THE South African government has expressed concerns over the continuing unrests in Kenya and Nigeria and have urged for an urgent solution to be found.
In a statement issued after a cabinet meeting, the government said: “Cabinet raised concerns with the continuing unrests in Kenya and Nigeria and urged all parties to find urgent solutions to the plight of citizens with the high cost of living, which South Africa is not spared from.”
The statement from SA came on the day that Kenya saw renewed protests. Police in the Kenyan capital Nairobi fired tear gas to clear pockets of anti-government demonstrators. The protest movement forms part of a new push to force President William Ruto to resign.
In Nigeria, police have arrested tailors responsible for making the Russian flags used in the protests, according to the Department of State Services (DSS). This action suggests a potentially strained relationship between Abuja and Moscow, as Nigerian officials view the display of foreign flags during domestic protests as a serious offence.
General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, described the brandishing of a foreign flag during anti-government protests as a “treasonable offence” following security talks with President Bola Tinubu. The DSS also stated that some “sponsors” of the flag-makers have been detained, though details about these individuals remain unclear.
The protests, which began on August 1, have seen hundreds of thousands of Nigerians demonstrating against President Tinubu’s economic reforms. These policies, including the partial removal of fuel and electricity subsidies and currency devaluation, have led to soaring inflation rates reaching three-decade highs.
In the northern states of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina, protesters were observed waving hundreds of Russian flags, with some even calling for military intervention. Lawal Kodo, a 28-year-old protester in Kano, explained, “We are waving the Russian flag because Tinubu’s government is not listening to us. Russian presidents always support African nations’ development, unlike other nations.”
