The Power of Disloyalty
NEED TO KNOW
The Power of Disloyalty
GHANA
More than 15,000 displaced people from Burkina Faso have crossed the porous, 372-mile border with Ghana recently to escape al Qaeda and Islamic State-affiliated fighters. The militants are thought to have entered northern Ghana, too, stoking existing civil strife between ethnic communities and participating in attacks and violence that have killed dozens of people.
In response, Ghanaian officials have imposed a curfew in the West African coastal country’s north, reported Foreign Policy magazine. They are trying to regain the peace and stability that had long made the country a model in the region.
That may be changing, however. Currently, militant insurgents control almost half of Burkina Faso, parts of central and northern Mali, and territory along Niger’s borders with the two countries. Over the past two years, the insurgents have slowly expanded their campaign south from the Sahel into the northern parts of the region’s coastal states and now threaten Ghana.
This threat and the ensuing instability is now a major issue for voters as they go to the polls Dec. 7 to elect a new president.
Lead contenders seeking to succeed incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is finishing up his second and final term because of term limits, are Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Mahama.
Mahama, 66, who is now leading in the polls, has vowed to improve the country’s economy to bring about renewed stability, GhanaWeb reported. He also told Reuters that he would renegotiate Ghana’s $3 billion agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which involved a bailout and debt restructuring, but which was painful for the poor and middle class.
When he was president from 2012 to 2017, Mahama invested in infrastructure but also oversaw power shortages and political corruption scandals among his allies. Now, his plans would likely increase the country’s budget and therefore its dependence on the IMF, more than his opponent’s economic agenda, wrote the Africa Report.
Bawumia is an Oxford University-educated central banker who has pledged to expand Ghana’s tech sector, the BBC reported. He is also a member of the Muslim minority community instead of hailing from the dominant Akan-speaking ethnic group.
Bawumia’s ruling New Patriotic Party and Mahama’s opposition National Democratic Congress have run Ghana since the end of military rule in 1993. As World Politics Review explained, both parties have often used public funds to “cultivate clientelist networks for partisan benefit” while stoking local inter-ethnic strife to gain advantages over the years, a risky strategy now that jihadists are part of the equation in the country.
“Both main political parties have deployed inflammatory rhetoric that has heightened political polarization, raising risks of political violence ahead of, and especially on and after, election day,” noted analytical group, Stratfor.
Meanwhile, there is a spoiler in the form of wealthy entrepreneur, Nana Kwame Bediako, who hopes to disrupt the campaign with his unorthodox style – he placed himself on billboards around the country wearing a full mask so voters had little idea of who he was initially, the Guardian reported. Now, with a flashy social media campaign, he’s appealing to the youth vote in a land where the median age is 21.
Meanwhile, unlike past elections, these polarized voting blocs might not line up as they usually do to support whichever party won their party leaders’ favor, however, noted the Conversation. More Ghanaians are becoming swing voters who want to see results rather than political handouts or hear divisive talk.
The people might be the country’s best path to renewed stability, the magazine added.
“The rising share of swing voters in the country’s elections may be good for the country,” it wrote. “It creates uncertainty in electoral outcomes, which should encourage more political accountability and responsiveness to voters’ needs.”
THE WORLD, BRIEFLY
Checkmate
SOUTH KOREA
A day after attempting to take over the country, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was under pressure to resign or face impeachment proceedings, as protesters continued to march on the streets of Seoul and other cities demanding he quit, NPR reported.
On Wednesday, the opposition Democratic Party, which controls parliament, began impeachment proceedings against Yoon, who a day earlier declared martial law in an attempt to halt the legislature, control the judiciary, restrict political activities, place the press under the military, and curtail civil liberties.
He reversed it six hours later when the National Assembly voted it down – despite an attempt by soldiers to bar lawmakers from entering the building, the BBC reported.
Now, the impeachment motion, which accuses Yoon of violating democratic principles, has received support from six opposition parties and is likely to be voted on by Friday.
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun is also facing impeachment. On Thursday, Yoon accepted Yong-hyuns’s resignation, offered the day before after apologizing for Tuesday’s events. He took responsibility for his role in the declaration of martial law, the BBC added. Meanwhile, other senior members of the government have offered to resign or already have, such as Yoon’s chief of staff.
South Korean police are to investigate Yoon for “insurrection,” the BBC reported Thursday, with the Army chief Pak An-su also offering to resign for his role in the debacle.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, the country was still reeling in shock over the events of the previous 24 hours, and wondering why the president would make such a miscalculation.
Yoon had declared martial law during a surprise televised address, accusing the opposition-controlled National Assembly of “paralyzing” the country and engaging in “anti-state and pro-North (Korean) activities” that he claimed threatened the country’s constitutional order.
Around 300 soldiers, supported by military helicopters, were deployed to block lawmakers from entering the legislature. Even so, 190 legislators – including 18 from Yoon’s conservative People Power Party – voted unanimously to overturn the decree.
Meanwhile, the declaration of martial law sparked public fury and drew thousands of protesters to the National Assembly. Demonstrators blocked soldiers from entering the parliamentary chamber, while civic groups and unions organized rallies nationwide calling for Yoon’s resignation.
The declaration, which triggered memories of the country’s turbulent past, marked the first use of martial law in South Korea since the 1980s when the country was under a military dictatorship.
Political analysts said it was unlikely Yoon would survive politically – his approval ratings before Tuesday were well below 20 percent. Meanwhile, there is speculation now over whether he will resign or face drawn-out impeachment proceedings.
Internationally, the president’s actions drew sharp criticism and disrupted key diplomatic engagements.
The United States postponed consultative nuclear meetings and joint military exercises, expressing “serious concern” over the crisis. Sweden and Japan also canceled scheduled diplomatic visits.
Observers noted that the turmoil undermines Yoon’s efforts to strengthen trilateral ties between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo to counter North Korea, Reuters wrote. At the same time, there is concern that North Korea could use the political crisis to further its aims.
Yoon, a political newcomer elected in 2022, has struggled with a deeply polarized parliament and scandals involving his administration and his wife.
Some analysts described the episode as a failed attempt to consolidate power, while critics accused the conservative leader of trying to revive South Korea’s authoritarian past. Regardless, analysts said he badly miscalculated.
“He attempted an extreme move that profoundly misread Korean political culture,” Darcie Draudt-Véjares of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told the Washington Post. “The Assembly’s swift rejection, including from his own party members, has crippled his authority as leader for the vibrant democracy.”
Not For Sale
GEORGIA/ ABKHAZIA
Lawmakers in Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia rejected a controversial investment agreement with Russia this week, following mass protests that forced the resignation of the region’s de facto leader and highlighted tensions in Abkhazia’s close relationship with Moscow, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty reported.
On Tuesday, 19 lawmakers requested an extraordinary parliamentary session to vote on the agreement that would allow Russian investors to purchase property in Abkhazia’s Black Sea region, which was signed last month in Moscow.
Only 23 legislators attended, while 12 did not appear. A majority voted against the deal, with two abstentions and no votes in favor.
The controversial deal was aimed at bolstering economic ties. However, critics labeled the agreement as “exploitative,” fearing that it undermined Abkhazia’s sovereignty while granting excessive privileges to Russian businesses.
The proposal triggered widespread unrest, with demonstrators storming government buildings last month. Opposition groups and protesters have demanded explanations from officials about the deal and criticized the administration’s lack of transparency.
Amid escalating tensions, Abkhazia’s self-styled president, Aslan Bzhania, resigned, citing the need to maintain “stability and constitutional order.”
Despite his resignation, Bzhania announced plans to run in the February 2025 presidential election.
Observers said the deal’s rejection underscored Abkhazia’s delicate relationship with Russia, which provides crucial economic and military support to the region.
While many Abkhazians benefit from Russian subsidies and tourism, there is growing unease over the potential erosion of sovereignty. Moscow recognized Abkhazia’s independence following the 2008 war between Russia and neighboring Georgia, a former Soviet republic, but most of the world still considers it to be part of Georgia.
The decision to cancel the deal may strain relations with Moscow: Russian lawmaker Konstantin Zatulin warned that the rejection would cool ties with Russia, the Associated Press added.
A Lukewarm Victory
NAMIBIA
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was declared the winner of Namibia’s Nov. 27 election this week, becoming the country’s first female president and extending the ruling South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) party’s 34-year grip on power, the BBC reported.
Even so, the historic nature of the victory was marred by opposition claims of irregularities and logistical failures during the elections, the news outlet added.
On Tuesday, results showed Nandi-Ndaitwah won 57 percent of the vote, while her closest rival, Panduleni Itula of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), garnered 26 percent.
In the parliamentary election held simultaneously, SWAPO narrowly retained its majority, securing 51 of 96 seats, while the IPC emerged as the official opposition with 20 seats.
It was the ruling party’s worst performance since independence, analysts said.
The results follow an election process that Itula and his party criticized as “deeply flawed,” citing ballot shortages, technical failures, and delays that left some voters waiting up to 14 hours.
The Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) admitted to logistical challenges but denied allegations of fraud, urging citizens to embrace the results peacefully.
Protests and boycotts have followed the election outcome, with most opposition parties refusing to attend the results announcement in the capital of Windhoek on Tuesday evening.
While the capital remained calm Wednesday, the IPC pledged to pursue remedies in court and encouraged voters to report election-related grievances to authorities.
Meanwhile, Nandi-Ndaitwah, a veteran politician who has served in various high-ranking government roles, called for “peace and stability” in her victory speech.
Analysts credit her clean reputation and ability to unite SWAPO’s factions as critical to her success, despite growing public dissatisfaction with the party’s performance on unemployment and inequality, Reuters added.
Her election places her alongside Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan as one of only two female presidents currently in office in Africa.
DISCOVERIES
The Alphabet Song
Two decades ago, a tomb was discovered in Tell Umm el-Marra near Aleppo, Syria, containing human remains and other objects from the Early Bronze Age (2600–2150 BCE), including four clay cylinders.
Recently, researchers from Johns Hopkins University who were examining the cylinders, each about the size of a finger and engraved with eight distinct symbols, realized the symbols could represent the world’s oldest-known written alphabet.
That discovery is turning what scholars and linguists had thought they knew about the origins of the alphabet on its head.
“This new discovery shows that people were experimenting with new communication technologies much earlier and in a different location than we had imagined before now,” said lead archeologist Glenn Schwartz in a statement.
Schwartz and his team dated the cylinders to around 2400 BCE, predating previously known alphabetic scripts by 500 years. One cylinder bears the word “silanu,” which could be a name, possibly identifying the owner or sender of goods found in the tomb.
The researchers believe the perforated cylinders may have served as labels, tied to objects with string.
They said that earlier writing systems, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs or Mesopotamian cuneiform, relied on hundreds of symbols. But an alphabet system breaks words into sounds using fewer characters.
“Alphabetic writing changed the way people lived, how they thought, how they communicated,” Schwartz said.
Scholars previously thought that the first alphabet appeared around 1900 BCE by populations speaking a Semitic language on the Sinai Peninsula in modern-day Egypt. Known as Proto-Sinaitic, the alphabet was based on hieroglyphic symbols repurposed as letters, according to Scientific American.
But the recent discovery in Syria suggests an earlier and more widespread development.
Even so, some researchers remain skeptical.
“When you only have a few very short inscriptions, it can be difficult to tell how many signs the system has,” Philippa Steele of the University of Cambridge told Scientific American. “I think we have to hope for more finds.”
Others feel more confident.
“It’s an alphabet. It’s easy-peasy,” Silvia Ferrara, a professor of early languages at the University of Bologna in Italy, said.
The findings also underscore the influence of ancient trade networks that played a role in spreading writing systems.
“It’s not that surprising, knowing how far and wide these things traveled,” Ferrara added.