elections Archives - Jean-Jacques Cornish

Jean-Pierre Bemba’s return to DRC poses problems for President Joseph Kabila

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 22:00:00 +0000

Lawyers for Congolese warlord and former vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba’ says he should be released immediately after his acquittal last week of war crimes.

His lawyers say even if he’s found guilty of the witness tampering charges he’s still facing the punishment would be less than the decade he’s already spent behind behind bars.

Jean-Pierre Bemba’s return to the DRC poses problems for President Joseph Kabila who appears to be preparing to contest elections later this year.

Having the MLC leader in jail has suited Kabila because Bemba is more popular in Kinshasa.

Bemba was acquitted on appeal Friday by the International Criminal Court, who said he could not be held criminally liable for crimes committed by his troops in the Central African Republic in 2002-2003.

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Rival bands of soldiers fighting in Bujumbura streets

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Wed, 13 May 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Rival bands of soldiers are fighting in the streets of Bujumbura after President Pierre Nkurunziza was prevented from returning home from a regional summit called to discuss the crisis triggered by his bid to get an unconstitutional third term in office.
The East African Community has condemned what it’s calling a coup and says it won’t stand by if violence does not stop or escalates in Burundi.

President Pierre Nkurunziza is back in Dar es Salaam where he attended a regional summit that determined Burundi is not in any state to hold planned elections next month.
Former intelligence head Major General Godefroid Niyombere, sacked by Nkurunziza earlier this year, says he’s taken control Burundi and suspended parliament because of Nkurunziza’s unacceptable bid to cling to power.
The armed forces head General Prime Niyongabo, however insists the coup has failed and Nkurunziza continues to hold power.
In the streets outside their forces are fighting to settle this dispute.

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Sudan will benefit from Washington’s lessons in Cuba and Iran

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Sudan’s Vice President says his country will benefit from lessons the United States has learned in Cuba and Iran.
Speaking to reporters covering elections in Sudan, he’s attacked the double standards applied to his country by the European Union saying the poll cannot be credible.
Ends intro
Vice President Hassabo Mohammed Abdurahman says Sudan’s different from Cuba and Iran.
But in all three cases Washington’s pursued wrong policies of confrontation and sanctions.
The Sudanese vice president says the US has seen the error of its ways.
(take in the Hassabo clip here)
Abdurahman slams the west for failing to lift sanctions following the separation of South Sudan in 2011 and not meeting its promise to help finance that difficult adaptation.
He says they’re still trying to interfere in Sudan’s internal affairs by criticising the current election that he insists will be followed by national dialogue including the opposition groups boycotting the poll.

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Sudan’s democratic train does not end with elections

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 22:00:00 +0000

Voting has gone peacefully on day one of Sudan’s three day elections. The country’s former deputy president says those parties boycotting the polls have an opportunity to climb aboard the diplomatic train at the national dialogue that will follow it.

Former Sudanese deputy president Yusuf Al Haj Adam cast his ballot at the St Francis School in Khartoum today, shortly before President Omar Al Bashir was fast-tracked through the process at the same venue. Adam had plenty of time to talk to reporters as he stood in the queue. He says the election is by no means the end of the democratic process. Adam says this would extend to new elections if the national dialogue agreed that it was necessary.

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Boko Haram will be beaten within the month, says Jonathan

Jean-Jacques Cornish — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 22:00:00 +0000

A week away from elections, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan says his forces will beat Boko Haram within a month and drive the Islamist terrorists out of the towns it has taken.

But in his interview with the BBC, Jonathan admits that his army doesn’t known the whereabouts of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram 14 months ago.

President Goodluck Jonathan postponed elections in Nigeria so he could turn around Boko Haram’s bid to create an Islamic caliphate in the north east of his country.

He says he’s achieved this. Nigerian forces, backed by troops from Cameroon, Niger and Chad are driving the integrists out of towns taken in their six year terror operations.

He says they’ll be beaten within a month.

However he admits that they’re no closer to rescuing the Chibok schoolgirls seized by Boko Haram last April.

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