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US envoy for Yemen to visit Saudi Arabia and Oman  

Lenderking will meet regional officials to discuss ways to deescalate the crisis and “renew the focus on securing a durable peace for the Yemeni people”…reports Asian Lite News

The US special envoy for Yemen will visit Saudi Arabia and Oman this week for talks on recent attacks by the Houthi militia on vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, which have disrupted international maritime traffic, the US State Department said on Monday.

Tim Lenderking will meet officials in Riyadh and Muscat “to discuss the need for an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are undermining progress on the Yemen peace process and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen and other countries in need,” it added.

The Houthi campaign of drone and missile attacks targeting shipping in the Red Sea began in November. The group has said their intention is to apply pressure on Israel to halt its war in Gaza.

The US and UK have responded by launching airstrikes targeting Houthi sites in Yemen to prevent the group from endangering freedom of navigation and threatening global trade.

“The United States remains firmly committed to supporting a durable peace in Yemen and alleviating the complex humanitarian and economic crises harming the Yemeni people,” the State Department said.

Washington “supports a return to UN-led peace efforts once the Houthis halt their indiscriminate attacks,” it added.

Lenderking will meet regional officials to discuss ways to deescalate the crisis and “renew the focus on securing a durable peace for the Yemeni people.”

Military says it destroyed Houthi drones

The US military has said its forces destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle in a Houthi rebel-held area of war-ravaged Yemen and another over a crucial shipping route in the Red Sea. It was the latest development in months of tension between the Iran-backed rebels and the US.

The drones, which were destroyed Saturday morning, posed a threat to US and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region, the US Central Command said on Sunday.

It said that one done was destroyed over the Red Sea, while the second was destroyed on the ground as it was prepared to launch.

“These actions are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM said.

There was no comment from the Houthi rebels, which control much of Yemen’s north and west.

The rebels launched a campaign of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in November. They have also fired missiles toward Israel, although those have largely fallen short or been intercepted.

The rebels have described their campaign as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The ships targeted by the Houthis, however, largely have had little or no connection to Israel, the US or other nations involved in the war.

The Houthis have kept up their campaign of attacks despite more than two months of US-led airstrikes.

Earlier this month, CENTCOM said its forces also destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. It also said Houthis fired four anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the Red Sea, but no injuries or damages were reported by US, coalition or commercial ships.

The escalation in the Red Sea and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza impacted the U.N.-led efforts to relaunch political talks to end Yemen’s yearslong conflict, according to the UN envoy for Yemen.

Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council in mid-March that he had hoped to reach an agreement on a nationwide cease-fire in Yemen by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began early in March.

He warned that Yemen could be propelled back into war, saying that “the longer the escalatory environment (in the region) continues, the more challenging Yemen’s mediation space will become.”

The war between the Houthis and pro-government forces backed by a coalition of Gulf Arab states has raged since 2014, when the Houthis swept down from the mountains, seized much of northern Yemen and the country’s capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government to flee into exile to Saudi Arabia.

Since then, more than 150,000 people have been killed by the violence and 3 million have been displaced.

Fighting has decreased markedly in Yemen since a truce in April 2022, but there are still hotspots in the country.

Meanwhile, Houthi militia has issued a new 100-riyal coin for the first time in nearly a decade, a move that sparked the ire of the Aden-based central bank.

Hashem Ismael, the governor of the Houthi-controlled central bank, revealed during a news conference in Sanaa on Sunday that they had produced a new 100-riyal coin, which will go into circulation on Sunday and replace the damaged 100-riyal banknote.

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Zuma barred from running in May elections

South Africa’s Constitution bars people convicted and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment, without an option of a fine, from holding public office….reports Asian Lite News

Former South African President Jacob Zuma is not eligible to run in upcoming elections, the Independent Electoral Commission has ruled. The commission said at a media briefing on Thursday that it had upheld an objection against Zuma’s candidacy in the May 29 elections.

In July 2021, Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defying a court order to appear before a judicial commission that was investigating corruption allegations during his 2009-2018 presidency. He was granted medical parole after two months and allowed to serve the rest of the sentence under house arrest.

South Africa’s Constitution bars people convicted and sentenced to more than 12 months’ imprisonment, without an option of a fine, from holding public office.

Zuma and his legal team stormed out of the judicial proceedings when he was asked about wide-ranging allegations of corruption during his rule, including the role of an Indian family, the Guptas, who allegedly had influence over his Cabinet appointments.

He is the now face of a new political party, uMkhonto weSizwe Party, abbreviated as MK, that has emerged as a potentially significant player in South Africa’s upcoming elections after he denounced the governing African National Congress, which he had previously led.

The new party is named after the former military wing of the ANC which was disbanded at the end of white minority rule and racial segregation policies under the former apartheid regime. Zuma’s announcement that he is leaving the ANC has been one of the notable developments ahead of the elections.

His face is on the MK Party’s election posters, he is the party’s most prominent figure and the main speaker at their election rallies.

His battle against the ANC has landed in some of the country’s highest courts, with the MK Party scoring a victory this week when a court ruled against the ANC’s application to deregister the MK Party and ban it from participating in the elections.

In a separate case, the ANC is contesting the MK Party’s use of its name and logo, which closely resembles that of the ANC’s former military wing.

Local news outlet News24 reported that Zuma was involved in a car accident on Thursday, but was unharmed.

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Somalia’s parliament gives nod to historic amendments

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is seen during the presidential election in Mogadishu, Somalia, on May 15, 2022. (Photo by Hassan Bashi/Xinhua/IANS)

Speaker of the Lower House, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, announced a substantial majority in favour of amending the constitution….reports Asian Lite News

Somalia’s constitution underwent historical changes following a parliamentary vote on Saturday. Among the notable adjustments is the empowerment of the country’s president with the authority to appoint and dismiss a prime minister, Voice of Africa reported.

After weeks of intense deliberation, the bicameral federal parliament of Somalia ratified amendments to the initial four chapters of the nation’s provisional constitution.

During a joint session held in Mogadishu, legislators deliberated on each chapter individually before casting their votes on the comprehensive amendments proposed by the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission (ICRIC), according to Voice of Africa.

Speaker of the Lower House, Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, announced a substantial majority in favour of amending the constitution.

“A total of 212 members of the Lower House and 42 members of the Upper House supported the amendments, with no abstentions or rejections. Therefore, the amendment has been approved with a unanimous vote,” declared Madobe.

Hussein Idow, chairperson of the Constitutional Review Committee, elucidated that three provisions concerning religion in the draft would undergo further scrutiny.

“The decision to postpone the religion provisions aims to ensure their alignment with the principles and values cherished by the Somali people,” Idow remarked.

“The provisional constitution has been under review for nearly a decade. Since 2012, three parliaments have attempted to amend it, but significant progress in finalising the review was made in late 2023. We extend our gratitude to the 11th parliament of Somalia for boldly undertaking these amendments,” added Idow.

A pivotal amendment in the ratified draft delineates the establishment of a president and a prime minister for Somalia. Under this provision, the president is granted the authority to appoint and remove the prime minister from office, thus replacing the previous requirement for the prime minister to secure a vote of confidence from parliament, thereby introducing more flexibility in the executive branch.

Somalia’s political landscape has been marked by discord between presidents and prime ministers, stemming from a complex interplay of historical, regional, clan-based, and ideological factors.

Since the inception of the presidential office in 1960, Somalia has witnessed nine official presidents. The recent four presidents, including the incumbent in his first term, have exercised the prerogative to dismiss a prime minister with parliamentary support.

Central to these disputes is the distribution of power and resources among various clans and regions within Somalia.

Constitutional experts assert that the perennial power struggles between the top offices are fundamentally rooted in the constitutional delineation of their roles.

Among the proposed amendments was a provision advocating for a presidential system where the president assumes both the roles of head of state and head of government, with ceremonial duties delegated to a vice president. However, this provision was omitted during parliamentary review.

The amended constitution stipulates a five-year term of office for government constitutional bodies and refers to regional state presidents as leaders. Additionally, it envisions the presence of three political parties, fostering a multi-party system.

Nevertheless, some political stakeholders, including former Somali Presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, along with leaders from the Puntland state, vehemently opposed this amendment, citing concerns regarding the lack of consensus among political actors.

In a separate statement issued on Saturday, a coalition of influential politicians, including former prime ministers Hassan Ali Khaire and Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, criticised President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for his role in steering the approval of the amendment.

“The president has led the nation down a perilous path, plunging it into turmoil and political uncertainty, jeopardising state-building efforts by pushing for the parliament’s approval of controversial provisions in the constitution,” the statement lamented, as reported by Voice of Africa.

In February, the ICRIC submitted proposed amendments to parliament, focusing on the initial four chapters. These amendments encompassed the age of maturity for girls and the criminalisation of female genital mutilation. The ratified amendments establish the age of maturity at 15 and the age of responsibility at 18, advocating for juvenile justice standards to safeguard individuals under 18.

However, rights groups caution that such provisions risk perpetuating existing traditional norms, potentially subjecting girls to marriage at the age of 15.

Human Rights Watch, in a statement issued on Friday, warned that the current constitutional proposal poses a threat to children, particularly girls.

“It would place girls, in particular, at a greater risk of child marriage, impacting their health, including reproductive health, access to education, and protection from other forms of abuse,” the organisation asserted.

“Somalia’s parliament must resist efforts to dilute constitutional protections for children, especially girls,” urged Laetitia Bader, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Donors to Somalia should exert pressure on the government to fulfill its commitments to uphold international human rights standards,” Voice of Africa reported. (ANI)

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UN warns of major security threat in Congo

Heavy fighting between the Congolese army and M23 has intensified in the eastern part of the country, forcing civilians to flee…reports Asian Lite News

War is on the doorstep of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Goma city and the region is at breaking point, activists and aid workers have said, as the United Nations sounds an alarm over the situation in the Central African country.

“One Congolese person out of four faces hunger and malnutrition,” Bintou Keita, the head of the UN’s DRC peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, told the UN Security Council this week, warning of a rapidly deteriorating security situation and a humanitarian crisis reaching near catastrophic levels.

Heavy fighting between the Congolese army and armed group M23 has intensified in the eastern part of the country since February, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee their homes as the rebels make territorial gains.

The armed group “is making significant advances and expanding its territory to unprecedented levels”, Keita said at the UN on Wednesday.

This comes as fierce battles between the army and rebels have reached the outskirts of Sake, a village about 25km (15.5 miles) from regional economic hub Goma – marking a major advancement for M23.

About 250,000 people fled their homes between mid-February and mid-March, according to UN figures, with the vast majority seeking shelter in and around Goma. Pockets of makeshift tents have popped up along roads or desolated areas with no access to basic aid.

“Things are at a breaking point,” said Shelley Thakral, a World Food Programme spokesperson, after returning to Kinshasa from a trip to Goma. “It’s quite overwhelming – people are living in desperate conditions,” she told Al Jazeera. Many people have fled in a hurry with no belongings and now find themselves in cramped camps with little prospect of returning, she added.

The effects are also being felt inside Goma, where civilians have seen the price of basic commodities skyrocketing and health services being disrupted by a steady stream of refugees coming in. “The situation is at its worst and war is at the door,” said John Anibal, an activist with civil society group LUCHA based in Goma.

As the fighting spreads, it is also intensifying. According to ACLED, an independent data-collecting group, the use of explosives, shelling and air raids since the start of this year has quadrupled compared with the average in 2023.

More than 200 armed groups roam the area, vying for control of its minerals, including cobalt and coltan – two key elements needed to produce batteries for electric vehicles and gadgets, such as PlayStations and smartphones.

Among the groups, M23 has posed the biggest threat to the government since 2022 when it picked up arms again after being dormant for more than a decade. Back then, it had conquered large swaths of territory, including Goma, before being pushed back by government forces.

The conflict in eastern DRC is also deeply intertwined with the Rwandan genocide. In 1994, more than 800,000 Tutsis and Hutus were killed by violent Hutu armed groups. In the wake of the fighting, Hutu genocidaires and former regime leaders fled to the DRC.

Today, Kigali accuses Kinshasa of supporting one of the Hutu armed groups present in eastern DRC, the FDLR, which it sees as a threat to its government. And the DRC, alongside the UN and the US, have accused Rwanda of backing the M23. Kigali has denied this.

At the UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday, the DRC’s ambassador to the UN Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja called on the intergovernmental body to take a stronger stance against Rwanda.

“The council must cross the Rubicon of impunity and impose on Rwanda sanctions commensurate with its crimes,” said Nzongola-Ntalaja.

Rwanda responded heatedly. The country’s UN representative, Ernest Rwamucyo, said that “ethnic cleansing targeting Congolese Tutsi communities reached unprecedented levels”.

The renewed fighting has come at a delicate moment for the country as the MONUSCO mission is pulling out of the country after 25 years at the request of the Congolese government. The first phase of the withdrawal is expected to be complete by the end of April, and all peacekeepers will leave by the end of the year.

The government of President Felix Tshisekedi accused the UN mission of failing to protect civilians. Instead, it gave soldiers of an East African regional bloc the mandate to fight back against the rebels.

But that ended last December after the president accused the regional force of colluding with the rebels instead of fighting them. So he turned to another force, SADECO, composed of southern African nations to do the job.

Observers are sceptical that this new mission will succeed where its predecessors failed.

“I don’t see this as a stabilising intervention, at most, it will postpone the issue because there is no one military solution,” said Felix Ndahinda, a researcher on conflict in the Great Lakes Region.

Structural weaknesses in governance, lack of state presence in remote regions and interethnic rivalries, are among causes that the state is failing to address, Ndahinda told Al Jazeera.

“In the last 30 years, different interventions have been addressing partial symptoms of the problem rather than looking at the full picture – till that is not done, you can only postpone, but not resolve, the issue,” Ndahinda said.

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Daesh claims responsibility for attack on Niger army

Niger’s defense ministry said late on Thursday that 23 soldiers were killed in the attack, which also wounded 17 more. Around 30 attackers were killed, it added…reports Asian Lite News

The Daesh on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on Niger’s army that it said had killed 30 soldiers on Wednesday.

The group said in a statement carried by its AMAQ news agency and posted on its Telegram channel that the soldiers were killed in an ambush on a convoy near the town of Teguey in the Tillaberi region in the west of the country.

Niger’s defense ministry said late on Thursday that 23 soldiers were killed in the attack, which also wounded 17 more. Around 30 attackers were killed, it added.

Niger is one of several West African countries battling an Islamist insurgency that has spread outwards from Mali over the past 12 years, killing thousands and uprooting millions of people.

Frustrations over authorities’ failure to protect civilians has spurred military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger since 2020.

The juntas that seized power have cut ties with Western allies assisting local military efforts, kicking out French and other European forces and turning to Russia instead.

Niger’s junta last week revoked with immediate effect a military accord that allows military personnel and civilian staff from the US Department of Defense on its s

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Niger Breaks Off Military Deal With US

The pact played a central role in the US military’s operations in Africa’s Sahel region and is home to a major airbase….reports Asian Lite News

In a blow to the US security presence in Niger, the latter has suspended its military agreement with the former “with immediate effect”, Al Jazeera reported quoting the Niger’s ruling military spokesman, Colonel Amadou Abdramane.

The agreement that allowed US military personnel and civilian defence staff to operate from Niger lost its existence a week after senior US officials, led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee and US Africa Command head General Michael Langley, visited the West African country earlier this week to discuss democratic transition.

The pact played a central role in the US military’s operations in Africa’s Sahel region and is home to a major airbase.

Speaking on local television, Abdramane said the US delegation did not follow diplomatic protocol, and that Niger was not informed about the composition of the delegation, the date of its arrival or the agenda, Al Jazeera reported.

“Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism,” Abdramane said.

The US military had some 650 personnel working in Niger in December, according to a White House report to Congress. The US military operates a major airbase in the Niger city of Agadez, some 920km (572 miles) from the capital of Niamey, using it for manned and unmanned surveillance flights and other operations.

According to the Al Jazeera report, a drone base known as Air Base 201 near Agadez was built at a cost of more than USD 100 million. Since 2018 the base has been used to target ISIL (ISIS) fighters and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, in the Sahel region.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera correspondent Shihab Rattansi said the move is “a huge blow to the US”.

“Niger is the centre of US operations in west and north Africa, notably at its Air Base 201, the most expensive construction project ever undertaken by the US government. It’s there for war on terror operations but it’s really there also for great power projection against countries like Russia and China.”

Last October, Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup. But in December, the top US envoy for Africa, Phee, said the US was willing to restore aid and security ties if Niger met certain conditions.

The military said the delegation had accused Niger of partnering with Russia and Iran on “secret” deals, which the government denies. Officials also said the US had “threatened” action against Niger if the Niamey fails to cut ties with both countries.

The military government “forcefully denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of retaliation from the head of the American delegation towards the Nigerien government and people”, spokesman Abdramane added.

Niger has been under military rule since July 2023 when an elite guard force led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani detained President Mohamed Bazoum and declared Tchiani ruler.

Like the military rulers in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger has also kicked out French and other European forces. Both Mali and Burkina Faso have turned to Russia for support. (ANI)

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Decline in Chinese Labour Force Across Africa

Earlier in 2015, 263,696 workers were recorded on the continent, which drastically declined to 88,371 in 2022….reports Asian Lite News

The number of Chinese workers across Africa has dropped significantly to its lowest level in more than a decade, Voice of America reported, citing data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics.

Earlier in 2015, 263,696 workers were recorded on the continent, which drastically declined to 88,371 in 2022.

The China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University analysed data from 2009 to 2022 and attributed the drop in numbers partially to the pandemic, as Chinese workers left during that period and the country only reopened in early 2023, VOA reported.

However, the drop in numbers is also due to a variety of other factors, according to the experts, including oil prices and the downscaling of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s global Belt and Road Initiative, which initially saw thousands of Chinese sent out across the continent to work on large infrastructure projects.

When asked whether the numbers could have rebounded last year and might continue to do so, Deborah Brautigam, director at the China Africa Research Initiative, said, “We have no data for 2023, but anecdotally, we hear that more postponed projects are resuming. Yet we are unlikely to see the high numbers of the past.”

Yunnan Chen, a researcher at ODI Global, a UK-based research group, said, “It might be that some construction has restarted since 2022, but we know the number of overall Chinese-financed projects has been in decline for a number of years, and the last few years have put a damper on any new project deals. So I wouldn’t expect any dramatic increases in these numbers anytime soon.”

According to the statistics, the five countries with the most Chinese workers in 2022 were Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reported VOA.

While still leading in the number of workers, Algeria and Angola also saw the biggest drops.

Algeria had more than 91,000 Chinese workers in 2016, while Angola had a peak of 50,000. However, by 2022, only about 7,000 workers remained in each country.

The director of the China Africa Research Initiative further said that the huge drops “are explained by the price of oil. They’re both highly reliant on oil exports and they use this oil to pay for nearly all government spending.”

Moreover, China has been criticised for failing to aid job creation in Africa or equip local residents with new skills, despite its massive projects, as reported by VOA.

While large numbers of local workers have indeed been employed, it’s often been in the most basic of roles, whereas more senior jobs have been reserved for Chinese.

“Generally, Chinese projects do hire local labourers,” said Chen.

Even though China sends fewer of its people to Africa, hiring Africans for higher-paid, skilled jobs by Chinese companies may not happen immediately, Brautigam added. (ANI)

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Nicaragua-Germany Gaza case before ICJ

The Hague-based ICJ said it will hold hearings on April 8 and 9 for both countries to make submissions…reports Asian Lite News

Top UN judges will start listening to submissions next month in the case filed by Nicaragua accusing Berlin of facilitating “genocide” in Gaza because it supported Israel, officials said on Friday.

Two weeks ago, Nicaragua filed a case against Germany before the International Court of Justice, saying Berlin was “facilitating the commission of genocide and … failed in its obligation to do everything possible to prevent the commission of genocide” in Gaza.

This included Berlin’s suspension of funding of the UN Palestinian refugee agency.

The Hague-based ICJ said it will hold hearings on April 8 and 9 for both countries to make submissions.

“The hearings will be devoted to the request for the indication of provisional measures contained in Nicaragua’s application,” the ICJ said in a statement.

Managua had asked the court to take a swift interim stance against Germany before judges gave the case an in-depth study.

The lodging of the case follows the ICJ saying on January 26 that Israel must do everything to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and take “immediate” measures for aid provisions.

That interim order was given as the court moves to weigh in full a case lodged in December by South Africa alleging that Israel was engaged in genocide in Gaza.

Israel has dismissed South Africa’s case as a “grossly distorted story.”

ICJ rulings are legally binding, but the court has no enforcement mechanism.

Accusations from Israel that staff from UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel prompted several countries — including Germany, Britain, Japan and the US — to suspend their funding.

However, Canada and Sweden said they would resume UNRWA aid, and Spain has pledged an additional €20 million. Efforts have intensified to bring more aid into the war-devastated Gaza.

Scholz heads to Israel

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Israel on Saturday to allow humanitarian aid access to Gaza on a larger scale, ahead of a two-day trip to the Middle East.

Scholz will travel to the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba on Saturday to meet on Sunday with Jordan’s King Abdullah before flying on to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It is necessary for aid to reach Gaza on a larger scale now. That will be a topic that I also have to talk about,” Scholz told journalists ahead of his trip.

He also voiced concern about Israel’s planned offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than half the Palestinian’s enclave’s population of 2.3 million have taken shelter.

“There is a danger that a comprehensive offensive in Rafah will result in many terrible civilian casualties, which must be strictly prohibited,” he added.

Germany’s air force said it dropped pallets with four tons of relief goods by air into the enclave on Saturday.

“Every package counts. But airdrops are just a drop in the ocean,” the foreign ministry said on the social media platform X.

Israel’s air and ground campaign in Gaza, triggered by Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, has displaced most of the population and left people in dire need of food and other essentials.

Germany joins operation to airdrop aid into Gaza

Germany said Wednesday it was joining an air bridge operation along with several other countries to drop desperately needed humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

The operation, initiated by Jordan, already has the participation of several other countries including France and the United States.

The defense ministry said it would deploy the German part of a joint German-French air transport squadron to participate in the mission.

The team is equipped with C-130J Hercules transport planes, said the ministry, adding that Germany’s operation could begin as soon as the end of this week.

“The people in Gaza are lacking the most basic necessities. We want to do our part to ensure that they get access to food and medicine,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

After one parachuted airdrop turned lethal on March 8, the minister sought to allay fears.

“The truth is that airdrops are not without danger. The crews responsible are trained for the relevant procedures and highly experienced,” he said.

Gaza has faced relentless bombardment by Israel since Hamas launched a cross-border attack on October 7 that resulted in about 1,160 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive has killed 31,184 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

Aid groups say only a fraction of the supplies required to meet basic humanitarian needs have been allowed into Gaza since October.

With help entering Gaza by truck far below pre-war levels, and Gazans increasingly desperate, foreign governments have turned to airdrops and are now trying to open a maritime aid corridor from Cyprus.

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South Africa to arrest citizens fighting with Israeli forces

South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands on Dec. 29, alleging that it violated the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948…reports Asian Lite News

South African citizens fighting alongside or serving in the Israel army will face arrest when they return home, Israeli media reported Wednesday, citing the country’s foreign minister.

“I have already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and who are fighting alongside or in the Israeli Defense Forces. We are ready. When you come home, we’re going to arrest you,” The Times of Israel newspaper quoted Naledi Pandor as saying at a recent conference on solidarity with Palestinians in the South African capital Pretoria.

Her remarks came after an initial warning was issued in December by the South African Foreign Ministry which said alleged violations of international law by soldiers in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war made them “liable for prosecution in South Africa.”

South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Netherlands on Dec. 29, alleging that it violated the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948.

It asked the world court to issue provisional measures due to the urgency of the situation in Gaza, with hearings on the request held on Jan. 11-12 at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

The ICJ ordered Israel to take all necessary measures to prevent acts defined in Article 2 of the Genocide Convention, to prevent, hinder and punish those calling for genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, to eliminate adverse living conditions by providing essential services and humanitarian aid and to take effective measures to prevent the destruction of evidence showing the violation of the Genocide Convention against Palestinians.

The ICJ also ordered Israel to submit a report on all the measures it had taken within one month from the date of the decision.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in which 1,163 people were killed.

More than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza and over 73,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

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Senegal top court upholds March 24 presidential vote

President Macky Sall postponed the February election and tried to push it back to December at the last minute, sparking a crisis and deadly protests…reports Asian Lite News

Senegal’s top court on Friday upheld the holding of a deferred presidential election on March 24, rejecting an attempt by disqualified candidates to cancel the date.

The rejected candidates and allied lawmakers had called for presidential decrees temporarily suspending the date of the vote and the campaign’s duration.

If the Supreme Court had accepted the requests, the electoral process would have been called into question at the last minute.

The court said the issue did not fall within its purview, adding that the Constitutional Council had “full jurisdiction in electoral matters.”

President Macky Sall postponed the February election and tried to push it back to December at the last minute, sparking a crisis and deadly protests.

He was then forced to reset the date to March 24.

“This election is the most important we’ve ever had. Many people have died, life has become more expensive, and the Senegalese are tired. We need a new system,” said Hamza Soumboundou, a first-year applied arts student at Gaston Berger University in the northern city of Saint-Louis.

The 20-year-old wants the next president to create jobs, fight corruption and injustice, develop agriculture, and cancel foreign fishing agreements.

He also hopes for the re-establishment of the rule of law, which he says was flouted under outgoing President Sall.

UGB is the second largest in the country and was badly hit by the political crisis triggered by the delay to the February 25 presidential poll.

Two students were killed and several others injured in protests that left a total of four people dead across the country.

UGB has experienced less unrest than Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, but protests there are known to descend into violence. Clashes over grant payments in 2018 left one student dead.

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