The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Death toll rises to 87 in South Africa floods

    The South African authorities on Friday revised the death toll from the recent flooding to 87, up from the previous 70.

    The widespread flooding over the Easter weekend resulted in the loss of 87 lives in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and the Free State provinces.

    Kwa-Zulu Natal, however, accounts for 71 of the fatalities, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) said.

    Heavy storms swept through the three provinces late April, causing severe flooding, which left behind a trail of destruction and displaced thousands of people.

    The storms inflicted massive damage on critical public and private infrastructure, including health and educational facilities; as well as road and railway infrastructure across the three provinces, most notably in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, the NDMC said.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa, on Tuesday declared a period of national mourning for the flood victims in what was believed to be the worst natural disaster in the country for years.

    Read Also: Kalu seeks greater Nigeria, South Africa ties

    During the mourning period from May 1 to May 7, the national flag would fly at half-mast at every station in the country.

    Also on Friday, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Zweli Mkhize, classified the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal as a provincial disaster.

    Mkhize said his ministry was working closely with other ministries, including human settlements, defence, police, social development, water and sanitation.

    He listed others as public works, health, basic education and home affairs ministries to ensure that priority post-disaster activities were undertaken.

    NAN

  • Turkey refuses to free two prominent journalists

    Turkey’s Constitutional Court on Friday rejected the appeals for freedom from Ahmet Altan and Nazli Ilicak, two prominent journalists who were taken into custody after a failed coup in 2016.

    The state news agency Anadolu reported Altan and Ilicak were sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2018 for their alleged ties to Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accused of plotting the abortive putsch by a faction of the military.

    The country’s top court rejected their individual applications that their rights were violated in detention.

    May 3 is World Press Freedom Day.

    Turkey has jailed over 12 journalists and shut down several media houses since the coup attempt.

    Read Also: Turkey opens Khashoggi dossier to CIA

    In the case of a third journalist, Ali Bulac, the court ruled that his right to personal freedom and freedom of expression had been violated, Anadolu said.

    Altan was also sentenced to five years and 11 months in another trial for terrorist propaganda and insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

    He was the Editor-in-Chief of the now defunct newspaper Taraf.

    On May 2, the Constitutional Court ruled that the personal freedom, safety and freedom of speech of the two journalists for Cumhuriyet Newspaper, Kadri Gursel and Murat Aksoy had been violated.

    Fourteen staff members from Cumhuriyet, which is critical of the government, were sentenced in April 2018 to various jail terms on charges of terrorism and supporting Gulen.

    Six of them were jailed after their appeals failed.

     

    NAN

     

  • Thousands protest again against ruling elite in Algeria

    Thousands of protesters rallied peacefully in Algiers after Friday prayers, chanting “We will not shut up!” and demanding the departure of Algeria’s ruling elite a month after the downfall of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

    Weeks of demonstrations forced Bouteflika out of office on April 2 after 20 years in power.

    Protesters have continued mass demonstrations every Friday, demanding other members of the country’s elite also give way.

    They are calling for the resignation of the interim president, Abdelkader Bensalah, who is serving for 90 days until an election on July 4, and of Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui, appointed by Bouteflika days before he stepped down.

    “You must go” and “Thieves you have destroyed the country”, read banners held up by protesters.

    Read Also: Merkel visits Algeria to discuss migration, terror

    The army remains the most powerful institution in Algeria, having swayed politics from the shadows for decades.

    It has so far patiently monitored the mostly peaceful protests that at times have swelled to hundreds of thousands of people.

    Last week, the Army Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ahmed Gaed-Salah – who helped push out Bouteflika after having him declared unfit for office – said several big corruption cases would come to light in a crackdown on graft.

    A number of figures from the ruling elite including the finance minister, former prime minister and several rich businessmen have come under investigation in recent weeks.

     

    NAN

     

  • U.S. measures against Cuba are unlawful – EU

    European Union Foreign Policy Chief, Federica Mogherini, on Thursday said the U.S. law, allowing lawsuits against foreign firms active in Cuba, is contrary to international law and undermines trust in the trans-Atlantic partnership.

    As part of White House efforts to increase pressure on Havana, in April the U.S. announced changes to the so-called Helms Burton Act, which would come into effect on May 2.

    Specifically, Washington decided to lift its suspension of Title III, under which U.S. citizens of Cuban descent can sue foreign firms and individuals using property confiscated from them by the Cuban government after the country’s 1959 revolution.

    “Those who use such property will also face visa restrictions to the U.S.,’’ Washington announced.

    According to Mogherini, the EU deeply regrets the move.

    “The EU considers the extra-territorial application of unilateral restrictive measures to be contrary to international law.

    “The decision to activate Title III is a breach of the commitments undertaken in the EU-U.S. agreements of 1997 and 1998,’’ the statement says.

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    “This will cause unnecessary friction and undermines trust and predictability in the transatlantic partnership.

    “The EU will draw on all appropriate measures to address the effects of the US measures,’’ Mogherini said.

    She cited the bloc’s rights under the World Trade Organisation and the EU’s so-called Blocking Statute aimed at protecting European companies if they are sued.

    Act III of the Helms Burton Act, introduced in 1996, had until now been suspended by every U.S. administration.

    NAN

     

  • Oil prices fall as U.S. output hits record high

    Oil prices fell on Thursday, pulled down by record U.S. crude production that led to a surge in stockpiles.

    Spot Brent crude oil futures were at 71.81 dollars per barrel at 0655 GMT, 35 cents, or 0.5 per cent, below their last close.

    U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 27 cents, or 0.4 per cent, at 63.33 dollars per barrel.

    “Crude oil prices fell sharply as stockpiles in the U.S. rose to their highest level since 2017.

    “This comes as U.S. refineries head into the spring maintenance period, stoking fears that crude oil demand will be soft and stockpiles will continue to rise,” ANZ bank said on Thursday.

    U.S. crude stockpiles last week rose to their highest since September 2017, jumping by 9.9 million barrels to 470.6 barrels, as production set a record high of 12.3 million barrels per day (bpd), while refining rates fell, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.

    Outside the United States, however, oil markets remained tight amid the political crisis in Venezuela, tighter U.S. sanctions against Iran that allow no more exemptions from May, and as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) continues to withhold supply in order to prop up prices.

    Oman’s energy minister Mohammed bin Hamad al-Rumhy said on Wednesday it was OPEC’s goal to extend the cuts, which were started in January, when they next meet in June.

    Read Also: World Bank sees lower oil prices

    Despite the desire of many OPEC members to keep withholding supply to prop up the market, the group may be forced into action.

    “The Venezuelan situation will likely loom large in OPEC deliberations as ministers weigh how many additional barrels may be needed to fill an expanding supply gap that is being driven by geopolitics as opposed to geology,” Canadian bank, RBC Capital Markets, said.

    Beyond Venezuela, analysts at Fitch Solutions also warned of risks to supply from Libya, where a civil war is threatening to cut oil fields off from markets.

    “The risks here are not inconsiderable, in light of rising instability in a number of key producers, notably Libya and Venezuela,” Fitch Solutions said.

    For producers, the tight market conditions mean higher profits.

    Analysts at Bernstein Energy said current price levels reflected the average marginal cost for most listed oil producers.

    “We have surveyed the 50 largest listed oil and gas companies globally … Based on 2018 annual reports we estimate that the global marginal cost of oil remained stable at 71 dollars per barrel,” Bernstein said in a note on Thursday.

    “This is on line with current spot prices but higher than the long-term oil forward strip price of 61 dollars per barrel,” the note said.

    “With oil prices rising more than costs, industry margins increased by more than 200 per cent in 2018,” Bernstein said, resulting in industry profitability “at the highest in the last 5 years”

    NAN

  • Legislative crises in Guinea Bissau will soon be over- ECOWAS

    An agreeable solution seems to be on the way in Guinea Bissau, as parties involved in the legislative crisis have pledged to embrace peace.

    Guinea Bissau has been embroiled in political crisis after the legislative election on March 10, 2019 over power sharing between the ruling party and the opposition political parties.

    But with the intervention of the leadership of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) normalcy seems not to be far.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Chairman of the regional body, had waded into the crisis, sending a Special Envoy, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs to interface with the parties involved in the crisis with a view to finding amicable resolution to the crisis.

    Onyeama met with the parties on Wednesday where he was able to secure their commitment to peace.

    The minister, who is also the Chairman, ECOWAS Council of Ministers, led the ECOWAS peace delegation.

    He expressed optimism that with the commitments made by all the parties, the issues will be resolved soon.

    “President Muhammadu Buhari directed us to come here and nip this in the bud – sort this out very quickly.

    “We have had excellent discussions with all the main protagonists, the President, the Prime Minister and the leaders of all the political parties.

    “We are very happy with the way it went, and commitments that were made and we believe that if those commitments are respected and kept this problem will be over in a matter of a week or two.”

    The delegation met with the President of Guinea Bissau, Jose Mario Vaz, the Prime Minister Aristides Gomez, President of the National Assembly, Cipriano Cassama and various parliamentary groups in the country’s National Assembly.

    Read Also: Osinbajo visits NAF Base, meets Guinea Bissau PM

    A communiqué was reached at the end of the meeting which was read by the President of ECOWAS Commission, Jean –Claude Kassi Brou, who is also a member of the delegation.

    Brou urged all political actors to avoid extremist’s positions and to focus on the interest of the country.

    According to the communiqué, they must find solutions in a very open and constructive dialogue.

    “The delegation insisted that the various parliamentary groups in the National Assembly must finalise very urgently the bureau of the parliament taking into account the vote of the people of Guinea Bissau.

    “The delegation also encouraged the installation of the new government following the nomination of a new Prime Minister in order to deal with the urgent matter of economic and social issues.’’

    The communiqué reiterated ECOWAS commitment to help Guinea Bissau to pursue its reforms.

    ECOWAS also pledged its support to the government that will be formed in Guinea Bissau to ensure that the country achieves the desired peace and development.

    Other members of the peace delegation led by Mr. Onyeama are Naby Kiridi Bangoura, Minister of State and Secretary General of the Presidency in Guinea Conakry, representing Alpha Conde , President of Guinea Conakry who is also the Chairman, ECOWAS Mediation Committee on Guinea Bissau.

  • Russia trains CAR defence forces

    Russia, which played a crucial role in peace-building efforts in the Central African Republic (CAR), is strengthening the country’s defence forces.

    The initiative comes a year after Russia achieved a partial lifting of the arms embargo on the Central African country from the United Nations Security Council.

    A batch of small arms and ammunition was subsequently sent to the CAR as well as five military and 170 civilian instructors from Russia, according to CAJ News.

    Since then, they have been training members of the armed forces of the CAR (FACA).

    Russian instructors have organized a training centre in the city of

    Berengo, where defence forces of the CAR are trained in the handling of weapons, as well as methods of combat.

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    The facility is equipped with a fire complex with a multi-purpose shooting range.

    Russian instructors cleared the area and created a tactical field, as well as a site for conducting comprehensive training with an observation tower, a combat point, a full profile trench and a target installation.

    In addition to educational facilities in Berengo, there are household facilities.

    It accommodates more than 300 cadets.

    As of March, seven sets of cadets have been groomed at the training centre. Some 1 900 individuals have been trained, including 128 officers.

    Among those trained are machine gunners, rifle experts, police officers, gendarmes.

    President Faustin Touadera, the defense Minister Marie-Noëlle Koyara, and UN representatives have attended some important sessions of the training exercise.

    Also, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on sending 30 troops to the Central African Republic, which will be part of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Republic – MINUSCA.

    CAR is emerging from years of civil conflict.

     

  • SA mob kills Nigerian man wrongly accused of kidnapping

    A 34 year-old Nigerian, Samuel Nkennaya, has been killed while another Nigerian, Chinonso Nwudo is in critical condition in a South African hospital following mob attack.

    Mr Victor Ayanfe-Oyebanjo, Secretary of Mpumalanga Province branch of the Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA), made the disclosure in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

    He said that Nkennaya and Nwudo were attacked following accusations that both men kidnapped Chinonye, a six year-old girl, who unknown to their attackers was Nwudo’s daughter.

    “It all started when Nwudo took his six-year-old daughter, Chinonye, to visit Nkennaya at White River town in the evening of April 27.

    “Later, Nwudo and Nkennaya proceeded to buy food for Nwudo’s daughter, Chinonye, at KFC restaurant in the area.

    Ayanfe-Oyebanjo said shortly after buying the food that some bystanders raised false alarm alleging that both men kidnapped the six year-old girl.

    “Thereafter, the community did not bother to ask questions and immediately mobbed the two Nigerians.

    “While they were being attacked, Nwudo kept on shouting that the girl was his daughter and pleaded that they speak to his South African wife to confirm his claim – which actually saved his life.

    “The Police later intervened and called for backup to rescue the victims. Nkennaya died at the hospital on April 28, while Nwudo is in critical health condition,” he said.

    Ayanfe-Oyebanjo said that a week before the incident that two South Africans were murdered for allegedly kidnapping a child in the same area.

    He said a murder case had been opened at the White River Police station and pleaded to Nigerians in the province to remain calm in the wake of the unprovoked attacks.

    “The incident has been reported to NUSA’s national secretariat, while the union is currently seeking redress to ensure that the culprits were brought to book,” he said.

    Mr Adetola Olubajo, the President of NUSA confirmed the killing to NAN.

    Speaking, the wife of Chinonso Nwudo, Mrs Katlekho Ndlovu, a South African national, also confirmed the incident to NAN on telephone from Mpumalanga Province.

    According to her, Chinonye had been traumatised by the incident and was currently undergoing counselling in an undisclosed hospital.

    “They (attackers) did not bother to ask her anything and didn’t even bother to remove her from the scene before beating her dad (Nwudo) unconscious. Chinonye’s dad is in the hospital while her uncle (Nkennaya) is dead,” she said amid tears.

  • Uganda Police arrest pop star, Bobi Wine

    Ugandan popstar-turned-politician Bobi Wine was arrested on his way to give a police statement, Police Officials said on Monday.

    Wine has been charged with holding an illegal public assembly and detained at Naggalama police station, about 30 kilometres East of the capital Kampala, according to a police statement.

    Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has been under house arrest since Easter Monday after police prevented him from staging a music concert.

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    The 37-year-old, who has said he plans to run for president in elections in 2021, has since called for mass protests.

    Wine, with a vocal presence on social media and has a large youth following, has become a thorn in the side of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country for over 30 years.

    The rapper made international headlines after an arrest in 2018, after saying he was tortured in detention.

    The government denies the charge.

    NAN

     

  • Indonesia approves plan to move capital out of Jakarta

    The Indonesian President has signed off on a plan to move the capital outside of the country’s most populous island.

    Officials have cited chronic pollution and congestion as key factors behind the decision.

    Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday approved plans to move the country’s capital from Jakarta to an unspecified new location.

    Ideas to move the capital have long been circulated by previous governments, but Widodo’s marks the first formal decision to relocate it off Indonesia’s most populous island, Jakarta.

    Planning Minister Brodjonegoro said: “This is a big job, impossible to take just one year, it could take 10 years.”

    President Widodo said: “We want to think in a visionary way for the progress of this country and moving the capital requires thorough and detailed preparation.”

    Jakarta, a city of 10 million people, suffers from chronic pollution, congestion and contaminated resources.

    Some 30 million people live in the surrounding towns and villages, contributing to the city’s poor conditions.

    While authorities have yet to choose a site for the new capital, Brodjonegoro said it would require up to 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres).