Photo : Vincent Bado, Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Vincent Bado, Reuters
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Burkina Faso: Traore appointed as new president
On 5 October, Captain Ibrahim Traore was appointed as the president days after he overthrew Lt Col Paul-Henri Damiba on 30 September. The spokesperson for the military government announced the appointment and said that Traore would be the “guarantor of national independence, territorial integrity... and continuity of the State." Prior to this, on 4 October, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held a meeting with Traore and other leaders, wherein the latter said the meeting was held to “make contact with the new transition authorities.” (“Traore officially appointed as president of Burkina Faso after coup,” France24, 6 October 2022)
The Gambia: WHO issues global alert over four cough syrups from India
On 6 October, the WHO issued a global alert on four cough syrups produced by India’s Maiden Pharmaceuticals after 66 children died in The Gambia. The alert said the syrups were potentially linked to the kidney injuries and death of the children. Maintaining that the manufacturer may have used the contaminated material in other products and that they “may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions,” the WHO said global exposure was possible. Meanwhile, India has requested the WHO to share evidence of links between the death and the syrups and launched an investigation. (“WHO alert over India-made cough syrups after deaths in The Gambia,” BBC, 6 October 2022)
Half of the world’s terror victims in Africa, says UN official
On 6 October, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime told the UNSC that Africa is witnessing an increased threat of terrorism with millions being deprived of their livelihood due to illegal trafficking. The UN official said that nearly 3,500 victims of terrorism, or half of the victims worldwide, were in sub-Saharan Africa, outlining that the Sahel was “home to some of the most active and deadly terrorist groups.” The UN official said “illegal exploitation of precious metals and minerals” was an income for extremists, and therefore, fuelling extremist groups. She said: “We have established that illegally mined gold and other precious metals are being fed into the legitimate market, providing huge profits for traffickers.” (“Nearly half of world’s terror victims are African, with organised crime increasingly entrenched,” UN News, 6 October 2022)