Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
07 May 2024 | 14:17 SAST
1-minute read

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The 2024 Chad parliamentary elections were held yesterday, marking the beginning of its democracy rule after a 3-year period of military rule.

Mahamat Idriss Déby has been in power since 2021 when his father, former President Idriss Déby passed away in April 2021 while visiting soldiers.

Research Fellow Sizo Nkala from the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Africa-China Studies reports that the elections are seen by many as a mere formality to bolster military power in the country.

“The elections are widely believed to be a box-ticking exercise, really, because the ruling party controls the institutions that manage the elections, like the elections management agency and the constitutional council. Also, opposition leaders have been eliminated from the ballot through killings when one of the opposition leaders was killed,” Nkala says.

In eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bombings in two different displacement camps killed twelve people and injured twenty. The United States and the Congolese military have levelled accusations at the Rwandan military and the M23 group for the attacks.

Rwanda denied the allegations on Saturday, a day after the twin bombings, and blamed it on Congolese military-backed militias.

Nkala notes that the timing of the attacks coincide with peace negotiations that President Felix Tshisekedi was set to attend, derailing any prospect of calm in the region.

Meanwhile, Kenya is grappling with devastating floods that have claimed the lives of hundreds of people, displaced thousands, and caused widespread destruction of infrastructure.

The humanitarian response has been hampered by logistical challenges, including damaged roads and communication lines, highlighting the need for coordinated efforts to assist affected communities and address the underlying factors driving the crisis.

“Two thousand schools have been destroyed and the remaining schools have been used as shelters. Three thousand one hundred households have been displaced. It has caused a humanitarian crisis because even the infrastructure to roads and communication lines have been destroyed, making it difficult to reach survivors,” Nkala reports.

The floods and extreme weather conditions in many parts of the continent and across the globe stand as a reminder of the complete power of Allah Ta’ala.

Listen to the Africa Report on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.