AROUND THE WORLD IN 7 DAYS
US slaps Zim leaders with sanctions
The US has imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa for corruption and human rights abuses. The order also affects other senior leaders in the country - blocking their assets in the US and barring them from unofficial travel there. The new sanctions replace a broader programme introduced two decades ago.
“We continue to witness gross abuses of political, economic, and human rights. The targeting of civil society and severe restrictions on political activity have stifled fundamental freedoms, while key actors, including government leaders, have siphoned off public resources for personal gains,” noted the White House in a statement.
“These illicit activities support and contribute to a global criminal network of bribery, smuggling, and money laundering that impoverish communities in Zimbabwe, southern Africa, and other parts of the world.”
The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, meanwhile cited “multiple cases of abductions, physical abuse, and unlawful killing” in Zimbabwe that had left people “living in fear”.
Odinga seeks Senior AU position Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni discussed with Kenya’s William Ruto about Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the top African Union (AU) position. Odinga is seeking support from different African countries to help him succeed current AU Commission chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat when his term ends in February next year. Museveni hosted both Ruto and Odinga at his Kisozi country home on Monday.
“I am very grateful to President Museveni for strongly endorsing my candidacy and to President Ruto for fully backing it,” Odinga shared on X.
The meeting of the three leaders appears to have surprised many in both countries. This follows recent rivalry between Kenya and Uganda and between Ruto and Odinga.
Ukraine drones damage Russian ship
Ukrainian sea drones damaged a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship off occupied Crimea, Ukrainian military intelligence said on Tuesday.
The intelligence agency said on Telegram messaging app that its special unit Group 13 attacked the Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship Sergey Kotov near the Kerch Strait.
“As a result of a strike by Magura V5 maritime drones, the Russian ship Project 22160 Sergey Kotov sustained damage to the stern, starboard and port sides,” it said. The message added that the ship was worth about $65 million. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said on Telegram on Tuesday that “The Russian Black Sea Fleet is a symbol of occupation. It cannot be in the Ukrainian Crimea,” in an apparent reference to the attack. Train traffic was temporarily stopped on the bridge linking the Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland, according to the Telegram channel of a Russiainstalled official in Crimea.