Photo : Ben Curtis, AP Photo
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Ben Curtis, AP Photo
IN BRIEF
by Anu Maria Joseph
Fresh fighting between Ethiopia and Tigray forces, UN and African Union raises concerns, calls for peace talks
On 24 August, Tigray forces accused Ethiopian forces of launching a fresh offensive on the southern border with Amhara. Later, the Ethiopian government blamed Tigrayan forces for starting the fighting. The Ethiopian military said that they hit an airplane in Mekelle carrying weapons for the TPLF. Meanwhile, UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” by the renewed fighting and called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities” and to resume peace talks, humanitarian access and re-establishing public services in Tigaray. The head of African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat called for “de-escalation” and “talks to seek a peaceful solution”. The AU’s Horn of Africa envoy, Olusegun Obasanjo has been leading the peace talks to end the 21-month Tigray conflict. Last week, the Ethiopian government appealed for a formal Tigray ceasefire agreement. The government wants the AU envoy to lead the peace talks, however, Tigray authorities want former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta to lead the talks. Re-emergence of tensions between the two sides is threatening to undo a humanitarian truce reached in March. (“UN calls for ceasefire amid renewed fighting in northern Ethiopia,” Al Jazeera, 24 August 2022, Kalkidan Yibeltal, Tigray forces accuse Ethiopia of fresh offensive, Al Jazeera, 24 August 202)
Angola: vote counting begins after polls closed
On 24 August, the ballot counting began in Angola after the polls closed. The current President Joao Lourenco of the governing MPLA stood against Adalberto Costa Junior, leader of the former rebel group Unita and other six candidates, widely seen as the most competitive vote after independence. Nearly 14.7 million people were registered to vote. The MPLA has been in power for 50 years, criticized for rising inflation, poverty and unemployment. (“Vote counting begins in tight Angola election,” Al Jazeera, 24 August 2022)
South Africa: trade unions protests against rising cost of living
On 24 August, hundreds of South African people protested in the executive and legislative capitals of Pretoria and Cape Town amid rising inflation, the highest in 13 years. The protests were led by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), a longtime ally of the African National Congress. The protesters marched through central Pretoria towards Union Buildings, which houses the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa holding placards saying “stop basic food items”. Last month, the central bank increased the interest rates, highest in 20 years, to curb inflation. (“South African unions go on protests against high cost of living,” Al Jazeera, 24 August 2022)