Headline

Senegal President Names Opposition Leader, Sonko As Prime Minister

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Left-wing pan-Africanist, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, on Tuesday became Senegal’s youngest president, pledging systemic change after years of deadly turmoil and announcing his mentor, opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, as prime minister.

Faye, 44, has never previously held an elected office. He swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform just 10 days after being released from prison.

He took the presidential oath in front of hundreds of officials and several African heads of state at an exhibition centre in the new town of Diamniadio, near Dakar.

He then returned to the capital, with his motorcade greeted by hundreds of jubilant residents who lined the roads leading to the presidential palace.

His predecessor, Macky Sall, symbolically handed Faye the key to the presidential headquarters before leaving the palace.

“Before God and the Senegalese nation, I swear to faithfully fulfil the office of President of the Republic of Senegal,” Faye had said earlier in the day.

Just hours later, his new administration appointed firebrand opposition leader Sonko prime minister.

“Mr Ousmane Sonko is named prime minister,” said Oumar Samba Ba, the general secretary of the presidency, as he read out a decree on the public television station RTS.

Sonko, 49, was at the centre of a two-year stand-off with the state that triggered bouts of deadly unrest. He was disqualified from running in the most recent race and picked Faye as his replacement on the presidential ballot.

The former tax inspector is Senegal’s fifth president since independence from France in 1960 and the first to openly admit to a polygamous marriage.

“I am aware that the results of the ballot box express a profound desire for systemic change,” Faye said in a brief speech after taking the presidential oath.

“Under my leadership, Senegal will be a country of hope, a peaceful country with an independent judiciary and a strengthened democracy,” he added.

Faye and Sonko were among a group of opposition politicians freed from prison 10 days before the March 24 presidential ballot under an amnesty announced by former president Macky Sall, who had tried to delay the vote.

“I have painful memories of the martyrs of Senegalese democracy, the amputees, the wounded and the former prisoners,” Faye said Tuesday, referring to the past three years of political unrest that left dozens dead and hundreds arrested.

“I will always bear in mind the heavy sacrifices made in order never to disappoint you,” he added.

Faye also reiterated to foreign partners “Senegal’s openness to trade that respects our sovereignty and meets the aspirations of our people, in a mutually beneficial partnership”.

Commonly known as Diomaye, or “the honourable one”, his promise of radical change won the election with 54.3 percent of the vote.

Reconciliation, sovereignty

Working with his populist mentor Sonko, Faye’s campaign set out priorities of national reconciliation, easing the cost-of-living crisis and fighting corruption.

He has also vowed to restore national sovereignty over key assets such as the oil, gas and fishing sectors.

Senegal is due to start hydrocarbon production later this year.

Faye also wants to replace the CFA franc, which he sees as a French colonial legacy, with a new common regional currency, and to invest more in agriculture with the aim of reaching food self-sufficiency.

After three tense years in the traditionally stable nation, his democratic victory has been internationally hailed, by Washington, Paris, the African Union and the European Union.

On the international stage, Faye seeks to bring military-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger back into the fold of the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) bloc.

On Tuesday, he urged “more solidarity” between African countries “in the face of security challenges”.

The military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea all sent representatives to Diamniadio, including Guinean president General Mamady Doumbouya.

Burkina Faso’s leader Captain Ibrahim Traore wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that Faye’s mandate represented a “symbol of a new era for an uninhibited, free and sovereign Africa”.

He added he was ready to work together on “the renovation of sub-regional and international cooperation”.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the inauguration “a testament to the Senegalese people, that they fought for their right to vote”.

New generation of politicians

A practising Muslim from a humble background with two wives and four children, Faye represents a new generation of youthful politicians.

He has voiced admiration for US ex-president Barack Obama and South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.

However, Faye and the government he will shortly lead face major challenges.

The biggest appears to be creating enough jobs in a nation where 75 percent of the 18-million population is aged under 35 and the unemployment rate is officially 20 percent.

Faced with such dire economic prospects at home, many young Senegalese have chosen to risk their lives to join migrants trying to reach Europe.

AFP

Headline

Obesity’: Father Forced 6-year-old To Run On Treadmill, Son Dies [VIDEO]

Published

8 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

A disturbing video has emerged showing an accused “killer” father forcing his 6-year-old son to run on a treadmill because the child was “too fat”.

Christopher Gregor, 31, appeared in court Tuesday, April 30 to stand trial for allegedly murdering his son Corey Micciolo in 2021. He faces life in prison if convicted.

During the trial, the Superior Court in New Jersey was shown surveillance video of Gregor forcing Corey to run on a treadmill after the boy fell off multiple times due to the exercise machine’s excessive speed.

Gregor and his son were seen on March 20, 2021, entering the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center, where the boy was promptly placed on the treadmill and began running, according to a video, obtained by CourtTV.com.

Footage captured Gregor walking up to the treadmill to increase the speed and raise the incline of the track.

The sudden changes in speed and elevation were too much for the little boy’s legs, causing him to fall down and slide off the moving track.

Despite the son falling off, Gregor lifted and tossed him back onto the treadmill, which forced the child’s legs to fold backwards as the father seemingly clamped his teeth into Corey’s head.

The boy gets back on, but again falls off and continues to struggle to remain on the machine, eventually leading the father to decrease both the the speed and incline.

The boy’s mother, Bre Micciolo, was the first witness to take the stand and was in tears as she watched the horrific video.

Days before her son’s death, Bre Micciolo reported the boy’s injuries to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, according to the US Sun.

On April 1, she requested that Gregor take their son to see a doctor.

While at the appointment, Corey reportedly revealed his father made him run on the treadmill “because he was too fat,” the outlet reported.

The next day, Gregor rushed the young boy to the hospital because the boy woke up from a nap stumbling, slurring his words, and experiencing nausea and shortness of breath, according to Court TV.

During a CT scan, Corey suffered a seizure, forcing medical staff to take life-saving measures, but he died.

An initial autopsy found Corey died as a result of blunt force injuries with cardiac and liver contusions with acute inflammation and sepsis.

Gregor was arrested in July 2021 on child neglect charges stemming from investigators reviewing the surveillance footage from the fitness center.

“Specifically by having (Corey) run on a treadmill and increasing the speed, causing (Corey) to fall, placing (him) back on the moving treadmill while appearing to bite his head, causing the said child to fall several more times,” an arrest warrant obtained by the outlet read.

In September 2021, a forensic pathologist determined Corey’s death to be a homicide as he suffered from chronic abuse including blunt impact injuries on his chest and abdomen with a laceration on his heart, left pulmonary contusion, and laceration and contusion of his liver.

Dr Thomas Andrew believes Corey suffered an acute traumatic injury to the heart four to 12 hours before his death, according to Court TV.

Gregor was arrested on March 9, 2022, for his son’s death but turned down a 30-year plea deal.

He is being held in the New Jersey Jail without bond.

NEW: Mother breaks down in court as she watches her son’s father abuse her child by making him run on the treadmill because he was “too fat.”
New Jersey father Christopher Gregor is accused of killing his 6-year-old son Corey Micciolo.
New footage shows the boy repeatedly face… pic.twitter.com/aVKknkOGd5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 1, 2024

Headline

14-year-old British-Nigerian’s Death Raises Renewed Concerns Over Knife Violence In London

Published

9 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The recent sword attack in Hainault, a suburban area in northeast London, has sparked renewed discussions about the ongoing issue of knife crime in the UK, particularly in the capital.

The young victim of the attack has been identified as Daniel Anjorin, a 14-year-old boy.

The Times reports that Anjorin, the son of a science teacher, went to school with Grace O’Malley-Kumar, the Nottingham knife-attack victim.

According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics, reported by Sky News, there has been a 7% rise in knife crime from December 2022 to December 2023. Over the past decade, there has been a significant 81% increase in this type of crime.

Knife-related crime rates in London and the West Midlands are among the highest in England and Wales.

The number of knife-related crimes reported by the Met Police increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023, while in the West Midlands, there was an 8% rise.

In 2023, London saw a concerning 30% of knife-related crimes, amounting to 165 incidents per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands recorded a slightly lower rate of 118 incidents per 100,000.

For both male and female victims, sharp objects such as kitchen knives, swords, and machetes accounted for two-fifths of all killings in the United Kingdom in the year ending in March 2023.

While the recent attack involved the use of a sword, statistics from the Home Office indicate that such incidents are relatively rare in cases of fatal stabbings.

Although the attacker employed a sword in yesterday’s incident, it contributed to only three fatalities involving sharp objects in 2023.

Faron Paul, leader of Faz Amnesty, an organisation facilitating the surrender of weapons by children to the police, expressed at the scene of the blockade that authorities are not sufficiently addressing the prevention of knife crime.

Speaking with the BBC, he said, “It’s not rising. It’s gone through the roof. We’ve got a big problem here. Children are dying on the street every single day. You’ve got a problem. And I don’t feel like the right things are being put in place to prevent, deter or stop knife crime.”

He added that it wasn’t just the area but “the whole of London has a problem.”

“We need to have better consequences and laws in place. We need to stop buying and selling illegal weapons online. And then we need to think about preventative measures.”

Headline

[UPDATED] London Sword Attack: Suspect Under Police Custody After Hospital Recovery

Published

11 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Editor

The 36-year-old suspect in the deadly London sword attack is currently under police custody after recuperating in a hospital, BBC reports.

The suspect, wielding a sword, was arrested after a dramatic pursuit by law enforcement officers.

The Metropolitan Police clarified that the incident was not terror-related, allaying fears of broader security concerns.

Authorities also confirmed that no other suspects are being pursued in connection with the attack.

According to police reports, the suspect was subdued by officers using a taser after attempting to evade capture.

According to a previous report by The Associated Press, the suspect was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment after the van he was driving collided with a building.

Due to the injuries he sustained, officers were unable to conduct an interview with him on Tuesday.

BBC has confirmed that the suspect, 36, is out of hospital and is now in police custody

A 14-year-old British-Nigerian boy, Daniel Anjorin, was confirmed as one of the victims of the attack.

Daniel, along with two police officers and two other individuals, were the victims of the violent incident that occurred on the streets of east London.

According to an official statement, the Metropolitan Police said the van crashed into a property on Laing Close, causing injuries to a 33-year-old man.

Afterwards, the suspect violently attacked the individual, resulting in an injury to the neck.

Additionally, the suspect injured a 35-year-old man who sustained lacerations to his arm.

The suspect then proceeded to attack Anjorin.

Ade Caxton-Cole, a family friend, while speaking with the BBC, described the Anjorin family as a tightly-knit unit, emphasising the strong support they are receiving from the community.

When asked about the well-being of Daniel’s siblings, she revealed that they are struggling to come to terms with the shocking reality of what has transpired.

“Having a brother one moment and then gone the next moment. It is a shock to them. They will need time. Right now it is too soon, it’s too close,” she said.