Guinean President Alpha Conde appealed for national unity on Tuesday after taking the oath of office following violently disputed elections.

“I urge every one of you to forget the divisive past and turn towards a future of unity and hope,” said Conde at ceremonies attended by African heads of state.

The 82-year-old’s bid for a third term had been condemned by the opposition as an abuse of power, and dozens died in clashes.

“Everyone must uphold the law and ban violence from their words and acts, so that our country remains a community of freedom and responsibility,” Conde warned.

The head of the constitutional court, Mohamed Lamine Bangoura, declared Conde’s next term would start officially on December 21.

Conde, dressed in a white gown, promised to “scrupulously respect the provisions of the constitution, the laws and the court decisions, to defend the constitutional institutions, the integrity of the territory and the national independence”.

The former opposition leader became the impoverished West African state’s first democratically-elected president in 2010 and won re-election in 2015.

But as his second term progressed, critics accused him of cracking down on dissent and seeking to subvert constitutional limits on presidential tenure.

He pushed through a new constitution in March which he argued would modernise the country.

But it also allowed him to bypass a two-term limit for presidents, arguing that the counter had been reset to zero.

Opposition to that outcome provoked mass protests in which security forces killed dozens of people, sparking condemnation from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Deadly clashes also follow election dispute

Conde was credited with 59.49 percent of the vote in the October 18 ballot while his main opponent, Cellou Dalein Diallo, garnered 33.5 percent, according to official figures.

Disputing the independence of the electoral authority, Diallo, 68, declared himself victorious even before the results were announced.

Clashes then ensued that claimed at least 21 lives, according to the government, while the opposition party put the death toll at 46.

Elsewhere in his inauguration speech, Conde said, “We all hope for far-reaching and swift change. This is why we have to change practices and methods. We are firmly committed to fighting corruption, cronyism and patronage.”

Guests at the tightly-protected ceremony in the Mohammed V palace included 11 African heads of state as well as representatives from the United Nations, the regional ECOWAS bloc and France.

Source: AFP

The first regional results Wednesday in Ghana’s elections pointed to a tight race for the presidency after the two main camps traded heated words over accusations of electoral fraud.

The electoral commission published results from seven out of the country’s 16 regions, pointing to a narrow lead by opposition candidate John Mahama over outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo.

Monday’s presidential and parliamentary vote, in a country viewed as a beacon of democracy in West Africa, has been viewed by observers as generally free and fair.

But Mahama late Tuesday accused Akufo-Addo of showing “credentials that are very undemocratic” and harnessing the military to sway the outcome.

“You cannot use the military to try and overturn some of the results in constituencies that we have won. We will resist any attempts to subvert the sovereign will of the Ghanaian people,” the 62-year-old former president said.

He made the accusations after rumours circulated on social media that he had conceded defeat.

Hours earlier, the presidency — releasing an unofficial tally — claimed Akufo-Addo was ahead with 52.25 percent of the vote, against Mahama’s 46.44 percent.

Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told a press conference that allegations of intimidation by soldiers were false.

He also bluntly rejected Mahama’s claim that his party had won a majority, of 140 seats, in the 275-member parliament.

“No candidates at this stage should undermine the work of the EC (electoral commission), it is irresponsible and it would endanger the peace of this country,” Oppong Nkrumah warned.

Mahama and Akufo-Addo, 76, are old rivals who have faced off at the ballot box twice before.

Mahama was president for four years until 2016, before being succeeded by Akufo-Addo. Both of those elections were determined by small margins.

Despite the sharp words, Ghana has a history of electoral stability and grievances are typically pursued through the courts.

Akufo-Addo and Mahama on Friday signed a symbolic peace pact, which the 15-nation regional bloc ECOWAS urged “all political parties and their leadership to respect.”

In a statement, the Economic Community of West African States said, “We appeal to political parties and their followers to refrain from any conduct that may undermine the succesful conclusion of electoral process.”

Source: AFP

Voting in Ghana’s popular election came to an end on Monday evening at 1700 GMT.

The poll is seen as a seen as a close fight between President Nana Akufo-Addo and his longtime rival John Mahama, vying to lead the country long viewed a beacon of stability in a troubled region.

Various polling stations saw hundreds of voters lined up to pick a president among 12 candidates and members of parliament for 275 constituencies.

The election officials began tallying the votes and are running against the 24-hour time frame they gave to announce the presidential winner.

A total of 38,000 polling stations were set up to be used by the country’s 17 million voters.

The country’s electoral commission had revised the voter registry ahead of the polls to remove suspected foreigners who would have voted illegally.

The opposition, led by Mahama party later claimed some of eligible voters were scrapped off the list. The EC later denied this.

A November survey by the University of Ghana put Akufo-Addo ahead with 51.7 percent of support, while Ghanaian pollster Ben Ephson estimated the incumbent would garner 52.6 percent.

Source: African News

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Sunday said he planned to form a new coalition government and warned he might be forced to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections if he was unable to do so.

The announcement came after the failure of a coalition with supporters of predecessor Joseph Kabila who currently wield a majority in parliament.

Tshisekedi took over from Kabila in January 2019, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s first peaceful transition since independence from Belgium in 1960.

But the president’s room for implementing much-trumpeted reforms was hampered by the need to forge a coalition with the pro-Kabila Common Front for the Congo (FCC).

On Sunday, he said on state-owned RTNC television that he had decided to name an official known as an “informer” who would be “charged with identifying a new coalition that included an absolute majority of National Assembly members”.

The procedure is laid out in the nation’s constitution.

Failing that, “I will use constitutional prerogatives I possess to come back to you, a sovereign people, and ask for a majority”, something that would involve anticipated general elections.

Tshisekedi said he had spent a month consulting with political parties and prominent figures and that an overwhelming majority rejected a coalition that included the FCC and his own Cap for Change (Cach) party.

“I noted that we need to put an end to the Cach-FCC coalition, which is seen as the main reason for the current blockage,” the president said.

Last week, the FCC said it still held more than 300 seats in the 500-seat parliament and accused Tshisekedi supporters of trying to bribe deputies to switch parties.

Kabila ruled the DRC for 18 years until he stepped down after long-delayed elections in December 2018.

He retains considerable clout through political allies and officers he appointed to the armed forces, and is also a senator for life.

In the runup to Sunday’s announcement, Tshisekedi conferred at length with senior members of the armed forces and police to ensure he had their support.

Source: AFP

Ghana, reputed to be a democratic example in West Africa, is preparing to elect its president on Monday in what promises to be a particularly close election between two long-time political adversaries.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, 76, a candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is seeking a second term against his predecessor John Mahama, 62, leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

In 2012 and 2016, they had already competed for the highest office. Each narrowly won one of the two ballots.

So Monday’s election looks like déjà vu, even though 11 other candidates, including three women, are in the running.

The contenders will have to convince Ghana’s 17 million voters, more than half of whom are under 35, who will also elect their 275 deputies.

Unemployment, infrastructure and roads, education, and health are the main issues, according to pre-election surveys.

Since the early 2000s, this country, rich in gold, cocoa, and more recently oil, has experienced strong growth. And the rate of extreme poverty has been halved in less than 25 years.

But some regions, particularly in the North, continue to live in extreme poverty, without drinking water or electricity.

Above all, the crisis caused by the coronavirus has hit the country hard, with growth this year expected to fall to 0.9 percent, according to the IMF, the lowest rate in more than 30 years, compared to 6.5 percent in 2019.

The outgoing president was praised for his management of this crisis, and he kept some of his campaign promises for 2016, including on education and access to electricity, but he disappointed on his main commitment: to actively fight corruption, after the mandate of John Mahama, tainted by scandals.

According to an Afrobarometer survey conducted in 2019, 53% of Ghanaians believe that the level of corruption has increased in the country. In addition, the special anti-corruption prosecutor, appointed after Akufo-Addo’s election, resigned in November, accusing the president of obstructing his work.

No election fever

For his part, Mr. Mahama will have to make people forget the accusations of economic mismanagement that prevented his re-election in 2016.

This year, however, he can count on his running mate, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a former Minister of Education with a reputation for integrity and from the Centre, one of the key regions to win the election.

In the polls, Mr. Akufo-Addo is ahead of Mr. Mahama, but many analysts predict that his party’s majority in Parliament could erode.

With the coronavirus – which has officially affected more than 50,000 people and killed 300 since March – election fever has not taken hold of the country.

“There are indeed some parties and activities organized by the militants and political slogans that are played over and over again on the radio, but there is no big meeting,” Kojo Asante, of the Ghanaian Center for Democratic Development, told AFP.

So far, Ghana has always escaped post-election violence and political transitions have been largely peaceful, unlike many of its West African neighbours.

The pre-election period, however, was marked by clashes, with opponents blaming the electoral commission for a lack of neutrality.

“Tensions between the two main parties have not completely dissipated, and the results could be contested,” warned Sam Kwarkye of the think tank Institute for Security Studies.

More than 62,000 members of the security forces are expected to be deployed throughout the country, police said. As for the two political rivals, they are getting ready to sign on Friday “a peace pact”, a sign of a very strong commitment to democracy in this country.

Asante said the elections are expected to be peaceful, noting a large number of international and local observers planned for the elections.

He added: “Everyone wants the election in Ghana to go well. Because there are already too many hot spots to deal with in this region”.

Source: AFP

The top court in Central African Republic (CAR) rejected on Thursday the candidacy of former President François Bozizé in a December 27 election being held despite security concerns because of fighting between rival militias.

Bozizé planned to run against President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. But the court said Bozizé, 74, did not satisfy the “good morality” requirement for candidates because of an international warrant and UN sanctions against him for alleged assassinations, torture and other crimes.

The court validated the candidacies of Touadéra and 16 others, according to the order read by the court’s president.

Bozizé, a former general who seized power in a 2003 coup and was overthrown in a 2013 rebellion, has denied the accusations against him. His lawyer said the opposition coalition led by Bozizé would now meet to consider its options.

CAR has experienced an acute humanitarian crisis since Bozizé’s overthrow, which led to fighting between mainly Muslim and Christian militias. Vast swathes of the country remain under militia control.

Touadéra, who was prime minister under Bozizé, was elected in 2016. He has worked to restore state institutions and signed an agreement with armed groups in 2019, but has failed to bring lasting peace.

Bozizé returned to CAR late last year and announced his presidential candidacy in July, saying the country needed an experienced leader to restore peace to the country, where armed militias control vast swathes of territory.

Even though Touadéra’s government sought the warrant for Bozizé’s arrest, it has not sought to detain him since he returned to CAR.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

December 1 marks the thirtieth anniversary of Idriss Deby’s rule over Chad.

Coming to power after a coup against Hissene Habre, Deby quickly retired his army uniform to become a politician.

In 2016, Habré was convicted of war crimes by a specially-created international tribunal in Senegal.

Survivor in a complex region

Governing a country located in a chronically unstable region, the 68-year-old leader has exhibited spectacular resilience, surviving coups, rebel attacks and foreign invasions.

Using his powerful Zaghawa tribe and the loyal support of his ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement party, Deby has managed to survive central Africa’s complex geopolitics, where tribes and militias control resources such as water, land and minerals.

He’s been accused of running a one-party state, even though questionable elections have been held from time to time.

During elections or protests, N’Djamena has been accused of cutting off the internet.

A war veteran, Deby has instigated conflict, even encouraged it to his advantage – carefully juggling crises in Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic. With a powerful army, he’s seen as an important force for stability in central Africa, the Lake Chad region, and the Sahel.

Chad has so far been spared much of the militant violence that has rocked Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Deby’s forces have also been credited for dealing Nigerian terror group Boko Haram a blow.

Poverty despite oil revenues

He has managed to keep former colonial master France, the US and China close, often relying on Paris for military support and on Beijing for the country’s financial needs.

His opponents have accused him of squandering the country’s oil revenues on buying influence,and buying weapons while his countrymen live in poverty.

According to the United Nations, Chad has one of the highest levels of hunger in the world – with 66.2 percent of its population of 15.5 million living in severe poverty.

The country ranks 187th out of 189 countries on the 2019 Human Development Index.

Source: Africa News

Burkina Faso’s president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, notched up a hefty lead Wednesday in results announced from more than half of the country’s voting districts following weekend elections.

Kabore, bidding for a second term at the helm of the troubled Sahel state, has 58.14 percent of the vote, according to the ongoing count conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

Opposition leader Zephirin Diabre has 14.25 percent while Eddie Komboigo, who heads a former ruling party, has 13.62 percent, it said.

The figures are derived from results from 196 out of the 368 districts, embassies or consulates where votes for Sunday’s elections were cast.

Kabore, 63, is seeking an overall majority from voting day to avoid a runoff in which he would stand against a single candidate backed by a united opposition.

He has been under fire for his response to a five-year-old jihadist campaign that has rolled in from Mali, claiming at least 1,200 lives and forcing around a million people to flee their homes.

Sunday’s elections were for Burkina’s legislature as well as its presidency, where executive power in the former French colony is concentrated.

Opposition parties say the vote was marked by fraud and flawed procedures. On Monday, they threatened to reject “results stained by irregularities.”

Their complaints include polling stations that either did not open or opened late, insecure handling of ballot boxes and arbitrary changes to voting areas.

Because of the unrest, the election was not held across at least one-fifth of the territory, denying up to 350,000 people of the right to vote, according to CENI’s figures.

Parties supporting Kabore on Tuesday argued that the problems encountered on Sunday affected “all the competing candidates and political parties” in a similar way.

The problems were not on a scale to have any major impact on the result, they said, urging all parties to respect the outcome.

An opposition protest was scheduled to take place early Wednesday outside the vote tabulation centre but was cancelled.

A joint observer team has been sent by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations and the African Union (AU).

It has met with governing and opposition figures in what one of the mission’s members described as “preventative diplomacy.”

Source: AFP

Polls opened in Burkina Faso on Sunday for a presidential election dominated by jihadist violence, which has cost over 2,000 lives this year and will prevent voting in hundreds of villages.

President Roch Kaboré is seeking a second five-year term, campaigning on achievements including free healthcare for children under the age of five, and paving some of the red dirt roads that snake across the arid West African country.

But a surge in attacks by groups with links to the militant groups al Qaeda and Islamic State has eclipsed everything else. Three weeks after his inauguration, al Qaeda’s regional branch attacked a hotel and a cafe in Burkina Faso’s capital, killing 32 people; an ambush on mine workers in the east last year killed 39.

“I like Kaboré , but he hasn’t managed the security situation. The north has been forgotten, there is no government authority there,” said Tiadiane Bonkoungou, who sells blankets and drapes at a market stall in Ouagadougou.

Kaboré faces stiff opposition from former finance minister Zephirin Diabré, the runner-up in 2015, and Eddie Komboigo, who runs the party of Blaise Campaoré, the president of 27 years who was overthrown in 2014. Analysts expect a tight race that could go to a second round if no candidate wins more than 50 percent.

Provisional results of the first round are expected by midweek.

The electoral commission says polling stations will remain shut across much of the north and east for fear of violence.

Around 6.5 million people will vote in Sunday’s election, but not in nearly 1,500 of the country’s 8,000 villages, nor in 22 of more than 300 communes, because of the security risks.

At least 400,000 people – nearly 7 percent of the electorate – will be unable to cast their votes, official data show.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)

Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré is standing for re-election Sunday against a dozen presidential hopefuls, including Yéli Monique Kam, the only female candidate. But she’s the long-shot candidate in a race that includes the incumbent, the runner-up in last year’s presidential election and a new candidate from the old party of former Burkinabe president, Blaise Compaoré.

The frontrunner in Sunday’s election, President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, has run on a platform of “peace and victory for our people”. But mounting terror attacks and jihadist victories during his five years in office have undermined his campaign promises.

Kaboré faces a stiff challenge from Zephirin Diabré, a former Burkinabe finance minister and runner-up in the 2015 presidential election.

Meanwhile Eddie Komboigo, a 56-year-old wealthy accountant, is standing on a ticket for the CDP (Congress for Democracy and Progress) – former Burkinabé president, Blaise Compaoré’s party.

Yéli Monique Kam, a businesswoman and the only female candidate in the race, says she’s running for the future of her country since she’s distraught to see fellow citizens dying on the frontlines of the war against armed groups.

Source: France 24