France Threatens Retaliation If Algeria Expels Embassy Staff
The French government said it will retaliate if Algeria goes ahead with a threat to expel 12 officials of the French embassy in Algiers, the capital. Algeria has been protesting against the detention in Paris of its embassy staff, who the French accused of participating in the 2024 abduction of an Algerian government critic, Amir Boukhors. Over the weekend, the Algerian government summoned the French ambassador to express its objection to the arrest of the Algerian consulate official. Algeria views Boukhors as a “saboteur linked to terrorist groups”. Relations between France and Algeria came under strain late in 2024 when French President Emmanuel Macron recognized a plan for the autonomy of the disputed Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty.
Calls Grow For Prosecutions Over Mozambique’s Election Violence
Human Rights Watch is raising concerns about the lack of a “credible investigation into the wave of political killings” that took place in the country after the October 2024 polls. The rights group said most of those targeted were members of the opposition who were protesting against the election result that declared President Daniel Chapo the winner. it says “Prompt, thorough, and effective investigations and fair prosecutions are needed if these apparently politically motivated killings are to stop”.
Mineral Certification Faces Probe In Africa’s Great Lakes Region
Experts warn that little has been achieved since countries in the Great Lakes region signed a mineral certification scheme more than a decade ago to help stop the illegal exploitation of critical minerals – which has been the source of some conflicts in the area. During the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on April 9, one of the speakers lamented he lack of harmony between political and regulatory frameworks of member states. The Great Lakes region is often cited as an example of the so-called “paradox of plenty” – which describes a situation of countries with abundant resources that paradoxically experience lower economic growth
Gabon Coup Leader Claims 90% Victory in Disputed Election
Gabon’s military leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, won the presidential election with over 90% of the vote, according to provisional results. The 2023 coup leader, who ousted the Bongo family’s near-60-year rule, solidified his power after critics said the electoral process favored him, with key opposition figures barred from running. In the race, Oligui Nguema’s closest competitor, former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie Bie Nze, secured 3.02% of the vote, while the remaining six candidates failed to break the 1% mark. However, complaints of irregularities emerged, including delayed voting, missing voter records, and concerns over unsecured ballots. Oligui Nguema is set to serve a seven-year term, which is renewable once.
Tanzania Opposition Party Barred from Election
Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, is disqualified from running in this year’s general election, the country’s election chief said, after the party allegedly refused to sign the electoral code of conduct. The decision came days after its leader Tundu Lissu was arrested and charged with treason after a rally in southern Tanzania at which he called for electoral reforms. Ramadhani Kailima, director of elections at the Independent National Elections Commission (INEC), said Chadema failed to sign the government’s electoral code of conduct. Lissu, who was expected to challenge President Samia Suluhu Hassan in the upcoming elections, argued that no free and fair elections could occur without significant reforms, including changes to the electoral commission’s structure. The opposition leader was arrested on numerous occasions and, in 2017, survived an assassination attempt in which his vehicle was shot at 16 times.
UN Condemns Deadly Escalation in Sudan’s North Darfur
Hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded in a series of deadly attacks as Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched a ground offensive and tightened control over displacement camps in North Darfur. The Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM), reported the killing of 450 people in artillery shelling and a ground attack by the RSF on the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps. The RSF was said to have “liberated” the camp from armed groups, while the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) denied losing control and reported repelling RSF advances. The UN condemned the attacks as a “deadly escalation”, saying that over 700,000 displaced civilians were trapped in the crossfire.
South African Court Reopens Inquest into Death of Anti-Apartheid Leader Luthuli
A South African court re-opened the inquest into the death of Chief Albert Luthuli, a prominent anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, whose 1967 death was previously ruled accidental. The initial inquest found that Luthuli died after being struck by a train while walking on railway tracks, with no evidence of foul play. However, activists and Luthuli’s family long doubted this version and welcomed the new investigation. At the time of his death, Luthuli was under state-imposed restrictions and banned from political activity. The National Prosecuting Authority announced it would present new evidence to challenge the original findings, though it did not disclose specifics. The inquest was one of two reopened – the other about Mlungisi Griffiths Mxenge, an anti-apartheid lawyer murdered in 1981 by a covert state hit squad. Mxenge’s killers were only identified years later and later granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which many families feel failed to deliver justice.
Rwanda to Build Memorial for Journalists Killed in 1994 Genocide
The Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement, in collaboration with the Rwanda Media Council, announced plans to erect a monument in memory of journalists killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The announcement was made during a commemoration event held at the RBA headquarters to honor 60 journalists who were killed during the Genocide. However, specific details about the memorial’s location and design are not yet available. Judith Uwizeye, the Minister in the Office of the President, said that the government is committed to supporting the families of the journalists who were killed during the Genocide, ensuring their work is never forgotten.
Zimbabwe’s Ruling Party Zanu-PF Claims Opposition Stronghold in By-Election
Zimbabwe’s ruling party, Zanu PF, won the Glen View South by-election in a significant political shift, capturing a parliamentary seat historically held by the opposition. Tsitsi Tranquility Tawomhera emerged victorious with 3,404 votes, defeating four other candidates: Toenderai Chakaredza (993), George Makwangwaidze (681), Tungamirai Madzokere (234), and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) candidate Perpetua Mukanda, who scrapped a paltry 77 votes. There were 44 rejected ballots. The seat became vacant after the death of Grandmore Hakata. Political analyst Hopewell Chin’ono attributed the loss to the opposition’s reliance on personalities rather than structured ideologies, warning that without reform, Zanu PF would dominate beyond 2028.
