On the 'round up wrap' segment of Rise and Shine, Channel Africa's resident analyst, Mighti Jamie, reflects on some of the stories reflected earlier, as well as throw forward to the week ahead....
** Ivory Coast is the latest West African nation to expel troops of former colonial power after Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.Ivory Coast has announced that French troops will leave the country this month after a decades-long military presence, becoming the latest African nation to downscale military ties with its former coloniser. In an end-of-year address to the nation on Tuesday, President Alassane Ouattara said the 43rd BIMA marine infantry battalion at Port-Bouet in Abidjan where French troops were stationed - "will be handed over" to Ivory Coast's armed forces as of January 2025.
** Cameroon Says Nigerian Militant Attack Killed Government Troops
Villagers in southern Cameroon say armed men crossed the border from Nigeria and killed at least seven government troops and displaced civilians from about 15 villages. Civilians say they believe the attackers are members of a militant group. Villagers in the Akwaya district on Cameroon's border with Nigeria's Taraba state say several hundred armed men crossed the Moon River two times this week and launched deadly attacks on their villages.The Moon River lies to the south on Cameroon's border with Nigeria. Villagers say the water level has dropped significantly this dry season, making it easy to cross by foot.
- The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed a criminal case against European subsidiaries of tech giant Apple, accusing the company of illicitly using "blood minerals" in its supply chain. The Democratic Republic of Congo alleges that Apple has bought contraband supplies from the country's conflict-racked east and Rwanda, zones in which the materials are alleged to be mined illegally and then integrated into global supply chains before ending up in tech devices.Apple's French and Belgian units also deployed deceptive commercial practices to persuade consumers that its supply chains were clean, according to a statement from lawyers representing the DRC.The French news agency AFP reports that complaints against Apple have been lodged in Paris and Brussels with the allegations encompassing war crimes, laundering, forgery and deception.
- Traders reeling as fire destroys Ghana's largest clothes market Ghana's informal economy has suffered an enormous blow after a fire engulfed the Kantamanto used clothes market in the capital on Thursday, destroying more than 100 shops and goods worth millions of the local cedi currency. Thousands of traders have lost their livelihoods.The fire swept through the bustling Kantamanto Market early on Thursday morning, reducing much of it to ashes. Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) deployed 13 fire tenders to bring the flames under control. Goods worth millions of the local cedi currency have been destroyed, the GNFS said.The government is yet to announce a formal response to the tragedy.About 15 million items of second-hand clothing arrive in Ghana each week, mainly from Europe. However, nearly half cannot be resold.
- UN authorises new mission against al-Shabaab in Somalia Resolution allows deployment of 12,626 personnel but it is unclear if Ethiopia will stay part of peacekeeping force amid territory dispute. The UN has authorised a new African peacekeeping mission to continue supporting Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab, the insurgent group affiliated with al-Qaida, but there are doubts about whether troops from neighbouring Ethiopia will remain part of the deployment. The UN security council adopted a resolution on Friday allowing the deployment of up to 12,626 personnel to support the Somali government's nearly two decades-long fight against al-Shabaab.The existing peacekeeping force, known as the African Union transition mission in Somalia (Atmis), whose mandate ends at the end of this year, will be replaced by the leaner African Union support and stabilization mission in Somalia (Aussom). The two peacekeeping forces were preceded by the African Union mission in Somalia (Amisom), which was the largest, longest running and deadliest such mission in history.