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The ECOWAS ultimatum did not bring Mali down. The 46 Ivorian soldiers, accused of being mercenaries and detained since July in Mali, are still in prison. The West African heads of state had summoned Bamako to release them before January 1 on pain of sanctions. But Mali sentenced them to 20 years in prison on Friday, accusing the soldiers of traveling under false identities and with weapons without the authorities being informed.
Two Senegalese opposition deputies were sentenced to six months in prison on Monday for hitting a majority colleague in the National Assembly. On December 1, MP Massata Samb attacked his colleague Amy Ndiaye from the podium over statements she had made once morest Moustapha Sy, leader of a party that is a member of the main opposition coalition, the Parti de Unity and Gathering (PUR), who is not a deputy but is an influential marregarding in Senegal.
The Ugandan capital was the scene of a stampede during New Year celebrations. At least 10 people, mostly young people, lost their lives. The police announced that they had arrested an organizer of the evening. Investigators are trying to find out if the tragedy was caused by “negligence”.
In Benin, this is the first time since President Patrice Talon came to power in 2016 that the opposition party of former President Yayi Boni is in electoral competition. Our team went to the region of Savè and to Tchaourou, where the clashes had caused deaths and many injuries at the time of the last legislative elections. Report: Emmanuelle SODJI and Raphaël NTALÉ.
In Egypt, the lid of an ancient sarcophagus – one of the largest wooden pharaonic sarcophagi ever discovered – has officially been returned. It had been stolen several years ago and ended up on display in a museum in Texas, USA.
Editor: Célia Caracena
