Day: June 21, 2024

Tunis: President of the Republic Kais Saied decided Friday to dismiss Religious Affairs Minister Brahim Chaibi from office, reads a Presidency press release.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Tunisians living overseas will now be able to enjoy new tax benefits under a decree published on June 20 in the Official Gazette of the Tunisian Republic (JORT) No 75.

Tunisians living overseas will now be able to renew the import or purchase on the local market of a motorbike, a tourist car or a car for professional use, once every ten years.

They are also exempt from duties and taxes when importing their personal goods on the occasion of their temporary return to Tunisia, provided that the total duration of their stay in Tunisia during the last year immediately preceding the date of their last entry into the country does not exceed 183 days, and that the total value of the goods imported for personal or family use does not exceed TND 5,000 for each person and for each year.

Tunisians living abroad are also exempt once only, non-renewable, from duties and taxes when importing or acquiring on the local market personal goods with a total value not exceeding TND 50,000 per family, in addition to many
other privileges.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The number of deaths among Tunisian pilgrims has been up to 49, Minister of Religious Affairs Ibrahim Chaibi said on Friday, acknowledging the possibility of negligence in the supervision of pilgrims.

He added in a statement upon the arrival of the first return flight 44 pilgrims who have died arrived at the Holy Places on tourist visas. He underlined, in this regard, that the number of deaths among Tunisian pilgrims is likely to increase.

The Consulate General of the Republic of Tunisia in Jeddah announced last Tuesday that 23 Tunisian pilgrims had died during the Hajj 2024 rites.

The number of dead pilgrims under the lottery system stands at 5, the minister said. A Tunisian pilgrim is in a critical condition.

“Negligence in the supervision of pilgrims could explain this,” he indicated. An assessment will take place at the level of the ministry to determine responsibilities, he added.

With regard to the criticism levelled at companions, the minister said “it is possible there was negligence.”

Th
e ministry, he said, gave instructions not to let pilgrims alone, even if they get lost with them. Nevertheless, inefficiencies.were reported because of the crush.”

Chaibi further indicated that most of the deaths were caused by sunburn due to the very high temperatures which reached 51°C in the shade, recalling that the majority of pilgrims are elderly and some suffer from chronic illnesses.

.The first return flight on Friday carried 226 pilgrims. The last return flight is scheduled for July 9.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The number of flights passing through Djerba-Zarzis International Airport on Thursday totalled 81 arrivals and departures, a figure that reflects the upward momentum at the terminal since mid-June, according to an official source at the airport.

“The beginning of an excellent tourist season is here,” the same source told TAP, citing the growing number of scheduled flights, including an unusual flight from Bulgaria and the addition of other irregular flights from German airports to Djerba-Zarzis International Airport.

The largest number of scheduled and non-scheduled flights this summer will come from French airports, followed by flights from Luxembourg and Germany in third place.

Indicators are also in the green for the return of the Italian market, which has a solid schedule of flights already planned, according to the same source.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: UGTT’s SG Noureddine Tabboubi urged the establishment of a “mature and thoughtful social and political contract based on shared responsabilities involving the labour union.”

The Secretary-General Friday further told TAP in Gafsa on the sidelines of a ceremony to commemorate leader Ahmed Tlili’s 57th death anniversary the Tunisian General Labour Union had called for a social contract according to conditions conducive to the success of democracy and election mechanisms and the effective exercise of democracy.

“Democracy is not exercised on polling day,” he highlighted: it is rather the tension which comes before.

There is need, the SG said, to resume wage negotiations. The UGTT supports all positive initiatives and actions.

The labour union’s positions are not inflexible and there is ability to keep abreast of changes. The UGTT is not a political party, Tabboubi said, and boasts a political maturity which helps it analyse the current state of affairs.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The provincial directorate of Agriculture, animal and fisheries resources presented on Wednesday June 19, 2024 in Boulsa, the tractor of the locality’s agropastoral offensive.

It is a brand new tractor which was allocated on Wednesday June 19, 2024 to the commune of Boulsa, for the implementation of the presidential initiative, namely the agropastoral offensive for sustainable food self-sufficiency.

The plowing process, priority beneficiaries and tractor management were defined on this occasion. The other 5 municipalities out of the 8 in the province are impatiently waiting for their turn.

The head of the departmental agricultural mechanization brigade, Néhémie Nana, said that a technical note defines the implementation of free plowing.

According to Mr. Nana, any request for the 2024-2025 agricultural campaign is addressed to the requests analysis committee.

He also explained that the tractor driver is deployed on the ground, after the final validation of the request by a committee of 4 people.

Accordi
ng to him, the eligible actors are producer cooperatives and individual producers. Concerning military barracks, penitentiary centers, schools or training centers, they must have usable land of at least 5 ha.

Pending the establishment of the various committees, the provincial directorate in charge of Agriculture has prioritized free plowing of developed lowlands and agricultural sites developed for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The other two tractors will be handed over to the communes of Yalgo and Tougouri when the security situation allows.

The high commissioner of the Namentenga province, Adama Conseiga, welcomed the donation which will allow farmers to increase their agricultural yield.

Mr. Conseiga also wished the beneficiaries good use and a good 2024-2025 agricultural season.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The resident populations and those of the diaspora of the villages of Sini, Rapèlin and Boulpèla of the commune of Boulsa handed over on June 19, 2024, to the high commissioner of the province, Adama Conseiga, 500 thousand FCFA representing their contribution to the peace effort.

Nationals from the villages of Sini, Boulpèla and Rapèlin submitted a payment receipt for the sum of 500 thousand FCFA to support the peace effort launched by the government.

‘This initiative has contributed to strengthening our once precarious family ties within us,’ underlined Nongdo Kafando, one of the initiators of the group.

For his part, the high commissioner of the province, Adama Conseiga, charged the delegation with conveying the government’s recognition to the donor population.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: The President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, indicated yesterday Thursday that most Western media are making media-lies, taking the example of the former president of Côte d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, pushed out of power in 2011, thanks to support from the French army.

‘Most (Western media) are lying media. They spent the time lying, manipulating. (…) You have several examples. We take the Ivory Coast. Who didn’t hate Gbagbo because of the Western media?

In any case, this is the case for our generation. They lied about him so much, they talked nonsense, they put pressure on him with information that you end up hating the person.

They make a (hideous) model of the person that they impose on your mind and you end up hating the person.

We brought Laurent Gbagbo to the ICC. Afterwards we are told that he is not guilty of anything. Is that serious?’, raged on June 20, 2024, the President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

As a reminder, Laurent Gbagbo, declared winner by the Constitutional Council b
ut defeated according to the electoral commission in the presidential election, facing his challenger Alassane Dramane Ouattara, was arrested in April 2011 in Abidjan, during an operation carried out with the support French soldiers and the New Forces (rebels).

Note that the Burkinabè head of state explained to national television agents the underside of the lying campaign carried out for a week by politicians, activists and Western media, making people believe in a mutiny within the army. which would have made President Traoré flee from Burkina.

He called on African and Burkinabè youth in particular to unsubscribe from these media whose reports ‘shame’ them.

‘RFI, France 24, Le Monde, Jeune Afrique… are obliged to do the work that is asked of them. They are not actually free. They don’t live off advertising or anything. It’s false, it’s people who pay (them),’ explained Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: The Ministry of Territorial Administration indicated on Friday that citizens who build in administrative reserves will be punished in accordance with the law.

Burkina Faso Information Agency

Read the press release in full

‘The Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security communicates:

Information in our possession indicates construction activities in administrative reserves, by citizens.

The Minister informs the public that it is strictly prohibited to undertake construction activities in administrative reserves.

Any person found guilty of such practices will face the full force of the law.

The Minister knows how to count on the high sense of responsibility and civic-mindedness of the populations for compliance with the terms of this press release.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: The coach of the Togo Sparrowhawks Paulo Duarte resigned from his post on June 20, announced the Togolese Football Federation in a press release sent to the AIB.

‘The Executive Committee of the Togolese Football Federation (FTF) informs national and international opinion, as well as the public, supporters and partners, of the decision of Mr. Paulo Rebelo Duarte, coach-selector of the national team A of Togo (Eperviers), to terminate his employment contract on June 20, 2024,’ announced a press release signed by the president of the Togolese Football Federation, Colonel Kossi Akpovy.

The Togolese Football Federation says it regrets this decision by coach Duarte but ‘takes note of it and would like to express its gratitude to him for his work, his commitment and his professionalism during the years of collaboration’.

The governing body of Togolese football, which has already started work on recruiting a new coach for the Eperviers, wished ‘great success in the projects’ of the former coach of the
Stallions of Burkina Faso.

Paulo Duarte was twice at the head of the Stallions of Burkina Faso from 2008 to 2012 and from 2015 to 2017 where he obtained the bronze medal with the Burkinabè team during the 2017 CAN.

With Togo, Paulo Duarte only spent a little over two years with the Sparrowhawks without laurels. He failed to qualify for CAN Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: The online media, faso.net, was ordered on Wednesday by the Superior Council of Communication (CSC) to respect regulations in the processing of information and the moderation of discussion forums.

Meeting in support of the transition: ‘We do not want to hear about another president, the one we know is Ibrahim Traoré’, is one of the faso.net articles questioned by the CSC.

According to the media regulatory body, this press article published on May 13, 2024, contains violent and hateful remarks, and a call for murder against members of identified political parties.

These comments, which are an incitement to hatred or discrimination through the press, according to the regulator, are punishable in accordance with the provisions of the penal code.

To do this, he ordered faso.net to delete the article in question without delay on all media.

The regulatory body also criticizes the organ in its article ‘Burkina: citizens express their expectations for the 5 years in office of President Ibrahim Traor
é’, of May 28, 2024, for not having moderated the Internet users’ forum.

On this subject, the CSC indicated that malicious and offensive comments were noted there, without the media blocking them.

To correct these shortcomings, the regulatory body has ordered the media to strengthen the moderation system of the article forums under the direct responsibility of the editorial staff.

‘IB and the solitude of power’ is also one of the incriminated articles on lefaso.net.

Published on May 28, 2024, the regulator, after analyzing the content of the publication, said it had detected unverified facts and tending to disinformation. This is contrary to the ethics of the journalist, specified the CSC which invited the media to respect the veracity of the facts in the comment articles.

In the event of similar breaches or non-compliance with deadlines for the execution of obligations cited by the regulator, the online media, faso.net, is exposed to higher sanctions, CSC officials suggested.

The online newspaper, faso
.net, was interviewed by the CSC on June 5, 2024.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: Niger has withdrawn from Orano, a French company formerly known as Areva, the permit to exploit the Imouraren uranium deposit, considered one of the largest deposits of uranium in the world and located in the north of the country.

‘The Minister of Mines, Police Colonel Abarchi Ousmane, notified the Director General of Imouraren SA that the land covered by the ‘Imouraren Permit’ returns to the public domain and is freed from any resulting rights,’ reported this Friday the Niger Press Agency (ANP)

Orano says it has taken ‘note of the decision of the Niger authorities to withdraw from its subsidiary Imouraren SA its permit to exploit the deposit’ according to information disseminated by both the Niger Press Agency and the French Press Agency. .

Orano said it was open to discussions with the Niger authorities but warned that it reserves the right to ‘contest’ this decision to withdraw the operating permit before national or international judicial authorities.

The Nigerien ministry in charge of mi
nes had warned Orano officials, on June 11, 2024, that the permit granted to them for the Imouraren site would be withdrawn if the company did not undertake mining work, within three months, after a first warning dated February.

Orano officials reacted to the warnings by proposing an intervention plan that did not meet Niger’s expectations.

Orano has been exploiting Niger’s uranium deposits for more than 50 years. Its operating site located in the Arlit region is still in operation.

About a quarter of the supply of natural uranium to European nuclear power plants in 2022 came from Niger, the 2nd country behind Kazakhstan and ahead of Canada, according to AFP

The Nigerien authorities, at least since President Tandja, have always expressed their dissatisfaction with the exploitation of the country’s mines.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

The International Criminal Court issued, this Friday, June 21, 2024, an arrest warrant against Iyad Ag Ghaly, one of the leaders of the Tuareg rebellion and leader of one of the branches of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (‘AQIM’) ), for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in northern Mali between January 2012 and January 2013.

‘Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court has, at the request of the Prosecutor, made public the arrest warrant against Iyad Ag Ghaly,’ the ICC said in a statement, specifying that the warrant for The arrest had been requested by the prosecutor and was issued under seal on July 18, 2017. Mr. Ghaly is not detained by the ICC.

Mr. Ghaly, also known as ‘Abou Fadl’, was born in the Kidal region, of Malian nationality, of Tuareg ethnicity, and member of the Ifoghas tribe. ‘There are reasonable grounds to believe that he is the undisputed leader of Ansar Dine, which at the time had control of Timbuktu, Mali, jointly with Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghre
b (‘AQIM’). added the ICC.

He is suspected of being responsible for war crimes, including the murder of soldiers hors de combat in Aguelhoc; rape, sexual slavery and any other form of sexual violence, bodily harm.

In the charges of crimes against humanity, the ICC prosecutor cites imprisonment or other form of serious deprivation of physical liberty, rape and sexual slavery, but also persecution on religious grounds, as well as persecution of women and girls for sexist reasons.

These crimes were allegedly committed in Mali, in Timbuktu between January 2012 and January 2013, and for the crime of murder of soldiers, in Aguelhoc on January 24, 2012.

‘Mr. Ghaly would be responsible for having committed these crimes, jointly or with other people; for ordering or encouraging their commission, or giving aid, aid or other assistance, or contributing in any other way; and/or as a military leader,’ detailed the ICC.

The Court requested the Registry to prepare a request for cooperation in the arrest and surrender o
f the suspect, and to address it to the competent authorities of any relevant State and/or any other relevant authority.

Source: Burkina Information Agency

Ouagadougou: The government determined on Thursday the maximum quantities of raw gold and other precious substances authorized in possession or detention with a view to allowing the National Society of Precious Substances (SONASP) to capture a greater quantity of gold from artisanal production.

The government adopted a ‘decree determining the maximum quantities of raw gold and other precious substances authorized in possession or detention, announces the report of the council of ministers this Thursday’.

This decree aims to enable the National Society of Precious Substances (SONASP) to capture a greater quantity of gold from artisanal production and also to restore confidence between the mining administration and artisanal miners for flow of their mining products, adds the said report.

According to the same source, this decree is a rereading of that adopted in October 2018 determining the maximum quantities of raw gold and other precious substances authorized in possession or detention.

It allows the Nati
onal Society of Precious Substances to play its role as a public structure in charge of the purchase and sale of gold from gold panning activity, he concluded.

Source: Burkina Information Agency