BAUCHI ZAAR FESTIVAL: POLICE TO UPHOLD COURT ORDER AND BAN THE 2024 ZAAR FESTIVAL. (PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE.

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 BAUCHI STATE POLICE COMMAND PRESS RELEASE 31/10/2024 The Editors, ZAAR FESTIVAL: Police to uphold court order and ban 2024 Zaar festival …as the Commissioner of Police Bauchi State Command announces proactive measures to ensure community safety and harmony In light of the High Court’s decision, the Bauchi State Police Command would like to inform the public that the 2024 Zaar Festival, originally scheduled for November 2, 2024, has been suspended following a court restraining order issued on October 30, 2024. This decision follows an earlier suspension announced on September 27, 2024. Historically, the Zaar Festival has been associated with incidents of conflict, resulting in attacks on individuals, damage to property, and disruption of public order. Consequently, the organizers of the festival, along with any individuals involved, are prohibited from conducting any related processions in Tafawa Balewa, Bogoro Local Government Area, or any other location, until a definitive court ruli

MOZAMBIQUE SOCIAL MEDIA RESTRICTED AFTER TENSE ELECTIONS.(PHOTO).


 Mozambique social media restricted after tense elections


Social media access in Mozambique was restricted for a second time in a week on Thursday, a global internet watchdog said, as the opposition called for nationwide strikes over a disputed presidential election.


Tensions heightened in the Southern African nation after the ruling Frelimo party which has held power for 49 years won an October 9 vote that opposition parties and electoral observers said was flawed, AFP reported.


"We can confirm social media restrictions have been imposed in Mozambique," London-based internet watchdog NetBlocks said, adding it affected Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.


Last Friday a temporary internet blackout was introduced, a day after election results were announced by the electoral commission and protests were violently suppressed.


'Near-total disruption'


NetBlocks said at the time that there was a "near-total disruption to mobile internet connectivity in Mozambique."


On October 24, Frelimo's Daniel Chapo, 47, was declared winner of the presidential election with almost 71% of votes.


Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, 50, of the small Podemos party, came second with 20%.


After the announcement, police cracked down on opposition supporters who took to the streets.


Deadly protests


Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that at least 11 people were killed by security forces and more than 50 others were injured on October 24 and 25.


Police did not respond to HRW's report but previously said that 20 people were injured in post-electoral violence and that two people had died, without giving details.


A police investigation was opened into Mondlane following the unrest and his whereabouts remain unknown.


But the former radio host turned politician, who has widely used social media to communicate with his supporters, rallying them to protest, again called for a nationwide strike from October 31 to November 7.


Ghost city


It was unclear if his call to "paralyse" the country from northern Cabo Delgado to Maputo, more than 2,400 kilometres (about 1,500 miles) away would be heeded, but the capital was a ghost city on Thursday.


Police sent out text messages on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, including to an AFP reporter, instructing residents not to participate in acts of "sabotage".


The public prosecutor also issued a statement saying that while it was a "fundamental right" to protest, "anyone who... causes material or personal damage shall be punished."


Electoral flaws


Podemos party President Albino Forquilha said on Thursday he would "do everything to ensure that there is no violence" during the planned week-long strike "but we need to fight for justice".


Election observers, including from the European Union, have noted serious flaws before, during and after the vote.


Mondlane and his Podemos party, which overshadowed the main opposition party Renamo in the election, on Sunday appealed to the Constitutional Court for a ballot recount.


The judicial body has since requested results sheets and minutes of polling stations in six provinces and Maputo from the electoral commission, giving them eight days to produce the documents.

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