标签： Africa

In a significant move, Mali’s ruling military junta has suspended the operations of two prominent French television channels, TF1 and LCI, accusing them of disseminating unverified and false information regarding a fuel blockade imposed by the al-Qaida-linked militant group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM). The decision was announced by Mali’s High Authority for Communication in a letter dated November 13, which was made public on Friday. The regulatory body cited a broadcast from November 9 as the basis for its action, disputing claims that the junta had banned fuel sales, that the regions of Kayes and Nioro were under complete blockade, and that terrorists were nearing the capital, Bamako. The letter stated that the channels’ services would be removed from distribution packages until further notice. Since September, JNIM has enforced a fuel blockade in Mali, exacerbating the country’s security and economic challenges. The resulting fuel shortages have led to long queues at gas stations and heightened instability. In response, several Western embassies, including those of the United States and France, have advised their citizens to leave the country. Mali, along with neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, has been under military rule following coups in recent years, with leaders promising improved security. However, analysts note that the security situation in the Sahel region has deteriorated significantly, with record levels of attacks and civilian casualties attributed to both Islamic militants and government forces.

The United Nations has announced an independent fact-finding mission to investigate reported mass killings in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, marking a critical step in addressing what aid groups and the G7 have termed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the international community’s inaction, urging immediate action against the atrocities committed in Sudan’s devastating civil war. Over 150,000 people have been killed, and 12 million displaced, as the conflict continues to escalate. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), accused of targeting non-Arab groups, captured el-Fasher last month after an 18-month siege. The city, once held by the Sudanese army, has become a focal point of the crisis. The UN mission will analyze digital evidence, including footage and photos of atrocities, to hold perpetrators accountable. Mona Rishmawi, a UN mission member, described the suffering in Darfur as surpassing the Janjaweed militia’s genocide two decades ago. The RSF, which traces its origins to the Janjaweed, is accused of devastating mass killings, rape, torture, and starvation tactics. The G7 recently condemned the violence, calling it the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded international action to halt weapons supplies to the RSF, implicating the UAE in the conflict. The UAE denied supporting the RSF but expressed alarm over the attacks in el-Fasher. The RSF and Sudanese army have both rejected accusations of atrocities. Despite calls for a humanitarian truce, fighting continues unabated, with satellite imagery revealing piles of bodies and blood-stained earth in el-Fasher. Amnesty International has identified weapons from Serbia, Russia, China, Turkey, Yemen, and the UAE being used in Sudan, with smuggling routes often passing through the UAE. The UK has faced criticism for British-made weapons allegedly ending up in RSF hands. The UN arms embargo on Darfur, in place since 2004, has not been extended to the rest of Sudan, despite calls from human rights groups.