Africa

Middle East Eye looked through public documents showing how a former Israeli intelligence officer lobbying for Sudan’s military council became a major player in war-torn Libya

Last week, around 1,000 members of Sudan’s notorious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were reported to have arrived in eastern Libya, joining the ranks of Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) which is waging war against the country’s UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

The civil war in Libya between the militias from the east and fighters from the west is escalating and keeps on drawing in foreign powers. One commander has been fighting for eight years — and sees no end in sight.

Against all odds, the popular revolts in Sudan and Algeria both succeeded in forcing the removal of their long-time autocratic leaders.

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) released new reports on the Muslim Brotherhood in 12 countries. The new reports detail the Sunni Islamist movement’s origins, history, violent activities, and government designations in: Algeria, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen.

Following months of fighting, Sudan’s current ruling military government and the political opposition have forged a power-sharing agreement.

What happens next in Sudan will depend in large part on the rivalries and divisions that characterize the current regime, which is far from a monolith.

Pro-democracy protesters in Sudan reemerged in full force to demand a transition to a civilian-led government; demonstrations were met with widespread violence.

La création de la monnaie unique de la Cedeao, sur les rails depuis le début des années 1980, sera-t-elle enfin une réalité en 2020 ? Les chefs d’État réunis samedi à Abuja ont entériné ce calendrier, et se sont entendus sur son nom : « Eco ». Reste à lever une série d’obstacles.

• On June 27, the Tunisian capital of Tunis was rocked by twin suicide blasts that killed one police officer and injured many others.
• One of the explosions hit a bus carrying Tunisia’s presidential guards, while the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via Amaq news agency.
• The attack occurred the same day that Tunisia’s 92-year old president, Beji Caid Essebsi, was admitted to the hospital with an unspecified but serious illness, thrusting the country into upheaval and political instability.
• Tunisia has been hailed as a country that successfully navigated the post-Arab spring period of political transition in North Africa, though significant demographic, security, and economic challenges have prevented further progress.

On June 27, the Tunisian capital was rocked by twin suicide blasts that killed one police officer and injured many others, including members of the security forces and civilians that were in the vicinity at the time of the bombings. The first attack took place close to the French Embassy, while the second occurred in the Qarajani district, close to several government and internal security buildings, including the complex belonging to Tunisia’s anti-terrorism brigades. The most recent attacks are likely to have a negative impact on tourism, a critical source of income for a country with an economy already mired in crisis.

By African Investigative Publishing Collective and ZAM team: David Dembélé (Mali), Theophilus Abbah (Nigeria), Charles Mafa and John Mukela (Zambia), T. Kaiwonda Gaye* (Liberia), Estacio Valoi (Mozambique), Purity Mukami with Africa Uncensored, Kenya

Presidential inaugural speeches give heads of states with a periodic opportunity to renew their social contract with their people. Carefully crafted and pored upon for, perhaps, weeks before their delivery, such political rhetoric are expected to leave sweet tastes in the mouth of their audience. Quotable quotes, take-away promises, renewal of hope, paradigm shifts and critical data that support government’s renewed zeal are the usual components of such epoch-making speeches. Some of these were not well-pronounced in President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech in 2019.