Clashes as Senegal parliament debates presidential poll delay

Clashes as Senegal parliament debates presidential poll delay
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Protesters gesture after police fired teargas at them outside the General Assembly in Plateau, Dakar on February 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 06 February 2024
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Clashes as Senegal parliament debates presidential poll delay

Clashes as Senegal parliament debates presidential poll delay

DAKAR: Senegalese lawmakers on Monday got physical as they debated an unprecedented move to delay this month’s presidential election, which also sparked clashes outside parliament and prompted international concern.

The mood in the parliament chamber was close to boiling point by early afternoon, with some deputies shoving and pushing one another, leading to a temporary recess.

Outside, security forces earlier used tear gas to disperse small groups of opposition protesters, with demonstrators chanting “Macky Sall dictator,” referring to the country’s president.

The atmosphere in Senegal — often viewed as a bastion of stability in coup-hit West Africa — has been tense since Saturday when Sall announced a delay to the February 25 vote, just hours before campaigning was officially set to begin.

“Let’s not be an assembly of shame. Let’s make sure that when we leave here we can look at our children with pride and say that we were the last wall, the last bulwark,” said opposition MP Abass Fall during the debate.

Lawmakers are debating a proposal for a delay of six months or up to a year, until February 2025, according to the text distributed at the meeting.

Adopted a day earlier by a preparatory committee, the text is supported by MPs from Sall’s party. But it needs the support of three-fifths of the 165 deputies to pass.

“President Macky Sall said he would serve two terms. He has kept his word,” said another MP Moussa Diakhate, chairman of the pro-government law committee.

Violence has previously broken out in Senegal over fears Sall would try to extend his tenure beyond the end of his second term, and he has previously insisted he would not.

The vote was expected later in the day on Monday.

The sporadic clashes outside parliament were a rare sight in the normally calm area of downtown Dakar, where police and security forces backed up by heavy vehicles were mobilized to protect parliament.

Demonstrator Malick Diouf, 37, said he had no preferred candidate and did not even have a voting card, but felt it crucial to come and protest.

“The main thing for me is to say ‘no’ to this political agenda, this coup de force to try to stay in power,” he told AFP.

Opposition leaders have denounced the proposed delay as a “constitutional coup” and an assault on democracy.

Violent street protests rocked the capital Dakar on Sunday, during which two opposition candidates, including former prime minister Aminata Toure, were arrested and later released.

The government early on Monday suspended mobile Internet access, citing the dissemination of “hateful and subversive messages” on social media.

It was a repeat of a move last June, which saw mobile data restricted amid high tensions in the country.

The measure has become a common response to curb mobilization and communication via social networks.

Regardless of the outcome of the vote, the situation is unprecedented in Senegal.

The country has never experienced a coup since gaining independence from France in 1960, making it a rare outlier in a volatile region.

The proposed delay has sparked growing international concern, with the United States, European Union and France all appealing for the election to be rescheduled as soon as possible.

The chairman of the African Union commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat also urged Senegal to resolve its “political dispute through consultation, understanding and dialogue.”

Human Rights Watch warned that Senegal risked losing its democratic credentials.

“Senegal has long been considered a beacon of democracy in the region. This is now at risk,” it said in a statement.

“Authorities need to act to prevent violence, rein in abusive security forces, and end their assault on opposition and media. They should respect freedom of speech, expression, and assembly, and restore Internet, putting Senegal back on its democratic course.”

The crisis has led to fears of the kind of violent unrest that broke out in March 2021 and June 2023, which resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of arrests.

Tensions soared over speculation that Sall was considering running for a third term, until he eventually confirmed last July that he would not stand again.

Despite outrage on social media at the weekend, anger over the delay of the presidential vote did not spill into the streets in large numbers.

The opposition suspects the postponement is part of a plan by the presidential camp to avoid defeat, or even to extend Sall’s term in office, despite him saying on Saturday he would not stand for re-election.

Sall has designated Prime Minister Amadou Ba from his party as his would-be successor.

However, with the party split over his candidacy, he faced possible defeat at the ballot box.

Sall on Saturday said that he delayed the vote because of a dispute between the National Assembly and the Constitutional Council over the rejection of candidates.


Gaza truce bittersweet for Biden as Trump takes credit

Gaza truce bittersweet for Biden as Trump takes credit
Updated 11 sec ago
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Gaza truce bittersweet for Biden as Trump takes credit

Gaza truce bittersweet for Biden as Trump takes credit
WASHINGTON: The Gaza ceasefire clinched Wednesday was a bittersweet victory for US President Joe Biden days before he hands over the White House to Donald Trump, who claimed credit — and, most experts say, deserves some.
Biden first proposed the outlines of the deal between Israel and Hamas on May 31 but diplomatic efforts repeatedly came up short, even when Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned in Tel Aviv in August that it may have been the last chance for a deal.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff marched into Netanyahu’s office on Saturday, forcing the Israeli leader to break the sabbath, and pushed to seal the ceasefire.
The timing has echoes of a 1981 deal on US hostages in Iran, freed from 444 days of captivity moments after Republican Ronald Reagan succeeded Democrat Jimmy Carter, although this time the outgoing and incoming administrations worked together.
In scenes unprecedented in recent US history, Witkoff and Biden’s Middle East adviser Brett McGurk met jointly with the emir of Qatar — a key intermediary between Israel and Hamas — when sealing the deal.
Trump quickly boasted that the “epic” deal “could only have happened” due to his election as US president in November.
Asked if Trump deserved credit, Biden quipped: “Is that a joke?“
Speaking hours before a previously scheduled farewell address to the nation, the outgoing president said he included the Trump team in negotiations so that the United States was “speaking with one voice.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was not unexpected for all sides to seek credit for positive news.
“What I can say is, the president got it done,” she said, referring to Biden.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the Trump team’s presence was about demonstrating “continuity” rather than the Republican exerting new pressure.


Biden faced heated criticism from the left of his Democratic Party during its unsuccessful election year over his staunch support of Israel since Palestinian group Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
Biden authorized billions of dollars in weapons for Israel’s relentless retaliatory campaign on Gaza, despite criticizing the strategic US ally for the civilian death toll — which authorities in Gaza say is in the tens of thousands.
“The Biden administration was terrified of the political cost of being seen to be pressing Israel in any way,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the rights group Democracy for the Arab World Now.
Trump, while vowing to be even more pro-Israel, was able to make clear to Netanyahu that “I do not want to inherit this,” Whitson said.
“It made me think that all of this would have been possible months ago and we could have saved thousands of Palestinian lives,” she said.
Trump had warned Hamas of “hell to pay” if it did not agree to a deal, which includes in its first phase the release of 33 hostages seized on October 7.
David Khalfa, an expert on Israel at the Jean Jaures Foundation in Paris, said that Trump’s unpredictability likely impacted Hamas.
He also pointed to Netanyahu’s political position heading a hard-right but shaky coalition government.
“There is today an ideological alignment between the American populist right and the Israeli prime minister. So he has very weak room to maneuver against a Trump who doesn’t face the pressures of reelection,” said Khalfa.
Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said a desire by Israel and others for the right optics as Trump takes over could have played a role in sealing the deal.
But a larger factor than Trump was the changing dynamics in the region — the major blows inflicted both on Hamas and its patron Iran, he said.
Israel has devastated Iranian ally Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran’s own air defenses, with Tehran’s main ally in the Arab world, Syria’s Bashar Assad, ousted last month by rebel forces.
“I don’t think any of the threats and bluster that we saw from Trump were a huge factor on either side. I think it’s mostly a baby that’s fathered by Biden and his team,” Katulis said.
“But I think the sense that there were big question marks on what was coming might have motivated those who were stonewalling,” he said.
Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, agreed that the uncertainty following Trump’s victory contributed to the deal.
Israel and Hamas were negotiating “under the terms that each side had become familiar with” and knew there was a high risk “that the parameters were about to change.”
And if the deal falls apart?
“Then it doesn’t matter who implemented it; there will be plenty of blame to go around,” Alterman said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters target military and defense industry recruiters at UK universities

Pro-Palestinian protesters target military and defense industry recruiters at UK universities
Updated 15 January 2025
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Pro-Palestinian protesters target military and defense industry recruiters at UK universities

Pro-Palestinian protesters target military and defense industry recruiters at UK universities
  • Activists confront Royal Air Force recruiters at careers fairs in Newcastle, Glasgow, York and Cardiff
  • About 20 defense companies reportedly forced to steer clear of events because of security risks

LONDON: The UK’s military and defense industries are being forced to avoid university careers fairs because of pro-Palestinian protesters.

Student activists have targeted representatives of the Royal Air Force in recent months during events at which they were attempting to recruit graduates, The Times newspaper reported.

Videos and images shared on social media show RAF recruiters shutting down display stands or leaving them while the protests take place.

About 20 defense companies have stopped attending university careers events because of security concerns about the protests, it was reported last week.

The demonstrations are part of the widespread activism in the UK in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza that have killed more than 46,000 Palestinians since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and at least 250 taken hostage.

Protesters have also targeted the factories of UK defense companies that supply Israel, and called on the British government to halt arms deliveries.

One protest group, called “Newcastle Apartheid Off Campus,” claimed to have shut down a recruitment fair at Newcastle University at which the RAF and defense firm BAE Systems were represented.

And about 20 students surrounded the recruitment stands of GE Aerospace, the RAF and BAE Systems at Glasgow University in October.

“The students managed to kick out BAE Systems, RAF and (defense and intelligence company) CGI,” the Glasgow University Justice for Palestine Society said in a message posted on Instagram.

“Shame on Glasgow University, we continue to demand divestment and cutting all ties with these genocidal companies.”

Similar disruptions took place at a recruitment fair at York University in October and during an RAF talk at Cardiff University the same month.

In a letter to ministers, Lord Walney, the UK government’s independent adviser on political violence and disruption, warned that the protests go beyond peaceful assembly and could “seriously undermine our nation’s security and technical edge.”

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told The Times: “We continue to engage widely with our industry partners to highlight the importance and significant benefits of a career in the defense sector.

“This government recognizes the vital role of the defense sector as an engine for growth, strengthening our security and economy.”


Los Angeles firefighters brace for threat of more powerful winds

Los Angeles firefighters brace for threat of more powerful winds
Updated 15 January 2025
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Los Angeles firefighters brace for threat of more powerful winds

Los Angeles firefighters brace for threat of more powerful winds
  • Local officials urged residents to stay vigilant throughout the day on Wednesday and be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice
  • Some 6.5 million people remained under a critical fire threat

LOS ANGELES: The threat of powerful wind gusts combined with bone-dry humidity in Los Angeles on Wednesday could pose a severe test for firefighters who have been battling to keep monstrous fires in check since last week.
Local officials urged residents to stay vigilant throughout the day on Wednesday and be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice, even after tamer-than-expected winds over the last 24 hours.
“We want to reiterate the particularly dangerous situation today. Get ready now and be prepared to leave,” County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said during a news conference on Wednesday.
Some 6.5 million people remained under a critical fire threat as winds were forecast to be 20 to 40 miles (32-64 km) an hour with gusts up to 70 mph and humidity dropping into the single digits during the day, the National Weather Service said.
The combination of low humidity and strong winds has further dried out the brush, increasing the risk of fire, Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said.
“The danger has not yet passed,” she said, noting that firefighters have seen up to 40 mph winds on Wednesday.
The death toll from the fires stood at 25. The estimate of structures damaged or destroyed held steady at over 12,000, portending a Herculean rebuilding effort ahead. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, leaving smoldering ash and rubble. In many homes, only a chimney is left standing. Some 82,400 residents were still under evacuation orders with other 90,400 facing evacuation warnings, County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
Winds were tamer than expected on Tuesday, letting firefighters extinguish or gain control of some small brush fires that ignited. No major wildfires erupted in the area, as had been feared.
During the day, the milder-than-expected conditions also allowed some 8,500 firefighters from at least seven states and two foreign countries to hold the line on the Palisades and Eaton fires for the second day running.
The Palisades Fire on the west edge of town held steady at 23,713 acres (96 square km) burned, and containment nudged up to 19 percent — a measurement of how much of the perimeter was under control. The Eaton Fire in the foothills east of the city stood at 14,117 acres (57 sq km) with containment at 45 percent. The fires have consumed an area the size of Washington, D.C.
“In the past 24 hours, there has been little to no fire growth on both incidents,” Cal Fire Incident Commander Gerry Magaña said.
A fleet of aircraft dropped water and retardant into the rugged hills while ground crews with hand tools and hoses have worked around the clock since the fires broke out on Jan. 7, with the aircraft occasionally grounded by high winds.
Crowley and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fielded questions on Wednesday about a Los Angeles Times report that 1,000 firefighters were on standby but not quickly deployed after fire broke out on Jan. 7.
“We did everything in our capability to surge where we could,” Crowley said.
Southern California has lacked any appreciable rain since April, turning brush into tinder as Santa Ana winds originating from the deserts whipped over hilltops and rushed through canyons, sending embers flying up to two miles ahead of the fires.
Private forecaster AccuWeather estimates total damage and economic loss between $250 billion and $275 billion, which would make it the costliest natural disaster in US history, surpassing Hurricane Katrina in 2005.


Danish PM tells Trump it is up to Greenland to decide on independence

Danish PM tells Trump it is up to Greenland to decide on independence
Updated 15 January 2025
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Danish PM tells Trump it is up to Greenland to decide on independence

Danish PM tells Trump it is up to Greenland to decide on independence
  • Trump said last week that US control of Greenland was an “absolute necessity“
  • Frederiksen also emphasized the importance of strengthening security in the Arctic

COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Wednesday she had spoken on the phone with US President-elect Donald Trump and told him that it is up to Greenland itself to decide on any independence.
Trump, who takes office on Jan. 20, said last week that US control of Greenland was an “absolute necessity” and did not rule out using military or economic action such as tariffs against Denmark to make it happen.
“In the conversation, the prime minister referred to the statements of the Chairman of the Greenlandic Parliament, Mute B. Egede, that Greenland is not for sale,” Frederiksen’s office said in a statement.
“The prime minister emphasized that it is up to Greenland itself to make a decision on independence,” the statement said.
Frederiksen also emphasized the importance of strengthening security in the Arctic and that Denmark was open to taking a greater responsibility, it added.


Russia planned ‘acts of terrorism’ in the air, Polish PM says

Russia planned ‘acts of terrorism’ in the air, Polish PM says
Updated 15 January 2025
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Russia planned ‘acts of terrorism’ in the air, Polish PM says

Russia planned ‘acts of terrorism’ in the air, Polish PM says
  • The explosions occurred in depots in Britain, Germany and Poland in July
  • Russia has denied involvement in the incidents and Tusk did not mention them specifically

WARSAW: Russia planned ‘acts of terrorism’ in the air against Poland and other countries, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw.
Security officials have said that parcels that exploded at logistics depots in Europe were part of a test run for a Russian plot to trigger explosions on cargo flights to the United States. The explosions occurred in depots in Britain, Germany and Poland in July. Russia has denied involvement in the incidents and Tusk did not mention them specifically.
“The latest information can confirm the validity of fears that Russia was planning acts of terrorism in the air not only against Poland,” Tusk told a news conference. He did not say what acts he was referring to or elaborate on the contents of the information.
Moscow has regularly denied any involvement in the courier depot explosions, as well as break-ins, arson and attacks on individuals which Western officials say were carried out by operatives paid by Russia. The Russian embassy in Warsaw has not immediately replied to an emailed request for comment on Tusk’s statement.