Sudan’s army chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, traveled Tuesday to Egypt for talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.

The trip is Burhan’s first outside of Sudan since the outbreak of conflict with Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Response Forces in mid-April.

A military statement said the talks would include the latest developments in Sudan and bilateral relations between Sudan and Egypt.

El-Sissi hosted a summit of Sudan’s neighbors in July that yielded a cease-fire plan.  Multiple halts in fighting have failed to hold.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters
…

Somali government forces Monday retreated from towns and villages captured in recent months after the al-Shabab militant group carried out a deadly attack on a newly captured base in the village of Cowsweyne. 

Two Somali government officials who did not want to be identified because they are not allowed to comment on sensitive military operations told VOA Somali that government troops retreated from El Dheer, Masagaway, Gal’ad and Budbud.

Without naming towns, Somali government commander Major Ismail Abdimalik said troops pulled back from some previously captured areas.

“There are small strategic retreats,” he said while defending the strategy.

The retreat followed what appears to be one of the deadliest attacks by al-Shabab on Somali government forces Saturday in Cowsweyne, where troops had initially dislodged al-Shabab on Aug. 22.

Somali government officials have avoided giving details of the attack, but multiple security sources who did not want to be identified said the two brigades that captured Cowsweyne suffered heavy losses. A local official described the attack in Cowsweyne as “painful.”

Al-Shabab released a statement claiming to have “overrun” the base, killing 178 soldiers, and capturing prisoners. That claim has not been independently verified.

An al-Shabab official in central Somalia, Yusuf Isse Kabakutukade, Monday claimed the attack on Cowsweyne was a “historic victory.”

He said Somali government leaders had underestimated the militants saying, “it’s a small group, we are going to round them up.”

He boasted that al-Shabab fighters seized a large quantity of weapons in Cowsweyne that the group can use them fight for years to come.

Somali officials said the militants attacked Cowsweyne using explosions from vehicle-borne explosive devices, or car bombs, followed by an attack by armed militants who engaged in heavy gun battles with government forces.

The state-run Somali National News Agency said government forces repelled the attack and destroyed the car bombs. But a purported al-Shabab video of the attack published Monday shows multiple dead bodies scattered in the base.

The capture of Cowsweyne, 60 kilometers northwest of El Dheer town, was part of a Somali government effort to remove the group from central Somalia and push the militants to the south.

Despite the retreat, brigades from Somali government forces are still holding the town of Elbur, which they captured on Aug. 25.

Elbur is deep inside al-Shabab territory and was one of two main targets for the government forces. The troops that were preparing to capture the second main target, Galhareri were the same two brigades attacked in Cowsweyne.

“Elbur is calm, the army is clearing it, they are ready to defend themselves,” says Abdimalik who was one of the government commanders leading the capture of Elbur.

“They are a reliable force capable of defeating against any force that attacks them. Reports suggesting they are besieged are fake,” he added.

A foreign diplomat based in Mogadishu, commenting on the attack on Cowsweyne, said he believes the military offensive will not stop.

“I think that there are some lessons to be learned, but the operations will continue,” he said. “The determination is there.”

The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has been spearheading the latest military push into al-Shabab territory. Mohamud has been in Dhusamareb, the central Galmudug state regional capital to encourage the troops and military offensive. 

During a town hall meeting on Aug. 17, he said the plan is to remove al-Shabaab within five months.

He also said it will be unacceptable and disrespectful of the soldiers who shed their blood if al-Shabab were to return to towns recaptured from the group.

Al-Shabab militants have been withdrawing from towns and villages and retreating into the bush with the intention of a prolonged guerrilla war.  
…

This week, the United Nations enters the second phase of drawing down one of its largest peacekeeping missions, after military authorities in Mali announced in June that they wanted the mission out by the end of this year.

“MINUSMA is entering its last chapter,” El-Ghassim Wane, head of mission, told the U.N. Security Council Monday in a video briefing from Mali’s capital, Bamako. MINUSMA stands for the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali.

With virtually no notice, Mali’s military authorities, which seized power in a 2021 coup, told the U.N. to pack up its decade-old mission and leave. They have given the organization until the end of this year to repatriate more than 12,000 international peacekeepers and separate from 4,300 civilian staff.

By comparison, when the U.N. drew down its peacekeeping operation in Sudan’s Darfur region, which had half the number of peacekeepers and a third of the civilian staff, it took three years. In Mali, the government has given the U.N. only six months.

The U.N. is doing this against a backdrop of continued instability in Mali, where Islamic State and al-Qaida terrorists battle for control of parts of the country, and Wagner mercenaries from Russia have been hired by the Malian authorities to assist them.

There are concerns that terrorists and armed groups may take advantage of the security vacuum left by departing peacekeepers.

“The government of Mali has very calmly and seriously assessed the withdrawal of MINUSMA and prepared the necessary measures to deal with any possible security vacuum that could be related to this,” Mali Ambassador Issa Konfourou told the council.

The recent military coup in Niger is also complicating the U.N.’s withdrawal from Mali, which is landlocked and has poor roads.

“The situation in Niger is having an impact on our withdrawal plan, which is based on the use of transit zones in Cotonou and Lomé,” Wane said. “It is vital we are able to transport equipment and material through Niger and to its ports for subsequent repatriation to troop-contributing countries and police-contributing countries concerned.”

Wane said the U.N. has just completed its first phase of the drawdown and has closed four small, remote bases and one temporary operating base and returned them to the Malian authorities. More than a thousand peacekeepers have returned to their home countries, and nearly 80 containers of equipment have been shipped out of the country.

Phase Two of the drawdown begins Friday (September 1).

“This phase will be incredibly difficult, indeed,” Wane told council members.

It will entail the closure of six bases in the north, center and northeast of the country. Some camps in the north are in areas controlled by signatory movements to the 2015 peace agreement, and they do not necessarily agree with military authorities over who should control them.

“With the impending withdrawal of MINUSMA, tensions have emerged between the government and one signatory movement, the Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad [CMA],” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned in a letter last week to the Security Council outlining the mission’s drawdown.

“If not resolved, these tensions could not only complicate the mission’s withdrawal, but also further undermine the cease-fire agreement, with serious implications for the entire peace process.”

Once Phase Two is completed, the mission’s mandate will come to an end. A “liquidation” phase will begin on January 1, 2024, and is expected to continue for about 18 months. During that time, the U.N. will finish shipping out its equipment and material and clean up its environmental footprint.

In addition to the complex logistics and security, the closure of a mission this size will be staggering. In his letter, Guterres said $590 million has been allocated through the end of this year, but a separate budget for the liquidation phase will need General Assembly approval.

Wane said despite the many challenges — MINUSMA has the highest rate of deaths in action among its peacekeepers — he believes “strongly” that the mission has made a tangible contribution to the advancement of peace, security and stability in the country.
…

Diplomatic representatives from the United States and the United Kingdom are calling upon the South Sudanese government to initiate a thorough investigation of the 2017 death of British-American journalist Christopher Allen.

A 26-year-old freelance journalist who held British and American nationality, Allen was shot and killed on August 26 of that year while covering a confrontation between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and the former rebels of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in-Opposition, SPLA-IO, in Central Equatoria state along the South Sudanese-Ugandan border.

American and British embassies in South Sudan recently issued a joint statement marking the sixth anniversary of Allen’s passing, urging South Sudanese officials to probe and release the findings of what led to his killing.

South Sudan has refused all prior calls to hold an investigation. Allen’s family has been unsuccessful in calling on the FBI to investigate his death as a possible war crime.

In an audio recording shared with VOA by the U.S. embassy in Juba, U.S. ambassador to South Sudan Michael J. Adler emphasized the importance of transparency from the South Sudanese government.

“On this somber anniversary, the U.S. and U.K. Embassies renew calls for the transitional government of South Sudan to conduct a credible investigation into the death of Christopher Allen, to make the results public, and to ensure accountability,” Adler said. “After six years, Mr. Allen’s family, friends, and colleagues deserve answers.”

South Sudan’s information minister and government spokesperson Michael Makuei initially labeled Allen as a “white rebel,” who met his end in the skirmishes. However, Makuei later altered the narrative, asserting that Allen fell victim to crossfire as government troops battled SPLA-IO rebels.

John Wulu, a South Sudanese journalist, highlighted the chilling impact of Allen’s death on the state of press freedom in the region.

“Working as a journalist in South Sudan within a conflict zone is perilous. Our country lacks professionalism, and amidst the numerous conflicts, it’s often unclear who is fighting whom,” he told VOA. “This uncertainty extends to our safety.”

Maj. Gen. Lul Ruai Koang, a spokesperson for the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces, attributed the responsibility for investigating Allen’s death to the SPLA-IO. Koang argued that Allen was a guest of the SPLA-IO.

At the time of his death, Allen was embedded with the SPLA-IO when the former rebel fighters attacked the defense forces in the government-held town of Kaya in Central Equatoria state.

“The SPLA-IO should be responsible for the investigation. He entered the country illegally, associated with hostile forces, and they attacked us. We’re not accountable.

“Those who misled him and embedded him with their forces should conduct the inquiry into his demise,” Koang added. “Our forces were attacked, and they retaliated in self-defense. We have no reason to investigate a death that occurred on the other side. Had he been killed on our side, we’d have undertaken the investigation.”

Col. Lam Paul Gabriel, spokesperson for the SPLA-IO, countered Koang’s stance, asserting that his group does not bear responsibility for investigating Allen’s killers.

“The American government is likely asking for the unity government to take responsibility, provide strong policies against such incidents, and possibly issue a statement to the late journalist’s family,” Gabriel said.

Adler underscored that the demand for a credible investigation and accountability regarding Allen’s death is integral to the safety of journalists in South Sudan. The U.S. envoy to South Sudan said that an independent and uninhibited press is a cornerstone of healthy democracies worldwide.

“This issue concerns the right of journalists to work without endangerment and the eradication of impunity for acts of violence and crimes against them,” Adler said. 

South Sudan In Focus’ Deng Ghai Deng contributed to this report. This story originated in VOA’s English to Africa Service. 
…

More than 1,000 health experts, including African Cabinet ministers, are in Botswana for the World Health Organization Africa region to discuss health challenges facing the continent. Delegates want the continent to be better prepared for the next pandemic — following Africa’s poor response to COVID-19.

Speaking at the start of the five-day meeting Monday, Jean Kaseya, head of Africa’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said it is important for the continent to be pandemic ready, after being found wanting during COVID-19.

“The next pandemic is coming,” Kaseya said. “This next pandemic we need to be prepared like other continents are preparing themselves. We need to see how Africa can be more independent by manufacturing their own vaccines. The second one is how we can provide funding for our pandemic preparedness, prevention and response.”

Africa faced challenges inoculating its population due to the difficulty in buying adequate amounts of the vaccine. Fewer than 10 percent of Africans are vaccinated.

Additionally, WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus says climate change is compounding Africa’s health challenges.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis, which is why I encourage member states to participate actively at COP28 in the United Arab Emirates, which will feature a day dedicated to health for the first time,” Tedros said. “Health systems are increasingly dealing with the consequence of climate change in terms of communicable and non-communicable diseases and the impacts of more frequent and more severe, extreme weather.”

COP28 is the United Nations’ climate change conference, taking place later this year in Dubai.

Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi says COVID-19 exposed inequalities in tackling a pandemic, which he adds, must be avoided in future.

“The inequities in access to vaccines, PPE and medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic will probably remain one of the major failures of the international community in the 21st century… Diseases have no borders, pandemics are global and therefore, the risks to one country invariably affect another,” Masisi said.

While rich countries used their financial power to purchase COVID vaccines, distribution in Africa was erratic.

WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, says the continent emerged from the pandemic with important lessons learned.

“Although we are living in a challenging global context of health, recent advancements in our member states demonstrate that the future of health in the Africa region is hopeful,” Moeti said. “African leaders are more directly taking charge of continental institutions and are taking action. The future is hopeful because you are using important lessons from the pandemic to enhance our preparedness and response to health emergencies.”

The meeting is also expected to discuss ways to transform health care in Africa, including developing telemedicine strategies.
…

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has laid out conditions for ending its conflict with the country’s army. The RSF says it wants a peaceful solution and a return to civilian government.

In a statement, the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, said his group is ready to resolve the conflict with Sudan’s Armed Forces peacefully, with a settlement that would lead to civilian rule.

Dagalo said he wants talks that would include political parties and civil society, aim to restructure Sudan’s national army, and address the root causes of Sudan’s wars.

Hala al-Karib, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, suggested Dagalo’s comments are at least partially for show.  

“It’s kind of trying to appeal to the international community, to the regional actors … they think that they can actually wash their crimes and what they have done by just showing up and say that,” she said. “But the grievances are way too much, and the level of violence that has been happening in Sudan … since April 15, you know, it’s historical.”

Karib said the RSF and others involved in the recent violence, abuse and atrocities must be punished for their crimes. 

“Without very serious compromises from the RSF side, without them accepting responsibility for their crimes and accepting mechanisms of justice and coming clean about that … even if an agreement was signed, that would be a recipe for another cycle of violence,” she said.

The RSF’s vision to end the more than four-month conflict through a negotiated settlement comes as Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the sovereign council and Sudan’s Armed Forces, visited the coastal city of Port Sudan on Sunday, where he met government representatives and the United Nations officials and aid agencies who have set up a humanitarian base. 

Dr. Edgar Githua, a lecturer at United States International University and Strathmore University specializing in international relations, peace and conflict, told VOA the emergence of Burhan in public is a sign he is afraid of being sidelined in the country’s future. 

“He’s trying to also just gain acceptance, and its confidence building not only to himself but also to the international community,” Githua said of Burhan. “And I have a feeling this conflict in Sudan is coming to a point where he is beginning to realize that the longer it prolongs, the longer he will isolate himself internationally. So, going forward, there will be overtures that we’ll definitely try and bring about. He will be open to talks, discussions, and negotiations towards de-escalating the whole situation in Sudan.”

Conflict between Sudan’s Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces broke out in April after the rival leaders failed to agree on how to lead the country to civilian rule. A power struggle ensued between Burhan and Dagalo, also known as Hemeti. 

The warring parties sent delegates to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in an effort to reach an agreement, but talks were unsuccessful. 

Githua said it will take time for talks to succeed. 

“Eventually, at some point, Burhan and Dagalo will have to come in front of the international community and cameras to shake hands and bury the hatchet,” he said. “But for now, if it’s the representatives that are doing it, so be it. But I know Burhan will not want to meet with Dagalo anytime soon. He hates him and he considers him to be someone very junior and minor to him.”

Karib said her country needs a peaceful settlement that will stop the war and suffering. 

“I don’t think the country can afford short-term solutions anymore. We have been on these cycles of short-term solutions for a very, very long time and failed agreements. And every agreement fails,” she said. “It takes us to an atrocity and violence that’s worse than the one before.”

The ongoing conflict has resulted in over 4.6 million people being forced from their homes, and the U.N. says six million people are on the brink of famine. 
…

A two-week blockade by Islamist militants has created food and aid shortages in the ancient city of Timbuktu, the mayor and residents said, as security deteriorates across much of northern and eastern Mali.  

Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a fabled seat of Islamic learning on the edge of the Sahara desert, has been surrounded by violence ever since French forces liberated it from militants in 2013 after an uprising.  

The unrest, driven by local affiliates of al Qaeda and Islamic State, has intensified over the past year after the West African country’s military leaders kicked out French troops, asked United Nations’ peacekeepers to leave, and teamed up with Russian private military contractor Wagner Group.  

A local al Qaeda affiliate, known as JNIM, has blocked the roads to Timbuktu since around Aug. 13, residents said, cutting food staples and stopping humanitarian aid to the remote city of some 35,000 people whose economy has already been dented by the years of violence.  

“We are witnessing a shortage of foodstuffs, with a general rise in prices,” said Timbuktu mayor Aboubacrine Cisse.  

“The trucks coming from Mauritania and Algeria no longer come,” he told Reuters by telephone.  

Cisse said he had set up a commission of about 30 religious and ethnic leaders to ask the militants to lift the embargo and that he hoped things would return to normal.  

Timbuktu resident Imam Alphadi Wagaran said that fuel, gasoline, flour, couscous, milk and other food products were blocked.  

“The shortage is felt. Prices are rising everywhere,” he said.  

The U.N. Humanitarian Agency said last week that some aid workers had been unable to reach the city by river and that there was a risk of health centers running out of medicine. The European Commission’s humanitarian arm said some aid groups had suspended activities.

It was not clear what spurred the blockade. Earlier this month, JNIM said that its fighters had imposed a two-week siege on a village in Mali’s Mopti region to pressure residents who had been helping the army, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, MINUSMA, is in the process of withdrawing from the north after the ruling junta asked them to leave in June. It was forced to speed up the process this month due to worsening security.  

MINUSMA closed two bases in the Timbuktu region on Aug. 17, it said. 
…

It was not clear Monday if the French ambassador to Niger had left the African country as he was ordered to do by the country’s new leaders.  

On Friday, Niger’s foreign ministry said Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave. The ultimatum was given after Itte refused to meet with the military leaders who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup in July. 

Bazoum and his family have been detained by the military in the presidential palace.  

Niger is a former French colony, and France still has 1,500 soldiers in the African country. They have helped Niger to fight jihadi forces.  

Thousands of Nigeriens took to the streets of Niamey, the capital, Sunday to show their support for the military officers who deposed Bazoum.    

France has not recognized Niger’s new leaders, saying that Bazoum’s government remains the only legitimate authority in Niger.  

France has also agreed with the West African bloc ECOWAS and its calls for Bazoum’s reinstatement.   

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also the chair of ECOWAS, has been invited to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden next month on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where the two leaders are likely to discuss Niger. 

ECOWAS has threatened to use military force to restore Bazoum.  

Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse. 
…

The U.N. Secretary General has called for peaceful and transparent resolutions to any challenges to the legitimacy of Zimbabwe’s presidential election that returned Emmerson Mnangagwa to office.

Zimbabwe’s elections commission said Saturday that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is 80, won approximately 53% of the votes, while Nelson Chamisa, 45, the leader of the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change, garnered 44% of the ballots.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres “is concerned about the arrest of observers, reports of voter intimidation, threats of violence, harassment and coercion,” according to his spokesperson Florencia Soto Niño.  

While Chimisa said the election was a “blatant and gigantic fraud,” Mnangagwa said the election was conducted “transparently, fairly in broad daylight.”

Mnangagwa’s win was another victory for the ZANU-PF party that has ruled the country since 1980 after obtaining independence from white rule.

International observers say the last week’s election in the southern African country was held in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation.

Voters went to the polls on Wednesday and in some locations voting booths were also opened on Thursday due to challenges with ballot distribution. 

Saturday’s announcement of the results of the election came days earlier than expected.

“We all have a lot of questions about the speed” of the results announcement, Nicole Beardsworth, a politics lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, told Reuters.  

Some information for this report came from Reuters and the Associated Press.
…

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said it was open to a long-term cease-fire with the army and presented its vision for a “Sudan Reborn,” an initiative that could revive efforts to hold direct talks between the warring parties.

The statement came as fighting between the RSF and the army enters its 20th week with no side claiming victory while millions have been driven from their homes in the capital and other cities.

The United Nations has warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions,” with rising hunger, collapsing healthcare, and wrecked infrastructure. The RSF and allied militias have also been accused of ethnic cleansing in West Darfur.

The two sides blame each other for starting the war on April 15, after weeks of tension over the integration of their troops into a single force as part of a transition to democracy.

The two sides led the country together since toppling Omar al-Bashir in 2019 and pushing civilian politicians out of the government in a coup in 2021.

In the statement released late on Sunday, RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo appeared willing to negotiate with the army over the shape of the future Sudanese state, going beyond the technicalities of a permanent ceasefire which have hindered Saudi and U.S.-sponsored mediation efforts.

“Efforts to end the protracted crisis must be directed toward achieving a lasting ceasefire, coupled with comprehensive political solutions that address the root causes of Sudan’s wars,” the statement said.

Under his “Sudan Reborn” plan, Dagalo committed the RSF to previously floated principles such as federal, multicultural rule, democratic elections, and a single army.

The statement came after army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrived on Sunday in Port Sudan on his first trip outside the capital since fighting broke out. Government sources say he will travel to Saudi Arabia and Egypt for talks.

Pro-democracy politicians warned Burhan against announcing a new government, saying it would prompt the RSF to form a parallel authority.

Regional mediators have appeared to accept a future role for soldiers in a transitional government.

But on Friday, the ambassador of the United States, one of the main sponsors of the post-Bashir transition, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that “the belligerents, who have demonstrated they are not fit to govern, must end the conflict and transfer power to a civilian transitional government.”
…

Libya’s prime minister suspended Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush on Sunday and referred her for investigation after Israel said its Foreign Minister Eli Cohen had met her last week despite the countries not having formal relations.

Israel’s statement on the meeting, in which it said the ministers had discussed possible cooperation, prompted small protests in Libya, which does not recognize Israel.

Libya’s Foreign Ministry said Mangoush had rejected a meeting with representatives of Israel and that what had occurred was “an unprepared, casual encounter during a meeting at Italy’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.”

The Libyan ministry’s statement said the interaction did not include “any discussions, agreements or consultations” and added the ministry “renews its complete and absolute rejection of normalization” with Israel.

Since 2020 Israel has moved to normalize ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan through the so-called “Abraham accords” brokered by the United States.

“I spoke with the foreign minister about the great potential for the two countries from their relations,” Israel’s Cohen said in a statement.

The meeting was facilitated by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, Israel’s foreign ministry said, adding they had discussed possible cooperation and Israeli aid in humanitarian issues, agriculture and water management.

Cohen said he had spoken to Mangoush about the importance of preserving Jewish heritage in Libya.

Libyan foreign policy is complicated by its years of conflict and its bitter internal divisions over control of government and the legitimacy of any moves made by the Tripoli administration.

The Government of National Unity was installed in early 2021 through a U.N.-backed peace process, but its legitimacy has been challenged since early 2022 by the eastern-based parliament after a failed attempt to hold an election.

Previous foreign policy moves by the GNU, including agreements it has reached with Turkey, have been rejected by the parliament and subjected to legal challenges.

The Presidency Council, which functions as head of state, issued a statement on Sunday asking GNU Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah for clarification on what had taken place.

The High State Council, which holds an advisory role in Libyan politics, voiced its “surprise” at the reports of the meeting and said those responsible “should be held accountable.”
…

Thousands of people demonstrated Sunday in Niger in support of last month’s coup, a few hours before the deadline given to France’s ambassador in an ultimatum to leave the country.

Demonstrators gathered near the French military base in the capital Niamey, some waving Nigerien or Russian flags, others with placards calling for the departure of French troops.

Former colonial power France still has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger. They had been helping the deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in the fight against jihadi forces active there — before military officers toppled him in the July 26 coup.

The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani has detained him and his family at the presidential palace. 

Sunday’s rally started at dawn on a roundabout near the Niamey airport by the Nigerien air base where the French force is located, as demonstrators answered an appeal from organizations backing the country’s new rulers.

“We don’t want the French army in Niger,” said one demonstrator, Abou Kountche. “Let the French leave.”

“The French say that Niger is a poor country, but when we tell them to go home, they refuse,” said restaurateur Adama Assane.

The demonstration comes after a month of rising tensions and anti-France protests in Niger.

On Friday, Niger’s foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, saying he had refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were “contrary to the interests of Niger.”

Paris has rejected the demand and said the “putschists do not have the authority to make this request,” insisting that the government of Bazoum that they had overthrown remained the legitimate authority.

On Saturday some 20,000 people rallied in the General Seyni Kountche stadium to support the country’s new military rulers and call for the removal of French soldiers.

France has consistently backed calls by the West African bloc ECOWAS for the reinstatement of President Bazoum.

A hostile rally outside the French embassy on July 30 prompted Paris to organize the voluntary evacuation of its citizens.

ECOWAS has also applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum.

Efforts to find a diplomatic solution are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top U.S. diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials Saturday.
…

In July, the International Criminal Court said it would investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings, the burning of homes and markets, and looting in Sudan’s Darfur region. In this report from Adre, Chad, near the border with Sudan, reporter Henry Wilkins meets a refugee and human rights activist recording the alleged atrocities and speaks to those who have escaped Darfur as Sudan’s war escalates.
…

Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission has declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner of Wednesday’s general election. The main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change, is disputing the results.

Those are members of the ruling ZANU-PF party early Sunday saying President Emmerson Mnangagwa is as sweet as honey. The praise follows the announcement by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairwoman Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba that Mnangagwa won reelection, beating challenger Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change party — by about 380, 000 votes.

“Now therefore, I, Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba, the chairperson of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, hereby declare that, Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo of ZANU PF party is declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect from 26 August 2023,” she said.

Those are ZANU-PF officials applauding Mnangagwa’s reelection.

On Sunday, at the State House, Mnangagwa appealed to Zimbabweans for peace as he starts his final term. He also addressed his 10 presidential competitors.

“I am happy that I have won the race,” he said. “I think those who feel the race was not run properly should know where to go to complain. I am so happy that the race was run peacefully, transparently and fairly [in] broad daylight. And I am happy that there was [a] huge turnout by our people. I am sure that very few people will say the elections were marred by any violence because there was no[ne] at all.”

Not everyone agrees with him. Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change party Sunday told reporters that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had rigged the polls for Mnangagwa.

VOA asked him what he plans to do.

“The next step is that we are ready to form the next government on account of correcting all the errors that we have identified,” he said. “We have the results, and we are going to form the next government. We are on a peace offensive, we are on a diplomatic offensive. And we are going to take an offensive stance in a progressive and democratic manner to make sure that the voice of people is respected.”

Even election observers — such as the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition — are condemning the way the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission conducted the polls, accusing it of withholding ballots in urban areas — like Bulawayo and Harare — where the opposition has strong support.

Obert Masaraure is the spokesperson for the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.

“Once again, the illegitimacy crisis of those in power remains with us,” he said. “The consequences are one, we are going to have [a] serious challenge of internal tensions where those in power are going to try [to] force citizens to work under them, obviously citizens don’t recognize them as the leadership, so a lot of force is going to be used.”

Secondly, this is a big dent on SADC and Africa in as such as holding credible elections is concerned— this is a bad precedence for Africa.”

He was referring to SADC, the Southern African Development Community.

Zimbabwe’s previous elections have been disputed but the results were never reversed.
…

Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan resumed their years-long negotiations Sunday over the controversial dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile River’s main tributary, officials said.

The resumption of talks came after President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said last month that they aim to reach within four months an agreement on the operation of the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile. The Blue Nile meets the White Nile in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum, before winding northward through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

Egypt fears a devastating impact if the dam is operated without taking its needs into account. It called it an existential threat. The Arab world’s most populous country relies almost entirely on the Nile to supply water for agriculture and its more than 100 million people. About 85% of the river’s flow originates from Ethiopia.

The Egyptian Irrigation Ministry announced the new round of talks in Cairo. Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam said Egypt wants a legally binding agreement on how the giant dam is operated and filled.

Sewilam said there are many “technical and legal solutions” for the dispute, without elaborating.

Tensions have heightened between Cairo and Addis Ababa after the Ethiopian government began filling the dam’s reservoir before reaching an agreement.

Key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the three countries will resolve any future disputes. Ethiopia has rejected binding arbitration at the final stage of the project.

Ethiopia says the dam is essential, arguing that most of its people lack electricity.

Sudan wants Ethiopia to coordinate and share data on the dam’s operation to avoid flooding and protect its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile. The dam is located just 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the Sudanese border.
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The U.S. military in Africa (AFRICOM) reported a “collective self-defense” airstrike against al-Shabab militants — killing 13 fighters in Somalia.

The airstrike took place in the vicinity of Seiera, approximately 45 kilometers northwest of Kismayo.

AFRICOM said Saturday’s airstrike was conducted in support of Somali forces who were engaged by al-Shabab fighters.

“Working with the Somali National Army, U.S. Africa Command’s initial assessment is that the airstrike killed 13 al Shabab fighters and that no civilians were injured or killed,” AFRICOM said in a statement.   “The command will continue to assess the results of this operation and will provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about the units involved and assets used will not be released in order to ensure operations security.”

The U.S. considers al-Shabab the largest and most kinetically active al-Qaida network in the world. Al-Shabab merged with al-Qaida in February 2012.

“[Al-Shabab] has proved both its will and capability to attack partner and U.S. forces and threaten security interests in the region,” AFRICOM said. 

Meanwhile, al-Shabab militants raided the recently liberated village of Cowsweyne in the central Galmudug state, killing government soldiers early Saturday, security sources told VOA.

According to two security officials who asked not to be identified because they are not allowed to comment on sensitive military operations, the militants attacked the village using explosions from vehicle-borne explosive devices (VBIED) or car bombs, followed by armed militants who engaged in heavy gun battles with government forces.

The state-run Somali National News Agency (SONNA) said government forces repelled the attack and destroyed the VBIEDs.

However, extremist group al-Shabab issued a press release claiming to have “overrun” the base and killing 178 soldiers and capturing prisoners. That claim has not been independently verified.

The situation in Cowsweyne, 60 kilometers northwest of Ceel Dheer town, is still murky more than 24 hours after the attack. A local official described the attack in Cowsweyne as “painful.”

Somali government soldiers liberated Cowsweyne on August 22 as the government resumed military operations against al-Shabab to remove the group from central Somalia and push the militants to the south.

Military officials said they are targeting two main towns in the state, Elbur and Galhareri. Elbur was captured without a fight Friday by a large column of Somali forces. Al-Shabab militants have been withdrawing from towns and villages and retreating into the bush with the intention of a prolonged guerrilla war.  
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Sunday for the African Union to be made a G20 member, while also pitching his country as the solution to supply chain woes ahead of the bloc’s summit in New Delhi next month.

The Group of 20 major economies consists of 19 countries and the European Union (EU), making up about 85 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population — but South Africa is the only member from the continent.

In December, US President Joe Biden said he wanted the African Union “to join the G20 as a permanent member,” adding that it had “been a long time in coming, but it’s going to come.”

On Sunday, current G20 host Modi also called for including the pan-African bloc, which collectively had a $3 trillion GDP last year.

“We have invited the African Union with a vision to give permanent membership,” Modi said at B20, a business forum and prelude to the September 9-10 G20 summit.

Headquartered in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, the AU at full strength has 55 members, but five junta-ruled nations are currently suspended.

Modi also said India was the “solution” to creating an “efficient and trusted global supply chain” following disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic, with New Delhi working to bolster manufacturing to compete with China.

“The world before COVID-19 and after Covid-19 has changed a lot — the world cannot view the global supply chain as before,” Modi said.

“That is why today when the world is grappling with this question, I want to assure that the solution to this problem is India.”

Relations between the world’s two most populous nations nosedived after a deadly Himalayan border clash that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops in 2020.

Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a rare face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of a summit on Thursday, with Beijing saying they held “candid and in-depth” talks to ease tensions along their disputed frontier.
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The longest nationwide power outage in Kenyans’ memory remained a mystery Sunday as the government-owned power company blamed a failure at Africa’s largest wind farm, which laid the responsibility on the power grid instead.

Some of Kenya’s more than 50 million people, including in the capital, Nairobi, saw power return almost 24 hours after the massive outage occurred late Friday. It was an embarrassment to the East African economic hub that has sought to promote itself as a tech center on the continent but remains challenged by alleged mismanagement and poor infrastructure.

Hundreds of people were stranded in darkness for hours at Kenya’s main international airport in Nairobi, leading to a rare public apology from a government minister in a country where tourism is a key part of the economy. “This situation WILL NOT happen again,” transport minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said.

The head of the Kenya Airports Authority was fired after a generator serving the main international terminal had failed to start.

Shortly before midnight Saturday, Kenya Power offered the first detailed explanation of the outage, blaming it on a loss of power generation from the Lake Turkana Wind Power plant, Africa’s largest wind farm, causing an imbalance that “tripped all other main generation units and stations, leading to a total outage on the grid.”

But Lake Turkana Wind Power in a statement denied it was to blame. Instead, it said it had been forced to go offline by an “overvoltage situation in the national grid system which, to avoid extreme damage, causes the wind power plant to automatically switch off.” The plant had been producing nearly 15% of the national output at the time.

Such an interruption should be immediately compensated by other power generators in the system, the company said, but the continuing outages in the national grid were preventing the wind plant from being brought back online.

Kenya Power said it couldn’t even turn to importing power from neighboring Uganda, a relatively fast option that for some reason had been unavailable.

“We are jointly working on having the Uganda interconnector restored so as to enhance our grid recovery efforts,” it said.

President William Ruto, whose own office told The Associated Press on Saturday it was still running on generator power hours after Kenya Power announced it had restored electricity to “critical areas” of the capital, did not comment publicly on the crisis. Instead, he again criticized opposition calls for anti-government protests over the rising cost of living, calling them a threat to investors.

“Shame of a nation,” was the main headline of one of Kenya’s leading newspapers, the Sunday Nation. It said the outage was costing businesses millions of dollars and leaving some major hospitals to run on generators.

Kenya gets almost all its electricity from renewable sources, a fact that the government will promote as it hosts the first Africa Climate Summit early next month.
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Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month, his spokesperson said Saturday.

The two leaders will likely discuss the situation in Niger after a military coup overthrew the country’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.

Tinubu, who chairs the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc, is working with other heads of government in West Africa to address the political crisis in Niger after the military junta seized power there.

He has called for more U.S. investment in his country and greater cooperation for the defense of democracy in West Africa, after a series of military coups in the impoverished Sahel region.

The junta in Niger has put the country’s armed forces on the highest alert, citing what is said was an increased threat of attack by ECOWAS, which is urging the reinstatement of Bazoum.

“Threats of aggression to the national territory are increasingly being felt,” said Niger’s defense chief in an internal document issued Friday.

ECOWAS, the main West African bloc, has been trying to negotiate with the military leaders of the July 26 coup, but it has said, if diplomacy fails, it is ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order. It has rejected a proposal by Niger’s mutinous soldiers for a three-year transition to democratic rule.

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger, nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to invade the country, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray told reporters.

The bloc’s decision earlier in August to activate a so-called standby force for a possible intervention has raised fears of an escalation that could further destabilize the insurgency-torn Sahel region.

Niger’s junta asked troops from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso to come to its defense in the event of an armed conflict.

Tens of thousands of people marched on Saturday in Niamey, showing support for Niger’s military coup.

On Friday, Niger’s military rulers asked the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to leave the country within 48 hours, citing “actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger.”

France has consistently acknowledged only the authority of Niger’s elected president, Bazoum. He is still detained by the junta. Paris reiterated Friday night that “only legitimate elected Nigerien authorities” have a say about the fate of its ambassador.

The invitation of troops from Mali and Burkina Faso as well as the dismissal of the French ambassador to Niger show “a very strong alignment” between the regimes of the two countries and that of Niger “in terms of having a very strong anti-Western and pro-authoritarian orientation,” said Nate Allen, an associate professor at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

Before last month’s ouster of Bazoum, Niger, a former French colony, was seen as the West’s last major partner against jihadi violence in the Sahel region below the Sahara Desert, which is rife with anti-French sentiment.

The United States warned Friday that the string of military takeovers in Africa’s Sahel region will hinder the fight against terrorism.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a U.N. Security Council meeting that the United States is focused on the increasing terrorism threat across Africa and continues providing its African partners with “critical assistance in disrupting and degrading” IS and al-Qaida affiliates.

Some information in this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse.
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Editor’s note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.

Sanctuary Cities Welcome Asylum-Seekers, Deal with Budget Shortfalls

In the ongoing political battle between the Biden administration and the Republican governor of Texas over border enforcement, a few sanctuary cities are caught in the middle: They welcome recently arrived asylum-seekers but often lack the money to assist their resettlement. Immigration reporter Aline Barros has the story.

Trial to Begin Over Biden Policy Letting Migrants From 4 Countries Into the US

A key portion of President Joe Biden’s immigration policy that grants parole to thousands of people from Central America and the Caribbean was set to be debated in a Texas federal courtroom beginning Thursday. Under the humanitarian parole program, up to 30,000 people are being allowed each month to enter the United States from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Reported by The Associated Press. 

US Sues SpaceX, Claiming Discrimination Against Refugees, Asylum Recipients

The U.S. Justice Department is suing Elon Musk’s SpaceX, claiming it refused to hire refugees and asylum recipients at the rocket company. In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the Justice Department said SpaceX routinely discriminated against those job applicants between 2018 and 2022, in violation of U.S. immigration laws. Reported by VOA’s Justice Department correspondent Masood Farivar.

VOA Day in Photos

Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico into the U.S. climb a fence with barbed wire and concertina wire, Aug. 21, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Immigration around the world

Sudan Conflict Fueling Humanitarian Emergency of Epic Proportions

Hunger, disease and displacement threaten to destroy Sudan as war spreads throughout the country, fueling “a humanitarian emergency of epic proportions,” according to Martin Griffiths, U.N. emergency relief coordinator. “The longer this fighting continues, the more devastating its impact is going to be,” Griffiths warned in a statement issued Friday. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

Analysts: Situation Worsening in Niger as Food Prices Rise, Security Deteriorates

Conditions for people in Niger are getting worse, as security appears to be deteriorating, according to regional experts who spoke with VOA. Prices of staple foods such as rice and cooking oil have increased, while the country has endured more violence in the past three weeks than it had since the beginning of the year. Reported by Mariama Diallo covering national and world affairs for Voice of America.

Town in Chad Helps 200,000 Sudanese Refugees; ‘We Care About Them’

More than 200,000 refugees fleeing Sudan’s civil war have arrived in the town of Adre, Chad, since the middle of June. Before the crisis, the town had a recorded population of 40,000. In this report, Henry Wilkins asks Adre residents and newly arrived refugees what they are doing to help the influx of new residents.  

Thousands of Migrants Stranded in Niger Because of Border Closures

After three months of crossing the desert and then watching other migrants die at sea in his failed attempt to reach Europe, Sahr John Yambasu gave up on getting across the Mediterranean and decided to go back home. Reported by The Associated Press.

Malawi Moves to Forcibly Reopen Containers Confiscated from Refugees

The Malawi government says it will forcibly open 125 containers confiscated from refugees and asylum-seekers living outside a refugee camp. Police say the containers were confiscated on suspicion they contain, among other things, firearms and counterfeiting machines. Lameck Masina reports for VOA from Blantyre, Malawi. 

VOA60 Africa — More than 3 million people are internally displaced in Sudan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said.

Rights Group: Saudi Guards Killed Ethiopians Seeking to Cross Border

Human Rights Watch alleges that Saudi border guards have killed at least hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum-seekers trying to cross from Yemen into Saudi Arabia between March 2022 and June 2023, in a report released Monday. 

Rescue Ship Saves 438 Migrants in Mediterranean: NGO

The rescue ship Ocean Viking has saved 438 migrants in distress in the Mediterranean over the last two days, the organization that runs it, SOS Mediterranee, said Friday. The rescues took place in international waters off the coasts of Libya and Tunisia, the France-based NGO said. Reported by Agence France-Presse. 

Greece Cracks Down on Attacks on Migrants as Wildfires Rage

Greece’s Supreme Court has ordered an urgent investigation into racist attacks that followed the outbreak of ferocious wildfires in the country’s northeast. The court order came after search teams found the bodies of 18 migrants who had been burned beyond recognition in a wooded area that had gone up in flames in Alexandroupolis, bordering Turkey. Produced by Anthee Carassava.  

News brief

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced “more than $77 million in grants to support border and interior communities receiving migrants through the Shelter and Services Program (SSP). The funding will be available to 53 grant recipients for temporary shelter and other eligible costs associated with migrants awaiting the outcome of their immigration proceedings.”
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The junta in Niger has ordered its armed forces to go on highest alert, citing an increased threat of attack, according to an internal document issued Friday by its defense chief that a security source in the country confirmed was authentic.

The document, which was shared widely online Saturday, said the order to be on maximum alert would allow forces to respond adequately in case of any attack and “avoid a general surprise.”

“Threats of aggression to the national territory are increasingly being felt,” it said.

The main West African bloc ECOWAS has been trying to negotiate with the leaders of the July 26 coup, but it has said it is ready to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail.

On Friday, the bloc downplayed this threat and said it was “determined to bend backwards to accommodate diplomatic efforts,” although an intervention remained one of the options on the table.

“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger, nor is there a plan, as it is being purported, to invade the country, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray told reporters.

The bloc’s decision earlier in August to activate a so-called standby force for a possible intervention raised fears of an escalation that could further destabilize the insurgency-torn Sahel region.
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The U.S. Embassy in Harare joined other election observers Saturday in voicing deep concerns about Zimbabwe’s general election, saying it fell short of the requirements of the country’s constitution and regional guidelines.

Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government and his ruling ZANU-PF party have blasted criticism of the controversy-marred general election.

Zimbabwe’s general election Wednesday did not meet many international standards, Rebecca Archer-Knepper, acting spokesperson at the U. S. Embassy in Harare, told VOA Saturday, but she said Washington hopes Zimbabweans will stay peaceful as the country’s election commission counts votes.

“While the election days were predominantly peaceful, the electoral process thus far did not meet many regional and international standards,” Archer-Knepper said.

“We share the deep concerns expressed by SADC and other international electoral observation missions,” she said, referring to the Southern African Development Community.

The SADC’s preliminary statement on Aug. 25 said the elections “fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.”

Archer-Knepper said, “These missions cited problems with the transparency, independence, fairness and credibility of electoral processes; undue restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly and association and freedom of expression that are guaranteed by Zimbabwe’s constitution and reflected in regional guidelines; reports of voter intimidation; and the disenfranchisement of candidates, particularly women.

“We are also gravely concerned by the arrest of civil society members that we believe were conducting lawful, nonpartisan election observation work,” she said.

On Wednesday, police took 35 election monitors from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and Election Resource Centre into custody and charged them with plotting to announce unofficial results. They were released on $200 bail each on Friday.

Election observers, including those from the SADC, condemned the arrests and the confiscation of observers’ computers and cell phones by police, as well as the way the general election was held.

Nevers Mumba, the head of the SADC observer mission to Zimbabwe’s polls, stopped short of calling the general election not credible when he presented the regional bloc’s preliminary report on Friday, but he did raise concerns.

The Zambian national said a $20,000 registration fee for presidential candidates was restrictive. He also noted the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s reluctance to release voter rolls to the opposition on time and criticized the disruption of opposition rallies by police.

Late Friday, Christopher Mutsvangwa, spokesman for the ruling ZANU-PF party, responded to the SADC observers’ criticisms of the elections.

“SADC principles … are not administered by a particular individual who may become a head of a delegation,” Mutsvangwa said. “It is not the duty of a particular individual to arrogate to himself the role of a constitutional review committee of the laws of Zimbabwe.

“So, Mr. Nevers Mumba from Zambia, we call you to order. Don’t delve into the laws of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Zimbabwe Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi expressed support for Mutsvangwa’s statements.

“We waged a war for over 15 years, so that you and I, Zimbabweans here, would be able to hold a pen in our hands and put an ‘X,’ ” he said. “And the majority of those that are making noise never helped us. It’s the blood and sweat of sons and daughters of Zimbabwe.

“So, the basic principle is … we fought for this democracy,” he continued. “We will have elections when they are due. And we have religiously followed that to this day. So, we believe that some of those who want to teach us on democracy, they can actually get lessons from us.”

On Friday, Alexander Rusero, a politics professor at Africa University in Zimbabwe, welcomed the SADC report on the elections.

“Unfortunately, I do not think ZANU-PF is being advised appropriately,” Rusero said.

“There was no way this election was going to be 100% perfect given the irregularities,” he said. “What is important is to celebrate, to say, in spite of all those irregularities, there are still certain positives. … Unfortunately, government strategic department is doing a disservice to the republic of Zimbabwe.”

In the election, President Mnangagwa is seeking a second term, running against 10 candidates, including the main contender, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change.

Voting was extended to a second day Thursday after election day was marred by polling station delays and shortages of ballots in opposition strongholds Bulawayo and Harare.

There has been a heavy police presence in Harare since Friday night, ahead of the release of official presidential election results, expected by Monday.
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Voters in Gabon began heading to the polls Saturday to elect a new president, lawmakers and local councils that opposition politicians hope will break the Bongo family’s grip on power for more than five decades.

Incumbent President Ali Bongo is seeking a third term. He has been the leader of the country since 2009. Before that, his father led the oil-rich Central African country.

“Gabon is not the property of the Bongos,” said Albert Ondo Ossa, one of Bongo’s main rivals in the 14-candidate presidential race.

Just last week, Ondo Ossa became the candidate for the main opposition grouping in the presidential race, Alternance 2023.

A recent change to this year’s voting has proved controversial, with critics saying the new measure gives an unfair advantage to the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party. With the change, a vote for a local deputy will automatically be a vote for the deputy’s presidential candidate. Critics say that change will lead to an “unfair vote” as Ossa is not backed by a single party.

Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse.
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Ours is a world of older adults, living longer and doing more in their advanced years. Many politicians are staying in office well past typical retirement ages. With the United States facing two of the country’s oldest front-runners for president, VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti explores the ages of current world leaders.
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