African press review 1 June 2016

Kizza Besigye is back in the dock, and on the front pages, in Uganda. It would all be funny if not for the fact that the opposition leader faces the death penalty. Egypt denies that a delegate to the UN Environmental Assembly called his colleagues "dogs and slaves". And convicted Congolese war criminal Jean-Pierre Bemba is back at the International Criminal Court, charged with falsifying evidence.

DR

Two opposition MPs yesterday walked out in the middle of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s state-of-the-nation address.

The pair first interrupted the president by waving placards calling for the release of Kizza Besigye.

Besigye was yesterday charged afresh with treason in a Kampala magistrates court. He was not allowed to plead or make a statement, since treason is a capital offence and can be tried only before the Ugandan High Court.

The leader of the Forum for Democratic Change was held at Luzira prison overnight and is expected to be charged again later this morning.

Egypt denies accusation of racist insult

Kenya daily the Nation reports that Egypt has protested against accusations that the leader of its delegation to the recent United Nations Environmental Assembly in Nairobi used racist language.

The Egyptian Ambassador to Kenya told the Nation that complaints by the African diplomatic corps had been blown out of proportion to sully his country’s image.

On Sunday African diplomats attached to the United Nations Environmental Programme accused an Egyptian envoy of making racist remarks during the conference.

A note written by the Africa Diplomatic Corps Technical Committee demanded that Egypt be barred from representing the continent, claiming its head of delegation had referred to his colleagues as “dogs and slaves”.

Bemba back in the spotlight of international justice

Convicted Congolese war criminal Jean-Pierre Bemba found himself back in the dock at the International Criminal Court on Tuesday   this time accused of bribing witnesses and falsifying evidence.

Prosecutors at the first such trial in ICC history said the alleged bribery and forgery was a sign of "how far the accused were prepared to go to hide their illegal behaviour."

Bemba stands accused, along with two of his lawyers and an MP from his party, of presenting fake documents to the court and giving backhanders to witnesses in his war crimes trial.

In March the ICC convicted the former militia chief of war crimes and crimes against humanity for rapes, mass murders and looting in the neighbouring Central African Republic.

Ratings agencies warn SA over ANC infighting

South African financial paper BusinessDay reports that ratings agencies have warned the ruling African National Congress (ANC) about the negative effects of palace politics on the economy, as the governing party’s succession battle gains momentum.

The issue came up in meetings between the ANC and Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, as the country faces the possibility of a credit downgrade.

ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said yesterday that the raising of the party’s 2017 elective conference by agencies was unfair, since the party election does not amount to political instability but reflects internal democracy.

Speaking after a meeting of the ANC’s national executive committee, Mantashe was emphatic when he said the government "was not doing things to please ratings agencies" and that, rather, it was working "for the good of the country".

The head of the ANC’s subcommittee on economic transformation said that, in addition to the standard areas of interest   fiscal consolidation, economic growth and political risk   the agencies were concerned about the possible rise of populism and the introduction of "populist" policies.

Nigeria is on the road to recession

Nigeria will soon enter a recession, according to the central bank in Abuja and an upsurge of armed attacks since February has sent crude-oil production, which usually accounts for 70 percent of government revenue, plummeting to an almost 30-year low. Delays in approving a budget and a cabinet as well as President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to weaken an overvalued currency have caused foreign investors to flee.

Earlier this week Buhari gave the central bank the go-ahead to introduce a more flexible exchange rate system even as he remains opposed to devaluation of the naira.

Foreign investors, fearing a devaluation, are staying away. Foreign direct investment was the lowest last year since the 2007-08 global financial crisis.

Nigeria’s 36 states, most of which depend on monthly handouts from the federal government, are on average three to four months late on salary payments to teachers, doctors and other public servants. Revenue targets in this year's budget are unlikely to be met.