Former Nigerian president Buhari is buried as thousands pay respects
Buhari died aged 82 on Sunday in London after battling an undisclosed illness that kept him out of public life since he handed over power in 2023.
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Yahoo
9 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Burkina Faso military ruler abolishes electoral commission
Burkina Faso's military rulers have disbanded the country's electoral commission calling it a waste of money. The interior ministry will handle elections in the future, state-run RTB TV reported. Since seizing power in September 2022, the coup leaders have initiated sweeping reforms, including the postponement of elections which would lead to a return to civilian rule. A nationwide vote was due last year, but the junta extended the period of transition to democracy until July 2029, allowing leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré to remain in power and free to contest the next presidential election. The AFP news agency quotes Territorial Administration Minister Emile Zerbo as saying that the electoral commission was "subsidised" with around $870,000 (£650,000) a year. Abolishing the commission would "reinforce our sovereign control on the electoral process and at the same time limit foreign influences", he added. How an al-Qaeda offshoot became one of Africa's deadliest militant groups Why Burkina Faso's junta leader has captured hearts around the world How 'blood gold' is fuelling conflict in West Africa After coming to power three years ago amid criticism that the civilian authorities were failing to deal with a growing Islamist insurgency, the military leaders have rejected the assistance of former colonial power France in favour of Russia. Rights groups have since accused the army of targeting civilians in its attempt to quash the militants, as well as suppressing political activity and the freedom of expression. There are also question marks over the effectiveness of the military operation. In the first half of 2025, jihadist group JNIM said it had carried out over 280 attacks in Burkina Faso – double the number for the same period in 2024, according to data verified by the BBC. Additional reporting by BBC Monitoring and David Bamford. You may also be interested in: Burkina Faso outcry over 'conscription used to punish junta critics' Capt Ibrahim Traoré: From shy schoolboy to military leader Why France faces so much anger in West Africa Why young Africans are celebrating military takeovers Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica BBC Africa podcasts Focus on Africa This Is Africa
News24
12 minutes ago
- News24
Trump's tariffs cloud G20 finance chiefs' meeting
South Africa urged G20 countries to show global and cooperative leadership to tackle challenges including rising trade barriers, as the club's finance chiefs met on Thursday under the shadow of President Donald Trump's tariff threats. The G20, which emerged as a forum for cooperation to combat the 2008 global financial crisis, has for years been hobbled by disputes among key players that have been exacerbated by Russia's war in Ukraine and Western sanctions on Moscow. Under its presidency's motto 'Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability', South Africa has aimed to promote an African agenda, with topics including the high cost of capital and funding for climate change action. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the G20 must provide strategic global leadership, cooperation and action in the face of complex challenges. We have a critical role to play in revitalising and strengthening multilateralism by fostering inclusive dialogue, reinforcing rules-based cooperation and driving collective action in global challenges that no country can solve alone. Enoch Godongwana 'The need for bold cooperative leadership has never been greater,' he said. Questions, however, are lingering over the ability of the finance chiefs and central bankers meeting in the coastal city of Durban to tackle those issues and others together. The G20 aims to coordinate policies, but its agreements are non-binding. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not attend the two-day meeting, his second absence from a G20 event in South Africa this year. Bessent also skipped February's gathering in Cape Town, where several officials from China, Japan and Canada were also absent, even though Washington is due to assume the G20 rotating presidency at the end of the year. Michael Kaplan, acting undersecretary for international affairs, will represent the US at the meetings. A G20 delegate, who asked not to be named, said Bessent's absence was not ideal but that the US was engaging in discussions on trade, the global economy and climate language. Finance ministers from India, France and Russia are also set to miss the Durban meeting. Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said that representation was what mattered most. What matters is, is there somebody with a mandate sitting behind the flag and are all countries represented with somebody sitting behind the flag? Lesetja Kganyago US officials have said little publicly about their plans for the presidency next year, but one source familiar with them said Washington would reduce the number of non-financial working groups and streamline the summit schedule. Tariff shadow Trump's tariff policies have torn up the global trade rule book and clouded the economic outlook. With baseline levies of 10% on all US imports and targeted rates as high as 50% on steel and aluminium, 25% on cars and potential levies on pharmaceuticals, extra tariffs on more than 20 countries are slated to take effect on 1 August. His threat to impose a further 10% tariffs on Brics nations – of which eight are G20 members – has raised fears of fragmentation within global forums. Germany's Bundesbank chief said the central bank's expectation of 0.7% growth in Europe's largest economy next year could be eaten up if tariffs of 30% threatened by Trump were implemented. If tariffs materialise in August, a recession in Germany in 2025 cannot be ruled out. Joachim Nagel Trump's attacks on US Federal Reserve chairperson Jerome Powell were causing concern too, with Nagel warning against interfering with the independence of central banks. On the broader agenda, Treasury Director General Duncan Pieterse said the G20 hoped to issue the first communique under the South African G20 presidency by the end of the meetings. The G20 was last able to collectively issue a communique a year ago.
Bloomberg
an hour ago
- Bloomberg
UK's Reeves Announces South Africa Infrastructure Partnership to Boost Investment
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an infrastructure partnership with the South African government to boost investment in Africa's biggest economy. The pact, announced in the South African port city of Durban on the sidelines of a Group of 20 meeting, is designed to speed up the delivery of major infrastructure projects in the nation as its scrambles to clear a backlog that's hindering economic growth.
