The Spanish government on Wednesday demanded transparency and urgent action from the country’s football federation against president Luis Rubiales over his kiss on the lips of a Women’s World Cup player.The Spanish football federation chief has been heavily criticised for planting a kiss on the lips of Spain player, Jenni Hermoso, following her team’s triumph in the final against England in Sydney on Sunday.

The RFEF on Tuesday called an emergency meeting for Friday and activated an internal investigation into the incident, amid mounting pressure to take action against Rubiales.

“I imagine that what the responsible people will do is talk to the two parties involved and issue a report,” Francos told radio station Cadena Ser.

“I have personally told the federation this report has to be transparent and urgent, because, if it is not, obviously we are obliged to take the corresponding additional measures.”

Rubiales, 46, initially attacked his critics before eventually apologising but the criticism of his behaviour has not abated.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday that Rubiales’ apology for the kiss was insufficient.

Source:AFP

Burkina Faso and Mali have deployed war planes to Niger Republic following the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) possible armed intervention to restore democracy in Niger Republic.

Niger television station reported joint efforts by Mali and Burkina Faso in support of Niger and the deployment of warplanes within Niger’s borders on Friday.

“Mali and Burkina Faso turned their commitments into concrete action by deploying warplanes to respond to any attack on Niger,” it said, noting the planes were Super Tucano fighter jets.

The coup leaders imprisoned President Mohamed Bazoum on June 26 and dissolved the elected government of Niger, a major uranium producer and Western ally in the fight against an Islamist insurgency.

On July 30, ECOWAS, led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, decided on sanctions against the military personnel in Niger and gave a week ultimatum to the military junta to restore ousted Bazoum to office.

After the one-week ultimatum expired, West African leaders met on August 10 and approved a “standby force” to reinstate elected Bazoum.

The coupists had called the bluff of ECOWAS and vowed to resist foreign intervention.

Subsequently, ECOWAS Defence Chiefs were ordered to activate the region’s force for action to restore civil rule in Niger, noting that it will invade the country on the “D-Day.”

But the military governments in Mali and Burkina Faso called ECOWAS’s bluff, saying an armed intervention in Niger would be met with force.

The television station said the military leaders from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger convened Friday in the Nigerien capital Niamey to decide on “concrete measures” in case ECOWAS chooses to “escalate a war.”

Source: Platform Africa

Mali, Burkina Faso Back Niger Junta, Warn ECOWAS

“We refuse to apply the illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger”.

The governments of Niger’s two neighbours, both the result of recent military coups, made the comments after West African leaders threatened to use “force” to reinstate Bazoum and slapped financial sanctions on the putschists.

“Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali,” the two countries warned.

They said the “disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger… could destabilise the entire region”.

The two also said they “refuse to apply” the “illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger”.

Recall that on 26 July 2023 a coup d’état occurred in Niger, in which Niger’s presidential guard detained president Mohamed Bazoum, and presidential guard commander general Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta. Presidential guard forces closed the country’s borders, suspended state institutions, and declared a curfew.

But his claim has been shunned internationally and the West African bloc ECOWAS has given him a week to hand back power.

Niger is the third Sahel country in less than three years, following Mali and Burkina Faso, to be shaken by a military coup.

In a separate statement, Guinea — whose government was also the result of a coup — expressed its “disagreement with the sanctions recommended by ECOWAS, including military intervention”.

It said it had “decided not to apply these sanctions, which it considers illegitimate and inhumane”, and urged ECOWAS to “reconsider its position”.