Tanzania, Mexico, Mali
Today's three stories you should know
Tanzania
Last week’s presidential election in Tanzania did not comply with democratic standards, according to a damning report from an African Union (AU) observer mission. The AU, which sent a team of 72 observers, said the vote was marred by ballot stuffing, an internet shutdown, the use of excessive military force, and abductions of political opponents. Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan was reelected in a landslide that was rejected by the opposition and sparked street protests. The opposition said hundreds of people were killed by security forces, which the government denied. Footage reviewed by Al Jazeera showed dozens of dead bodies, some who appeared to have been shot in the head.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Mexico
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she is pressing charges against a man who groped her and attempted to kiss her neck as she spoke to supporters on the street in Mexico City. Footage of the incident quickly went viral, prompting anger and debate about women’s safety in a country with high rates of gender-related violence. “If this happens to the president, where does that leave all the young women in our country?” Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, said. “No man has the right to abuse women’s personal space.”
More from Reuters here.
Mali
A senior U.S. official said he had spoken to Mali’s foreign minister, days after Washington ordered all non-essential embassy staff and citizens to leave the country. Christopher Landau, the deputy secretary at the U.S. State Department, praised Mali’s military rulers for their fight against what he called “Islamic extremist militants.” The country’s military junta is coming under increasing pressure from the al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) armed group. JNIM has imposed a blockade on oil imports into Mali in areas it controls, causing a major fuel shortage in the capital. Analysts say the junta, which took over the country promising to defeat JNIM and other armed groups, may lose its hold on power if the situation continues to deteriorate.
More from AP here.
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