South Sudan’s First Vice President Machar faces charges of treason and other serious crimes, local justice authorities said, as fears grow that the east African country could edge toward a return to civil war.

The United Nations body for human rights in South Sudan has called the government’s charges of treason against opposition leader Riek Machar “reckless.”

South Sudan’s First Vice President Machar faces charges of treason and other serious crimes, local justice authorities said Thursday, as fears grow that the east African country could edge toward a return to civil war.

Machar has been under house arrest since March after the transitional government he is a part of accused him of subversive activities against President Salva Kiir, who said Thursday that he was suspending Machar as his deputy because of the criminal allegations.

Pro-government troops have been fighting militias and other armed groups that they say are loyal to Machar, who has served as his country’s No. 2 under the terms of a delicate peace deal signed in 2018.

That agreement has not been fully implemented, with presidential elections repeatedly postponed.

In addition to treason, Machar and seven others face charges of murder, conspiracy, terrorism, destruction of public property and military assets and crimes against humanity.

The charges stem from a violent incident in March when a militia known as the White Army overran a garrison of government troops, killing its commanding officer and others. The justice ministry said in a statement Thursday that the attack in Nasir, Upper Nile state was influenced by Machar and others via ”coordinated military and political structures.”

Bringing criminal charges against Machar is likely to further destabilize South Sudan, whose government faces pressure from regional leaders to reach a political agreement that prevents a return to full-blown war.

It was not immediately clear when Machar would be presented in a courtroom. His precise whereabouts in South Sudan are unknown, and his political supporters have long called for his freedom.

If there is anyone in the world that is not happy or feeling serious criticism, it has to be nobody except, Kemi Badenoch, UK business secretary and Conservative Party leader.

The British politician with Nigerian heritage has been consistently getting serious backslash from different media users by Nigerians and some British citizens over her reckless statement against immigrants in the United Kingdom.

Recently, the British electorate has decided to reject Kemi Badenoch, marking a significant moment in the political landscape.

Critics argue that her outspoken remarks betray a certain level of disregard for her Nigerian roots, suggesting that she is more aligned with her identity as a British citizen than with her heritage.

This perception has been fueled by her rhetoric, which some interpret as prioritizing British values and culture over the traditions and issues of her ancestral country.

As a result, a segment of the public and political observers feel that Badenoch’s actions and statements may contribute to a narrative of disavowal of her Nigerian background in favor of assimilation into her adopted home, the United Kingdom. This tension highlights the complexities faced by individuals straddling multiple identities and the scrutiny they encounter in the political arena.

Responding to media critics, she declared that she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not held a Nigerian passport for over 20 years.

Badenoch, who was born in London and raised in Lagos, made the statement while speaking on a podcast.

She said that while she knows Nigeria well and has family ties there, she no longer feels a sense of belonging to the country.

Her words: “I have not renewed my Nigerian passport, I think, not since the early 2000s,” she said. “I don’t identify with it anymore. Most of my life has been in the UK and I’ve just never felt the need to.

“The Conservative Party is very much part of my family, my extended family, I call it.

“I’m Nigerian through ancestry, by birth despite not being born there because of my parents, but by identity I’m not really.

“I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there… but home is where my now family is.”

The 80-year-old leader pledges economic growth from today’s GDP of $66bn to $500bn within the next five years.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed he will contest next year’s presidential election, setting the stage for a potential extension of his nearly 40-year rule.

The 80-year-old announced late on Saturday that he had expressed his interest “in running for … the position of presidential flag bearer” for his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Museveni seized power in 1986 after a five-year civil war and has ruled ever since.

The NRM has altered the constitution twice to remove term and age limits, clearing the way for Museveni to extend his tenure.

Rights groups accused him of using security forces and state patronage to suppress dissent and entrench his power – claims he denies.

Museveni said he seeks re-election to transform Uganda into a “$500bn economy in the next five years”. According to government data, the country’s current gross domestic product stands at just under $66bn.

Ugandans are due to vote in January to choose a president and members of parliament.

Challenger
Opposition leader Bobi Wine, a pop star-turned-politician whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has confirmed he will run again. Wine rejected the 2021 results, alleging widespread fraud, ballot tampering and intimidation by security forces.

Ugandan opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, poses for a photograph after his press conference at his home in Magere, Uganda, on January 26, 2021. – Ugandan soldiers have stood down their positions around the residence of opposition leader Bobi Wine, a day after a court ordered an end to the confinement of the presidential runner-up. He had been under de-facto house arrest at his home outside the capital, Kampala, since he returned from voting on January 14, 2021.

Tensions have risen in recent months after parliament passed a law allowing military courts to try civilians, a practice the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in January.

The government insisted the change is necessary to tackle threats to national security, but rights organisations and opposition figures argued it is a tool to intimidate and silence critics.

Uganda for years has used military courts to prosecute opposition politicians and government critics.

In 2018, Wine was charged in a military court with illegal possession of firearms. The charges were later dropped.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticised Uganda’s military courts for failing to meet international standards of judicial independence and fairness.

Oryem Nyeko, senior Africa researcher at HRW, said this year: “The Ugandan authorities have for years misused military courts to crack down on opponents and critics.”

Aljazeera.com