Thousands Of Tunisians Protest Against The President

Thousands of Tunisians Protest Against President TUNISIA Tunisia Thousands of Tunisians marched through the capital Saturday in the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years over worsening living conditions and restrictions on political freedoms. More than 3,000 people took part in the demonstration in Tunis, although the total could not be independently confirmed. The march was led by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) alongside opposition parties and civil society organizations. Demonstrators marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, a focal point of the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and helped trigger the Arab Spring protests across the region. Protesters called for the release of Saied’s critics and an end to what they described as attacks on trade union rights, while also voicing anger over unemployment, poverty and deteriorating public services. Tunisia has faced years of economic difficulties, including recurring water and electricity cuts, as well as shortages of medicines and other essential goods. Saturday’s demonstration followed protests in August over rising prices and shortages, while fuel transport workers held a two-day strike last month over wages and working conditions. The protest also marked a rare show of unity among opposition groups whose longstanding divisions have weakened their ability to mobilize against Saied. Saied expanded his powers in 2021 and 2022 by dissolving parliament, dismissing dozens of judges and ruling by decree. Opponents described the moves as a coup, while rights groups accuse his government of intensifying a crackdown on journalists, civil society and political opponents. Saied rejects accusations that he is a dictator and has accused his opponents of engineering economic crises to fuel unrest.

Mauritius Extends Curfew Following Rare Unrest

Mauritius Extends Curfew Following Rare Unrest MAURITIUS Mauritius The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius extended a curfew Wednesday to contain violent unrest after protests against water shortages and the rising cost of living erupted over a police shooting of a civilian. Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam announced the curfew in a Tuesday televised address and said protesters were “acting against the interests of the country,” referring to its tourism industry and financial services hub, main pillars of the economy. The government later said it would extend the curfew to Friday morning, adding that classes in all nurseries, primary and secondary school facilities were suspended. Among the 15 areas targeted by the curfew were the capital Port Louis, as well as Bambous, La Gaulette and Goodlands. Protests broke out last week and were ongoing when a police officer allegedly shot Élodie Thomas, a 27-year-old woman, in the neck without warning while she was commuting home from work in a residential area south of Port Louis. Local media reported that a police officer was arrested in connection with the shooting, although authorities have not released details surrounding the incident. Police said they are investigating. Thomas remains in the hospital in critical condition. After the shooting, demonstrators took to the streets, burning tires, blocking roads and attacking police stations. The protests, the largest in 30 years, have seen nearly 100 people arrested, according to police. The government has condemned the violence, saying “those who have carried out these actions will have to face the very heavy consequences warranted by their anti-patriotic acts." Mauritius, a popular tourist destination and offshore banking center, has generally been regarded as one of the most stable countries in the region since its independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.

Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila Becomes Head of a New Political-Military Coalition

Former Congolese President Takes Over New Rebel Coalition DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila this week became the head of a new political-military coalition made up of rebel groups fighting government forces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), complicating the conflict and peace efforts in eastern DRC. The move comes after Kabila previously denied ties to the M23-led rebel alliance, backed by Rwanda, which seized large parts of the mineral-rich eastern DRC last year. In a statement Monday, the newly formed Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) said it aimed to unite and coordinate "resistance forces" to end "tyranny" in the DRC, pledging to pursue its goals "by all means, including force." The group’s adviser Claude Ibalanky said Kabila would lead the coalition alongside two vice presidents, Corneille Nangaa and Bertrand Bisimwa, while M23 leader Sultani Makenga would serve as military chief of staff. The DRC government did not comment on the announcement. The development comes a little more than a year after a DRC military court sentenced Kabila to death after convicting him of treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity over his alleged support for the M23-led rebellion. Kinshasa has repeatedly accused Kabila of supporting the M23 rebels, but the former president has rejected the allegations and described the case against him as politically motivated. Kabila governed the DRC from 2001 until 2019, after which he was succeeded by his former ally, current President Felix Tshisekedi. But the two leaders later fell out and Kabila went into self-imposed exile in 2023 before returning to the rebel-controlled eastern city of Goma last year. Days before FRN’s formation, Kabila delivered an address in which he accused Tshisekedi of corruption, failing to improve security and persecuting political opponents, and criticized the government’s mineral deal with the United States. Tshisekedi’s administration responded to his claims, with government spokesman Patrick Muyaya accusing Kabila of clinging to undemocratic practices. Observers warned that the new coalition could further complicate the conflict in eastern DRC, where more than 100 armed groups are fighting for political influence and control of the region’s vast mineral wealth.

Serial Killer Fears Put Spotlight On A Crime Crisis Stunting South Africa

Serial-Killer Fears Put Spotlight on a Crime Crisis Stunting South Africa SOUTH AFRICA South Africa For South African mother Nomgqibelo Tshabalala, worries over a serial killer targeting women in the Ekurhuleni area, east of Johannesburg, have made everyday activities a cause for alarm. “I am feeling a lot of fear and paranoia,” Tshabalala told Reuters. “My daughter caught an Uber yesterday and I did not sleep.” Since July, the bodies of 12 women have been found in the area, although police have not confirmed that the deaths are connected. The killings have focused attention on a violent-crime crisis that has haunted South Africa for decades, making it harder for one of Africa’s most industrialized economies to escape years of weak growth, unemployment and poverty. It has drained resources, discouraged investment and limited economic opportunities, impeding the country’s development. Crime costs the country at least 10 percent of GDP annually through stolen property and resources diverted to security and insurance as well as missed economic opportunities, according to the World Bank. Crime in South Africa “has contributed to lower profits, productivity, investor confidence and subsequently hindered economic growth and development,” said a study published in the International Journal of Economics and Business Administration. “As economies seek to develop through eliminating inequalities, alleviating poverty, and ensuring economic growth, crime often stands in the way, discouraging investments, fueling migration … thereby creating economic development disparities.” More recently, the rising economic threat is coming from organized crime: criminal groups extract money from businesses, disrupt essential services and infiltrate government institutions. Illegal mining syndicates exploit mineral wealth, while extortionists target businesses. Criminal groups have even sabotaged municipal water systems to create business for illicit tanker operators. “At the start of the decade, if you asked the bosses of South Africa’s firms to name the biggest problem facing their country, most would have said electricity,” wrote the Economist, referring to regular blackouts. “These days another subject is at the top of their list: organized crime.” In the construction sector, criminal groups use threats and violence to demand money or a cut of project contracts. The extortion rackets have delayed infrastructure projects and driven up costs. Analysts have attributed the construction mafia’s rise partly to backing from elements of the political elite. “The threat of violence over construction projects is a constant strain on those who work on them – the fear that they may be physically harmed, or their livelihoods destroyed,” said an analysis by organized-crime research program ENACT Africa. “For others, it’s an incentive to quit South Africa and offer their talents to countries where engineering and building are safe.” “What starts on construction sites doesn’t end there,” it added. “Its costs are counted in a low-growth economy, forfeited opportunities, and South Africa’s enduring developmental malaise.” Meanwhile, the illicit economy – illegal economic activity outside the tax and regulatory system – has grown from 5 percent of GDP two decades ago to an estimated 12 percent to 15 percent today, depriving legitimate businesses of revenue and the government of taxes. “Buying a cheap illicit product is not harmless – it funds organized crime, destroys jobs and deprives communities of schools, clinics and safe infrastructure,” South African Revenue Service Commissioner Edward Kieswetter wrote in Business Day. “South Africa cannot achieve inclusive growth, fiscal stability or economic recovery while a parallel illicit economy continues to thrive unchecked.” As a result, the continent’s richest country still struggles with a high poverty rate: almost 60 percent of its 65 million people live on around $8 a day, while the unemployment rate tops 30 percent. The most dangerous development may be organized crime’s reach into the state. The Madlanga Commission, investigating allegations of criminal infiltration and political interference in South Africa’s criminal justice system, recently heard testimony about collusion among criminals, police and political figures, raising questions about whether law enforcement can combat them. “Organized crime seldom defeats the state through superior force – it succeeds by exploiting institutional fragmentation,” criminologist Kholofelo Rakubu told South Africa’s Daily Maverick. “The greatest threat to organized crime is an independent criminal justice system. Equally, the greatest threat to the criminal justice system is organized crime that succeeds in influencing the institutions established to combat it.” Yet the exposure of those alleged links also offers hope, say observers. Investigations, public inquiries and prosecutions show institutions pushing back. Already, authorities said this summer they have initiated 770 cases and made 241 arrests involving construction-extortion schemes. Analysts say that it’s key to shore up weak institutions to stop the crime syndicates. “Accountability is the best form of organized-crime prevention,” said Anton du Plessis, CEO of South African business-backed anti-crime group Business Against Crime South Africa. “You cannot privatize the rule of law.”

Eritrean Troops Reportedly Cross The Border Into Ethiopia

Eritrean Troops Reportedly Cross the Border into Ethiopia, Raising Fears of Regional War ETHIOPIA/ ERITREA Eritrea and Ethiopia Eritrean troops were seen this week in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, raising fears that renewed fighting in the north could widen into another regional conflict as relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara continue to deteriorate. Ermiyas Ababu, a commander of the pro-government Tigray Peace Force based in the regional capital of Mekelle, told the Associated Press that Eritrean personnel entered the towns of Adigrat and Idaga Hamus earlier this week, adding that they were conducting surveillance. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) said Eritrean troops crossed the border near the town of Zelambesa Wednesday and came under drone attack at Guada while moving toward Idaga Hamus. ACLED said sources identified the troops by their uniforms, vehicles and license plates and attributed the strikes to Ethiopia’s military. Witnesses also reported suspected Ethiopian drone strikes on Eritrean positions. Neither Ethiopia nor Eritrea has publicly commented on the fighting. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel said Asmara was not in the business of refuting “wild allegations or narratives,” while accusing Ethiopia of jeopardizing regional peace through its pursuit of “sovereign access to the sea.” He did not explicitly confirm or deny that Eritrean troops had crossed the border. The reports follow the resumption of fighting between Ethiopian government forces and an opposition alliance that includes the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The TPLF joined six other opposition groups last month in an alliance aimed at ousting Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, with fighting escalating late last month and undermining the November 2022 peace agreement that ended a two-year civil war. Government-allied fighters entered Mekelle on Sunday after the TPLF withdrew. The Tigray Peace Force imposed an overnight curfew Wednesday. Government services had yet to resume Thursday and many businesses remained closed. Meanwhile, relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which fought a border war from 1998 to 2000, have also sharply worsened. Ties between the two countries improved when Abiy became prime minister in 2018. Eritrea fought alongside Ethiopia during the 2020-2022 Tigray war. However, relations deteriorated over the 2022 peace deal and Ethiopia’s push for Red Sea access. Ethiopia has long accused Eritrea of supporting the TPLF, allegations Eritrea has rejected. Last week, Eritrea severed diplomatic ties after Ethiopia expelled 10 Eritrean diplomats and closed its embassy in Asmara.

Ethioian Forces Retake Tigray Capital Mekelle

Ethiopian Forces Retake Tigray Capital Mekelle as Tensions With Eritrea Escalate ETHIOPIA Ethiopian federal forces and allied fighters recaptured the capital of the northern region of Tigray on Saturday after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) withdrew from the city, marking a major shift in renewed fighting that has shattered a 2022 peace deal and raised fears of a wider regional conflict. The TPLF said Saturday that it had “temporarily moved out” of Mekelle to operate elsewhere, hours after federal forces and pro-government fighters retook the city’s main airport. The Tigray Peace Force, a pro-government militia, said its fighters entered central Mekelle on Saturday afternoon, followed by the Ethiopian military. A humanitarian source and a resident also said government forces controlled the city. The latest fighting erupted on Sept. 23 after the TPLF and six other armed and political groups formed an alliance aimed at removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and establishing an inclusive transitional administration. The renewed hostilities effectively collapsed the 2022 peace deal that ended two years of war between federal forces and the TPLF. That conflict began in November 2020 after relations between Abiy’s government and the TPLF deteriorated. Federal troops – backed by Eritrea and allied militias – fought Tigrayan forces in a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people, displaced millions and largely cut Tigray off from the outside world. The recent fighting has already disrupted communications, banking and other services in Mekelle and severely hampered humanitarian operations across northern Ethiopia. It has also heightened fears that the conflict could draw in neighboring countries: Ethiopia has accused Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt of backing the opposition coalition. Sudan and Egypt denied involvement, while Eritrea also rejected allegations that its forces were fighting in Tigray. Relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have deteriorated sharply since the countries fought together against the TPLF in 2020-2022, particularly over Ethiopia’s push for direct access to the Red Sea. On Thursday, Ethiopia closed its embassy in Asmara and ordered 10 Eritrean diplomats to leave within 48 hours. Eritrea responded by severing diplomatic relations. Ethiopia also expelled an Egyptian diplomat, prompting Cairo to order an Ethiopian official to leave. The United States on Saturday urged Ethiopia and Eritrea to exercise “maximum restraint,” while the African Union called for diplomacy and warned against further regional destabilization.

The Fight For A New Map Reflecting Africa's Actual Size

The Fight for a New Map Reflecting Africa’s True Size Challenges Centuries of Western Dominance WORLD/ AFRICA When Nigerian-born Abimbola Ogundairo joined a campaign in 2024 to change the world map, she found that many people had no idea how misleading the prevailing version could be. The widely used Mercator projection, created in 1569, enlarges landmasses farther from the equator. On it, Africa, which is 14 times larger than Greenland, looks roughly the same size. “We live in a world where size is often equated with power,” Ogundairo, advocacy and campaigns lead at African advocacy group Africa No Filter, told Al Jazeera last year. “It has a damaging impact on the way we make decisions in our everyday lives, on how we make business decisions, the way we dream, and even the way non-Africans view the continent as a tourist destination and an investment destination. It’s the most lingering lie about Africa.” On Sept. 4, West African nation Togo took the “Correct the Map” campaign to the United Nations, where the General Assembly voted 164-1 to promote more accurate world maps. The initiative, launched by Africa No Filter and fellow advocacy group Speak Up Africa in 2024, had won African Union backing. Though nonbinding, the resolution encourages countries and international organizations to use the Equal Earth map, developed in 2018 (and pictured above), or other maps that accurately show continents’ relative sizes. Supporters say showing Africa at its true relative size could help change perceptions of its geopolitical importance. “Maps are not innocent drawings,” Carlos Lopes, a University of Cape Town professor, told South African radio station CapeTalk. “They influence what investors value, what policymakers prioritize, what journalists consider important.” The debate over Africa is part of a much older relationship between maps and geopolitical power, say observers. And as history is written by the victors, maps are drawn by the powerful. “Countries use maps to depict their real or imagined territorial reach,” wrote World Politics Review. “The map question relates to how countries of “the West” think about themselves. One must ask, of course, “west of what?” The answer depends on where you center a map.” Meanwhile, the United States, the only country to oppose the resolution, called the campaign part of a “much larger and more radical ideological project,” linking it to efforts to promote reparations for slavery and colonialism. Others wonder how much changing a map can accomplish when many of the continent’s political and institutional challenges, including legacies of colonialism, run far deeper than cartography. “You can fix a map, you can fix narratives and global credit rating agencies, but it doesn’t absolve African countries from also having to do the hard work of fixing their own problems,” Kenyan academic Ken Opalo, a professor at Georgetown University, told the Financial Times. Yet maps have figured in US President Donald Trump’s own geopolitical thinking. Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland was reportedly fueled in part by how “massive” the island appeared on a map – on Mercator, landmasses near the poles look much larger than they are. “Anyone who looks at Greenland with a Mercator projection, thinking that it is huge, needs remedial training in geography,” Mark Serreze, a geography professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, told Newsweek. Another target of Trump’s territorial ambitions, Canada, similarly looks much larger than it is. Meanwhile, the US reference to reparations comes as African countries are increasingly using international institutions to challenge longstanding Western interpretations of history and global power. The map resolution followed another African-led UN vote this year that declared the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement the “gravest crime against humanity” and called for reparatory justice. “These interventions in how we make sense of the world may be symbolic – but they are meaningful, and they are gaining ground,” the Guardian wrote, with its West Africa correspondent believing such victories could contribute to a “multipolar world order.” As global power shifts, the debate over who gets represented where – and at what scale – is unlikely to end with Africa. “To the extent that maps come to shape the way that we think about different places and people who inhabit them, maps structure our politics in ways that then have consequences,” Alex Moulton of Hunter College in New York City, told the Associated Press. “It is apprehending our world as we observe it and then putting that down as the truth of those things and that is an inherently political practice.”