France Faces Consequences as African Bases Close.
Senegal and Ivory Coast want French troops out by 2025. This could hurt France's influence in Africa.
France has had soldiers in Africa for over 65 years. The bases helped France intervene in conflicts and crises, but their importance has declined over time.
Some see the bases as a symbol of neocolonialism. France also has bigger threats elsewhere now, so the bases are less valuable to France.
Closing the bases would end France's ability to get involved in African conflicts, weakening its power in the region.
France has long been seen as Africa's "policeman." It led to many European military actions in Africa. Other Western countries followed France's lead.
The end of French...
Three West African Nations Leave ECOWAS Bloc.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger officially left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Wednesday. They gave notice to withdraw one year ago, in January 2024. The countries were unhappy with ECOWAS' growing ties to France.
ECOWAS said the three countries left the bloc, but it asked its members to recognize passports and ID cards from those nations if they have the ECOWAS logo. The bloc wants goods and services from the countries treated under ECOWAS trade and investment rules.
Citizens of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger can still move, live, and work visa-free in other ECOWAS countries for now. ECOWAS said this will continue until it decides on future ties with the three...
Sudanese Army Continues Advance in Khartoum Bahri.
The Sudanese army has made more gains in central and southern Khartoum Bahri, a city north of the capital.
The army took back the Khartoum oil refinery in the north a few days ago. They also ended the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) blockade of the Signal Corps headquarters in the south.
Soldiers shared videos of the army securing several areas. These include the Qatar Diyar Towers and the entrance to the Mak Nimr Bridge from Khartoum Bahri, which connects Khartoum Bahri to Khartoum.
On Wednesday, the army said its troops were moving towards key sites in Khartoum Bahri. They worked with the Central Reserve Police.
Soldiers also shared images from the Khartoum Bahri headquarters. It is...
DRC President Threatens War Against M23 Rebels and Rwanda.
KINSHASA, DRC - President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has threatened to go to war with the M23 rebel group and the Rwandan military. This is the first time he has made such a threat since M23 took control of Goma, a key city in eastern DRC.
"We will respond strongly to these terrorists and their supporters," Tshisekedi said in a speech to the nation on Wednesday evening. He vowed that the DRC "will not be humiliated or defeated."
Tshisekedi did not attend an emergency meeting of East African Community (EAC) leaders called by Kenyan President William Ruto. Instead, he gave a speech and accused Rwanda of sending "thousands of soldiers" into...
DRC President Skips EAC Crisis Talks Amid Rising Tensions.
President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) did not attend an East African Community (EAC) meeting on Wednesday. Kenyan President William Ruto called the meeting to discuss violence in eastern DRC.
The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group has taken over key areas in eastern DRC, including parts of Goma. Bodies were left in the streets of Goma as heavy fighting continued.
President Ruto invited Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame to a virtual summit. Tshisekedi has refused to join EAC peace efforts due to poor relations with Rwanda and Kenya. He says President Ruto sides with Rwanda and has weakened the Nairobi Peace Process.
Rwanda denies any role...
Court Orders Closure of Illegal Conservancies in Isiolo County.
Isiolo, Kenya—The High Court in Isiolo has shut down several illegal conservancies and banned their operators from evicting residents to create them.
Justice Oscar Angote canceled licenses given to community groups running the Cherab and Bulesa Bilingo conservancies in Merti Sub-County. The order applies to all unlawful conservancies in Isiolo County.
Residents of Chari and Cherab wards had sued the conservancies. They said the conservancies were set up on unregistered community land without locals' approval.
The conservancies threatened to take away grazing lands and make residents homeless. The community also faced losing important cultural sites like the Kura Dissan...
Delays in IEBC Appointments May Hinder New Constituencies for 2027 Election.
Kenya may not get new constituencies for the 2027 General Election. This is due to delays in appointing new members to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula raised this concern on Tuesday. He spoke at a mid-term retreat for Members of Parliament in Naivasha.
Wetang'ula said the delay has stalled important IEBC tasks. These include reviewing constituency boundaries and holding by-elections.
The law requires the IEBC to review boundaries every eight to twelve years. The review must be done at least 12 months before a General Election.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah also...
Senate Proposes Withholding County Funds to Clear Debts.
The Senate wants to let the National Treasury keep some county money. The money would pay off county debts.
Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang leads this effort. His committee wants a law to allow the Treasury to hold back funds.
This could upset governors. They face pressure over unpaid bills.
The committee found many counties owe money for years. Some do not pay even when required by law.
Counties keep getting new bills without paying old ones. The total county debt was Sh168.62 billion in September 2023.
Unpaid bills hurt businesses that work for counties. It makes it hard for counties to provide services.
Nairobi owes the most at Sh121.06 billion. Garissa, Kiambu, Turkana...
Kenya Power and Kenya Railways Lead in Government Casual Worker Employment.
A Public Service Commission (PSC) survey shows that Kenya Power and the Kenya Railways Corporation employed the most casual workers in the government sector in 2023.
The two state-owned companies hired 80.3% of all casual workers last year. They used these temporary workers for repair and rehabilitation projects.
Kenyan law does not allow public institutions to hire casual workers directly. Instead, it says they should use contracted service providers.
However, the PSC survey found that many government bodies still rely heavily on casual labor. Nearly half (48.3%) of them reported hiring casual workers last year.
The survey also revealed that some...
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