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Millions in Niger face hardship due to economic sanctions after the July 30 coup that toppled President Bazoum.

Niger’s military government on Tuesday asked West Africa’s regional court to order the lifting of sanctions imposed on the country by its neighbours following a July coup that deposed elected president Mohamed Bazoum.

“There is no sector of the Nigerien society that has not been affected by these sanctions” which have caused in one of the world’s poorest countries, Younkaila Yaye, one of the government’s lawyers, argued at the hearing in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

After a group of soldiers calling itself the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) toppled Bazoum, a raft of economic sanctions were imposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Other countries, including the United States, that had provided aid for health, security and infrastructure needs, also suspended their support.

Until the coup, aid accounted for almost half of Niger’s annual budget. Niger’s neighbours also closed their borders to the country, and more than 70 percent of its electricity, supplied by Nigeria, was cut off. Financial transactions with West African countries were suspended. Niger’s assets in external banks were frozen, and hundreds of millions of dollars in aid were withheld.

The sanctions were the most stringent yet imposed by the regional bloc in an effort to stem the tide of coups in the Sahel. But they have had little or no impact on the ambition of the government, which has consolidated its hold on power while millions in Niger face growing hardship.

At the hearing, the government’s lawyers described the ways the sanctions are hurting Niger: Children are unable to return to school because of limited supplies. Drug stores are running out of supplies. Businesses are shutting down because of rising costs.

Yaye accused ECOWAS of punishing Nigeriens over the coup in ways harsher than it has handled coups in other countries, “especially regarding financial transactions”.

The government asked the court to relax the sanctions pending the final judgement. But ECOWAS protested against their request.

Francois Kanga-Penond, the ECOWAS lawyer, argued that the government is not recognised under the bloc’s protocol and does not have the power to institute such a case in court.

The court adjourned until December 7.

Bazoum, who has been under house arrest since the coup, has asked the same court to order his release and the return of constitutional order. The court is set to rule on November 30.

Hamas and Israel have expressed in statements their readiness to resume hostilities after they agreed to a Qatar-mediated pause in fighting.

The deal includes the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails in exchange for 50 people held captive by Hamas in Gaza since the armed group that rules the enclave stormed southern Israel on October 7.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel will halt all military actions in Gaza for four days, and allow hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian and medical aid and fuel into the territory.

Here are the statements issued by the warring sides, as well as the mediator:

Qatar

“The State of Qatar announces the success of its joint mediation efforts undertaken with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), resulting in an agreement for a humanitarian pause.

The starting time of the pause will be announced within the next 24 hours and last for four days, subject to extension.

The agreement includes the release of 50 civilian women and children hostages currently held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of a number of Palestinian women and children detained in Israeli prisons, the number of those released will be increased in later stages of implementing the agreement.

The humanitarian pause will also allow the entry of a larger number of humanitarian convoys and relief aid, including fuel designated for humanitarian needs.

The State of Qatar affirms its commitment to ongoing diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, stop the bloodshed, and protect civilians.

In this regard, the State of Qatar appreciates the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States of America in reaching this agreement.”

Hamas

“Inspired by our responsibility towards our patient and determined Palestinian people, and our tireless endeavour to support the steadfastness of our heroic people in the dignified Gaza Strip, and to provide relief and treat their wounds, and in our work to consolidate the will of our victorious resistance on October 7 in the face of the Zionist enemy.

Following complex and difficult negotiations for many days, we announce, with the help of God Almighty, that we have reached a humanitarian truce agreement (a temporary pause in fighting) for four days, through the persistent and appreciated efforts of Qatar and Egypt, according to which [there will be]:

– A pause in fighting from both sides, a cessation of all military actions by the occupation army in all areas of the Gaza Strip, and a cessation of the movement of its military vehicles penetrating into the Gaza Strip.

– Allowing hundreds of trucks of humanitarian, relief, medical and fuel aid into all areas of the Gaza Strip, without exception, in the north and the south.

– The release of 50 women and children below the age of 19 years of the occupation detainees, in exchange for the release of 150 women and children below the age of 19 years of our people from the occupation prisons, all according to length of their imprisonment.

– Stopping air traffic in the south for four days.

– Stopping air traffic in the north for six hours a day, from 10am until 4pm.

– During the pause of fighting, the occupation is committed not to attack or arrest anyone in all areas of the Gaza Strip.

– Ensuring freedom of movement of people (from north to south) along Salah al-Din Road.

– The terms of this agreement were formulated in accordance with the vision of the resistance and its principles, which aim to serve our people and strengthen their steadfastness in the face of aggression, and it is always mindful of their sacrifices, suffering and concerns, and it conducted these negotiations from a position of steadfastness and strength in the field, despite the occupation’s attempts to prolong and procrastinate the negotiations.

– While we announce the arrival of a pause of fighting agreement, we affirm that our hands will remain on the trigger, and our victorious brigades will remain on the lookout to defend our people and defeat the occupation and its aggression.

– We promise our people that we will remain loyal to their blood, their sacrifices, their patience, their steadfastness, and their aspirations for liberation and freedom, the restoration of rights, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, God willing.”

Israel

“The Government of Israel is obligated to return home all of the hostages.

Tonight, the government has approved the outline of the first stage of achieving this goal, according to which at least 50 hostages – women and children – will be released over four days, during which a pause in the fighting will be held.

The release of every additional ten hostages will result in one additional day in the pause.

The government of Israel, [the Israeli army] and the security services will continue the war in order to return home all of the hostages, complete the elimination of Hamas and ensure that there will be no new threat to the State of Israel from Gaza.”

The negotiations in Tanzania followed talks in April and May that also failed to produce an agreement.

A second round of peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and a rebel group aimed at ending a decades-old conflict in the country’s largest region Oromiya has ended without a deal, both sides said on Tuesday.

The negotiations in Tanzania between the government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) followed talks in April and May that also failed to produce an agreement.

The OLA is an outlawed splinter group of a formerly banned opposition party that returned from exile in 2018. Its grievances are rooted in the alleged marginalisation and neglect of people in Oromiya, which surrounds the capital, Addis Ababa.

The violence in Oromiya has killed hundreds of people in the past few years and been one of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s main security headaches since the end of a two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region last year.

“Due to the intransigence of the other party, the talks have come to an end without an agreement,” Redwan Hussien, Abiy’s national security adviser, said in a post on social media site X. “The obstructive approach and unrealistic demands of the other party are the principal reasons why these talks could not succeed.”

1/5 The Government of FDRE with a desire to end the suffering that has been occasioned due to the conflict in some parts of Oromia region has been engaging in peace talks with Shene/OLF-OLA.The two rounds  of talks have come to an end without an agreement.

— Redwan Hussien (@RedwanHussien) November 21, 2023

In a statement, OLA accused the government of failing to address the “fundamental problems that underlie the county´s seemingly insurmountable security and political challenges”.

The East African trade bloc IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) said on Wednesday it was “optimistic” about further talks. Its executive secretary Workneh Gebeyehu appealed to the parties “to uphold their commitment to the peace process in the best interest of the people of Ethiopia”.

“IGAD will continue to remain seized of the situation and stands ready to provide unwavering support to both sides in their pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the situation,” the statement said.

The government struck a peace deal in November 2022 to end the conflict in Tigray after tens of thousands of people were killed and millions displaced. But conflict has raged elsewhere.

Besides Oromiya, fighting in the neighbouring Amhara region between government forces and local militiamen has killed hundreds of people since late July. Tensions have been rising since April, when the federal government announced it was dismantling regional forces nationwide, triggering protests by Amhara nationalists who said the move would weaken their region.

The fierce fighting has seen the federal forces – known as the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) – battle local Fano fighters. Fano, an informal armed group with no publicly known command structure that draws volunteers from the local population, was an ally in the ENDF’s war against Tigray.

For years, there was a predictable rhythm to Dutch politics – general elections would involve lots of heated debates, coalition talks, and Mark Rutte would end up running the country. But now things are about to change.

When the Netherlands goes to the polls today, the nation will put itself on the path to a new leader. Mr Rutte, who has led the country for the past 13 years, will be replaced by a new prime minister. Or, at least, he will eventually.

Because the other predictable aspect is that Dutch elections are never conclusive.

There are three different parties who are almost neck-and-neck and a fourth that seems to be just a short distance behind.

Then there are some smaller parties, who will pick up their own support. The political calculations and horse-trading will be particularly complex this time around.

At heart, most parties disagree with each other about most subjects.

A debate on the eve of the election proved to be fractious and ill-tempered, marked by frequent interruptions and sniping.

But there is a seam that has run through this election campaign and it is the question of migration – the topic that has shaped many political debates around Europe during the past decade.

It was an argument over migration policy that brought down the last coalition government, led by Mr Rutte.

Former refugee calls for reduced migration and attacks ‘woke politics’

Now his party, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), has a new leader, Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, who is calling for tougher rules than those promoted by Mr Rutte.

Ms Yesilgov-Zegerius arrived in the Netherlands at the age of seven as a refugee from Turkey – her mother and father fled the country after a coup in 1980. But she now says migration should be reduced and the Netherlands is suffering because of “woke politics”.

Former European Commission vice president has personal popularity

Alongside the VVD at the top of the polls are parties from left and right.

On the one side is the Labour/Green list, led by the former vice president of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, whose own personal popularity has taken the left-wing group up the polls.

Geert Wilders’s messages remain brash and unapologetic

On the other flank, the far-right Party for Freedom, led by the familiar figure of Geert Wilders.

Mr Wilders’s core messages remain brash and unapologetic – that immigration should stop, and that mainstream governments can’t be trusted. And yet now, at a time when migration has become such a central part of political debate, he has found a significant audience.

Ms Yesilgoz-Zegerius, Mr Timmermans and Mr Wilders could all, feasibly, end up controlling almost exactly the same number of seats in parliament.

New party running fourth in polls

Pieter Omtzigt is the fourth main character in this drama – three months ago he founded a party called New Social Contract, which is basically centre-right on most things but embraces some left-wing social policies.

Despite the extraordinary youth of his party, he’s running fourth in the polls, with the potential to be an important figure in any coalition. He’s now confirmed that, if it came to it, he’d be prepared to be prime minister.

Left-wing parties will coalesce to stop the right

And so, even before the votes are counted, Dutch voters will inevitably start trying to predict the makeup of a future government, and there is a very significant difference from the Rutte era.

He didn’t want to work with Mr Wilders; Ms Yesilgoz-Zegerius has left that door open, as long as the VVD is the largest party. But she also recognises that there are huge differences between their two philosophies.

Left-wing parties will coalesce to try to stop the right (and especially Mr Wilders) from getting into government, which may, in turn, transform Mr Omtzigt into the kingmaker. That, of course, is a debate for another day.

First, the Dutch have to vote. This is an election where polling suggests there are plenty of floating voters, who may only make a decision when they enter the polling station.

The outcome is unsure, but we know that, once again, the country is on its way to a coalition. Once the results are in, then the back-room dealing can start in earnest.

There is “no doubt” the Falkland Islands are British, Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson has said, after Argentina’s new president vowed to “get them back”.

Javier Milei, who was elected in Argentina’s presidential election on Sunday, has said Buenos Aires had “non-negotiable” sovereignty over the Falklands, known as Islas Malvinas by Argentines.

He said his government would “make every effort” to take the islands back “through diplomatic channels”.

But the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “The UK has no doubt about the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.”

The Falkland Islands were the subject of a bloody conflict in 1982 after Argentine forces invaded and briefly occupied the territory.

The war claimed the lives of 255 British servicemen, three islanders and 649 Argentine personnel.

Mr Sunak’s spokesperson said: “The UK government will continue to proactively defend the Falkland islanders’ right to self-determination.”

British ministers regularly cite the results of a 2013 referendum that saw close to 100% of voters on the islands, which has a population of about 3,500 people, opt to remain a UK Overseas Territory.

The No 10 official said Falklands rule was an “issue that was settled decisively some time ago”.

Read more:
A pope critic and Al Capone fan – meet Argentina’s new president
Falklands War: Remembering the friends who never made it to breakfast

New president pledges to recover islands ‘through diplomatic channels’

Mr Milei had reportedly said during a TV election debate: “What do I propose? Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands is non-negotiable. The Malvinas are Argentine.

“Now we have to see how we are going to get them back. It is clear that the war option is not a solution.

“We had a war – that we lost – and now we have to make every effort to recover the islands through diplomatic channels.”

In an interview with daily newspaper La Nacion, Mr Milei proposed the UK hand over the Falklands to his South American country in a similar way to how Hong Kong was given over to Chinese rule in 1997.

The populist politician, a self-described anarcho-capitalist who has been compared to former US president Donald Trump, conceded that the views of those living on the islands “cannot be ignored”.

‘Undeniable’ Falkland Islands are British

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said it is “non-negotiable and undeniable” the Falkland Islands are British.

He tweeted: “99.8% of islanders voted to remain British and we will always defend their right to self-determination and the UK’s sovereignty.”

Rejecting any negotiation on the future of the Falklands, Mr Shapps highlighted how Royal Navy ship HMS Forth had been sent back to “protect the islands” in the southern hemisphere. It follows a nine-month stint by HMS Medway to patrol the remote location.

It comes after Mr Sunak criticised the EU for its “regrettable choice of words” in July after it appeared to have endorsed the name Argentina prefers.