Protests and clashes with the police What is happening in Senegal?

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Kuwait Marzouq Al-Ghanim returns to the presidency of Parliament after ruling the elections null The Kuwaiti National Assembly (Parliament) stated in a statement, “The Parliament’s office held a meeting today (Monday) chaired by Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim (Speaker of the 2020 Parliament),” following the ruling of the Constitutional Court to invalidate the 2022 Parliament elections and reinstate the 2020 Parliament. Parliamentarian Marzouq Al-Ghanim returned, Monday, to preside over the Kuwaiti Parliament, the day after the Constitutional Court’s ruling invalidating the 2022 Parliament elections and reinstating the 2020 Parliament. And the Kuwaiti National Assembly (parliament) stated in a statement, "The council's office held a meeting today (Monday) headed by Speaker of the National Assembly Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim (Speaker of Parliament 2020)." The statement did not provide details of the expected procedures to implement the ruling of the Constitutional Court, or the date of the next session, and neither the 2022 Council nor the political leadership issued any objections or comments until 14:45 GMT. And on Sunday, the Constitutional Court in Kuwait ruled that the dissolution of the National Assembly for the year 2020 was invalid, and then the call for voters to the 2022 elections (which were held last September) was invalidated and the dissolved 2020 Council restored its constitutional authority. On June 22, 2022, the Kuwaiti Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and the resort to early elections, in light of the recurring disputes between Parliament and the government. The ruling of the Constitutional Court came shortly after what the 2022 Council witnessed from "tensions in the relationship with the government, despite its short life, which extends to 5 months (since it was convened on October 18, 2022) through only 14 sessions," according to the local newspaper, "Al-Qabas". And with the issuance of the Constitutional Court ruling, 23 members of the 2022 Council (out of 50 members) will maintain their seats as members of the 2020 Council, with the return of 27 deputies who did not win or did not run in the September 2022 elections, according to the same source. Regarding the remaining period for the 2020 Council, Haitham Al-Awn, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council of the Kuwaiti Lawyers Association, told Al-Qabas that, "Based on the ruling, the dissolved council will complete the remaining period for it according to the constitution, from the day the invalid dissolution decree was issued." Kuwait was the first Gulf state to adopt a parliamentary system in 1962, with 50 deputies. Several confrontations took place between the executive and parliamentary authorities, which led to the dismissal or resignation of the government, or the dissolution of Parliament. Protests and clashes with the police What is happening in Senegal? On Thursday, the Senegalese capital, Dakar, experienced violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators, supporters of the opposition Osman Sonko, in protest against Sonko's trial on charges of insulting and defaming the country's Minister of Tourism. On Thursday, the Senegalese capital, Dakar, witnessed violent unrest between security men and protesters, supporters of the opposition Ousmane Sonko, refusing to prosecute him on charges of insulting and defaming Tourism Minister Mam Mbaye Niang, as they see this as an attempt to prevent him from running in the upcoming presidential race in 2024. Sonko is one of the rising faces strongly in the Senegalese political arena and is widely popular among the youth there. Analysts believe that events are normal with the election date approaching, as news spreads of the current President Macky Sall's candidacy for a third term, although the country's constitution prevents this. Bloody protests and confrontations On Wednesday, Senegalese authorities banned a demonstration that was supposed to rally Sonko's supporters in Dakar, on the eve of his court appearance to answer a defamation charge against Tourism Minister Mam Mbaye Niang. On that day, the police also prevented a group of deputies, including the mayor of the capital, from visiting the opposition politician's house. All these obstacles did not prevent the supporters of Sonko and the Bestev Party from gathering in the hundreds on the streets of the capital. The security forces confronted them with sticks and tear gas, intending to disperse them. On the other hand, the demonstrators burned tires in the streets and threw stones at the police. Journalists said that a large supermarket was set on fire. And the embassies called on their citizens in Senegal to avoid unnecessary movements due to unrest in several cities following the protests. Thursday's skirmishes are the latest round of political and social unrest in Senegal in the recent period, with the approaching date of the presidential elections, as they are scheduled to take place in February 2024. What is behind the wave of violence? The upcoming elections come in exceptional circumstances, as news circulates about the incumbent President Macky Sall's intention to run for a third term, contrary to what is stipulated in the country's constitution, which prohibits running for presidents for more than two consecutive times. Although Sal has not confirmed any of these rumors. Osman Sonko is considered one of the most prominent competitors in the upcoming elections, as he is very popular among young people. This makes his supporters and allies in the opposition see the case as an attempt to exploit the judiciary to discourage him from running for the presidency. Sonko is running for the second time in the presidential elections on his political path, after he finished third in the 2019 elections. The leader of the opposition Besev party promises a social program that serves the youth and combats corruption and mismanagement of public funds. On the level of foreign policy, he pledges, if he assumes the presidency, to eliminate the country's financial dependence on France and to break with the African franc (CFA). "Wonderful behaviour." Jordan and Palestine protest the use of an Israeli minister's strange map The Kingdom of Jordan announced its "strong" condemnation and denunciation of the map presented by an Israeli minister, and said in a statement that the map is "a violation of international norms and the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty, as well as a reckless act of incitement." Today, Monday, Jordan and Palestine condemned the "racist positions" of the Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, after he used a map that includes the borders of the Kingdom and Palestine to Israel, and his denial of "the existence of the Palestinian people." This came in two separate statements, by Sinan al-Majali, a spokesman for the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, and the Palestinian presidency, to comment on the "extreme racist" behavior of the Israeli minister. Majali expressed the kingdom's "strong" condemnation and denunciation of the map presented by Smotrich, which is "a violation of international norms and the Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty, as well as a reckless act of incitement," according to the statement. The statement indicated that Smotrich used the map during his participation in an event in the French capital, Paris, without any other details, while the Israeli side did not issue any statement or clarification. Jordan and Israel are bound by a peace agreement signed between the two sides in 1994, according to which the Kingdom reserves the right to supervise religious affairs in the city of Jerusalem. Majali said, "The ministry also condemns the racist, inciting and extremist statements made by the extremist Israeli minister towards the brotherly Palestinian people and their right to exist, and their historical rights in their independent, sovereign state." The Jordanian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to condemn the "extremist and inflammatory" actions and statements of the Israeli minister, noting that they "also represent a violation of human values ​​and principles." The statement called on "the Israeli government to take a clear and frank position regarding these extremist actions and inflammatory, hateful statements rejected by a working minister in the Israeli government." He pointed out that the Jordanian Foreign Ministry "will take all necessary political and legal measures to confront such extremist, hateful behavior and statements, and the dangerous escalation they represent that threatens security and stability and pushes for an escalation." For its part, the Palestinian presidency said, "Smotrich's racist statements, in which he denied the existence of the Palestinian people, are an attempt to falsify and falsify history," according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa. The presidency added that those statements "reveal the racism of the Israeli government, which is trying to deny the existence of the Palestinian people who have been on this land since eternity." And she continued, "The Israeli attempts to invent false narratives that deny the existence of our people are refuted by history, which confirms that the Palestinian people are the owners of this land, in which their roots extend to the depths of history." On Sunday, the Israeli Minister of Finance, who is the leader of the far-right "religious Zionism" party, claimed in a meeting with supporters of Israel in Paris that "there is no such thing as a Palestinian people." And the transfer of the "Ynet" Hebrew news site for Smotrich as saying: "In the Middle East are Arabs, who arrived in the Land of Israel at the same time as the Jewish immigration and the early days of Zionism." Smotrich continued, "After 2,000 years of exile, the people of Israel returned to their homes, surrounded by Arabs who do not like that. What are they doing? They invented an imaginary people and are demanding imaginary rights in the Land of Israel."

On Thursday, the Senegalese capital, Dakar, experienced violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators, supporters of the opposition Osman Sonko, in protest against Sonko's trial on charges of insulting and defaming the country's Minister of Tourism.

On Thursday, the Senegalese capital, Dakar, witnessed violent unrest between security men and protesters, supporters of the opposition Ousmane Sonko, refusing to prosecute him on charges of insulting and defaming Tourism Minister Mam Mbaye Niang, as they see this as an attempt to prevent him from running in the upcoming presidential race in 2024.

Sonko is one of the rising faces strongly in the Senegalese political arena and is widely popular among the youth there. Analysts believe that events are normal with the election date approaching, as news spreads of the current President Macky Sall's candidacy for a third term, although the country's constitution prevents this.

Bloody protests and confrontations

On Wednesday, Senegalese authorities banned a demonstration that was supposed to rally Sonko's supporters in Dakar, on the eve of his court appearance to answer a defamation charge against Tourism Minister Mam Mbaye Niang. On that day, the police also prevented a group of deputies, including the mayor of the capital, from visiting the opposition politician's house.

All these obstacles did not prevent the supporters of Sonko and the Bestev Party from gathering in the hundreds on the streets of the capital. The security forces confronted them with sticks and tear gas, intending to disperse them. On the other hand, the demonstrators burned tires in the streets and threw stones at the police. Journalists said that a large supermarket was set on fire.

And the embassies called on their citizens in Senegal to avoid unnecessary movements due to unrest in several cities following the protests.

Thursday's skirmishes are the latest round of political and social unrest in Senegal in the recent period, with the approaching date of the presidential elections, as they are scheduled to take place in February 2024.

What is behind the wave of violence?

The upcoming elections come in exceptional circumstances, as news circulates about the incumbent President Macky Sall's intention to run for a third term, contrary to what is stipulated in the country's constitution, which prohibits running for presidents for more than two consecutive times. Although Sal has not confirmed any of these rumors.

Osman Sonko is considered one of the most prominent competitors in the upcoming elections, as he is very popular among young people. This makes his supporters and allies in the opposition see the case as an attempt to exploit the judiciary to discourage him from running for the presidency.

Sonko is running for the second time in the presidential elections on his political path, after he finished third in the 2019 elections. The leader of the opposition Besev party promises a social program that serves the youth and combats corruption and mismanagement of public funds. On the level of foreign policy, he pledges, if he assumes the presidency, to eliminate the country's financial dependence on France and to break with the African franc (CFA).
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