Photo : BBC/Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : BBC/Reuters
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Democratic Republic of the Congo: UN eases arms embargo
On 21 December, BBC reported that the UN had eased arms embargo on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assist the army in fighting armed groups. With this, countries can conduct arms sales to the DRC government without notifying the UN Security Council. The DRC government said easing of the embargo was a move to correct the “injustice.” In a related development, the UN also extended its peacekeeping mandate in the country’s east by one year. (“UN eases DR Congo arms embargo,” BBC, 21 December 2022)
The Gambia: Four soldiers arrested for coup attempt
On 21 December, the government said that on 20 December, a coup attempt against President Adama Barrow had been foiled and four soldiers were arrested in connection with the same. The army was also searching for three other accomplices and no further details were revealed. (“Four soldiers arrested after alleged coup attempt in The Gambia,” Al Jazeera, 21 December 2022)
Burkina Faso: Minister denies allocating mine to Wagner Group
On 20 December, Minister of Mines Pierre Boussim said no mines had been allocated to the Russian private military company Wagner Group. The development comes after neighbouring Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo remarked at the UN-Africa Leaders Summit the previous week that Burkina Faso had hired the Wagner Group and allocated a mine as a payment for its services. On 16 December, while Burkina Faso did not dismiss or confirm the same, it expressed its disapproval over Akufo-Addo’s remarks by summoning the Ghanian ambassador. (“Burkina Faso denies paying Russia’s Wagner group with mine rights,” Al Jazeera, 21 December 2022)
Eswatini: Opposition, civil society look for options to abdicate King
On 21 December, News24 reported that civil society representatives and opposition parties had convened in South Africa to frame strategies to abdicate King Mswati III and establish democracy. The leaders adopted the eBundu Declaration to frame “resolutions on important political issues affecting our country, Swaziland.” The opposition calls the country Swaziland, instead of Eswatini claiming that changing the name to the latter was a dictatorial move. The leaders also referred to the mass riots earlier this year and said: “(We are) humbled and driven forward by the spirit of the ultimate sacrifice of the martyrs of our revolution, who have been senselessly and brutally slaughtered by the government of King Mswati III.” The declaration called for a boycott of the 2023 Tinkhundla elections; Tinkhundla is an electoral system providing governance, based on traditional, administrative subdivisions. (Lenin Ndebele, “Eswatini opposition parties, civil society meet in SA to plot strategy against King Mswati,” News24, 21 December 2022)