In a move to address the growing public outrage and nationwide protests, President William Ruto has directed his ministers and lawmakers to forfeit their recent salary increment. The decision comes after reports emerged on Tuesday that the politicians had received a pay rise effective July 1, despite the ongoing protests against a tax hike that have claimed over 39 lives and left hundreds injured. Public Uproar and Nationwide Protests The pay rise, which was implemented amid widespread protests, sparked widespread criticism and outrage. The public perceived the move as insensitive and out of touch with the current economic realities. In…
Author: Oyewole Oluwafemi
Egypt’s new Cabinet was sworn in on Wednesday in Cairo, marking a significant development in the country’s political landscape. The new Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly, who has been in office since 2018, includes major changes in key portfolios such as defense and economy. While some ministers remain in place, the changes come at a time when the country faces significant economic and political challenges. Egypt is struggling with an ailing economy, raging conflicts in neighboring nations, and mounting public discontent following years of economic mismanagement, the coronavirus pandemic, and regional conflicts. The country’s economic woes have been…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille and Foreign Minister Dominique Dupuy at the State Department on Tuesday to reaffirm Washington’s support for Haiti’s new government, underscoring the importance of US backing for the country’s recently installed leadership. Antony Blinken began by stating, “This is an important time for Haiti, an important time for the many countries including the United States that strongly support Haiti,” “We have the prime minister, foreign minister, a government in place, and we have the Transitional Presidential Council which has been stood up. And we have the deployment now…
Tunisia is set to hold a presidential election on October 6, a development that could potentially shape the future of the country’s democracy. President Kais Saied’s office confirmed the election date on Tuesday, but it remains unclear whether Saied will seek re-election for a second five-year term. Saied took control of the country in 2021, governing through decrees after removing the prime minister and parliament. This move resulted in the imprisonment of many political opponents and adversaries. In 2022, he successfully implemented a new constitution through a referendum, establishing a presidential system alongside a parliament with restricted powers. The upcoming…
Demonstrations persisted in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya on Tuesday, as people continued to express their opposition to a controversial finance bill that would lead to increased living costs. This defiance came despite the President’s assurance that he would not approve the bill, following the dramatic storming of the parliament building last week. Law enforcement officers in Nairobi deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators, while many businesses in the area remained shuttered due to concerns about potential looting. The primary highway connecting the capital to Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city, was blocked as protesters set up burning barricades, disrupting traffic…
Tragedy has struck the humanitarian community in eastern Congo, as two staff members of the foreign aid group Tearfund lost their lives in a brutal attack on their convoy. The incident occurred on Sunday in Butembo city, North Kivu province, a region ravaged by conflict between armed rebels and Congolese security forces. The aid workers were killed shortly after their convoy arrived in the city, marking the latest in a series of attacks targeting aid groups and residents in the region. The attack’s perpetrators remain unknown, but it is suspected to be one of the over 120 armed groups operating…
President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania has secured a resounding victory in the country’s recent presidential election, winning a second term with a comfortable margin of 56.1% of the votes. The results, announced by the country’s independent electoral commission on Monday, confirm Ghazouani’s lead over his main opponent, anti-slavery activist Biram Dah Abeid, who garnered 22.1% of the votes. Abeid has contested the results, alleging widespread fraud and claiming that he is the true victor. He denounced the provisional results as an “electoral coup d’état” orchestrated to benefit Ghazouani and accused the electoral commission of awarding the incumbent president thousands…
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has formed a diverse Cabinet comprising seven political parties, marking a historic power-sharing agreement in the continent’s most industrialized nation. This unprecedented coalition comes after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority in parliament in the landmark May elections, where no party secured an outright majority. The inclusion of multiple parties in the Cabinet reflects a substantial shift in South Africa’s political landscape, as the country navigates a new era of coalition politics. The newly formed multiparty Cabinet is the result of a month-long series of intense and often contentious talks between the African…
CAIRO—The Egyptian capital, Cairo, played host to a significant investment conference between Egypt and the European Union (EU). The high-profile event was attended by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and the European Commission Chief, Ursula von der Leyen. The conference resulted in the signing of investment deals amounting to billions of dollars. This conference comes at a time when Egypt is facing severe economic challenges, including rising debt, inflation, and currency shortages. To help the country overcome these difficulties, the EU had agreed to a $7.9 billion funding package in March. The package consists mainly of short- and medium-term loans.…
A tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Monday when a helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) crashed in the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The community, Tami village, is close to the NAF Air Training Centre, Mando, and the 401 Flying School in the Igabi Local Government Area. Although the NAF has yet to release an official statement, eyewitnesses claim that the helicopter crashed around 5:00 a.m. on Monday, causing widespread alarm among residents. Fortunately, the pilot, who was the only one on board, survived the crash by executing emergency procedures and escaping through…