uganda.

🇱🇷 Liberia presidential election heads for November run-off vote.

#digest #Africa

@africaintel

🇺🇸🇸🇩 US State Department says Sudan ceasefire talks reconvene

The United States, Saudi Arabia and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, together with the African Union, have relaunched humanitarian and ceasefire talks between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the U.S. State Department said on Sunday.

"There is no acceptable military solution to this conflict. We call upon the SAF and RSF to approach the talks constructively, with the imperative to save lives, reduce the fighting, and create a path to a negotiated exit from the conflict," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

#USA #Sudan

@africaintel

🇿🇲 Ex-Zambia president makes political comeback

Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has announced that he is making a political comeback.

He retired from politics in 2021 after suffering a crushing defeat in a presidential election.

After six years in office he left the country heavily in debt and with a precarious economy.

But Lungu is now aiming to capitalise on growing dissatisfaction with his successor, Hakainde Hichilema.

His return had long been anticipated but this was the first formal announcement.

"I am ready to fight from the front, not from the rear, in defence of democracy. Those who are ready for this fight, please come along with me, I am ready for anything," Lungu told.

#Zambia

@africaintel

🇨🇩 DR Congo spent seven-times over budget on Francophone Games said the minister

Democratic Republic of Congo spent $324 million, or seven times as much as planned, to host the delay-plagued International Francophone Games in July, Finance Minister said.

The Games, which are held every four years with the aim of promoting the French language, were pushed back two years from 2021 to bring infrastructure up to international standards.

Even with the extra time, Congo was scrambling to finish tracks, sports stadiums and accommodation for athletes with just weeks to go before the July 28 start date - a rush that contributed to the substantial cost overruns.

Responding to the minister's comments, the games' director Isidore said his committee had only been responsible for part of the budget and he did not know about the $324 million.

"Who disbursed these sums of money? To whom was it given? Who managed them?," he told.

#DRC

@africaintel