Photo : Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Reuters
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Central African Republic: Three peacekeepers killed in blast near Cameroon border
On 3 October, three UN peacekeepers were killed in a roadside bomb blast, near the country’s border with Cameroon in the northwest. The peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, said the blast took place when one vehicle in the battalion carrying out a patrol hit an explosive. MINUSCA condemned the use of explosive devices by armed groups but did not name any suspected group. (“Roadside bomb kills 3 UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic,” Al Jazeera, 5 October 2022)
Ethiopia: Government and TPLF accept invitation for peace talks
On 5 October, the National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister said the government had accepted the African Union’s invitation for peace talks on the conflict in Tigray. The spokesperson said the invitation met the principles of peaceful resolutions and the government's demands of holding talks without preconditions. Similarly, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) leader said the group would send negotiators to the talks but enquired about the participants, observers and guarantors. (“Ethiopian government, Tigray rebels accept peace talks invitation,” Al Jazeera, 5 October 2022)
Uganda: President removes son as commander of land forces
On 5 October, News24 reported that President Yoweri Museveni had removed Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, his son, as the land forces’ commander of the Uganda People's Defence Force. The move followed Kainerugaba’s tweets that started diplomatic differences with Kenya. However, the Defence Ministry said the move was a promotion for Kainerugaba, who will now be a general continue as the head of the senior presidential advisor for special operations Kainerugaba had tweeted that Uganda’s forces could march into Kenya and capture Nairobi. (Lenin Ndebele, “Uganda's Museveni removes his army general son as 'commander' after Kenya invasion tweets,” News24, 5 October 2022)