The South African government is considering reimposing
several curbs aimed at containing the coronavirus pandemic as fears mount about
a second wave of infections, according to three officials familiar with the
situation.
The option of reintroducing the restrictions is likely to be
on the table when the National Coronavirus Command Council meets this week,
said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information
hasn’t been made public.
South Africa introduced one of the world’s most stringent
lockdowns on March 27, and progressively eased it to restart the economy as the
number of new virus cases declined.
The trend has reversed in several areas over recent weeks,
with the Eastern Cape province, in particular, showing an alarming rise in
infections, and the authorities have voiced concern that the public is failing
to exercise sufficient caution.
“When we fail to wear a mask at a social gathering, when we
attend crowded events, we are not only putting ourselves and others at risk,”
President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly newsletter published on Monday.
“We are also putting our economic recovery in jeopardy.”
Of the 737,278 people diagnosed with the disease in the
country so far, more than 90% have recovered, while 19,089 have died, according
to health department data.
The National Coronavirus Command Council will consider
inputs from a range of experts when it meets this week, and its recommendations
will be presented to the cabinet on 13 November, minister in the Presidency
Jackson Mthembu said. Ramaphosa will then address the nation on the way forward
later this week, he told reporters on 5 November.
The pandemic’s resurgence is posing a challenge for the
country’s Independent Electoral Commission, which is holding by-elections in 95
municipal wards where councilors have died or resigned. All voting has
suspended for the past seven months.
Stringent health protocols will be put in place and lines of
voters will be spread out, Sy Mamabolo, the commission’s chief executive
officer told reporters on Monday. Special votes will be cast on Tuesday,
including several that are being held at Covid-19 isolation facilities.
Animals have ventured back into areas largely emptied of
people by Boko Haram insurgency
A herd of elephants moving across the savannah close to Rann, in Borno state, Nigeria, in December 2019. Photograph: UNHAS
A herd of hundreds of elephants that have returned to
north-east Nigeria are
under threat from jihadist groups and increasingly in conflict with thousands
of refugees whose crops they have trampled weeks before harvest.
More than 250 elephants ventured last month from Chad and
Cameroon into Kala-Balge, a district in Nigeria’s Borno state.
The presence of numerous village populations in Borno had
for years deterred the elephants, who are usually wary of human settlements.
But more than a decade of Boko Haram’s Islamist insurgency in north-east
Nigeria has forced many villagers in Kala-Balge and across the region to flee
to refugee camps or urban centres, leaving much of the rural expanse emptied
and more appealing to the elephants.
A population of about 8,000 internally displaced people
remains in Kala-Balge, mostly residing in camps, and there are growing concerns
over hunger.
Babagana Shettima, a community leader in Kala-Balge, said
the presence of the elephants has compounded misery in the district. “The
situation of the elephants here is very terrible, they are really destroying
our farmlands,” he said. “People here are already suffering, they are living in
the camps or in the bush, they have to farm to eat and this is the only source
for their food. If the elephants destroy it, they will not have any food to
eat.”
He said residents and refugees in Kala-Balge had resorted to
walking 12 miles to the Cameroonian border to buy food. “Last month we received
some food aid from the government but he had to come by helicopter because the
roads are completely cut off.”
The elephants in north-east Nigeria make up one of the last
great herds in west Africa.
Their first sighting in the region since the Boko Haram insurgency began was in
December last year.
“It is a very dangerous area for the elephants because of
issues with the local populations and because there is still fighting,” said
Peter Ayuba, the director of forests and wildlife in Borno state. “The
elephants shouldn’t ordinarily be in Kala-Balge but the main issue is the
conflict. The people need a place to live and farm their crops and the
elephants also need peaceful areas to travel. The insecurity has affected their
migratory routes because before there were many settlements of people but
everywhere is now open.”
Before the herd arrived in October, Nigeria was estimated to
have an elephant population of only about 300, scattered in small groups across
the country and highly vulnerable to poaching for their ivory.
Dolmia Malachie, a conservationist with the Elephant
Protection Initiative, said work to protect the animals had been hampered by
insecurity across west Africa. “Last year we put a radio collar on one of these
elephants in Chad, we tracked the movements and migratory patterns. Sadly, the
animal was killed earlier this year in Nigeria,” he said. “We need the
governments of the Lake Chad area to work together to secure the survival of
these elephants.”
Two national parks in Cameroon provided vital terrain for
the animals, but the jihadist insurgency in the Lake Chad area and conflict
spreading across the Sahel has left the elephants exposed to greater threats. Taskforces
set up to tackle poaching face threats to their safety when operating in the
region.
The Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad area has forced 2
million people to flee their homes and caused tens of thousands of deaths.
FILES) In this file photo taken on September 23, 2020 US Attorney General William Barr speaks during a discussion with state attorneys general on protection from social media abuses in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP/PHOTO
US Attorney General William Barr gave federal prosecutors
blanket authorization Monday to open investigations into voting irregularities,
as President Donald Trump repeated unfounded claims he lost the
presidential election due to fraud.
Barr, long a close defender of Trump, stressed that his
letter to US attorneys around the country was not an indication that the
Justice Department had evidence yet of genuine cases of fraud in the election
won by Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
But he unleashed the prosecutors from former restrictions on
such probes, just as Republicans leveled claims of illegal voting and
vote-counting in several states, claims that still await solid evidence.
“Given that voting in our current elections has now
concluded, I authorize you to pursue substantial allegations of voting and vote
tabulation irregularities prior to the certification of elections in your
jurisdictions in certain cases,” Barr said in the letter.
“Such inquiries and reviews may be conducted if there are
clear and apparently-credible allegations of irregularities that, if true,
could potentially impact the outcome of a federal election in an individual
state.”
Voting fraud investigations are normally the purview of
individual states, which establish and police their own election rules.
Justice Department policy has been to hold back any federal
involvement until vote tallies are certified, recounts completed and races
concluded.
But Barr told the attorneys that “practice has never been a
hard and fast rule,” and stressed that, if they see anything that could reverse
the results of last Tuesday’s election, they should pursue it.
“While serious allegations should be handled with great
care, specious, speculative, fanciful or far-fetched claims should not be a
basis for initiating federal inquiries,” he wrote.
US media reported that the head of the Justice Department’s
Election Crimes Branch, which oversees investigations into voter fraud,
resigned following Barr’s order.
The branch director, Richard Pilger, reportedly handed in
his resignation within hours of Barr’s authorization.
In an email to colleagues about Barr’s order, Pilger said,
“Having familiarized myself with the new policy and its ramifications… I must
regretfully resign from my role,” The New York Times reported.
Barr’s order came as Trump battles to reverse
Biden’s narrow wins in several key states — Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia and
Arizona — that gave Barack Obama’s former vice president enough electoral
votes to win the overall presidential election.
The Trump campaign and the Republican party have
filed or threatened lawsuits in several of the states, hoping to change the
outcome with ballot disqualifications and recounts.
But so far, their actions have gone nowhere, and state
officials have challenged them to provide proof of allegations.
Trump had reportedly pressured Barr to get involved on
his behalf even weeks before the election.
But the attorney general had disappeared from public view
for several weeks, until Monday when he was seen meeting with Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell.
POPULAR Harare socialite and businessman Genius 'Ginimbi
Kadungure' died on the spot early Sunday morning in a head-on car accident
along Borrowdale Road, in Harare.
Exiled former minister Saviour Kasukuwere also confirmed
Ginimbi's death.
"This is unbearable. A young man who worked hard and
enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi.
MHDSRIP," said Kasukuwere.
Genius Kadungure~This is unbearable. A youngman who worked
hard and enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi.
MHDSRIP pic.twitter.com/Cj2TR3EwgM
- Saviour Kasukuwere (@Hon_Kasukuwere) November 8, 2020
Sources say Ginimbi was speeding when he crashed and was
thrown out of the vehicle, which later burst into flames. He is the owner of
Pioneer Gas and PIKO Group.
Ginimbi's lifeless body lies on the ground covered by tree
branches
The luxury car that would eventually take his life
A relative told the media this morning that the businessman
had two other passengers in his car who were "burnt beyond recognition".
Their identities could not be readily established.
Kadungure, according to the relative, managed to exit the
car soon after the crash but died immediately.
The crash happened along a curve just before Hatcliff suburb
on the road to Domboshava. The businessman owned a mansion in the peri-urban
settlement.
Witnesses say he was speeding.
The driver of the Honda Fit car that got involved in the
accident with Ginimbi survived the crash but is said to be in shock.
His death follows that of his mother just a few months ago.
During Biden's victory speech message to Trump supporters
Democrat Joe Biden has won the US presidential
election defeating Donald Trump.
His victory came after more than three days of
uncertainty as election officials sorted through a surge of mail-in votes that
delayed the processing of some ballots. Biden, 77, crossed 270 Electoral
College votes with a win in Pennsylvania.
In a tweet he said he would work for "all
Americans".
America, I’m honored that you have chosen me to lead our great country.
The work ahead of us will be hard, but I promise you this: I will be a President for all Americans — whether you voted for me or not.
Trump seized on delays in processing the vote
in some states to allege unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and argue that
his rival was trying to seize power.
Trump said in a tweet an hour before the vote
was called that he was in fact the winner.
The Trump campaign has indicated their
candidate does not plan to concede.
The result makes Trump the first one-term
president since 1992.
Meanwhile, Biden will be the oldest president
ever to serve. It was his third try for the top job.
Kamala Harris also made history as the first
Black woman to become vice president, an achievement that comes as the US faces
a reckoning on racial justice.
The California senator, who is also the first
person of South Asian descent elected to the vice presidency, will become the
highest-ranking woman ever to serve in government, four years after Trump
defeated Hillary Clinton.
The South Sudanese vice president invited Morocco to finance basic infrastructure in the war-ridden country (Archive photo).
South Sudan’s Vice President, Hussein Abdelbagi, has
expressed his country’s aspiration to strengthen economic ties with Morocco.
During a recent interview with Morocco’s state media,
Abdelbagi said that South Sudan can benefit from Morocco’s expertise in various
fields.
The senior South Sudanese official recalled King Mohammed VI’s visit to the East African country in
2017. During the visit, Morocco and South Sudan signed nine agreements and
memoranda of understanding in different fields, including agriculture,
industry, and food security.
“The historic visit … was and remains greatly appreciated by
the South Sudanese people,” Abdelbagi said.
“Although a few years have passed since this historic royal
visit, its positive effects and fruits still push relations between Morocco and
South Sudan to increased bilateral coordination on regional and international
issues, and we look forward to a new visit,” he continued.
Abdelbagi invited Moroccan investors to expand in South Sudan, extolling the country’s natural resources.
He also shared his hopes that Morocco takes part in the
financing of basic infrastructure projects, such as schools, hospitals, and
drinking water facilities.
“We look forward to benefiting from Moroccan experience in
all fields, including education, health, and civil service, as well as in the
sectors of industry, agriculture, and construction,” he said.
Abdelbagi’s statements come as South Sudan is still living
the aftermath of a six-year-long civil war. The military conflict became less
violent in February 2020, after the creation of a coalition government.
However, basic infrastructure in the country’s major urban centers, including
the capital Juba, has been severely damaged.
South Sudan backs Morocco in the Western Sahara issue. In
August, the new South Sudanese Ambassador to Morocco, Reik Puok Riek, said his
country supports Morocco’s territorial integrity.
“We support the Kingdom of Morocco in its position regarding
the [Western Sahara] issue and we support the sovereignty of the Kingdom of
Morocco,” he said during a meeting with the Moroccan Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Nasser Bourita.
Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes after the fire swept through forest near the coastal city of Tipaza. (Shutterstock)
ALGIERS: A wildfire has killed two people west of the
Algerian capital, the emergency services said Saturday, one of a spate of
seasonal blazes to hit the north African country.
Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes after the fire swept through
forest near the coastal city of Tipaza trapping and killing two men in a
chicken coop.
More than 50 additional firefighters were dispatched from Algiers to help
tackle the blaze which broke out on Friday night.
Over the past 24 hours, fires have been reported in northern Algeria in 10 of
the country's 58 provinces.
Already in September, authorities in Tipaza announced their worst year for
wildfires since 2010, with nearly 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of forest or crops
destroyed.
Every year, Algeria loses up to one percent of its vegetation to seasonal
wildfires, according to the forestry department.
Last year, it lost 21,048 hectares (more than 52,000 acres) between June 1 and
October 31.2 HOURS AGO
FILE PHOTO: People wait to receive goods from volunteers during food and water distribution to the underprivileged and homeless, as Ghana enforces a partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi in efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Accra, Ghana. April 4, 2020. REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo
The Ghanaian government has urged political parties to
ensure their members observe the new coronavirus prevention protocols during
their party activities ahead of the December elections, a health official said
here Friday.
Anthony Nsiah-Asare, the special presidential advisor on
health, said the national COVID-19 task force has been holding talks with the
parties to prevent any spikes in infections through party campaign activities.
“We have urged the parties to insist on strict adherence to
the wearing of face masks, social distancing, and proper hand hygiene during
their campaign activities,” Nsiah-Asare said at an open forum with the
leadership of healthcare professionals and students.
He said the parties were also urged to make face masks and
sanitizers available as part of their paraphernalia they share among their
supporters.
The leadership of the health professionals in the West
African country has raised concerns about the flagrant disrespect for COVID-19
safety during political rallies.
Ghana’s COVID-19 infections totaled 48,788 with 320 deaths
on Friday.
Pascal Affi N’Guessan charged with creating a rival
government after President Alassane Ouattara won third term
Pascal Affi N’Guessan served as Ivory Coast’s prime minister from 2000 to 2003. Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images
The Ivorian opposition leader and former prime minister
Pascal Affi N’Guessan has been placed under arrest for creating a rival
government after President Alassane Ouattara’s election victory, his wife and a
spokeswoman have said.
Prosecutors in Ivory Coast are pursuing terrorism charges
against more than a dozen opposition leaders who boycotted the 31 October vote
in which Ouattara won a third
term in office and announced they were creating a transitional
council.
The standoff has raised fears of protracted instability in
the world’s top cocoa producer, whose disputed 2010 presidential election led
to a brief civil war. More than 40 people have died in clashes before and since
the latest vote.
N’Guessan was arrested overnight after the public prosecutor
confirmed on Friday that he was being sought by the police, his wife, Angeline
Kili, told Reuters.
“I confirm that my husband was arrested during the night,
but I don’t know where he is right now,” she said.
The police were not immediately available for comment.
N’Guessan served as prime minister from 2000-2003 under
President Laurent Gbagbo, whose refusal to concede defeat to Ouattara after the
2010 election led to a civil war that
killed an estimated 3,000 people.
The opposition claims Ouattara has violated the constitution
by seeking a third term. Ouattara says approval of a new constitution in 2016
restarted his mandate and allowed him to run again.
The landlocked southern African country boasts vast gold reserves
Zimbabwe looking underground for golden economic revival
Reeling from decades of economic mismanagement, Zimbabwe is
banking on gold to shore up revenue and tackle the upshots of rampant
hyperinflation, corruption and coronavirus restrictions.
Global gold prices have surged more than 30 percent this
year, topping a record $2,000 (1,700 euros) an ounce in August, as the precious
metal became a safe haven for investors in the face of Covid-induced
volatility.
The landlocked southern African country boasts vast gold
reserves, alongside chrome, diamonds, platinum and another 40 other
minerals.
The government is eyeing gold as a possible magic bullet for
an economy forecast to contract by a tenth this year, according to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to official figures, gold production in the first
eight months of 2020 rose 10 percent, driven especially by output from
small-scale miners.
Plans are under way to reap $12 billion (10.2 billion euros)
from mining by 2023, mainly through gold.
The sector already accounts for 60 percent of Zimbabwean
exports, raking in around $1 billion a year, and represents half of the
southern African country's foreign direct investment.
"Mining will be a leading sector in sustaining high and
shared growth," Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in a pre-budget
statement last month.
Gold is expected to bring in $4 billion a year by 2023,
followed by platinum at $3 billion, although the government gave few details
about how such a huge increase from current figures will be achieved.
- Not all that glitters -
And experts warn that the ambitious plans face big hurdles.
One is that miners, particularly small-scale miners, are not
happy with the system which requires them to sell their gold to the state-owned
buyer, Fidelity Printers and Refiners.
Under regulations set by its owner, Zimbabwe's central bank,
a maximum of 55 percent is paid to small-scale miners in foreign currency, with
the remaining 45 percent in Zimbabwean dollars, which is notorious for its
weakness.
"The money is not coming in(to) the formal
system," economist Persistence Gwanyanya told AFP.
The government has promised new regulations to stem gold
leaving the country illegally.
Even so, policy inconsistencies and delayed payments for
bullion deliveries are frustrating the few international mining companies
operating in the country.
Large-scale gold producers are subjected to a more generous
70 percent foreign currency threshold for their sale proceeds.
But analyst Robert Besseling, head of the Exx Africa
business risk consultancy, said growing back the economy on buoyant global gold
prices was "unrealistic".
Mining sector "growth will be impeded by foreign
exchange shortages and a weakening national currency, as well as rampant
hyperinflation," Besseling told AFP, adding that investors were likely to
be put off by economic and political instability.
"Companies are struggling to secure inputs, and export
capacity is already at a limit due to poor infrastructure."
Mining giant RioZim, the country's top producer, halted
production in June after failing to be able to cover its operational expenses.
- 'Organised crime' -
For the moment, however, the government has yet to get a
handle on gold being smuggled out of the country.
Artisanal miners, many of whom have joined the gold rush to
escape poverty, are thought to be the source of much of the smuggled gold.
Last month, the head of Zimbabwe's artisanal and small-scale
mining federation was busted with six kilos (13 pounds) of gold worth over
$360,000 (305,000 euros) in her hand luggage just before boarding a flight to
Dubai.
Henrietta Rushwaya, 53, is now facing smuggling charges as
prosecutors accused her of being part of a wider syndicate.
"This is a classic example of organised crime because
of the manner in which the execution of the offence was carried out,"
prosecutor Garudzo Siyadhuma said during a court hearing last week.
Six other people have been arrested over the case. One of
them, an airport intelligence officer, allegedly mentioned President Emmerson
Mnangagwa's wife and son as the owners of the contraband.
Prosecutors and government officials have accused him of
namedropping to mislead investigators and evade justice.
The scandal is suspected to be just the tip of a gold
smuggling iceberg diverting hundreds of millions of dollars out of the country.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe recently estimated
that Zimbabwe loses at least $1.2 billion a year through the illicit gold
trade.
Sudan has partially closed its border with Ethiopia,
according to Suna, the Sudanese news agency.
The closure was announced Thursday by the acting wali
(governor) of Kassala State and secretary-general of the state’s government,
Fathal-Rahman Al-Amin, according to Suna.
He said a committee would decide what to do about
civilians seeking refuge in Sudan.
The move follows tension in the northern Ethiopian region of
Tigray, where the federal government has launched a military campaign.
The Ethiopian air force reportedly bombed military
facilities in Tigray on Friday.
On Wednesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered
troops into Tigray in reaction to a deadly attack on a federal military base in
the regional capital, Mekele.
Abiy’s administration blames the Tigray People’s Liberation
Front (TPLF), which controls the regional government, for the attack.
Aiby tweeted Saturday that his administration would
“continue to take necessary law enforcement measures to safeguard & advance
our nascent process of democratization from rogue political actors.”
The regional government in Tigray said on Facebook that a
number of Tigrayans serving in the army and as federal police officers were
dismissed while others were placed under house arrest.
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has taken refuge at
the residence of the German ambassador after losing the country's election. He
contests the results, which virtually wiped out the opposition Chadema party.
Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu
The leader of Tanzania's main opposition Chadema party Tundu
Lissu has told DW that he fears for his life after losing
a highly controversial election that observers say effectively
turned the East African country into a one-party state.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli won the election on
October 30 with 84% of the vote, to Lissu's 13%, though the opposition
alleged widespread voter intimidation and corruption. Lissu was
also briefly detained by police earlier this week after calling
for a national protest.
Speaking from the residence of German ambassador Regine Hess
in Dar es Salaam, where the presidential candidate fled on Monday, Lissu said
he had been pursued by Tanzanian police officers and that an order to kill him
had already been issued.
Lissu, 52, survived an assassination attempt in 2017, when
he was shot multiple times in his car. He returned to Tanzania this summer to
contest last week's election after spending three years recovering in exile. He
had most recently been living in Belgium.
He spoke to DW Kiswahili's Lilian Mtono.
Lissu:I am living in the ambassador's residence because my
life is not safe. Since last Saturday I am receiving messages threatening my
life. So I left my home since Sunday. On Monday, I went to the embassy. I was
followed by Tanzanian police officers who were in two vehicles. I was arrested
and taken to the Central Police Station. If it were not for the presence of
officials of the German embassy, I would probably on that day not have returned
back to my home.
DW: You say you started getting threats on Saturday before moving to the
residence of the ambassador — what type of threats did you receive and who
exactly was threatening you?
Lissu: On Saturday, I was called by someone who did not identify himself. He
told me, "according to orders given to us, we are to finish you up once
and for all." And shortly afterward, I received a call from another
person. He told me the same message: That an order to finish me has been
issued: "So if you can save yourself, do so."
DW: So those who gave you information were the ones sent to kill you, or were
they good Samaritans?
Lissu: I think in the manner in which they expressed themselves, they are
people who are part of the group sent but they do not agree with these things.
DW: Until when will you be there [at the Ambassador's residence]?
Lissu: I will be here until my safety is guaranteed. I don't like staying here.
I have nothing to do here. I am a busy person with a lot of things to do. So I
want to leave here as fast as possible and unfortunately, I cannot know when
this can happen. Because those who are supposed to ensure my safety seem not to
want to commit themselves that when I come out, I shall be safe.
DW: Why do say that?
Lissu: Because since I came here, there have been efforts of ambassadors from
different countries to tell the government of Tanzania that what is happening
is not right. And until now those efforts have not succeeded.
DW: And when you successfully leave the residence, will you continue to stay in
the country or will you return to Belgium?
Lissu: I shall leave to return to Belgium because the security situation at the
moment is not good at all. These threats are things I have to take seriously
and give them special weight and consideration.
DW: Maybe you still see yourself vying for the presidency in the next
elections? And will you continue with your political activism?
Lissu: Let us pray to God to give us life and preserve us to know how the
coming years will be for us. But what I can say very openly is that activism is
my life.
This interview was translated from the original Kiswahili.
Dispute between former coalition partners has led to clashes and airstrikes in the northern area
Mekele, the regional capital of Tigray, among the locations hit by airstrikes on Friday. Photograph: Maggie Fick/Reuters
Ethiopia has
further intensified the pressure on the country’s restive northern Tigray
region by moving to replace the local leadership with a new centrally imposed
administration.
The move comes amid clashes between Tigrayan and national
military forces that have brought Africa’s second most populous nation to the
brink of what analysts say could be a long drawn-out and bloody civil war.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has called for
an immediate de-escalation of tensions and a peaceful resolution to the dispute
but there currently appears to be little desire to talk on either side.
In a statement on Saturday, Abiy
Ahmed, who won the Nobel peace prize last year for ending a long-running
conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, said “criminal elements cannot escape the
rule of law under the guise of seeking reconciliation and a call for dialogue”.
“Our operation aims to end the impunity that has prevailed
for far too long and hold accountable individuals and groups under the laws of
the land,” Abiy said.
The vote on Saturday by the upper house of parliament now
gives Abiy the power to replace a Tigray leadership his government regards as
illegal.
A statement posted on the Facebook page of the Tigray
government said it would win the “justified” war, and added that “a fighter
will not negotiate with their enemies”.
“Tigray’s people are now armed with modern weaponry that
could reach the seat of the infidels,” it added, an apparent reference to
Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
The government of Abiy Ahmed launched military operations in
Tigray on Wednesday, after the prime minister accused local
leaders from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of attacking a
military camp in the region and attempting to loot military assets.
The TPLF denies the attack and has accused Abiy of
concocting the story to justify deploying the military.
Diplomats in Addis Ababa say there have been casualties on
both sides, but with internet and phone connections in Tigray cut there was no
confirmation or details of the reports.
Experts and diplomats are watching in dismay as two heavily
armed forces clash in one of the world’s most strategic yet vulnerable regions,
the Horn of Africa.
Observers warn that a civil war in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous
country with 115 million people, could destabilise fragile neighbours such as
Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.
The TPLF dominated the country’s military and government for
almost 30 years before Abiy took office in 2018. However, the sweeping
political reforms that the new 44-year-old prime minister pushed through in his
first months of power left the TPLF feeling marginalised, and it broke away
last year when Abiy sought to turn the coalition into a single party called
Prosperity.
Tensions rose in recent weeks as the Tigray region,
objecting to the delay of the national election until next year after the
Covid-19 outbreak, held a local poll in September that the federal government
called illegal.
The fighting began early on Wednesday when Abiy accused the
TPLF forces of attacking a military base in Tigray. In an escalation on Friday,
Abiy announced that airstrikes in
locations around the Tigray capital “completely destroyed
rockets and other heavy weapons” and made a retaliatory attack impossible.
The military operations will continue, the prime minister
said, and he warned the Tigray population: “In order to avoid unexpected peril,
I advise that you limit group movements in cities.”
The Tigray region is home to a large portion of the federal
military personnel and the location of much of its equipment, a legacy of
Ethiopia’s 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea, its northern neighbour.
Some analysts estimate that Tigray could muster more than
half of the armed forces’ total personnel and mechanised divisions, meaning
that neither side could be confident of a swift victory.
Experts fear a protracted and disastrous conflict that could
“seriously strain an Ethiopian state already buffeted by multiple grave
political challenges, and send shockwaves … beyond”.
“A war that many Ethiopians feared was possible but hoped
would never happen appears to be under way … Unless urgently halted [it] will
be devastating not just for the country but for the entire Horn of
Africa,” the
International Crisis Group said in a briefing on Thursday.
Aid groups warn of a potential humanitarian disaster.
They stand tall and proud, with their pointed tops piercing the sky, seemingly untouched by all that takes place around them.
The Giza pyramids will serve as the backdrop for ‘Forever is Now.’ (Shutterstock)
The Giza pyramids — oldest of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World — will serve as the backdrop for “Forever is Now,” an exhibition
scheduled to run from Oct. 23 until mid-November 2021, showcasing works by
Egyptian and international artists.
The exhibition is the fourth staged by Art D’Egypte, a
company launched in 2016 to promote contemporary Egyptian art through shows at
historic sites around the country. Previous exhibitions have been staged in the
Manial Palace, the Egyptian Museum and at four heritage sites on Mu’iz Street
in historic Cairo.
“This iconic exhibition will show how Egypt became the
cradle of civilization and how it continues to open its arms to the world,”
Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art D’Egypte, told Arab News.
“For many, the ancient Egyptian civilization is the origin
of all art. Throughout history artists from around the world have been
influenced by ancient Egypt.”
The “Forever Is Now” exhibition is co-curated by Simon
Watson and Ghaffar, and will be presented by the Egyptian Ministry of
Tourism and Antiquities, led by Khaled El-Enany, under the patronage of the
UNESCO National Committee in Egypt.
“Forever Is Now” features international artists, is
co-curated by a French-Egyptian and an American, and will offer a
cross-cultural vision, showcasing ancient Egypt as an enduring source of
inspiration for contemporary artists throughout history.
Viewing contemporary art against the backdrop of the Giza
pyramids may well be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it is coming at a
time when the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. Yet
Ghaffar is steadfast in her aims.
“Our curatorial vision did not change because of the
pandemic,” she said. “We are in awe of the ancient Egyptian civilization and
are even more so now due to the pandemic. These monuments survived pandemics
and wars. The pyramids are a testament to the importance of culture and heritage.
“Most of the pieces will be site-specific and will shed
light on the influence ancient Egypt has on artists today, like the form of the
pyramid itself,” she added.
“The exhibition is about today,” said Ghaffar. “It is an
exhibition of hope. Things will get better. No matter what happens, humanity
can overcome it, and paying tribute to culture and heritage is crucial now.”
Paula White-Cain leads prayers for Donald Trump. PHOTO: Jim Watson/AFP
Popular American preacher and chair of the evangelical
advisory board in Donald Trump’s administration Paula White-Cain on
Wednesday lead prayers for
Trump’s victory in US election.
During the prayer session which was held at the City of
Destiny, White-Cain claimed that demonic people are working at high level with
demonic plans in the election.
She, however, prayed for victory for her principal.
“You will give us victory, God. I hear the sound of an
abundance of rain. I hear the sound of victory. I hear the sound of shouting
and singing. I hear a sound of victory. The Lord says it is done. I hear
victory! Victory! Victory!” White-Cain said.
She also called for ‘angelic reinforcement’ from Africa and
South America to give Donald Trump victory.
“Angels are being released right now. Angels are being dispatched
right now. From Africa, from South America. Angelic reinforcement,” she said.
Meanwhile, Democratic’s Joe Biden leads the race as the
contest for the White House tightens in the Battleground States.
By flipping the northern battlegrounds of Michigan and
Wisconsin, Biden reached 264 electoral votes against 214 so far for Trump and
votes continue to be counted.
A fall surge of COVID-19 — the one experts warned for months
was likely — seems to be in full effect, as the United States reported
100,000 new daily cases for the first time on Thursday.
That staggering number comes less than a week after
surpassing more than 9 million confirmed cases, which is more than any other
country.
It also comes two days after Americans went to the polls to
elect a president, though the virus wasn't on most voters' minds: only
1 in 6 voters cited the pandemic as most important to their vote.
Cases are on the rise in the U.S. and across the globe, as
numerous other countries tighten restrictions and some prepare for more
lockdowns. According to an analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University, the
last 1,000,000 coronavirus cases confirmed worldwide were reported in less than
36 hours — a rate of 7.8 cases every second.
Kim Kardashian hasn't revealed whether she voted for her
husband, but Kanye says he voted for "someone I truly trust... me."
Kanye West reportedly spent around $12m on his unsuccessful presidential campaign... but he says he'll be back for more in 2024
Kanye West's hopes of becoming the next US president have
been dashed - but the rapper has assured fans he'll be back in 2024.
West launched his campaign
back in July, but had only made it on to the presidential ballot in a handful
of states due to a combination of missed deadlines and lack of signatures.
The 21-time Grammy winner is reported to have received
around 57,000 votes across the 12 states in which he was in the running. More
than 130 million votes have been counted so far.
West shared a photo of himself silhouetted against the US
electoral map on social media, with the message: "Welp Kanye 2024."
"Welp" is an informal way of saying "oh
well" and signifies disappointment.
However, deciding to look on the bright side nevertheless,
West later modified his message simply to read "Kanye 2024".
The singer also shared a collection of photos on social
media, showing him voting for the first time - for himself.
West cast his vote in Cody, Wyoming, tweeting: "God is
so good Smiling face with smiling eyes Today I am voting for the first time in
my life for the President of the United States, and it's for someone I truly
trust...me."
West had physically written himself in as a candidate on the
ballot, as he did not receive enough signatures to stand as an independent
candidate in Wyoming.
West had also encouraged his fans to vote for him by adding
him as a write-in candidate on their own ballot papers.
There had been concern among many that West's campaign could
divert some black voters away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
Celebrities including Jennifer Aniston had also
criticised those intending to vote for West, saying "it's not funny to
vote for Kanye" and urging voters to "be responsible".
While the rapper's wife Kim Kardashian shared a photo on
social media declaring "I voted", she declined to say whether it was
for her husband or not.
I VOTED!!!! Did you?!?!
If you are in line when the hours of operation close at the polls, they are required to stay open and allow you to vote, so do not get out of line. pic.twitter.com/QXsU4JPdCw
President Trump announcing the US pull out from Paris in June 2017
After a three-year delay, the US has become the first nation in
the world to formally withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.
President
Trump announced the move in June 2017, but UN regulations meant that his
decision only takes effect today, the day after the US election.
The US could
re-join it in future, should a president choose to do so.
The Paris
deal was drafted in 2015 to strengthen the global response to the threat of
climate change.
It aims to
keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2C above
pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase
even further to 1.5C.
Why has this taken so long?
The delay is down to the complex rules that were built into
the Paris agreement to cope with the possibility that a future US president
might decide to withdraw the country from the deal.
Protestors objecting to President Trump's climate policies project their message onto one of his hotels
Previous
attempts to put together a global pact on climate change had foundered because
of internal US politics.
The Clinton
administration was unable to secure Senate backing for the Kyoto Protocol, agreed in 1997.
So in the
run up to the Paris climate talks, President Obama's negotiators wanted to
ensure that it would take time for the US to get out if there was a change in
leadership.
Even though
the agreement was signed in December 2015, the treaty only came into force on
4 November 2016, 30 days after at least 55 countries
representing 55% of global emissions had ratified it.
No country
could give notice to leave the agreement until three years had passed from the
date of ratification.
Even then, a
member state still had to serve a 12-month notice period on the UN.
So, despite President Trump's White
House announcement in June 2017, the US was only able to
formally give notice to the UN in November last year. The time has elapsed and
the US is now out.
What will the withdrawal mean in practice?
While the US now represents around 15% of global greenhouse
gas emissions, it remains the world's biggest and most powerful economy.
So when it becomes the only country to withdraw from a
global solution to a global problem it raises questions of trust.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry holds his granddaughter as he signs the Paris agreement at the UN
"Being out formally obviously hurts the US
reputation," said Andrew Light, a former senior climate change official in
the Obama administration.
"This will be the second time that the United States
has been the primary force behind negotiating a new climate deal - with the
Kyoto Protocol we never ratified it, in the case of the Paris Agreement, we
left it."
"So, I think it's obviously a problem."
How is the US pull out being viewed?
Although this has been a long time coming, there is still a
palpable sense of disappointment for many Americans who believe that climate
change is the biggest global challenge and the US should be leading the fight
against it.
"The decision to leave the Paris agreement was wrong
when it was announced and it is still wrong today," said Helen Mountford
from the World Resources Institute.
"Simply put the US should stay with the other 189
parties to the agreement, not go out alone."
The formal withdrawal has also re-opened old wounds for
climate diplomats.
"It's definitely a big blow to the Paris
agreement," said Carlos Fuller, from Belize, the lead negotiator for the Alliance
of Small Island States in the UN talks.
"We actually worked very hard to ensure that every
country in the world could accede to this new agreement. And so, by losing one,
we feel that basically we have failed."
Others say that the US pull-out is partly due to the failure
of the Obama administration to have the Paris agreement ratified by the US
Senate.
"What Obama did at the end of his second term was
fundamentally undemocratic, to sign up to a Paris agreement without going to
the Senate and the Congress and instead doing it via executive order,"
said former UN climate chief, Yvo De Boer.
"And then, in a way, you're setting yourself up for
what has happened now."
Could the US re-join the agreement?
Yes, it could.
In fact, while on the campaign trail, Joe Biden said he
would seek to re-join as soon as possible - if he was elected President.
Under the rules, all that is required is a month's notice
and the US should be back in the fold.
However, even if the US chose to re-enter the agreement,
there would be consequences for being out - even for a few months.
"We know that the UK and the EU and the UN Secretary
General are planning an event on 12 December, on the fifth anniversary of the
conclusion of negotiations for the Paris agreement, where they're going to try
to drive more ambition," said Andrew Light.
"Under the Paris rules, the US will not be able to
participate in that."
Not everyone in the US is upset to leave the Paris
agreement?
President Trump made leaving Paris a key part of his
election platform in 2016, tying it into his vision of a revitalised US with
booming energy production, especially coal and oil.
His perspective on the Paris agreement was that it was
unfair to the US, leaving countries like India and China free to use fossil
fuels while the US had to curb their carbon.
"I'm not sure what Paris actually accomplishes,"
said Katie Tubb, a senior policy analyst at the Heritage
Foundation, a conservative US think tank.
"In terms of getting to the end of the century, if the
goal is to reduce global temperatures, it just can't be done on the backs of
the industrialised world."
"No matter what you think about global warming, and the
nature of it, the pace of it, you have to take these growing economies
seriously, and help them and I just didn't see Paris getting to that end, in
any efficient or constructive manner."
How have US opponents of the pull-out reacted over the
past three years?
In the wake of the President's announcement back in 2017, a
number of states and businesses have pledged to continue cutting carbon and to
try and make up for the Federal government's decision to walk away from the US
commitment under Paris.
Among them are America's Pledge, put together by former California
governor Jerry Brown and the former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg.
They say that states and cities will help cut US emissions
by 19% compared to 2025 from what they were in 2005 - that's not enough to make
up for the US promise under Paris but it keeps those targets "within
reach".
At UN climate talks, groups representing states and cities that want to remain in the Paris pact have made their presence felt
"The public understands that fighting climate change
goes hand in hand with protecting our health and growing our economy,"
said Michael Bloomberg in a statement.
"So despite the White House's best efforts to drag our
country backward, it hasn't stopped our climate progress over the past four
years."
On the business front, there has been growing pressure from
shareholders of large fossil fuel-based industries to face up to the climate
challenge.
A proposal filed by BNP Paribas Asset Management won a 53%
majority vote at Chevron - it called on the oil giant to ensure that its
climate lobbying was in line with the goals of the Paris agreement.
Will other countries now leave the agreement?
"I don't think anyone will follow Mr Trump out of
Paris," said Peter Betts, a former lead negotiator for the UK and the EU
in the global climate negotiations, and now an associate fellow at Chatham House.
"Nobody has in the last four years and I don't think
they will in the future."
Some are worried that the US withdrawal will see other
countries adopt a go-slow attitude, at a time when scientists are saying that
efforts should be speeded up.
China's President Xi speaking to the UN on climate change, seen on an outdoor screen in Beijing
"They
are biding their time, they are saying that if the US is not in then we don't
need to rush to do anything at this time'," said Carlos Fuller, lead
negotiator from the Alliance of Small Island States.
"I
think they are hedging their bets to see what kind of a better deal they can
get out of it, and not actually withdraw."
Others are
hopeful that the US withdrawal will drive a sense of unity among others, and
see new leadership emerge.
"The EU
green deal and carbon neutrality commitments
from China, Japan and South Korea point to the inevitability of
our collective transition off fossil fuels," said Laurence Tubiana, one of
the architects of the Paris agreement and now chief executive of the European Climate Foundation.
"There
were always going to be speed bumps as the global economy shifted off oil, gas
and coal - but the overall direction of travel is clear. As governments prepare
stimulus packages to rescue their economies from covid-19 it's vital they
invest in technologies of the future, not the past."
Posts
