Africa

Guinea junta official blames corrupt leaders for Africa’s political instability

Published

3 years ago

August 31, 2023

DANSA Kourouma

Guinea junta official blames corrupt leaders for Africa’s political instability

DANSA Kourouma, president of Guinea’s National Transitional Council (NTC) has blamed political instability in Africa on corrupt and insensitive leaders who conspire with foreign interests to exploit the continent’s rich resources leaving the people impoverished and underdeveloped.

“The issue is Africa’s natural resources, which some foreign countries prefer to deal with undemocratic regimes to exploit,” said Kourouma, Guest Speaker at the Chatham House London, a leading British policy Think-tank, on 30^th August 2023.

Kourouma, 43, a medical doctor and civil society activist, could be described as Guinea’s de facto Prime Minister following his appointment in January 2022 to lead the 81-member legislative Council in the aftermath of the September 2021 coup led by Col. Mamady Doumbouya, that toppled elected President Alpha Conde.

Explaining the nexus between economic development and political stability, Dr Kourouma urged continental organisations such as the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to review their engagement and intervention strategies on economic management to avoid political crises.

For instance, he argued that ECOWAS was set up for economic integration, insisting that the original objective must take precedence over political integration.

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“ECOWAS should be restructured to effectively tackle issues related to economic infrastructure, as well as unemployment and illiteracy” affirmed Kourouma, who was accompanied by other Guinean officials including the country’s Ambassador to Britain Aly Diallo.

On election, which is a major cause of political crisis and instability in Africa, Dr Kourouma said the “political class must realise the power of the youths, who have mastered the technology of all aspects of the electoral process.”

The Doumbouya coup followed discontent and disaffection that greeted Conde’s ill-advised decision to change Guinea’s constitution through disputed referendum for his controversial third term project in 2020.

At the Chatham House event anchored by Dr Alex Vines, Director, Africa Programme, and attended by diplomats, researchers as well as security and governance experts, Dr Kourouma outlined the 10-element transition programme of the NTC.

The highlights are conducting two types of population census, preparing an electoral register, a new constitution, setting up an electoral body, and conducting elections (referendum, local, legislative, and presidential), culminating in the handover of power in 2025.

The 24-month transition timetable, which started in January 2023, was a compromise between the junta which had wanted a three-year programme and ECOWAS, which condemned the coup and had given the junta six months to restore constitutional order.

Asked if the junta would not go back on its words to seek further extension, Dr Kourouma said: The transition is difficult, there might be some delays, but we are on course.”

He said the NTC was working hard to deliver a credible voter’s role, through an electoral body with integrity, because previous elections in the country lacked transparency and did not reflect the will of the people.

“Our mission is to restructure the institutions to ensure that the more than one billion dollars realised from mining annually is accounted for,” the NTC President said.

On the Euro 600 million budgeted for the transition programme, he explained that no amount was too much for political stability in a Bauxite-rich Guinea.

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Dr Kourouma disclosed that the country was currently using its internal revenue and had not received any external financial support for the transition programme.

A Steering Committee, monitoring the transition implementation is made up of local and international stakeholders, such as ECOWAS and development partners, with former Benin Republic’s former President Yayi Boni, who has undertaken several missions to Conakry in his capacity as the ECOWAS Mediator on the Guinea crisis.

Dr Kourouma said the regional bloc has a responsibility to rally international support for the effective implementation of the transition programme for a seamless restoration of constitutional order in Guinea.

The NTC comprises representatives of Guinea political parties, civil society, armed forces, employers’ organisations, trade unions and other interest groups, including farmers.

Its role as a legislative body in the absence of a parliament is crucial to the implementation of the transition programme.

Dr Kourouma told the Chatham House audience that Guinea under the present military regime was making progress on governance issues, including by freeing all political detainees, adding that any politician or former public office holder aboard was free to return home.

The regime is also promoting human rights, the rule of law and press free freedom, he added.

Three of the four ECOWAS countries currently under military dictatorships are Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Like Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso are also implementing different transition programmes.

With Africa facing “military coup contagion” or “domino effect,” political leaders and the armed forces owe the citizens the constitutional obligation to play their part in line with international best practices in governance systems to ensure that Africa’s resources are used for its development and prosperity of its more than 400 million long-suffering people.

*Paul Ejime is a Global Affairs Analyst and Consultant on Peace & Security and Governance Communications

Guinea junta official blames corrupt leaders for Africa’s political instability

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Africa

South Africa: Two Women Arrested Over Alleged Rape, Kidnap of E-Hailing Driver

Published

7 days ago

September 13, 2026

Trends Admin

South Africa: Two Women Arrested Over Alleged Rape, Kidnap of E-Hailing Driver

South African police have arrested five suspects, including two women and a teenager, after a 25-year-old e-hailing driver was allegedly kidnapped, sexually assaulted and held for ransom in Cape Town.

The incident occurred in the Steenberg area of Cape Town on Saturday, September 12, 2026, after the driver reportedly went to meet a woman he had previously connected with through his e-hailing business.

Police said the driver’s brother alerted authorities after the suspects allegedly contacted him and demanded R4,000 in cash for the driver’s release.

Following the report, Steenberg police launched an investigation and used a vehicle tracking device to establish the driver’s location.

The tracking information led officers to Southampton Road in Heathfield, where they found and rescued the 25-year-old driver.

According to police, the victim had met one of the female suspects about a week before the incident through his e-hailing business.

The two reportedly exchanged telephone numbers and remained in contact for several days before arranging to meet.

Police allege that when the driver went to meet the woman on Saturday, he was instead kidnapped by the group and taken to another location.

The two female suspects allegedly sexually assaulted the driver while the other suspects were involved in holding him captive.

The five suspects arrested comprise two women aged 23 and 34, two men aged 42 and 48, and a 16-year-old boy.

The teenager is the youngest of the suspects arrested in connection with the case.

The arrests followed the alleged ransom demand made to the victim’s brother. After receiving the report, police acted on information from the vehicle tracking system and were able to locate the driver and bring him to safety.

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The suspects are expected to appear before the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, September 14, 2026, where they are expected to face charges relating to the alleged kidnapping and rape.

The case has drawn attention to the safety challenges confronting e-hailing drivers, who regularly meet passengers, customers and other contacts at different locations, sometimes without knowing the people they are meeting.

The incident also highlights the fact that men can be victims of rape and sexual violence. Sexual assault can affect people of any gender, and the circumstances of an alleged attack should be treated with the same seriousness regardless of whether the victim is male or female.

However, the suspects have not been convicted of any offence. The allegations against them will be tested before the court, and they remain entitled to due process under South African law.

Police have not disclosed further details about the alleged sexual assault or indicated whether additional arrests are expected.

Investigations are continuing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping, sexual assault and ransom demand.

The incident comes amid broader concerns about the safety of e-hailing operators in Cape Town and other parts of South Africa, with driver associations and operators repeatedly calling for stronger measures to protect drivers from attacks and criminal activities while carrying out their work.

South Africa: Two Women Arrested Over Alleged Rape, Kidnap of E-Hailing Driver

Africa

Murder of Nigerian Bishop in South Africa Sparks Outcry Over Unsolved Killings

Published

1 week ago

September 11, 2026

Hamdalat Bisiriyu

Murder of Nigerian Bishop in South Africa Sparks Outcry Over Unsolved Killings

Family and community leaders rally for justice after 58-year-old cleric from Ekiti is assassinated in his Johannesburg residence.

To his congregation and loved ones, Nigerian clergyman Bishop Taiwo Michael Fakunle was a pillar of faith and moral guidance. But that sanctuary was violently shattered inside his Kensington home in Johannesburg when two gunmen forced their way inside and opened fire at point-blank range.

Hit more than seven times, the 58-year-old Ekiti native died at the scene, sending shockwaves across the Nigerian expatriate community and turning deep grief into a collective cry for justice.

Leading the push for accountability, the Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA) voiced the community’s sorrow and growing frustration with violent crime.

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Association leaders stressed that Bishop Fakunle’s family, church, and compatriots deserve clear answers rather than empty reassurances.

Urging South African investigators to act with speed and transparency, the group warned authorities against letting the tragedy become another forgotten statistic in an endless stack of unsolved homicides.

As detectives at Jeppe Police Station proceed with the murder inquiry, community heads are calling for robust oversight from Nigerian diplomats while urging the public to exercise restraint.

Despite the intense anger surrounding the brazen attack, leaders emphasized that justice must be pursued through legitimate legal channels.

As mourners across South Africa and Nigeria remember the slain bishop, their message to investigators remains clear: the community will not look away until those responsible are brought before a judge.

Murder of Nigerian Bishop in South Africa Sparks Outcry Over Unsolved Killings

Africa

Court Sentences TV Presenter, 11 Others to Death Over Narcotics Network

Published

2 weeks ago

September 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Court Sentences TV Presenter, 11 Others to Death Over Narcotics Network

A Cairo criminal court has sentenced Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them of forming an organized criminal gang involved in manufacturing and trafficking narcotics, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The court also sentenced nine defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted seven others, bringing the total number of defendants in the case to 28.

Khalifa, 39, is best known for presenting the crime-focused programme Mission Impossible on the private channel al-Mehwar. She also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company that specialises in organising parties and events. She has 2.5 million followers on her Instagram account. Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025 in connection with the investigation. An arrest warrant was issued on April 17, 2025, and she told prosecutors she was arrested that day, while the formal seizure report was dated April 19.

The Public Prosecution charged Khalifa and 27 other defendants with forming an organized criminal group specializing in importing raw materials used in the manufacture of synthetic narcotics, to produce and traffic the drugs, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition. According to the prosecution’s investigations, members of the group divided roles among themselves, with some responsible for importing raw materials, others for manufacturing the drugs, and others for distributing them. The group used a residential property to store the materials and manufacture the drugs. Prosecutors alleged that Khalifa provided funds for the operation and travelled abroad to meet two of the alleged leaders and help coordinate their activities with other members of the group. The case was referred to the criminal court with 28 defendants. The prosecution also ordered the defendants’ assets and bank accounts to be placed under precautionary measures and ordered the continued detention of those in custody. Two defendants who remain at large were placed on travel bans and watch lists.

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The prosecution presented evidence from 20 witnesses, as well as technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs, and videos that the prosecution said documented the defendants’ alleged criminal activities. Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, and discovered two apartments used as laboratories, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa has consistently denied the charges against her. According to the state-run Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, when asked by a judge about her alleged role during a court appearance last September, Khalifa stated she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices. In a post on X following the sentencing, she declared: “I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. I swear to God, I’m innocent.” In a separate case, the court also sentenced Khalifa and others to five years in prison over the kidnapping and assault of a young man.

The death sentence was confirmed only after the court obtained a religious opinion from the Grand Mufti of Egypt, a legal requirement in capital cases. The Mufti’s opinion is advisory and not binding on the court. Despite the verdict, Khalifa’s lawyer has stated that she will appeal the death sentence. The verdict is subject to appeal before the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court for criminal cases.

Egypt applies the death penalty for premeditated murder, terrorism, some rape offenses, and drug trafficking. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the use of the death penalty in Egypt. According to a 2025 report by Amnesty International, there were 492 death sentences issued in the country that year, 23 of which were carried out. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reported that 541 death sentences were issued in Egypt in 2025. The defendants were found guilty of drug trafficking and rape, “crimes that did not amount to ‘intentional killing’ to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under international law and standards,” the Amnesty International report said.