Fernando Vaz, the minister of tourism and spokesman for the government of Guinea-Bissau, confirmed that 11 people died during the failed coup attempt that took place earlier this week…reports Asian Lite News
During a press conference, he specified that the dead included civilians, security guards and soldiers, calling Tuesday’s failed attempt as “violent and barbaric”, reports Xinhua news agency.
Vaz stressed the role of the security forces in the “well-planned coup d’etat, aimed at assassinating the President of the Republic, Umaro Sissoco Embalo”, adding that “the government salutes the courage and determination of the defence and security forces which have prevented the subversion of the constitutional order”.
He accused the actors of this act of wanting to install “chaos in the country”, denounced external funding, and promised a thorough investigation to bring to justice “the material and moral authors” of this act.
The spokesman reiterated the commitment of the authorities to defend “democracy and the rule of law”.
Late Tuesday, President Embalo announced that the coup had been thwarted and several civilians and soldiers had been arrested.
Embalo said the attackers tried to kill him and his entire cabinet at the government palace.
The attackers were linked to drug trafficking in the country, he said, without providing further details.
Gunfire erupted near government buildings on Tuesday in the capital of the West African nation, where the President was attending a cabinet meeting, the BBC reported.
Guinea-Bissau, with a population of just under two million people, has seen nine coups or attempted coups since 1980.
Over the past two years there have been military takeovers in Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Guinea, as well as further east in Sudan.
South Sudan’s oil production reduced amid Covid, floods
South Sudan’s oil production has reduced from the previous 170,000 barrels a day to the current 156,000 bpd amid negative impacts of Covid-19 pandemic and heavy flooding since 2020…reports Asian Lite News
Agak Achuil Lual, minister of Finance and Economic Planning while tabling the 2021/22 fiscal budget before the transitional national legislative assembly, said the projected reduction in oil production is due to depletion of some oil wells as well as effects of floods, reports Xinhua news agency.
South Sudan earned $1.4 billion in gross oil revenues of which $1.1 billion went to direct transfers, $148 million were paid to neighbouring Sudan as cost for processing, transportation and transit fees.
The east African Nation is projected to collect $135 million in non-oil revenues in this fiscal year, an increase of 31.1 per cent from $103 millio in the previous 2020/21 fiscal year.
“The projected increase in non-oil revenues is on account of the tax administration reforms that we are implementing at the national revenue authority, which include digitization of tax collections, broadening the tax base and the proposal to fully deploy national revenue authority staff in all the non-oil revenue collecting institutions,” said Achuil.
South Sudan, the world’s youngest republic which depends 95 per cent on oil revenues, is struggling to recover from years of conflict.
S. Africa committed to transition from coal to clean energy. Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe said coal accounts for about 70 per cent of the primary energy consumption, 75 per cent of electricity generation, and 30 per cent of petroleum liquid fuels in the country’s energy mix
South Africa is committed to a transition to cleaner energy, but coal will for some time be vital for the country’s economic growth and employment creation, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe said at the coal colloquium in Pretoria.
Mantashe said coal accounts for about 70 per cent of the primary energy consumption, 75 per cent of electricity generation, and 30 per cent of petroleum liquid fuels in the country’s energy mix, Xinhua news agency reported.
“The transition must speak to the contribution of coal to energy security, sizeable contribution to the gross domestic product, large contingent of employees, and other relevant economic factors. Our climate change agenda cannot afford to ignore these national interests. They must be integrated into our plans to move from high carbon emissions to low carbon emissions,” said Mantashe.
He called on the captains of industry to demonstrate the commitment to just transition and the country’s national interests in coal mining and coal power stations.
Mantashe said there is a potential for the country to export coal to China.
“Strong international coal prices of around 130 U.S. dollars per tonne have raised the attractiveness of exports, with most of South Africa’s export coal going to India and Pakistan. China is also reopening opportunities for imports from South Africa,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa invited scientists from BRICS countries to work alongside South African scientists in further researching the various characteristics of the Covid-19 virus and its mutations.
Ramaphosa made the call when he appointed the Chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Covid-19 Koleka Mlisana to lead a task team of South African researchers in the area of genomic sequencing to work with their scientists from other BRICS countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
This initiative is a contribution to intra-BRICS cooperation to strengthen preparedness and responses to the pandemic as articulated in the New Delhi Declaration, which was adopted at the 13th BRICS Summit in September 2021.
This cooperation takes place within the context of the establishment of the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre in a virtual format.
Ramaphosa
Ramaphosa pointed out that the cooperation would boost the BRICS countries’ preparedness and responses to the pandemic.
“The collaboration among BRICS countries is intended to broaden our knowledge of the Covid-19 virus not only for the benefit of member countries, but for the global community more broadly. Humanity will only overcome this pandemic if the countries of the world work in closer cooperation by sharing information, expertise and resources. This cooperation must be underpinned by the principles of solidarity, partnership and mutual respect,” said Ramaphosa.
He said the team from BRICS countries would share information on laboratory, clinical and epidemiological experiences regarding the pandemic to help clinicians and policy-makers to prepare for future manifestations of the disease.
“The spread of the different Covid-19 variants to all corners of the earth underlines the importance of effective surveillance, scientific transparency and collaborative research. Every country is affected and every country must be able to develop responses based on sound scientific evidence,” Ramaphosa said.
He stated that scientists would conduct research on omicron at the BRICS Vaccine Research Centre which is in the country.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 10,809,836 in the last 24 hours, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said…reports Asian Lite News
The specialised healthcare agency of the African Union said that the Covid death toll across the continent stands at 239,615 and some 9,791,949 patients have recovered from the disease so far.
South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases on the continent, said the Africa CDC.
South Africa tops the list with 3,605,222 cases, followed by the two northern African countries Morocco and Tunisia with 1,135,796 and 909,813 cases respectively, it said.
In terms of caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region in Africa, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected region, said the Africa CDC.
Thousands of protestors took to streets in Khartoum demanding civilian rule
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and other cities to demand civilian rule and urge the authorities to punish alleged killers of protesters during demonstrations in recent weeks…reports Asian Lite News
Protesters on Sunday gathered in Khartoum’s busiest bus station Sharwani, and marched toward the Republican Palace, but the security forces used tear gas to expel them, Xinhua news agency.
Sudanese security forces closed major roads in central Khartoum and deployed military reinforcements around the army headquarters, as well as the routes leading to the presidential palace in Khartoum.
The protests took place despite a ban announced by the State’s security committee on Saturday on gatherings in central Khartoum during the weekend.
On the same day, the UN Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) urged the Sudanese authorities not to restrict peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
For nearly two months, the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other cities have been rocked by regular mass protests demanding civilian rule, and dozens of protesters were killed in clashes with security forces.
Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on October 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.
S.African Parliament fire allegedly started by boxes, paper, petrol
The man who is suspected of setting fire to the South African Parliament earlier this month allegedly used boxes, paper and petrol to start the blaze, which eventually gutted buildings in the premises…reports Asian Lite News
The statement issued on Sunday by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of South Africa said the prosecution alleged that Zandile Christmas Mafe, the suspect, “purchased petrol in a bottle, made his way to Parliament, using stealth, broke into Parliament and after spending some time in Parliament, used boxes, paper and the petrol to set parliament alight causing devastating damage to the facility”, reports Xinhua news agency.
The prosecution opposed the application.
The 49-year-old, who is charged with housebreaking with intent to commit terrorism and arson, terrorism, arson and theft, could face life imprisonment if convicted.
While Mafe pleaded not guilty, an affidavit of an investigating officer submitted by the prosecution said Mafe had confessed that he committed to the crime because he wanted President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign with immediate effect, while also demanding the release of Janus Waluz, a convicted murderer in the assassination of former South African Communist Party leader Chris Hani in 1993.
The fire that started in the morning on January 2 lasted more than 70 hours, severely damaging the building of the National Assembly (NA), the lower house, and completely burned down the NA chamber.
It also caused extensive damage to the century-old Old Assembly building that houses the National Council of Provinces, the upper house.
The affidavit said Mafe appeared to be pleased with himself after he was shown a video clip of the burning parliament and voluntarily pointed out a petrol station where he purchased petrol for 10 rands, as well as the gate and window he used to enter Parliament.
Bail judgment will be delivered on February 4, according to the statement.
The fire forced Parliament to move its flagship program, the State of the Nation Address, to be delivered by Ramaphosa on February 10, from the NA chamber to the historic City Hall of Cape Town.
Geordin Hill-Lewis, Cape Town mayor, will on Monday officially hand over the City Hall to Parliament’s Presiding Officers.
The Moroccan government has extended the state of health emergency throughout the country until February 28, in a further attempt to curb the Covid-19 pandemic…reports Asian Lite News
The government’s spokesperson Mustapha Baitas announced the decision following the cabinet’s online meeting, adding that no decision yet was taken about the reopening of the country’s borders, reports Xinhua news agency.
The suspension of international passenger flights and the closure of Morocco’s borders came into force on November 29, 2021, to curb the spread of the new Covid-19 variant Omicron.
China’s Africa exodus means that it will look for new grounds, perhaps shifting to the Middle East, starting in the supposed rebuilding of Syria. …reports Asian Lite News
China has gradually decided to scale back its involvement in Africa and lessened its investment in infrastructure and loans.
While many equate this to the Covid-19 pandemic, others see it as China’s gradual exit from Africa after depleting its resources and profiting from its trade there, Makram Rabah wrote in a recent article.
Rabah is a lecturer in the Department of History at the American University of Beirut.
“Undoubtedly, China can be the true superpower it aspires to become. Yet, these aspirations should not come at the expense of weak or desperate nations. Nor should they be a gateway to further chaos and instability,” Rabah wrote in Al Arabiya.
China’s Africa exodus means that it will look for new grounds, perhaps shifting to the Middle East, starting in the supposed rebuilding of Syria. While, as a whole, China has adopted a policy of non-interference, many of its gestures or lack of only end up empowering the forces of chaos that Iran leads in the region, he said.
As it stands, it’s estimated that Africa owes over $153bn to China, which Beijing coincidently insists on keeping the content of the monies secret and, in some cases, has gone as far as to deny their existence.
Keeping such loans secretive reflects negatively on these nations’ young citizens, who will discover the exuberant debt they owe late in the day. Some of these loans include the loanee relinquishing national assets and resources in case of default, Rabah said.
This lack of transparency is enough to doubt China’s sincere approach to development and best business practices, he added.
Overall, these policies do not help develop the democracies of these nations that, for many, were caught up in civil wars for decades and governed by authoritarian regimes.
China’s relationship with Africa isn’t limited to its production capacity and comparative prices to the West; Beijing is structuring partnerships for these infrastructure projects as loans and not grants. These countries have placed on themselves, entering into many claims debt traps that won’t end well for them, the article said.
Chinese companies have had the most significant share of these African infrastructure projects, with as much as 40 percent involving Beijing in some way.
China’s role in Africa has visibly increased over the last few decades, mainly looking for resources, crude oil, investments and trade partners, and even going into security and the military sector. Accused by foes and some allies, they claim that China is a resource hunter currently plundering Africa, Rabah said.
Ethiopia ends six-month state of emergency ahead improving security situation
The Ethiopian government has decided to end the six-month state of emergency ahead of its expiration amid improving security situation…reports Asian Lite News
The Ethiopian Council of Ministers in its latest Extraordinary Session on Wednesday decided to shorten the six-month state of emergency, pending endorsement by the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives (HoPR), the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament, according to a statement issued by the Ethiopian Prime Minister’s Office.
The Council attributed the termination of the state of emergency due to “changes in the security situation,” Xinhua news agency reported.
Since the early hours of November 4, 2020, the Ethiopian government has been undertaking military operations against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the Tigray region.
Fighting had expanded during the final quarter of 2021 to more areas, including the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, eventually pushing millions into urgent humanitarian need and misery.
The Ethiopian government in early November declared a six-month state of emergency to curtail advancement by rebel forces. The six-month emergency rule was endorsed by the HoPR amid intensifying conflicts in the northern parts of the East African country.
Over the past month, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) had pushed back forces loyal to the rebel TPLF group back to the Tigray region.
World Bank announces $100 million for flood victims in South Sudan
The World Bank has announced a $100 million relief package for flood victims in South Sudan…reports Asian Lite News
Ousmane Dione, World Country Director for Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Sudan in the Eastern and Southern Africa region, told journalists in the South Sudan capital, Juba on Wednesday that the already approved funds will be available to the government in mid 2022, Xinhua news agency reported.
“We believe the agenda of floods in South Sudan should be taken seriously, funds are already approved and hopefully will be released,” said Dione.
Heavy flooding since May 2021 affected more than 840,000 people across seven states of South Sudan.
According to UN agencies, the floods have further exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation with 7.2 million people, including millions of children facing risk of hunger.
The World Bank is already supporting several active projects in agriculture, health, social protection and community resilience sectors to a total tune of 265 million dollars.
Dione added that they have mobilised additional $38 million to support refugee residents in South Sudan and their host communities. In addition, he disclosed that they are not only supporting development programmes, but also financing capacity building in the youngest nation.
South Sudan is struggling to stabilise it’s war-battered economy amid high inflation caused by disruption of oil production by years of conflict since December 2013.
The disruption in international oil price has also hit hard earnings from oil-revenue that Juba depends on 95 per cent to finance its fiscal expenditure.
