Africa
Niger, Mali, B/Faso to move toward monetary alliance – Nigerien leader
Niger, Mali, B/Faso to move toward monetary alliance – Nigerien leader
NIGER, Mali, and Burkina Faso are eyeing a political and monetary alliance, Niger’s military leader said on national television of a move that could mark a further break with the West African regional bloc.
Niger’s General Abdourahamane Tiani did not give a timeline or details about the project, but said it was one of the reasons for his recent visit to both countries.
“In addition to the security domain our alliance must evolve in the political domain and in the monetary domain,” he said in an interview on Niger’s RTS channel late on Sunday.
The three neighbouring states are all ruled by military juntas that have seized power in coups since 2020.
This has put them at odds with the rest of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the region’s main political and economic bloc which is urging them to return to democratic rule.
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Abandoning the eight-member West African monetary union and adopting a new currency would further isolate Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, who have called their new union the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The three countries and five others in the region currently use the West African CFA franc, a currency which is pegged to the euro and which critics see as a relic from French colonial rule.
Burkina Faso’s military leader Ibrahim Traoré also discussed his vision for closer ties with Mali and Niger in a speech on Sunday night.
“The Alliance of Sahel States … (is) a defence alliance a priori, but which will evolve toward an economic alliance and much more,” Traore said.
The three states’ finance ministers in November issued a joint statement recommending that a committee of experts be set up to study the question of an economic and monetary union.
They also recommended the creation of a joint stabilisation fund and investment bank, among other measures.
Niger, Mali, B/Faso to move toward monetary alliance – Nigerien leader
(Reuters/NAN)
Africa
Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested
Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested
Africa
Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal
Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal
Cristel Nchama, one of the women appearing in viral explicit videos allegedly involving Baltasar Engonga, the former director-general of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), has filed a formal complaint with the National Gendarmerie in Malabo.
Engonga has been the focus of intense public scrutiny after investigators, probing allegations of fraud, searched his home and office and reportedly uncovered approximately 400 explicit videos featuring him with multiple women.
The tapes allegedly show Baltasar Engonga with his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the country’s president, the wife of the director-general of police, and around 20 wives of ministers, among others.
The recordings, which have since gone viral, are said to have taken place in Engonga’s office, hotels, and bathrooms, purportedly with the consent of those involved.
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In her complaint, Nchama disclosed that she had been in a four-year relationship with Engonga and expressed profound distress over the public leak of the videos, which she says has harmed her reputation.
Nchama claimed that Engonga “misled” her into trusting him and that she had initially resisted being filmed, under the impression that any recordings would be deleted.
She also claimed to have been “betrayed” by Bello for publishing the videos.
“I am humiliated,” she stated. “It is my reputation, my honour. I want to know where these images came from and why he kept the images.”
In addition to filing her complaint, Nchama has demanded reparations from Engonga for the damage caused to her reputation and personal dignity.
Following the scandal, the government dismissed Engonga from his position at ANIF on Thursday.
Officials also announced the suspension of various public officials allegedly involved in sexual activities within government offices.
Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal
Africa
Baltasar Engonga: Equatorial Guinea appoints new anti-graft agency boss
Baltasar Engonga: Equatorial Guinea appoints new anti-graft agency boss
Equatorial Guinea’s President, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, has appointed Zenón Obiang Obiang Avomo as the new Director General of the National Agency for Financial Investigation (ANIF), succeeding Baltasar Ebang Engonga, who was removed amid sex scandal.
Recall that Engonga was dismissed following accusations of “irregularities committed in the exercise of his functions,” along with inappropriate family and social behavior unfit for public office, as stated in Decree No. 118/2024, dated November 4.
The investigation uncovered over 400 video recordings in Engonga’s office, reportedly involving the wives and relatives of high-ranking officials, including ministers and police officers.
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The shocking discovery triggered widespread public outrage and prompted swift action by the government.
In response, the Equatorial Guinean government has mandated the installation of surveillance cameras across all state offices, aiming to monitor officials’ conduct and deter future misconduct.
Zenón Obiang Obiang Avomo, who steps into the role at ANIF is a graduate of the National University of Equatorial Guinea, Avomo and has held key positions, including Magistrate Judge in Malabo, Director General of Contract Studies and State Markets at the Ministry of Finance, and Secretary General for both the Ministry of Finance, Economy and Planning, and the Ministry of Mines, Industry, and Energy.
Baltasar Engonga: Equatorial Guinea appoints new anti-graft agency boss
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