Former Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade recently surprised citizens with his first return to the country since his 2012 defeat, as he campaigned for this month’s upcoming legislative elections.
Despite being 91 years old, Wade still is favored among many followers, thousands of whom welcomed the former president on July 10 at Dakar’s international airport with chants of “Gorgui (old man) is great.”
“I heard Senegal is suffering,” Wade said to the crowd, voanews.com reported. “And this hurts me. If no one solves this, I will take care of it. My party and other parties have formed a force that will make [current President] Macky Sall leave.”
Though Wade was a popular opposition figure in Senegal when he won the presidency in 2000, he lost a bid for a third term in 2012 to Sall and retired to France thereafter.
Missing U.S. Journalist Found After Deadly Attack in Congo Forest
An American journalist was found Saturday after disappearing in an eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one day after a local militia attacked a security post.
The unidentified female journalist had been traveling Friday afternoon with two European journalists and 14 security guards into the forest when the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the eastern Ituri region was attacked, reportedly carried out by members of a local militia called Simba.
Most of the group had been found later that day, but the American journalist and several Congolese security guards remained missing by early Saturday. The journalist was found in good condition later that day after hiding in the forest, authorities said, though five park guards were killed in the attack.
Though it is still unclear why the militia attacked, Congo officials have noted that the eastern region of the nation is rich in natural resources and filled with local militias who often clash with government forces.
Thousands in Mali March Against President
Thousands of Malians hit the streets Saturday in protest of constitutional changes that may give extra powers to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.
Though Mali’s government has delayed the vote, many citizens are displeased with the potential provisions that might enable the president to nominate a quarter of the Senate, remove the prime minister at will and create new regions.
“We don’t need a revised constitution. We need the state to liberate the north and center of Mali and to take account of people’s aspirations,” protester and local councillor Sonore Sidibe said during the march, Reuters reported.
If the constitution is passed some northern desert regions will also be recognized, much to the dismay of many locals who believe the “rebels” helped allied jihadis to take over parts of the north and use them as a launch for regional attacks.
Presidential elections are scheduled for 2018, though officials are not yet sure if Keita will run.