protests - The African Mirror

Sep

2023

Canadian Sikhs stage protests against Indian government over murder

CANADIAN Sikhs staged small protests outside India's diplomatic missions, a week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there may be a link between New Delhi and the murder of a Sikh separatist advocate in British Columbia. Trudeau a week ago stood in parliament to say that domestic intelligence agencies were actively pursuing credible allegations tying New Delhi's agents to the shooting of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, in June. About 100 protesters in Toronto burned an Indian flag and struck a cardboard cut-out of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a shoe. About 200 protesters also gathered outside the Vancouver consulate.…

Jul

2023

By The African Mirror

Protests hit Tunisian town after man killed in police raid

NEWS

ANGRY youths barricaded roads and clashed with police in the Tunisian town of Sbeitla hours after the death of a young man during a police raid, witnesses said. Police had sought to arrest a local businessman suspected of running an illegal gambling operation but ran into resistance from his associates, triggering clashes in which the man was fatally shot with a rifle, a town official said. An investigation was under way to determine the circumstances of his death, he added. Police and interior ministry spokespeople did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. The youthful protesters burned tyres, closed…

Jul

2023

By The African Mirror

Senegal: behind the protests is a fight for democratic freedoms

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

IN a late evening announcement on 3 July, President Macky Sall put an end to speculations that he would seek a third term in office by contesting in 2024. Prior to that announcement, Sall’s unwillingness to confirm he would not run for a third term, and the targeting of political opponents, created a political powder keg in Senegal. Authors RACHEL BEATTY RIEDL, Professor of International Studies, Cornell University BAMBA NDIAYE, Assistant Professor, Emory University Protests broke out in many cities across the country on 1 June 2023, following the conviction of leading opposition figure Ousmane Sonko for “corruption of the…

Jun

2023

By SOFIA CHRISTENSEN, DIADIE BA and NGOUDA DIONE

Fresh protests rock Senegal as death toll climbs

NEWS

FRESH clashes broke out between opposition supporters and Senegalese police in parts of the capital Dakar, the third day of protests in the West African nation sparked by the prosecution of an opposition leader. Protesters took to the streets in the evening, setting up barricades and burning rubbish in the HLM district. Police there and in the Ngor residential neighbourhood fired tear gas in an effort to disperse angry crowds. Gas stations and a supermarket were looted overnight and several districts were strewn with rubble and burned tyres. "The police couldn't do anything... The police had to leave after several…

Jun

2023

By NGOUDA DIONE and BATE FELIX

Senegal presidential aspirant Sonko sentenced to prison, sparking protests

NEWS

FRESH unrest hit Senegal's capital Dakar after a court sentenced a leading opposition politician, Ousmane Sonko, to two years in jail for corrupting the youth, undermining his chances of running for president next year. Sonko, 48, was accused of raping a woman who worked in a massage parlour in 2021, when she was 20, and making death threats against her. He denies wrongdoing and says the charges are politically motivated. A criminal court cleared Sonko of rape but found him guilty of a separate offence described in the penal code as immoral behaviour towards individuals younger than 21. This could…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenyan opposition ready to talk to government, resume protests

NEWS

KENYA'S opposition alliance is prepared to negotiate with the government over electoral reforms and the high cost of living, while also resuming protests, opposition leader Raila Odinga said. In early April, Odinga ended anti-government protests after an appeal from President William Ruto but said at the time they could resume within days if there was no meaningful engagement or response from the government. Thousands participated in three marches held over two weeks in late March and early April. The protests, in part stirred by accusations of fraud in last August's presidential election, were all marred by violence. "Kenyans are standing firm. We have…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Explosion kills at least two in Ethiopia’s Amhara amid protests

NEWS

AT least two people were killed by an explosion in the capital of Ethiopia's Amhara region, which has been convulsed by days of protests against the integration of local security forces into the national police and army. Members of Amhara's local military and allied militias said they opposed the government's order to disband and join the federal army or police, sparking days of protests in several towns and cities across the region. On Monday an explosion killed two people and wounded several others in Bahir Dar, according to a police officer. It was not clear what caused the explosion or…

Apr

2023

By The African Mirror

Embattled Macron heads to China, leaving burning Paris behind

WORLD

MICHEL ROSE and JOHN IRISH FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron will head to China next week for a rare visit to the rising superpower, in an awkward balancing act between his global statesman ambitions and his struggle to contain embarrassing pension protests at home. The French leader, whose decision to ram much-disputed pension legislation through parliament earlier this month sparked clashes and violence in French cities, is trying to keep his busy diplomatic schedule on track. But the chaotic scenes of burning piles of rubbish in Paris, which were broadcast around the world, have already forced Macron to cancel a state visit by Britain's King…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Senegalese police fire tear gas as Dakar braces for more protests

NEWS

DIADIE BA and BATE FELIX SENEGAL'S security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse opposition supporters who attempted to gather in the capital Dakar for the first of three days of planned opposition protests over a libel trial of one of its leaders. Shops and banks closed early on Wednesday as the West African nation braced for fresh protests over a court case that has fuelled tension and violence ahead of presidential elections next year. Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko is due in court on Thursday for a hearing in a libel case brought by the tourism minister, who…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenya’s Ruto to deal with those involved in criminal activity during protests

NEWS

KENYA'S President William Ruto warned he would deal with all those involved in criminal activity during protests, he said during a visit to Germany. Police fired teargas and water cannons at stone-throwing supporters of opposition leader Raila Odinga on Monday during a second week of protests against the government and high food prices, with one person shot dead in the western city of Kisumu. In separate incidents on Monday, unidentified people vandalised a property belonging to Odinga's family and another owned by former president Uhuru Kenyatta, who supported Odinga in last year's election, Kenyan media reported. "My position as president is that…