In a historic moment for Senegal, President Diomaye Faye, at 44 years old, assumed office on Tuesday, marking the inauguration of Africa’s youngest elected leader. Faye’s ascension to power represents a remarkable journey from incarceration to the presidential palace in a matter of weeks.
The recent election, which tested Senegal’s standing as a stable democracy in West Africa, saw Faye emerge victorious. His swift rise to prominence comes against a backdrop of political turmoil, with the region grappling with coups and attempted coups in recent years.
Faye’s political journey took a dramatic turn less than two weeks before the election when he and his mentor, the popular opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, were released from prison. Their freedom came as part of a political amnesty announced by outgoing President Macky Sall, following months of protests sparked by their arrests.
During the protests, which saw widespread participation and garnered international attention, rights groups reported dozens of casualties and the arrest of around 1,000 individuals. Concerns had been raised over Sall’s potential bid for a third term, despite existing term limits, fueling the unrest.
In his inaugural address, President Faye paid tribute to those who lost their lives or were detained during the protests, pledging to champion greater sovereignty for Senegal while prioritizing economic prosperity. He acknowledged the electorate’s desire for systemic change, signaling his commitment to addressing the grievances of Senegal’s youth, who have expressed frustration with the country’s trajectory.
Faye, a former tax inspector, assumed his first elected office as president, symbolizing a shift in leadership that resonates with the aspirations of Senegal’s youthful population. His rapid ascent underscores a broader sentiment across Africa, where a burgeoning youth demographic seeks to challenge entrenched political systems and foster inclusive governance.
HAMID MIR interviewing OSAMAN BIN LADEN and AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI
US President Joe Biden said leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, the hardest hit leader since the 2011 assassination of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was killed in a US airstrike in Afghanistan over the weekend.
The drone strike was the first known strike from the mainland since the withdrawal of US troops and confirmed Washington’s belief that the threat from Afghanistan could be eliminated without the presence of the US.
Mujahid damned the strike as a violation of “international principles”.
According to him, it went against the 2020 agreement on a US troop withdrawal.
Some activists have expressed concern that Zawahiri, who has been ill for a long time, was given asylum by the Taliban after the August 2021 takeover of Kabul.
Zawahiri in 2011 became head of Al-Qaeda after the US military killed Osama bin Laden, the founder of the terrorist organization.
Zawahiri, the $25 million Egyptian surgeon, comes from a prominent Egyptian family and his grandfather was an imam at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
About 3,000 civilians were killed on September 11 in what is considered the deadliest attack on American soil.
It is believed that bin Laden was behind the attack, and Zawahiri, disguised as a doctor, helped carry out his deadly plan.
In addition, Zawahiri was imprisoned for his role in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981.
According to the Rewards for Justice website, Zawahiri ordered the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, killing 17 US sailors and injuring more than 30 others.
He was charged in the United States
with involvement in the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people.
HAMID MIR interviewing OSAMAN BIN LADEN and AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI
US President Joe Biden said leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, the hardest hit leader since the 2011 assassination of al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, was killed in a US airstrike in Afghanistan over the weekend.
The drone strike was the first known strike from the mainland since the withdrawal of US troops and confirmed Washington’s belief that the threat from Afghanistan could be eliminated without the presence of the US.
Mujahid damned the strike as a violation of “international principles”.
According to him, it went against the 2020 agreement on a US troop withdrawal.
Some activists have expressed concern that Zawahiri, who has been ill for a long time, was given asylum by the Taliban after the August 2021 takeover of Kabul.
Zawahiri in 2011 became head of Al-Qaeda after the US military killed Osama bin Laden, the founder of the terrorist organization.
Zawahiri, the $25 million Egyptian surgeon, comes from a prominent Egyptian family and his grandfather was an imam at Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
About 3,000 civilians were killed on September 11 in what is considered the deadliest attack on American soil.
It is believed that bin Laden was behind the attack, and Zawahiri, disguised as a doctor, helped carry out his deadly plan.
In addition, Zawahiri was imprisoned for his role in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in 1981.
According to the Rewards for Justice website, Zawahiri ordered the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, killing 17 US sailors and injuring more than 30 others.
He was charged in the United States
with involvement in the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people.
Dome Kwabenya’s Member of Parliament, Sarah Adwoa Sappho accused several members of the Democratic National Congress (NDC) and several NPP colleagues of what she calls political witch hunting. The MP has been absent from parliament since December 2021.
It was recently reported that there was no respond to invitation from the Committee on Privileges to discuss her absence. It is known that several deputies and officials of the New Patriotic Party asked to proclaim her seat vacant.
Adwoa Safo while commenting on the recent election of a new patriotic leadership, expressed regret over the lack of support from the party and parliamentary leadership in solving his personal problems.
The Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo is accusing some National Democratic Congress (NDC) members and a number of her colleague NPP MPs of what she says is political witch hunting.
The MP has been absent from Parliament since December 2021.
It is on record that a recent invitation by the Privileges Committee to deliberate on her absence from Parliament has not been honoured yet.
Some MPs and NPP folks are on record to have called for her seat to be declared vacant.
Speaking on the matter while commenting on the just-ended elections for new executives of the New Patriotic Party, Adwoa Safo questioned why she’s not receiving support from both the party and parliamentary leadership as she deals with her personal issues.
“In the last few months that I have been away from duties, albeit not intentionally, I have been a victim of a sustained political witch-hunt by some elements in the NPP and in Parliament to achieve their own parochial goals.”
“This has left me asking myself if this is happening because I am a woman who for just this one time needed some time off to deal with personal issues which were too dear to share with the larger public. In the face of all this, I have questioned why I have had to be treated differently by not enjoying the famous support of our party leadership both in Parliament and at the party level in my most difficult moment.”
The Privileges Committee was instructed by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to question Adwoa Safo, Kennedy Agyapong, and Henry Quartey on their prolonged absenteeism from parliament. The committee has not yet made a final decision on the actions of Adwoa Safo.
Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson announced on Thursday that he will step down as British prime minister after being abjured by his ministers and a majority of Conservative MPs.
Bending to the certainty as more than 50 ministers resigned and lawmakers said he had to leave, a quarantined and powerless Johnson spoke outside Downing Street to confirm he would resign.
The process of choosing that new leader should begin now.
And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will until a new leader is in place,” Johnson noted.
After days of jockeying for his job, the scandal-plagued Johnson has been dumped by all but a few of his allies after a recent spate of scandals shattered their will to back him.
“His resignation was inevitable,” said deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Justin Tomlinson, said on Twitter. “As a party we must quickly unite and focus on what matters. These are serious times on many fronts.”
The Conservatives now have to elect a new leader, which could take weeks or months.
A quick YouGov poll shows that of the Conservative MPs who will replace Johnson, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace is the most preferred, followed by Commerce Secretary Penny Mordaunt and former Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak.
Many say he should resign immediately and turn over to his agent Dominic Raab because he has lost the trust of the party.
Labor leader Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labor Party, said if the Conservatives did not oust Johnson soon,he would call a parliamentary confidence vote.
“If they don’t get rid of him, then Labour will step up in the national interest and bring a vote of no confidence because we can’t go on with this prime minister clinging on for months and months to come,” he said.
The crisis erupted as the UK faced its biggest financial burden in decades due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation and what is expected to be the most vulnerable of any major economy excluding Russia by 2023.
This was also followed by internal divisions, sparked by a bitter vote to leave the European Union in 2016 and threats from the UK itself calling for another referendum on Scottish independence, the second in a decade.
In one of the most turbulent 24 hours in recent British political history, support for Johnson has evaporated, epitomized by Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who was only appointed on Tuesday, calling on his boss Resign.
On Wednesday night, Zahavi and other cabinet ministers traveled to Downing Street with senior representatives of lawmakers who were not in government to tell Johnson the game was over.
Johnson in the first place refused to go, appearing ready to dig a hole and fire Michael Gove, a member of his senior ministerial team who was one of the first to tell him he needed to resign – to reassert his authority.
An ally told the Sun newspaper that the party rebels would have to “do bloody hands” to ditch Johnson.
But as resignations poured in on Thursday morning, it became clear that his position was untenable.
“This is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country,” Zahawi said on Twitter. “You must do the right thing and go now.”
Some of the retainers, including Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, said they did so only because they had an obligation to protect national security.
Too many ministers have resigned and the government faces paralysis. Despite his impending departure, Johnson began appointing ministers to fill vacant positions.
“We now have a responsibility to ensure that the people of this country have a functioning government,” Michael Ellis, minister in the Cabinet Office, which oversees the functioning of the government, told parliament.
The zestful Johnson came to power nearly three years ago and has vowed to push for Brexit and save Brexit from a heated debate since the 2016 referendum.
Since then, some of the Conservatives have zealously supported the former journalist and the mayor of London, while others have excitingly supported them, despite the objection that they usually attracted a section of the electorate against their party.
This became clear after the December 2019 elections, but his government’s militant and often chaotic governing style and a series of scandals have eroded the favor of many lawmakers, and polls show he is no longer popular with the general public.
The most recent crisis came after government minister Chris Pincher resigned after being accused of harassing men at a private club.
Johnson had to apologise after being told Pinch had been the subject of previous sexual misconduct complaints before appointing him. The prime minister said he had forgotten.
This comes after months of scandals and missteps, including a damning report about a boozing party at his Downing Street residence and office that breached COVID-19 lockdown rules and saw him sacked by the 56-year-old Police fined for birthday party.
There was also criticism for not being good enough to handle inflation, with many Britons struggling with policy change, an ill-fated MP defense for breaking lobbying rules, and soaring fuel and food prices.
“It should have happened long ago,” Labour’s Starmer said. “He was always unfit for office. He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale.”
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe perishes in a hospital after being shot at a political campaign event.
Prime Minister Abe was shot twice while speaking in the southern city of Nara on Friday morning.
Local security officials took action against the shooter, the 41-year-old suspect is now in police custody.
According to local media, an explosive device was found during a search of the suspect’s apartment.
Before the announcement of Abe’s death, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned the attack, saying ”It is barbaric and malicious and it cannot be tolerated.”
“This attack is an act of brutality that happened during the elections – the very foundation of our democracy – and is absolutely unforgivable,” Mr Kishida noted.
At a press conference held at the Nara Medical University Hospital, doctors said that Prime Minister Abe had received two gunshot wounds to the neck at a distance of about 5 cm (1 inch) and damage to the heart.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe recovered minutes after the attack, but the 67-year-old’s condition worsened.
Doctors said there were no vital signs when the former prime minister was taken in for treatment and was given a blood transfusion at the hospital.
Witnesses reported that the man shot Abe twice in the back with what he described as a large pistol. The former prime minister fell to the ground as onlookers screamed in shock and incredulity.
The suspect turned out to be Yamagami Tetsuya from Nara. According to local media reports, it is known that he was a member of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), which is equivalent to the Japanese Navy. He is known to have retired from active duty in 2005.
There hasn’t any comment from officials on the suspect’s motives, but local media reported that Yamagami told police that “I didn’t like former Prime Minister Abe and I wanted to kill him.” He also said he told officials that he “has no hatred for the former prime minister’s political beliefs.”
Police also found several potentially explosive devices during a search of his home, and NHK said bomb disposal technicians were preparing a controlled explosion at the scene.
Prime Minister Abe resigned due to illness from 2012 to 2020 after completing a one-year term in 2006.
He later revealed that he had ulcerative colitis, a relapsing bowel disease, and during his tenure pursued a more active defense and foreign policy and had long sought to amend Japan’s post-war peace constitution.
He also promoted an economic policy known as “Abenomics” based on monetary easing, fiscal stimulus, and structural reforms.
He was succeeded by his close party friend Suga Yoshihide.
Unique observer 24 