Ex-junta chief sworn in as Chad’s elected president/node/2515911/world
Ex-junta chief sworn in as Chad’s elected president
Chad President-elect General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (C) arrives for his inauguration at the Palace of Arts and Culture in N'Djamena on May 23, 2024. (AFP)
Ex-junta chief sworn in as Chad’s elected president
Updated 24 May 2024
AFP
N’DJAMENA: General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who has led Chad’s military junta for three years, was sworn in as president on Thursday after an election victory contested by the opposition.
Deby officially won 61 percent of the May 6 vote that international NGOs said was neither credible nor free and which his main rival called a “masquerade.”
Taking the oath of office, Deby said he swore “before the Chadian people... to fulfil the high functions that the nation has entrusted in us.”
Eight African heads of state as well as Constitutional Council members and hundreds of guests watched as the 40-year-old, dressed in his customary white boubou, was inaugurated as president at the Palace of Arts and Culture in the capital N’Djamena.
The presidential term runs for five years and can be renewed once.
In a speech he had earlier declared a “return to constitutional order” and pledged to be “the president of Chadians from all backgrounds and of all sensibilities.”
Deby was proclaimed transitional president in April 2021 by a junta of 15 generals after his father, iron-fisted president Idriss Deby Itno, was shot dead by rebels after 30 years in power.
The swearing-in marks the end of three years of military rule in a country crucial to the fight against jihadism across Africa’s restive Sahel region.
In 2021, Deby was quickly endorsed by an international community led by France, whose forces in recent years have been ousted by military regimes in its other former colonies Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The investiture ceremony also makes official what the opposition has denounced as a Deby dynasty.
Former ambassador to China Allamaye Halina was named prime minister, according to a presidential decree read out on public television later on Thursday.
His predecessor Succes Masra, one of Deby’s fiercest opponents before becoming prime minister, handed in his resignation on Wednesday in the wake of his party’s election defeat after just four months in office.
Masra, an economist who won 18.5 percent of the vote, contested the results and did not attend the inauguration.
He had claimed victory after the first round of voting but faced accusations of being a junta stooge by the opposition, which has been violently repressed in Chad, with its top members barred from the election.
After the Constitutional Council rejected Masra’s bid to annul the result, he said there was “no other national legal recourse” and called on supporters to “remain mobilized” but “peaceful.”
Deby’s own cousin Yaya Dillo Djerou, who had emerged as the leading opposition candidate to the general, was shot and killed at point-blank range during an army assault on February 28, his party said.
The turnout of heads of state at the investiture was an opportunity to gauge international support for the president.
The eight who were present were all from African nations. Other countries were represented by ministers or ambassadors.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who traveled to N’Djamena in 2021 to pay homage to the late Marshal Deby in front of his son and successor, sent his minister for foreign trade and Francophonie, Franck Riester.
Chad, one of the world’s poorest nations, is France’s last military foothold in the Sahel region, with 1,000 soldiers, and Macron was one of few leaders to publicly congratulate Deby on his election.
Several Sahel nations, reeling from jihadist insurgencies, have strengthened ties with Russia after severing them with Paris.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first to congratulate Deby.
Life in limbo for refugees as Trump suspends US admissions
Many refugees live in poverty in countries such as Iran, Turkiye, Uganda, Pakistan and Kenya
Often banned from working, they live in decrepit housing and usually lack most basic services
Updated 21 sec ago
Reuters
NAIROBI/KABUL: Eleven suitcases, stuffed with puffer jackets and winter boots, stood ready outside Somali refugee Hassan’s corrugated iron home in Kenya’s sweltering Dadaab camp.
His dream of a new life in Seattle was finally within reach.
The 24-year-old and his family of 10 were due to fly to the United States on Feb. 10, ending a wait of more than 15 years and filling Hassan with hope for a fresh start on the US Pacific coast.
That was until US President Donald Trump suspended refugee admissions as one of his first acts in office on Jan. 20.
“When I found out our flight was canceled, it was very bad news for us,” Hassan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone from Dadaab in eastern Kenya’s Garissa county.
“My father sold everything, even his sheep. I was born here in Dadaab and thought I was finally leaving this place, but maybe God has other plans,” added Hassan, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.
From Somalia to Afghanistan, thousands of refugees who fled conflict, disaster or persecution, and were approved for resettlement in the United States, have been left stranded after Trump halted the country’s refugee program. The suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) was to ensure public safety and national security, Trump said in an executive order. It will be reviewed in three months to determine if it sufficiently benefits Americans, the order said.
People gather during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)
This is not the first time that Trump has placed restrictions on refugees.
In his first term, he banned arrivals from some Muslim-majority nations, temporarily halted the resettlements and slashed the country’s admissions cap to a record low.
But refugee rights groups said the new suspension of USRAP was unprecedented.
Erol Kekic, a senior vice president at the Church World Service — a charity that screens refugees for US resettlement — said it was “devastating” and “heart-breaking.”
“We have never seen anything like this at this level before, despite the changes that have taken place during the first Trump administration,” Kekic told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“Refugee resettlement is one of those proud traditions in the United States that has been practiced for such a long time, and we’re hoping to try to find a way to continue to do it.” NO OPPORTUNITIES
According to the United Nations, nearly 38 million people worldwide are refugees — and 65 percent of them come from just four countries: Syria, Venezuela, Ukraine and Afghanistan.
Many refugees live in poverty in countries such as Iran, Turkiye, Uganda, Pakistan and Kenya, and face a barrage of challenges. Often banned from working, they live in decrepit housing and usually lack the most basic of services.
Kenya is home to more than 820,000 refugees, most of whom fled neighboring Somalia after it descended into civil war in 1991. Over the years, more refugees have streamed in, uprooted by drought, famine and persistent insecurity.
Many are housed in sprawling refugee camps like Dadaab — a settlement spread over 50 square km (19 square miles) of semi-arid desert that is home to more than 415,000 people.
Residents have few ways to earn a living other than rearing goats, manual labor and running kiosks sewing clothes, selling camel meat or charging cell phones from solar panels.
Kenya forbids refugees from leaving the camp to seek work.
A woman waves a Mexican and American flag together during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)
As a result, people are poor and bereft of options.
They live in tarpaulin tents or shacks made of corrugated iron and branches, and rely on rations of cooking oil, milk powder, rice and sugar sent by foreign donors.
Many Somali refugees have lived in Dadaab for decades; some were born in the camp and have never seen life outside.
With most unable to return home to Somalia, tens of thousands have sought a better life whole continents away.
While the United States is often a prized destination, US policy on refugee resettlement is complex.
Vetting and screening — X-rays, vaccinations and a host of other medical examinations — can take more than a decade.
Refugee upon refugee recounts the same tale of years lost to process and procedure, interviews, screenings and then — finally — approval granted only to see their long-awaited escape flights suspended until further notice, no explanation given.
During Trump’s first term, the fear of languishing in camps for years saw young men lured by people smugglers into risky, illegal routes to Europe or to the United States via Mexico.
“These people smugglers are smart. They target young men who are desperate after having their flights canceled and promise to take them through another route,” said Abdirahim, 29, who had his flight canceled in Trump’s first term and now again in his second term.
“But many boys just go missing. Or their families here in Dadaab get calls from smugglers in Libya who have kidnapped them and demand thousands of dollars in ransom,” added Abdirahim, whose name has been changed to protect his identity. ‘WE ARE NOT BAD PEOPLE’
As well as refugees, thousands of Afghan and Iraqi nationals — people who had worked with the US government and been granted Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to resettle in the United States — have also been left in limbo.
In Afghanistan, many people have been forced into hiding fearing reprisals after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Subhan Safi, 28, worked with US troops as a plumber for three years. In December 2023, he was granted an SIV and more than one year on, was still awaiting evacuation from Kabul.
“I have been waiting to get on a flight ... but now I am facing an uncertain future and do not know what will happen next,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Kabul.
“I’m still hopeful that the US president’s decision will change, and that people like me, who are at risk, will be allowed entry. I’m very eager to start a new and better life,” added Safi, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.
The US State Department would not say how many people were awaiting resettlement, but confirmed admissions were on hold.
“Consistent with President Trump’s Executive Order ... the Department of State is coordinating with implementing partners to suspend refugee arrivals and case processing activities,” it said in a statement to the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
People watch demonstrators march during a protest against US President Donald Trump’s intensified enforcement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, US on February 8, 2025. (REUTERS)
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said it was analizing the order, and was ready to work with Trump to find solutions.
“Refugee resettlement is a life-saving measure for those most at risk, including survivors of violence or torture, women and children at risk, and individuals with legal or physical protection needs,” said a UNHCR spokesperson.
Dadaab refugees said they had no choice but to hope that Trump would lift his suspension after the three-month review.
Some even said they didn’t blame him.
“I agree with President Trump. Illegal people should not be in his country. I think once he has deported all the illegal people, he will let the refugees come and do their jobs,” said Abdi, 24, who has been waiting 16 years for resettlement.
“We are not bad people. We want go to the US but we want to go properly and legally,” added Abdi, whose name has been changed to protect his identity.
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump this week, as New Delhi seeks closer ties with Washington in various fields, including technology, defense and trade.
Modi will be among the first foreign leaders to meet Trump at the White House during his second term. Before flying to the US, he will make a stop in France to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and to attend the AI Action Summit.
“I look forward to meeting my friend, President Trump,” Modi said in a statement before his departure on Monday.
“Although this will be our first meeting following his historic electoral victory and inauguration in January, I have a very warm recollection of working together in his first term in building a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US.”
The two leaders shared cordial relations during Trump’s first term as president.
In 2019, Trump joined Modi at a “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston, Texas that drew about 50,000 people and was billed as one of the largest receptions for a foreign leader in the US.
When Trump made his first visit to India in February 2020, Modi hosted him in his home state of Gujarat, where the “Namaste Trump” welcome event was attended by about 100,000 people.
“This visit will be an opportunity to build upon the successes of our collaboration in his first term and develop an agenda to further elevate and deepen our partnership, including in the areas of technology, trade, defence, energy, and supply chain resilience,” Modi said.
India considers the US as one of its “strongest international partnerships” in recent years, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday.
The US is India’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade worth more than $118 billion in 2023-2024 and India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.
Modi’s visit comes just days after US authorities deported 104 Indians in shackles on a military plane, a much-publicized transfer that sparked outrage among legislators and citizens in the South Asian nation.
COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s new president embarked on his first Middle East trip on Monday to participate in the World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake secured the top job in September, taking over the leadership of a country reeling from the 2022 economic crisis — the worst since its independence in 1948 — and the austerity measures imposed under a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund.
He has so far made two foreign trips: to India in December, where he met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar; and to China, where he held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During the Dubai trip, Dissanayake will address the annual summit that brings together leaders, policymakers, and experts from around the world to discuss global governance, public policy, and the future of governments.
Accompanied by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, he is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the UAE leadership and witness the signing of several agreements.
“Sri Lanka is set to enter into agreements on fuel and gas purchases, power and energy projects and trade and investment ... Setting up of a joint commission between Sri Lanka and UAE will be another highlight of the visit,” Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry said in a statement to Arab News.
“Government-to-government projects are to be entered into and memoranda of understanding are expected to be signed. Negotiations on the import of fuel and gas advantageous to Sri Lanka will be among the priorities.”
Other agreements that the Sri Lankan government are going to pursue include job opportunities for its expat workers, promotion of tourism and education.
“Sri Lanka is looking forward to promote the export of tea and gems while attracting tourists from UAE. Besides the bilateral meeting with the president of the UAE, meetings will also be held with the business community,” the ministry said.
“Sri Lanka is looking forward to increase investments from the UAE.”
More than 350,000 Sri Lankans live and work in Dubai. The president is expected to have a meeting with the diaspora as well.
Kremlin, asked if Trump’s Gaza plan is acceptable, says it is waiting for more details
Asked whether Trump’s plan was acceptable for Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that 1.2 million people lived in Gaza
Updated 10 February 2025
Reuters
MOSCOW: The Kremlin said on Monday it was waiting for more details on USpresident Donald Trump’s plan to buy the Gaza Strip, an idea which has sparked condemnation from many countries.
Trump said on Sunday he was committed to buying and owning Gaza, but could allow sections of the war-ravaged land to be rebuilt by other states in the Middle East.
Asked whether Trump’s plan was acceptable for Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that 1.2 million people lived in Gaza.
“It’s worth waiting for some details here if we’re talking about a coherent plan of action. We are talking about almost 1.2 million Palestinians who live there, and this is probably the main issue,” Peskov told a conference call.
“These are the people who were promised a two-state solution to the Middle East problem by the relevant Security Council resolutions, and so on and so forth. There are a lot of questions like that. We don’t know the details yet,
so we have to be patient,” said Peskov.
Almost all nations miss UN deadline for new climate targets
Just 10 of nearly 200 countries required under the Paris Agreement to deliver fresh climate plans by February 10 did so on time
Under the climate accord, each country is supposed to provide a steeper headline figure for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035
Updated 10 February 2025
AFP
PARIS: Nearly all nations missed a UN deadline Monday to submit new targets for slashing carbon emissions, including major economies under pressure to show leadership following the US retreat on climate change.
Just 10 of nearly 200 countries required under the Paris Agreement to deliver fresh climate plans by February 10 did so on time, according to a UN database tracking the submissions.
Under the climate accord, each country is supposed to provide a steeper headline figure for cutting heat-trapping emissions by 2035, and a detailed blueprint for how to achieve this.
Global emissions have been rising but need to almost halve by the end of the decade to limit global warming to levels agreed under the Paris deal.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell has called this latest round of national pledges “the most important policy documents of this century.”
Yet just a handful of major polluters handed in upgraded targets on time, with China, India and the European Union the biggest names on a lengthy absentee list.
Most G20 economies were missing in action with the United States, Britain and Brazil — which is hosting this year’s UN climate summit — the only exceptions.
The US pledge is largely symbolic, made before President Donald Trump ordered Washington out of the Paris deal.
There is no penalty for submitting late targets, formally titled nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
They are not legally binding but act as an accountability measure to ensure governments are taking the threat of climate change seriously.
Last week, Stiell said submissions would be needed by September so they could be properly assessed before the UN COP30 climate conference in November.
A spokeswoman for the EU said the 27-nation bloc intended to submit its revised targets “well ahead” of the summit in Belem.
Analysts say China, the world’s biggest polluter and also its largest investor in renewable energy, is also expected to unveil its much-anticipated climate plan in the second half of the year.
The UAE, Ecuador, Saint Lucia, New Zealand, Andorra, Switzerland and Uruguay rounded out the list of countries that made Monday’s cut-off.
The sluggish response will not ease fears of a possible backslide on climate action as leaders juggle Trump’s return and other competing priorities from budget and security crises to electoral pressure.
Ebony Holland from the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development said the US retreat was “clearly a setback” but there were many reasons for the tepid turnout.
“It’s clear there are some broad geopolitical shifts underway that are proving to be a challenge when it comes to international cooperation, especially on big issues like climate change,” she said.
