标签： Africa

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — In a decisive move against organized crime, President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorized an extensive military deployment spanning 13 months across five South African provinces. The unprecedented operation will deploy 2,200 soldiers to support police forces in combating two particularly destructive criminal enterprises: gang-related violence and illegal mining operations controlled by criminal syndicates.

The deployment, effective from March 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, represents the most prolonged military anti-crime initiative in recent years. With an allocated budget of $49.2 million, the operation will focus on Gauteng Province (home to Johannesburg), Western Cape (including Cape Town), North West, Free State, and Eastern Cape provinces.

This strategic intervention highlights South Africa’s ongoing struggle with violent crime despite its status as Africa’s leading economy. Gang violence claims hundreds of lives annually, particularly in Cape Town’s impoverished Cape Flats district. Simultaneously, an estimated 30,000 illegal miners operate within approximately 6,000 abandoned gold and mineral mines, often employing armed violence to protect their illicit operations.

Police authorities have outlined four primary objectives for the joint operation: significant crime reduction in targeted areas, apprehension of offenders, recovery of illegal firearms and explosives, and confiscation of narcotics. The deployment has received broad public support, with residents in crime-affected communities reportedly welcoming military presence in Johannesburg last week.

While some opposition parties initially questioned the operation’s substantial cost, the government maintains that both gang violence and illegal mining pose fundamental threats to South Africa’s democratic institutions and economic development. This deployment marks the third military intervention against crime since 2023, though previous operations were significantly shorter in duration.

Ugandan opposition leader and former presidential candidate Bobi Wine has emerged from a two-month period in hiding to announce his departure from the country, citing the need for “critical international engagements” and to mobilize global support against President Yoweri Museveni’s administration. The pop star-turned-politician, whose legal name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, maintains that the January presidential election was systematically rigged to ensure Museveni’s continued rule.

In his first public appearance in weeks, conveyed through a five-minute video statement on social media platform X, the 44-year-old opposition leader reiterated his claim to victory in the contested polls. President Museveni, 81, who has governed Uganda since 1986, officially secured 72% of the vote according to election authorities and has accused opposition factions of attempting to violently overturn the results.

The political climate has grown increasingly tense with reports of military operations targeting Wine’s supporters. Wine alleges that authorities have conducted repeated raids on homes of his associates and established nationwide roadblocks in pursuit of him. His residence in Kampala remains under military siege, a situation that has persisted since election day.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son and head of Uganda’s military, previously issued alarming threats against Wine on social media, including a since-deleted post describing him as “wanted dead or alive” and threatening castration. While some government officials have denied security forces are actively hunting Wine, Kainerugaba—widely perceived as a potential presidential successor—also claimed that 30 “terrorists” from Wine’s party were killed during post-election protests.

Expressing gratitude to Ugandans who protected him during his concealment, Wine emphatically stated: “Running for president is not a crime.” He has called for targeted international sanctions against Museveni’s government while continuing to assert his legitimate claim to the presidency amid ongoing political turmoil.

An extensive investigation by The Associated Press has uncovered that an Israeli organization with ties to far-right political agendas has been orchestrating covert evacuation flights transporting Palestinians from Gaza to destinations including South Africa and Indonesia. The operation, which began in May and continued through November, has transported hundreds of Gazans amid the ongoing conflict that has devastated the territory.

The flights were organized through a complex arrangement designed to obscure Israeli involvement. Ad Kan, an Israeli group founded by soldiers and former intelligence officers, operated through another entity called Al-Majd, which presents itself as a humanitarian organization ‘supporting Palestinian lives.’ This layered structure effectively distanced the operation from its Israeli origins, according to contracts, passenger manifests, financial records, and interviews with more than two dozen individuals involved.

Passengers interviewed expressed largely pragmatic attitudes toward the evacuations. ‘There was famine, and we had no options. My children were almost killed,’ stated one 37-year-old Palestinian who arrived in South Africa in November. Many emphasized that their primary concern was escaping the devastation, regardless of who facilitated their departure.

The operation’s ideological underpinnings trace back to Ad Kan founder Gilad Ach, a West Bank settler activist and staunch supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza. Ach had previously published detailed plans for implementing ‘voluntary exit’ programs, arguing that emptying Gaza of its Palestinian population was both feasible and in Israel’s interest.

South African officials have condemned the flights as part of a ‘clear agenda to cleanse out the Palestinians out of Gaza and West Bank.’ Following the arrival of flights in November, South Africa revoked its 90-day visa exemption for Palestinian passport holders, citing ‘deliberate and ongoing abuse’ by Israelis linked to emigration efforts.

Financial arrangements revealed passengers paid up to $2,000 per person through bank and cryptocurrency transfers. The operation required coordination with Israeli authorities, as Palestinians need official permission to leave Gaza. Israeli government offices declined to comment on the flights or whether those who left would be permitted to return.

The revelation raises significant questions about the boundaries between humanitarian evacuation and political agendas in conflict zones, particularly regarding the protection of vulnerable populations and the transparency of cross-border operations during humanitarian crises.

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo — The Republic of Congo’s longstanding leader Denis Sassou N’Guesso has secured a fifth presidential term with an overwhelming 94.82% of votes, as announced by Interior Minister Raymond Zephirin Mboulou in provisional results Tuesday. The 82-year-old leader, who has dominated Congolese politics for over four decades, defeated six challengers in an election marked by internet shutdowns and restricted movement across the capital.

The electoral process unfolded with characteristic constraints on digital connectivity, while voter turnout was officially reported at 84.65% with approximately 2.6 million ballots cast. However, observations in the capital Brazzaville revealed notably sparse activity at polling stations, with many citizens expressing skepticism about the election’s potential to alter the nation’s political trajectory.

Sassou N’Guesso’s political journey spans 42 years, beginning with his initial rise to power in 1979. After conceding defeat in the nation’s first multi-party elections in 1992, he returned to leadership through military means following the 1997 civil war. The recent campaign highlighted significant disparities between the incumbent and his opponents, with Sassou N’Guesso being the sole candidate to conduct a nationwide tour while his image dominated the capital’s infrastructure.

The electoral process faced boycotts from two major opposition parties citing allegations of unfair practices. Constitutional amendments in 2015, which removed presidential age and term limits, paved the way for his continued candidacy.

This political continuity occurs against a backdrop of severe economic challenges. World Bank data indicates the nation struggles with international debt representing 94.5% of GDP, critically high youth unemployment, and pervasive poverty affecting over half of its 5.7 million citizens. Nearly half the population is under 18 years old.

Sassou N’Guesso’s extended rule places him among Africa’s longest-serving leaders, trailing only Cameroon’s Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in political longevity.

Aging white farmers displaced during Zimbabwe’s controversial land reforms two decades ago are pinning their hopes on former US President Donald Trump to secure billions in unpaid compensation from the government. This development comes as Zimbabwe struggles with a massive $23 billion debt burden that has hampered its ability to fulfill a $3.5 billion compensation agreement reached in 2020.

The land redistribution program under former President Robert Mugabe in the early 2000s saw approximately 4,500 predominantly white-owned farms seized and redistributed to black Zimbabweans. While intended to address colonial-era land imbalances, the program triggered economic collapse and international sanctions that crippled the nation’s agricultural sector.

Current President Emmerson Mnangagwa, seeking to repair Zimbabwe’s international standing, committed to compensating farmers for infrastructure improvements on the seized lands. However, the government’s financial constraints led to a compromise offering affected farmers just 1% of their total compensation upfront, with the remainder issued as 10-year treasury bonds paying 2% interest semi-annually.

With many original farmers now elderly and skeptical about the government’s long-term payment capabilities, only 17% have accepted this arrangement. This has prompted some factions to seek international intervention through Washington-based lobby group Mercury Public Affairs LLC, which has connections to the Trump administration.

The lobbying effort, coordinated through South African consultancy OB Projects Management, aims to persuade US officials to support debt clearance and new financing arrangements through international institutions like the World Bank. This approach gains significance amid potential legislative changes, as a new congressional bill proposes repealing the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001, which currently restricts international funding to Zimbabwe.

The situation has divided the farming community, with the Commercial Farmers Union distancing itself from the US lobbying efforts while other groups explore alternative solutions. Some farmers have even reached out to tech billionaire Elon Musk regarding potential financing arrangements.

Underpinning these efforts is Zimbabwe’s vast mineral wealth, particularly its significant lithium, chromium, cobalt, and rare earth deposits. The mineral resources are seen as potential leverage for attracting US investment in exchange for debt settlement commitments.

Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has expressed openness to external intervention, stating the government remains committed to compensation payments but lacks the financial capacity for immediate settlement. As the situation develops, farmers remain caught between government promises, international politics, and the pressing reality of advancing age and financial uncertainty.