ECOWAS defends Nigeria against Niger’s claims of ‘destabilization’ plot

Nigeria said the country had no alliance with ‘France or any other country’ to destabilize Niger. (Reuters)
Nigeria said the country had no alliance with ‘France or any other country’ to destabilize Niger. (Reuters)
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Updated 28 December 2024
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ECOWAS defends Nigeria against Niger’s claims of ‘destabilization’ plot

Nigeria said the country had no alliance with ‘France or any other country’ to destabilize Niger. (Reuters)
  • Niger’s military leaders broke away from the ECOWAS amid rising anti-France sentiments

LAGOS: West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS has come to Nigeria’s defense after claims by Niger that it was plotting to destabilize its neighbor.

Niger’s military leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani accused Nigeria of providing homes for two French nationals it expelled, allegedly for anti-government activities, during a televised Christmas Day broadcast on Wednesday.

Tchiani also lashed out against ECOWAS and claimed that France had established a base in Nigeria where it was arming terror groups in the Lake Chad region to foment unrest in his country.

“Nigerian authorities are not unaware of this underhanded move,” Tchiani said. “It is near a forest close to Sokoto where they wanted to establish a terrorist stronghold known as Lakurawa.”

“The French and ISWAP made this deal on March 4, 2024,” he added, referring to the Daesh West Africa Province militant group.

Earlier in December, Niger’s foreign minister summoned the charge d’affaires at the Nigerian Embassy, accusing its neighbors of “serving as a rear base” to “destabilize” the country.

ECOWAS and Nigeria rejected the accusations. “For years, Nigeria has supported peace and security of several countries not only in the West African subregion but also on the African continent,” the regional bloc said in a statement released.

“ECOWAS therefore refutes any suggestion that such a generous and magnanimous country would become a state-sponsor of terrorism.”

Nigeria’s Information Minister Mohammed Idris said in a separate statement Thursday that his country had no alliance with “France or any other country” to destabilize Niger, with whom it has had a choppy relationship since Tchiani seized power in a July 2023 coup.

Niger’s military leaders broke away from the ECOWAS amid rising anti-France sentiments.

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is currently head of the ECOWAS bloc, had briefly considered a regional military intervention to reinstate Niger’s ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.

But Idris said that Nigeria was open to dialogue with Niger despite its political situation.

“Nigeria remains committed to fostering regional stability and will continue to lead efforts to address terrorism and other transnational challenges,” he said.

 


US State Department fires diplomat over relationship with Chinese

US State Department fires diplomat over relationship with Chinese
Updated 09 October 2025
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US State Department fires diplomat over relationship with Chinese

US State Department fires diplomat over relationship with Chinese
  • Diplomat admitted concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party, says department spokesman
  • The Trump administration earlier this year said it would restrict employees in China from entering romantic relationships with locals, a rare step reminiscent of the Cold War

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump’s administration said Wednesday it fired a State Department employee who did not acknowledge a romantic relationship with a Chinese national.

“The State Department has officially terminated the employment of a Foreign Service officer who admitted concealing a romantic relationship with a Chinese national with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

The State Department said the officer, a man whom it did not identify, said on camera that the Chinese woman “could have been a spy” but did not say if there was any proof of espionage.

The dismissed employee said his partner’s father was “straight-up communist party,” according to the State Department.

The Chinese Communist Party permeates life in the billion-plus country in areas from business to education, with many ordinary Chinese maintaining ties out of practicality as much as ideology.

The State Department said it was the first known dismissal taken under an executive order signed by Trump shortly after returning to office in which he ordered that all employees “faithfully implement the president’s policy.”

“We will maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any employee who is caught undermining our country’s national security,” Pigott said.

The United States earlier this year said it would restrict employees in China from entering romantic relationships with locals, a rare step reminiscent of the Cold War.


UN to slash a quarter of peacekeepers globally over lack of funds

UN to slash a quarter of peacekeepers globally over lack of funds
Updated 17 min 11 sec ago
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UN to slash a quarter of peacekeepers globally over lack of funds

UN to slash a quarter of peacekeepers globally over lack of funds
  • US has $2.8 billion in funding arrears for 2024 and 2025, and the Trump administration plans to stop funding for UN peacekeeping missions in 2026
  • Washington is the UN’s largest peacekeeping contributor, accounting for more than 26 percent of funding, followed by China at 24 percent

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations will cut a quarter of peacekeepers in 11 operations around the world in the coming months due to a lack of money, senior UN officials said on Wednesday, and as future funding from the United States remains uncertain.

“Overall, we will have to repatriate... around 25 percent of our total peacekeeping troops and police, as well as their equipment, and a large number of civilian staff in missions will also be affected,” said a senior UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

That would amount to between 13,000 and 14,000 troops and police, the official said.

Washington is the UN’s largest peacekeeping contributor, accounting for more than 26 percent of funding, followed by China which pays nearly 24 percent. These payments are not voluntary.

The US was already $1.5 billion in arrears before the new financial year began on July 1, said a second UN official. Washington now also owes an additional $1.3 billion, taking its total outstanding bill to more than $2.8 billion.

The US has told the UN it will make a payment shortly of $680 million, the first UN official said. The US mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US President Donald Trump in August unilaterally canceled some $800 million in peacekeeping funding appropriated for 2024 and 2025, according to a Trump administration message to Congress.

Trump has long claimed that international institutions have taken advantage of the United States and has overseen massive cuts to US foreign aid since his return to the White House in January.

The White House budget office has also proposed eliminating funding for UN peacekeeping missions in 2026, citing failures of operations in Mali, Lebanon and Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UN has peacekeeping operations in the Middle East, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lebanon, Kosovo, Cyprus, Central African Republic, Western Sahara, the Golan Heights demilitarized zone between Israel and Syria, Abyei — an administrative area jointly run by South Sudan and Sudan — and on a ceasefire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also more broadly seeking ways to improve efficiency and cut costs as the world body turns 80 this year amid a cash crisis.

The announcement “potentially means a significant reduction in protection for things like humanitarian convoys and the civilians who rely on aid,” Louis Charbonneau of Human Rights Watch told AFP.

“We hope the UN will prioritize lifesaving humanitarian and human rights activities,” he added.

Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group said the cuts’ impact on the ground “will vary case by case.”

“In somewhere like South Sudan, where peacekeepers offer many civilians a little protection and there was nearly a new war this year, cutting back peacekeepers sends a very bad signal.”

 


At least 20 killed in Myanmar junta attack as paramotors widen air war

At least 20 killed in Myanmar junta attack as paramotors widen air war
Updated 08 October 2025
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At least 20 killed in Myanmar junta attack as paramotors widen air war

At least 20 killed in Myanmar junta attack as paramotors widen air war
  • The military has previously rejected accusations that it targets civilians
  • A spokesperson for the US State Department said it was deeply disturbed by reports of the attack

NAYPYIDAW: A 30-year-old protester was taking part in a gathering against Myanmar’s ruling junta on a festival day in the central region of Sagaing on Monday when he heard the distinctive noise of fan blades cutting through the air.

Minutes later, explosives were dropped by a motorized paraglider, also known as a paramotor.

“I was thrown away,” said the protester, asking not to be named for fear of retribution from the junta.

“Initially, I thought the whole lower part of my body had been severed. I touched it and I realized the legs are still there.”

At least 20 people were killed in the attack by the junta, according to the eyewitness, Amnesty International, the shadow National Unity Government and an armed resistance group in the area. It is also the latest instance of Myanmar’s well-armed military using paramotors as part of its widening range of aerial weaponry, including aircraft and drones, deployed in an expanding civil war.

A spokesperson for Myanmar’s junta did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The military has previously rejected accusations that it targets civilians. A spokesperson for the US State Department said it was deeply disturbed by reports of the attack. “We urge the military regime to cease its violence and bombing civilians, release all unjustly detained prisoners, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and begin genuine dialogue with opposition groups,” the spokesperson said.

The Southeast Asian nation has been gripped by protests and a nationwide armed rebellion since 2021 following the military’s ouster of an elected civilian government.

PARAMOTORS DEPLOYMENT ON THE RISE

The attack at Sagaing’s Chaung-U township took place just before 8 p.m. local time on Monday as local residents gathered in a field, said the eyewitness and a spokesman for a local anti-junta armed resistance group.

“The military has used paramotors to bomb this area approximately six times before this latest incident,” Ko Thant, an information officer for the Chaung-U Township People’s Defense Force, told Reuters.

The junta’s first recorded use of paramotors, which can seat up to three soldiers to drop bombs or fire at targets, was in December 2024 and they have since been deployed more widely, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The military also used paramotors to carry out attacks in parts of Myanmar hit by a deadly earthquake in March, the United Nations said in April.

“Paramotors are typically deployed in areas of mixed control or where resistance groups have minimal equipment, such as lacking access to the 7.62 cartridges and weapons required to shoot them down,” ACLED Senior Analyst Su Mon said in a July report.

In some areas rebels have claimed to have shot down a junta paramotor, according to a statement issued by the Burma Revolution Rangers group in April. With frontlines stretching from the northern Kachin hills to the western coastal state of Rakhine, the junta is increasingly relying on aerial power, with 1,134 airstrikes between January and May, far higher than corresponding figures of 197 and 640 in 2023 and 2024, according to ACLED.

In the aftermath of the strike in Chaung-U township, the 30-year-old protester said he crawled into a nearby ditch and hid there until his friends pulled him out.

“This is mass murder,” he said, referring to the junta’s attack. “They are committing it openly.”


Afghan Taliban foreign minister heads for first visit to India to foster ties abroad

Afghan Taliban foreign minister heads for first visit to India to foster ties abroad
Updated 08 October 2025
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Afghan Taliban foreign minister heads for first visit to India to foster ties abroad

Afghan Taliban foreign minister heads for first visit to India to foster ties abroad
  • Muttaqi begins first visit to India since the group’s 2021 takeover, seeking stronger political and trade ties
  • Trip follows UN travel ban waiver, underscores Taliban efforts to gain regional legitimacy

KABUL: Afghanistan’s Taliban foreign minister left for New Delhi on Wednesday, his ministry said, in what would be the first visit to India by a Taliban leader since the group seized power in 2021.

The trip highlights Taliban efforts to expand engagement with regional powers in a quest for economic ties and eventual diplomatic recognition. So far, Russia is the only country to have formally recognized the Taliban administration.

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will hold talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and other officials on political, economic and trade issues, the Afghan foreign ministry added.

Historically, India and Afghanistan had friendly relations but New Delhi shut its embassy in Kabul after the 2021 US withdrawal from the war-shattered country and the return to power of the Taliban.

India opened a small mission a year later to facilitate trade, medical support and humanitarian aid.

New Delhi does not officially recognize the Taliban government but has taken tentative steps to thaw ties with meetings and talks between senior officials in their respective foreign ministries.

Muttaqi’s trip was made possible after the UN Security Council Committee temporarily lifted a travel ban on him to allow diplomatic engagements abroad, India’s foreign ministry said last week.

Discussions during Muttaqi’s trip will center on bilateral cooperation, trade exchanges, exports of dry fruit, facilities in the health sector, consular services and various ports, the Afghan Taliban foreign ministry said last week.

On Tuesday, Muttaqi attended a regional meeting in Moscow where Afghanistan’s neighbors including India, Pakistan, Iran, China and several Central Asian countries issued a joint statement opposing the deployment of foreign military infrastructure in the region.

The statement was regarded as a signal of opposition to US President Donald Trump’s stated objective to retake control of the Bagram military base near Kabul.


France has a path to avoiding snap elections, caretaker PM Lecornu says

France has a path to avoiding snap elections, caretaker PM Lecornu says
Updated 08 October 2025
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France has a path to avoiding snap elections, caretaker PM Lecornu says

France has a path to avoiding snap elections, caretaker PM Lecornu says
  • Lecornu has held further consultations with political leaders spanning the center left to center right in an effort to defuse the crisis
  • “I told the President of the Republic ... that I believe the situation allows for (him) to name a prime minister in the next 48 hours,” Lecornu told France 2

PARIS: France’s caretake prime minister on Wednesday said he saw a path to forming a new government but that the “final stretch” would be difficult, adding that it was possible France have a new premier in the next 48 hours.

Sebastien Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in two years, tendered his and his government’s resignation on Monday, just hours after announcing the cabinet line-up, making it the shortest-lived administration in modern France.

But at President Emmanuel Macron’s request, Lecornu has held further consultations with political leaders spanning the center left to center right in an effort to defuse the crisis and avoid snap parliamentary elections.

“I told the President of the Republic ... that I believe the situation allows for (him) to name a prime minister in the next 48 hours,” Lecornu told France 2 after briefing Macron on his talks.

Macron has this week faced calls to hold a snap parliamentary elections or resign, in particular from far-right and hardleft politicians but also from some in the political mainstream. Lecornu said his talks with other parties showed there was a majority in parliament against a snap election.

Markets have taken fright at the political paralysis in the euro zone’s second biggest economy, with investors already jittery over the country’s yawning budget deficit.

However, French assets saw some improvement on Wednesday after Lecornu expressed cautious optimism over the possibility of a deal in the morning, with Paris’ CAC 40 index up 1.1 percent on the day. The French benchmark remains one of Europe’s laggards in 2025.

Ahead of Lecornu’s remarks,

French bonds

outperformed their euro zone peers on the possibility that the country’s parliament may agree a budget by the end of the year.

It was unclear when Macron would announce any decisions.

Lecornu made clear he would not be the next prime minister. He declined to say who might be the next prime minister, or what their political leaning would likely be, stressing that this was up to Macron to decide.