Ghana Postpones South Africa’s Ramaphosa Visit Amid Xenophobia Row
Ghana has postponed a planned August visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa amid rising diplomatic tensions over anti-foreigner protests in South Africa. According to Ghanaian officials, the visit was deferred because of the current climate surrounding xenophobia, following the repatriation of hundreds of Ghanaian nationals and growing public concern that the trip could trigger protests. The dispute has intensified over conflicting accounts of the death of a Ghanaian national during the protests and disagreements over the legal status of Ghanaian migrants in South Africa. Despite the postponement, South Africa said both countries remain committed to strengthening bilateral ties and will work through diplomatic channels to arrange a new date.
Zimbabwean President Signs Controversial Constitutional Amendment into Law
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Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has signed the Constitutional Amendment Bill 3 into law. This effectively extends his second term and rewards parliamentarians with an extra two years. The controversial bill, which civil society has fought hard against, sets in motion underhand moves by Zanu PF members who are in total disagreement with what they say is unconstitutional and a brazen act to hang onto power by Mnangagwa. The amendments extend the terms of current parliamentarians by two years. It also means Zimbabwe’s President will no longer be voted for by its general populace, but by Parliamentarians, a change retired army generals, senior civil servants and civil society say goes against liberation war agreements. Critics argue the changes are unconstitutional and should have been approved through a referendum, warning they could further consolidate executive power.
WHO Warns DR Congo Ebola Outbreak Expanding as Death Toll Exceeds 500
The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is continuing to expand. At least 1,561 cases have been confirmed, with 506 deaths. More than 10,000 contacts are being monitored. Health officials said that the outbreak’s full scale remains unclear, with treatment centres overwhelmed and response efforts hampered by conflict, displacement and limited resources. However, testing capacity has increased significantly through decentralised laboratories, and a clinical trial has begun to evaluate two potential treatments, MBP134 and remdesivir, for the Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no approved cure.
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Ugandan Court Orders Inquest Into 2018 Killing of Bobi Wine’s Driver
A Ugandan High Court has ordered a judicial inquest into the 2018 killing of Yasin Kawuma, the driver of opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi. This paves the way for reviving scrutiny of one of the country’s most controversial political killings. Justice Harriet Grace Magala ruled that the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Arua should conduct an inquest to establish the facts surrounding Kawuma’s death during violence that erupted at the 2018 Arua by-election campaigns. The court said the inquiry, sought by Kawuma’s widow, is a fact-finding process rather than a criminal trial and is necessary to determine the circumstances of the fatal shooting, for which no one has been prosecuted.
Nigerian Senate Seeks Scrapping of Boko Haram Reintegration Programme
Nigeria’s Senate has called on the federal government to end the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant Boko Haram members. It argued that the policy should be scrapped as the country grapples with worsening insecurity. The non-binding resolution, adopted by voice vote during a debate on the killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar and other military officers by bandits, also urged the Senate leadership to engage President Bola Tinubu on the security crisis. Introduced in 2016 under Operation Safe Corridor, the rehabilitation programme aims to deradicalise and reintegrate former insurgents. Still, it has faced persistent criticism from victims’ groups and lawmakers despite government arguments that it encourages defections and weakens militant groups.
