Prigozhin: Onetime felon, hot-dog vendor and ally of Putin turns guns on him in his ‘march to justice’
Prigozhin and Putin go way back, with both born in Leningrad, what is now known as St Petersburg. During the final years of the Soviet Union, Prigozhin served time in prison – 10 years by his own admission – although he does not say what it was for. Afterward, he owned a hot dog stand and then fancy restaurants that drew interest from Putin. In his first term, the Russian leader took then-French President Jacques Chirac to dine at one of them.
Trump’s war on truth confronts another test with voters as US faces another campaign riddled with lies
As a candidate, Trump made misinformation a major campaign tactic, routinely using falsehoods to demean his rivals, as he did when he bizarrely asserted that Ted Cruz’s father may have played a role in the Kennedy assassination. Cruz is now an unapologetic Trump supporter.
Kenya’s President Ruto tightens screw on media as says his minister trades vulgarity with ‘his freedom of expression’
In 2012 when Ruto and President Kenyatta were indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity committed during the 2007 General Election, there were fears that he had retained hitmen who hunted down and eliminated journalists he believed had incriminating evidence the international court would have used to nail them. These claims, however, have never been proved although a number of journalists disappeared without trace during those heady days.
It’s unlikely bloodthirsty generals will lay down arms, Sudan needs African Union boots on the ground
The African Union (AU) established the Expanded Mechanism to connect disparate peace processes and drew up a roadmap for resolving the conflict. East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) adopted a similar roadmap and added Ethiopia to the delegation led by Kenyan President William Ruto.
Titanic search: If it’s on seabed, the problems are magnified as most ships can only search in shallow waters
“If it’s relatively calm, and [Titan] has been able to get to the surface, the submersible will have radar reflectors, radio transmitters and strobe lights to assist in visual searches,” he says. “But it’s still difficult to find things on the surface – especially if it’s rough.” Yard agrees: “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” he says. Even if you nail down where to look, “it’s still a lot of water to cover.”
How Uganda President Museveni shot down Lifestyle Audit tool, promoted theft to an economic enabler
Corruption has become a political weapon since there is growing evidence that many people are using it to acquire financial might for elective politics. The political motive has indeed complicated the fight against the corrupt who easily dismiss the IGG’s onslaught on them as witch-hunt.
Sunset in Uganda: Museveni’s ‘forever’ cult that made him the omni-god Ugandans revere and revile is coming to an end
Collectively, Uganda is endangered by a possible absence of the president from the politico-military stage, over which he has had a firm grip for decades. It is worrying many Ugandans are mired in worship attachment to the President. They need liberation, but who will liberate them.
18 months to South Sudan’s first ever elections, world’s youngest nation still has no constitution
Implementation of the peace agreement has been sluggish. The elections, originally scheduled for this year, were postponed until December 2024. Other key elements of the deal have not been implemented, sparking concern that the country could see a return to war instead of a transfer of power.
Civil war in Sudan turns searchlight on role of Russia and China in months-old bloodbath
Sudan shows how Russia and China’s approaches to Africa differ. Sudan received billions in loans and investment from China to facilitate oil production and economic development throughout the 2000s. Russia is a longstanding security partner of Sudan and is keen to set up a naval base in Port Sudan. Both countries sell arms and sent peacekeepers to at least one UN mission.
Coups become common feature in Africa as Sudan takes lead in power grab between 1945 and 2021
Coups are not unique to African nations. They have happened in Asia, Europe and South America over the years. A look at coup attempts in Africa since 1950 shows a period of relative calm until about 1963, which could be described as the continent’s post-independence period. From 1960 through 1999, coup attempts averaged just over 40 per decade.
