标签： Africa

LAGOS, Nigeria — In a significant political reversal, President Bola Tinubu has nominated General Christopher Musa, the recently retired military chief, as Nigeria’s new defense minister. This appointment comes merely weeks after General Musa’s forced retirement during a comprehensive military reshuffle.

The nomination, pending parliamentary confirmation, follows the abrupt resignation of former Defense Minister Badaru Abubakar on Monday, who cited health reasons for his departure. No official explanation has been provided regarding the sudden reinstatement of General Musa, who commanded Nigeria’s armed forces from 2023 until October.

This leadership shakeup occurs against the backdrop of escalating security challenges in Nigeria’s northern regions, where bandit groups and militants continue to perpetrate mass abductions and deadly violence. The United States has intensified pressure on Nigerian authorities to enhance their counterinsurgency efforts, though President Tinubu has publicly disputed American assertions that Christian communities are disproportionately targeted by the violence.

In response to the deteriorating security situation, Tinubu’s administration recently dispatched a diplomatic delegation to Washington, resulting in newly established security cooperation agreements. Additionally, the president declared a state of emergency last week and authorized large-scale police recruitment to strengthen domestic security forces.

A Zambian-American social media influencer has been handed an 18-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to hate speech charges against Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Ethel Chisono Edwards, a 42-year-old real estate agent from New York who maintains dual citizenship, was convicted under Zambia’s recently enacted Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Acts for her persistent online criticisms of the head of state.

Known to her substantial following as ‘One Boss Lady,’ Edwards built her digital reputation through two years of vehement commentary targeting President Hichilema’s administration. Her case reached its climax when authorities detained her at Zambia’s primary airport three months ago during a visit to attend her grandmother’s funeral proceedings.

During proceedings at Lusaka’s magistrate court, Edwards admitted to unlawfully publishing content motivated by hatred toward the presidency. Magistrate Webster Milumbe emphasized the court’s obligation to issue a strong deterrent against the growing trend of hate speech, despite the defendant’s expression of remorse and direct apology to the president, his family, and the Zambian nation.

Defense attorney Joseph Katati portrayed his client as a contrite first-time offender with significant philanthropic contributions, including sponsorship of a girls’ football team that would suffer from her incarceration. The magistrate acknowledged these mitigating factors by backdating the sentence to her arrest date.

The sentencing has sparked vigorous debate within Zambia regarding free speech boundaries. While some citizens support the judicial outcome as necessary for maintaining respect for leadership, others perceive the punishment as disproportionately limiting expressive freedoms. This case emerges despite President Hichilema’s 2021 elimination of criminal defamation laws specifically targeting the presidency, indicating that other legislation remains applicable to criticism of government figures.

This prosecution follows another unusual case from September, where two individuals received two-year prison terms for allegedly attempting to use witchcraft against the president, demonstrating the ongoing legal complexities surrounding presidential protection in Zambia.

GUINEA-BISSAU’S electoral commission declared Tuesday it cannot finalize results from the disputed presidential election after armed intruders stormed its offices and confiscated critical vote tally sheets. This development coincides with the military’s seizure of governmental control, plunging the West African nation into renewed political turmoil.

The commission’s statement confirmed the November 26th breach occurred three days following presidential and legislative elections where both incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa declared victory. The unidentified armed men’s raid effectively paralyzed the electoral certification process.

In parallel developments, the military establishment installed former army chief of staff General Horta Inta-a as head of a transitional military government. The new regime announced plans to oversee a twelve-month transition period. On Saturday, Inta-a appointed a 28-member cabinet predominantly composed of political allies to the deposed president.

President Embaló has sought refuge in Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo, while Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu granted protective asylum to opposition leader da Costa citing “imminent threats to his personal safety.”

This crisis continues Guinea-Bissau’s troubled legacy of political instability since gaining independence from Portugal five decades ago. The nation of 2.2 million people, ranking among the world’s poorest countries, has experienced multiple coups and attempted power grabs, including a failed October putsch. International analysts note the country’s role as a strategic narcotics trafficking corridor between Latin America and Europe has significantly exacerbated its chronic governance challenges.

In a significant development for Nigeria’s security apparatus, Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar has abruptly resigned from his cabinet position citing health concerns. The 63-year-old’s departure comes at a critical juncture as the nation grapples with worsening security challenges, particularly a surge in mass abductions targeting civilians.

The timing of Abubakar’s exit coincides with alarming reports from the UN Human Rights Office indicating at least 402 kidnappings since mid-November, predominantly affecting schoolchildren. Recent incidents include the abduction of 20 individuals during separate raids in northern Nigeria, capturing a Christian pastor alongside a Muslim bride and her bridal party. Approximately 250 students and 12 educators from a Catholic school in Niger state remain missing following what represents one of the largest kidnapping events in recent weeks.

While analysts predominantly attribute these crimes to criminal syndicates seeking ransom payments, presidential representatives have suggested jihadist involvement. The minister, who previously served two terms as governor of Jigawa state from 2015 to 2023, played a pivotal role in President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 electoral victory by delivering his home state.

President Tinubu has accepted the resignation with acknowledgments for Abubakar’s national service. Concurrently, the administration has declared a national security emergency, unveiling plans to expand police capabilities by recruiting 20,000 additional officers to reach a force strength of approximately 50,000.

Nigeria currently confronts multiple security threats including criminal kidnappings, Islamist insurgencies in northern territories, separatist violence in southeastern regions, and resource conflicts between herders and farmers in central areas. Presidential spokespersons indicate Tinubu will present Abubakar’s successor to the Senate for confirmation within days.

In a significant diplomatic move, Nigeria has provided political asylum to Fernando Dias, a presidential contender from Guinea-Bissau, following a military takeover that disrupted the electoral process. The 47-year-old candidate from the Party for Social Renewal sought refuge at the Nigerian embassy in Bissau after reporting direct threats to his safety.

The political crisis erupted when military forces suspended the electoral proceedings three days after the November 23 presidential vote, blocking the release of election results that both Dias and incumbent President Umaro Sissoco Embaló had claimed to win. The junta justified its intervention as necessary to prevent what it described as a plot to destabilize the politically volatile nation.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed the protective measures, stating President Bola Tinubu authorized Dias’s sanctuary at the embassy compound. “This decision demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting democratic aspirations and the sovereign will of Guinea-Bissau’s people,” Tuggar communicated to the ECOWAS Commission.

The military regime has implemented stringent measures including a ban on public demonstrations and installed General Horta N’Tam as transitional leader for a one-year period. Meanwhile, ECOWAS mediators led by Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba have engaged in tense negotiations with the junta, described as “productive” yet contentious.

International scrutiny intensifies as Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and former Nigerian leader Goodluck Jonathan have suggested the coup might be fabricated, though without presenting substantiating evidence. Local civil society organizations have accused Embaló of orchestrating a “simulated coup” to manipulate electoral outcomes—allegations the president has not addressed.

Embaló, who departed for Senegal before reportedly continuing to Congo-Brazzaville, has historically faced accusations of exploiting crises to suppress opposition. The current turmoil adds to Guinea-Bissau’s extensive history of political instability, with at least nine coups or attempted takeovers since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974.

ECOWAS has suspended Guinea-Bissau from all decision-making bodies pending restoration of constitutional order, while deploying security personnel to protect the Nigerian embassy where Dias remains under protection.