West Darfur governor abducted, killed as war in Sudan spreads – Newstrends
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West Darfur governor abducted, killed as war in Sudan spreads

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1 year ago

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Khamis Abakar

West Darfur governor abducted, killed as war in Sudan spreads

A regional governor in Sudan has been killed after publicly blaming the deaths of civilians on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as the brutal war between the group and the Sudanese army entered its third month.

The killing of West Darfur state governor Khamis Abakar late on Wednesday marked a new escalation in the conflict that began on April 15 when months-long tensions between the army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, exploded into war.

Footage circulating on social media late on Wednesday appeared to show a group of armed men, some wearing RSF uniforms, detaining Abakar. Other clips purportedly showed the governor on the ground with wounds to his neck and face.

Hours earlier, he had accused the RSF and allied Arab fighters of “genocide“.

“Civilians are being killed randomly and in large numbers,” he told Al Hadath TV, urging the international community to intervene to protect people in el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur.

“We haven’t seen the army leave its base to defend people,” he said.

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The Sudanese army accused the RSF of “kidnapping and assassinating” the governor. The killing had added a “new chapter” to the RSF’s “record of barbaric crimes that it has been committing against all the Sudanese people”, it said on Facebook, calling the incident a “brutal act”.

Later on Thursday, the RSF issued a statement saying it condemned Abakar’s “assassination … by outlaws amid the continuing tribal conflict in the state”.

It added: “We hold the Sudanese Military Intelligence, a wing of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and its radical Islamist backers linked to the former regime of dictator Omar al-Bashir responsible for fueling this conflict by arming the tribes.”

The paramilitary group denies any involvement in attacks against civilians in Darfur, but refugees who spoke to Al Jazeera last month in settlements inside Chad said they had seen men wearing RSF uniforms joining the fight alongside Arab armed groups. The refugees also said that violence erupted in their towns and villages after the army or the local police left, creating a power vacuum that was filled by Arab militias. Not a single resident said the army offered any protection.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that the conflict in Sudan had displaced more than 2 million people, and escalating attacks in Darfur could amount to “crimes against humanity”.

In el-Geneina the RSF and allied fighters have rampaged through the city over the past week, killing and wounding hundreds of people, local activists and UN officials were quoted as saying by The Associated Press news agency.

Activists and residents in el-Geneina also reported that dozens of women were sexually attacked inside their homes and while trying to flee the fighting. Almost all rape cases were blamed on the RSF, which has not responded to repeated requests for comment, the AP reported.

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Volker Perthes, the UN envoy in Sudan, said on Tuesday that as the situation deteriorated in Darfur, he was alarmed by the situation in el-Geneina, which had taken on an “ethnic dimension”.

“There is an emerging pattern of large-scale targeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities, allegedly committed by Arab militias and some armed men in Rapid Support Force [RSF]’s uniform,” Perthes said in a statement.

“These reports are deeply worrying and, if verified, could amount to crimes against humanity,” he said.

Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide, also condemned “the shocking violence” in el-Geneina.

She warned in a statement on Tuesday that such fighting could turn into “renewed campaigns of rape, murder, and ethnic cleansing amounting to atrocity crimes”.

Darfur was the scene of genocidal war in the early 2000s, when ethnic Africans rebelled, accusing the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum of discrimination. Former President Omar al-Bashir’s government was accused of retaliating by arming local nomadic Arab fighters, known as the Janjaweed, who targeted civilians. Millions were displaced and an estimated 300,000 were killed in attacks attributed to Janjaweed fighters, who later evolved into the RSF and became a legalised governmental force in 2017.

In a statement, the RSF called the fighting in el-Geneina a tribal conflict, blaming the country’s former regime for fanning the flames. It said it had been making efforts to get aid into the city.

aljazeera

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ECOWAS small business group proposes railway corridor for member states

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2 days ago

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November 25, 2024

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ECOWAS small business group proposes railway corridor for member states

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the ECOWAS region, under the ECOWAS Small Business Coalition (ESBC), have called for the establishment of a railway corridor linking all member countries, alongside the existing road network.

The proposal was made at the end of their inaugural exhibition and workshop, which took place from November 21 to November 23 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the event, organized by the ESBC in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission and Ivory Coast’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, brought together small business operators from across the region.

The coalition highlighted the challenges faced by SMEs in transporting goods and services within the ECOWAS subregion.

They emphasized the need for better communication and a clearer understanding of cross-border trade obligations, as well as improvements in the movement of goods and people.

While ECOWAS has confirmed the free movement of goods and people under existing protocols, it clarified that such movements still require compliance with formalities and customs duties.

Addressing transportation and trade barriers 

NAN reports that during the workshop, members of the ESBC presented a range of proposals to address transportation challenges.

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They called for an end to cross-border harassment and corruption, which they attributed to the imposition of unnecessary taxes.

They also suggested that local Small Business Coalitions (SBCs) should be empowered to issue certificates of origin to entrepreneurs to streamline trade processes.

Additionally, the coalition proposed the establishment of online training platforms for SBCs to enhance their capacity to support SMEs.

Proposals for improving access to information and financing 

  • The coalition also noted the importance of access to information for the success of SMEs and urged them to take advantage of policies such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and ECOWAS frameworks.
  • They called for greater awareness of these initiatives to help SMEs navigate trade barriers.
  • Furthermore, reports inform that the coalition underscored the need for the harmonization of fiscal policies across the ECOWAS region and advised SMEs to choose suitable business models and consult advisory firms for better guidance.

Innovation and sustainable development for SMEs 

  • The coalition also discussed the need for greater innovation and sustainability in the region’s SMEs to enhance their competitiveness.
  • They proposed training programs focused on certification, efficient technology transfer, and increased research to help businesses expand across borders.
  • Despite the availability of financing mechanisms for SMEs, the coalition pointed out that many small businesses struggle to access these funds due to inadequate resources and poor absorption capacity.
  • In response, they suggested focusing on promoting new business models suited to African realities and learning from the BRICS nations’ approach to economic development.

Future initiatives for strengthening SMEs 

  • ESBC proposed several initiatives to further support SMEs in the region.
  • These included the creation of an ESBC television network to raise awareness, the establishment of a dedicated bank for SME financing, and the development of strategies to encourage a common currency within ECOWAS.
  • They also called for the removal of customs and monetary barriers and the establishment of international shipping lines to improve logistics. To address the needs of landlocked countries, the coalition proposed facilitating better access to ports for these nations.
  • The ESBC concluded that substantial work remains to be done to enhance the competitiveness and growth of SMEs in the ECOWAS region, particularly in the areas of innovation, financing, and cross-border trade facilitation.

ECOWAS small business group proposes railway corridor for member states

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Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested

Published

2 weeks ago

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November 10, 2024

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George Mwenda Mutegi and Lilian Achieng Aluko
Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested
A man has been arrested in connection with the brutal killing of Kenyan journalist, Lilian Achieng Aluko, whose body was discovered in a house in Kahawa West, Nairobi, Kenya.
Lilian, who was a presenter at Radio 44, a local radio station, was found dead at her boyfriend’s house with injuries on her face and a stab wound at the back on November 1, 2024.
A day before her death, the 33-year-old had informed her family that she would be spending the night at her boyfriend’s place.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in a statement on Friday said the suspect, believed to be Achieng’s boyfriend, was apprehended in the Kaanwa area of Tharaka Nithi County.
The DCI worked closely with local authorities in Meru County to track down the suspect, whose movements had been monitored since he disappeared on November 1.
Police investigations revealed that Achieng and the suspect spent the evening at a local spot before heading to the suspect’s house in Kahawa West.
“George Mwenda Mutegi, the prime suspect in the monstrous murder of Ms Lilian Achieng Aluko has been arrested after days of scrupulous manhunt. Mutegi was smoked out of his hideaway at Kaanwa area of Tharaka Nithi county,” the statement read.
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“The suspect’s arrest by a combined team of hawkshaws from DCI Hqs augmented by their Meru counterparts is a culmination of days of meticulous investigations launched on 1st November, 2024, the night Mutegi is believed to have murdered his girlfriend. After the heinous killing, Mutegi disappeared and erased his footprints.
“Police and the neighbours would only wake up to a slain Achieng, whose lifeless body lay soaked in blood with a stab wound at the back of her right ear and visible injuries on her face and hips.
“Probing the case, police found out that the two lovebirds had on the fateful night had a good time at a local establishment, before retreating to the boyfriend’s place of abode in Kahawa West.
“In an ugly turn of events, the attention of the neighbours was drawn to loud screams from Mutegi’s locked house, which were quickly deafened by loud noise from his sound system.
“Unaware that the distress call was the last Achieng would ever make, the neighbours went back to their houses hoping that the duo would resolve their issues.
“That night, the life of a 33-year-old lady with a blossoming career as a presenter at a local radio station was ended.
“The suspect is currently being processed for arraignment as the DCI continues to investigate all other cases of a similar nature to ensure justice for all victims.”

Boyfriend of murdered Kenyan journalist arrested

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Baltasar Engonga: I dated him for four years, lady says, sues for betrayal

Published

2 weeks ago

on

November 10, 2024

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Cristel Nchama and Baltasar Engonga

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

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