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‘West African instability risks gains against militants’
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Mali and Burkina Faso must guarantee at a summit this week that their domestic political problems do not reverse fragile military successes against Islamist militants in the Sahel region, a French presidential source said on Monday.
Former colonial power France has deployed thousands of soldiers in the arid region south of the Sahara desert since 2013, and now has 5,100 troops there. But attacks by groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have been on the rise.
Leaders of the G5 Sahel states of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger and Mauritania will meet French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Nouakchott on Tuesday to assess recent military victories and plan next steps.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who is set to confirm a contribution to a special forces unit in the Sahel, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also take part by video call.
But there are fears that recent advances may be derailed amid political instability in the Sahel.
“All the progress that’s been made is fragile and can be put into question if the political momentum does not follow,” the French official said ahead of a summit.
“We see that in the Burkina and Mali context…So (what’s at) stake is to put in guarantees so that these electoral contexts don’t weaken the gains that have been achieved.”
Burkina Faso will hold legislative and presidential elections in November in which incumbent President Marc Roch Kabore is expected to seek a second term against opponents challenging his approach to tackling militants.
In Mali, there are growing concerns about instability in recent weeks after thousands of people took to the streets for the second time in a month to demand President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita step down.
Keita, in the middle of his second five-year mandate after a 2018 election, has struggled with an surge in militant attacks. -Reuters
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has clarified that former Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta remains the subject of criminal proceedings in Ghana and is still wanted under a valid arrest warrant issued by the High Court in Accra.
In a public notice, the OSP said it had taken note of a transcript of a hearing from a United States immigration court that has been circulated by some media organisations.
According to the office, the document has been interpreted by some to suggest that Mr. Ofori-Atta has not been credibly charged or linked to any wrongdoing in Ghana.
The OSP rejected that interpretation, explaining that it is not involved in Mr. Ofori-Atta’s immigration proceedings in the United States.
It said its involvement relates only to extradition proceedings, which are being handled through Ghana’s Attorney-General as the country’s central authority.
According to the OSP, the extradition documents are not before the US immigration court and the court has no authority to determine whether the criminal charges against Mr. Ofori-Atta are credible.
“The credibility or otherwise of the criminal charges against Mr. Ofori-Atta is a matter for determination by the courts in Ghana,” the OSP stated.
The office explained that there are three separate legal proceedings involving the former minister.
These include the immigration proceedings in the United States concerning his immigration status, extradition proceedings to determine whether he should be returned to Ghana, and the criminal case before the High Court in Accra involving corruption and corruption-related offences.
The OSP reiterated that Mr. Ofori-Atta remains before the High Court in Accra as an accused person and that a valid warrant has been issued for his arrest.
It maintained that he remains a fugitive from justice in Ghana and is required to appear before the High Court to answer the charges against him.
The Special Prosecutor also stressed that the criminal proceedings in Ghana would continue in accordance with the law and the directives of the High Court, whether or not Mr. Ofori-Atta is physically present in the country.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Telecel Ghana has announced that it has resolved the intermittent challenges that affected its voice and data services.
In a message to customers, the telecommunications company announced that its network services had been fully restored after experiencing temporary disruptions.
“We are pleased to inform you that intermittent challenges with our voice and data services have been resolved,” the company said.
Telecel apologised to customers for the inconvenience caused by the service interruptions and thanked them for their patience during the period.
“We appreciate your patience and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the company added.
The company assured customers of its commitment to providing reliable communication services under its slogan, “Connecting Energies.”
By: Jacob Aggrey
