Category: Africa

PRETORIA, South Africa (NPA) — The South African Police Service National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has warned individuals and groups participating in protests across the country to conduct themselves peacefully and within the confines of the law amid rising tensions linked to xenophobic violence.

The security warning comes following renewed attacks and killings of foreign African nationals in parts of South Africa, with disturbing videos circulating on social media attracting international condemnation.

In a statement, NATJOINTS stressed that while the South African Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest, such rights must not be exercised through violence, intimidation, or unlawful conduct.

Protesters were urged to refrain from inciting violence, avoid carrying dangerous weapons, respect the rights and dignity of all persons regardless of nationality, and comply with directives issued by law enforcement officers deployed to maintain public order.

The agency said security personnel had also been directed to strictly enforce the law and take decisive action against individuals found carrying weapons or engaging in incitement. “NATJOINTS will not tolerate any actions that threaten public safety or undermine the rule of law,” the statement said.

According to the security structure, members of the SAPS Public Order Police have been deployed to monitor demonstrations and ensure law and order is maintained, warning that anyone found violating the law would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

NATJOINTS further reiterated that acts of vigilantism and lawlessness would not be tolerated under any circumstances. The agency added that joint operational structures across the country remained actively engaged in combating crime through intensified security operations, including Operation Shanela, which it said continues to result in the arrest of thousands of suspects weekly for various violent and serious crimes.

The renewed wave of xenophobic violence has triggered criticism from several African countries, with accusations that South African authorities have not done enough to halt attacks targeting foreign nationals.

Earlier, members of the Nigerian Senate condemned what they described as South Africa’s silence over attacks and killings involving Nigerians and other African migrants, while calling for punitive measures against the country.

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) of Ghana have strengthened bilateral cooperation against drug trafficking and related transnational crimes in West Africa.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, stated this on Tuesday while receiving a Ghanaian delegation led by NACOC Director General, Maxwell Obuba Mantey, during a benchmarking visit and study tour of the agency’s operational model at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja.

Marwa said the renewed collaboration between both anti-narcotics agencies should serve as a strong warning to drug trafficking networks operating within the West African sub-region.

“Let this visit serve as a warning to those who seek to destabilize our societies with illicit drugs: Nigeria and Ghana stand united. We will continue to innovate, collaborate, and dominate the tactical space until our streets and communities are safe,” he said.

According to a statement signed by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA boss noted that the visit reflects the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and Ghana and reinforces their shared commitment to regional security.

He warned that transnational organised crime, especially drug trafficking and associated money laundering activities, continues to evolve across borders, requiring deeper cooperation among regional partners. “The threat posed by transnational organized crime, particularly drug trafficking and its associated money laundering activities, knows no borders,” Marwa said.

He added that intelligence-led operations, interdiction strategies, digital forensics, and operational best practices remain critical in narrowing operational space for criminal cartels across the region.

Marwa described the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NDLEA and NACOC as the major highlight of the engagement.

According to him, the agreement provides a legal and operational framework for combating illicit drug production, trafficking of psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals, as well as related money laundering activities.

“This agreement moves our relationship from informal consultation to a structured, aggressive, and unified front against drug barons,” he stated.

In his remarks, Mantey described Nigeria as a leading force within the region, noting that Ghana regards the country as an “elder brother” in regional affairs.

“Nigeria has consistently played a leading role within our region, and Ghana holds that leadership in the highest regard,” he said.

The NACOC Director General said the partnership between both agencies reflects the deep historical and diplomatic ties between Nigeria and Ghana.

According to him, the visit was aimed at strengthening existing cooperation through intelligence sharing, joint operations, training, and institutional collaboration.

Mantey warned that the drug trade across West Africa is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with traffickers adopting new methods, including the use of maritime routes and synthetic drug networks.

He noted that Ghana is witnessing a growing domestic drug problem despite historically being considered mainly a transit point for narcotics trafficking. “No single country can effectively address this threat in isolation,” he said.

Mantey added that the newly signed MoU must produce measurable outcomes through coordinated operations, stronger intelligence sharing, structured training exchanges, and closer collaboration between both agencies.

Also present at the event was the acting Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gladys Mansa Yawa Feddy Akyea, alongside senior officials of the Ghana High Commission, members of the NACOC delegation, and top management staff of the NDLEA.

BAMAKO, Mali (NPA) — Amnesty International has called on Malian authorities to urgently disclose the whereabouts and condition of prominent lawyer and opposition politician Mountaga Tall following his reported abduction by armed men in Bamako.

In a statement issued after Tall’s disappearance in the early hours of May 3, Amnesty International said the veteran pro-democracy figure was taken from his residence by hooded armed men travelling in unlicensed vehicles, with no official explanation provided regarding his detention or possible charges.

Reacting to the development, Ousmane Diallo, Senior Researcher on the Sahel at Amnesty International’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa, expressed concern over the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“We are alarmed by the disappearance of Mountaga Tall who was taken from his home by armed men wearing hoods. To date, no one knows if or where he is being held, and if charges have been brought against him,” Diallo said.

The rights group urged the Malian authorities to immediately reveal Tall’s fate and whereabouts, release him if no charges exist, or ensure due legal process if he is being investigated for any offence.

Amnesty International also accused authorities of intensifying restrictions on civic space and targeting political dissent and human rights activities in the country.

Diallo noted that the organisation had documented what it described as a pattern of abductions allegedly carried out by operatives linked to Mali’s National Agency for State Security (ANSE), warning that such actions could amount to enforced disappearances under international law.

“If this abduction was conducted by, or with the support or acquiescence of state agents, it amounts to an enforced disappearance and places Mountaga Tall outside the protection of the law and at high risk of torture or other ill-treatment,” the organisation stated.

Tall, leader of the National Congress for Democratic Initiative (CNID), is regarded as one of the major figures in Mali’s democratic transition during the 1990s. In recent years, he has publicly challenged decisions by the military-led authorities, including the dissolution of political parties, while also representing detained political figures in court.

The incident comes amid rising political and security tensions in Mali following coordinated attacks carried out on April 25 by the Islamist armed group Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), alongside the Front for the Liberation of Azawad, across six cities in the country. The attacks reportedly resulted in multiple casualties, including the death of the country’s defence minister.

On May 1, a military court in Bamako announced that investigations into the attacks were ongoing and that several individuals, including politicians and military personnel, had already been arrested, with more arrests expected as authorities intensify security operations.

Amnesty International urged the Malian government to uphold its international human rights obligations and ensure the protection of political freedoms and due process amid the ongoing crackdown.