According to CNN, Sarkozy was driven from his Paris home to the La Santé Prison in the south of the city on Tuesday morning, waving to supporters as he departed. His convoy, flanked by dozens of police motorbikes and vehicles, escorted him to the facility.

The 69-year-old was convicted last month of criminal conspiracy for his role in a scheme to finance his 2007 presidential campaign with funds allegedly provided by Libya in exchange for diplomatic favours.

Although Sarkozy intends to appeal, he is expected to be held either in solitary confinement or in the prison’s “VIP wing,” which houses inmates considered unsuitable for the general population due to safety concerns.

That section typically accommodates politicians, former police officers, and individuals linked to extremist or far-right groups.

In a statement posted on X shortly after leaving his home, Sarkozy insisted he is an “innocent man.”

“As I prepare to step inside the walls of La Santé prison, my thoughts go out to the French people of all walks of life and opinions,” he said.

“It’s not a former president of the Republic being locked up this morning — it’s an innocent man.”

Sarkozy also vowed to continue denouncing what he described as a “judicial scandal,” but said he is “not to be pitied,” adding that his family and friends remain by his side.

He expressed “deep sorrow for France,” saying the country had been “humiliated by the expression of a vengeance that has taken hatred to an unprecedented level.”

The post Former French President Sarkozy begins five-year prison sentence over Libya campaign funding first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has been elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) following a vote by continental leaders at the 38th ordinary summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Saturday.

He will serve a four-year term, succeeding Moussa Faki of Chad, who led the commission since 2017.

Youssouf secured the position after seven rounds of balloting, ultimately obtaining the required 33 votes.

His main rivals were Madagascar’s former foreign minister, Richard Randriamandrato, and Kenya’s former prime minister and opposition leader, Raila Odinga. Odinga, who was initially considered the frontrunner, won the first round, but Youssouf took the lead from the second round onward after Randriamandrato exited the race.

Algeria’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the AU, Selma Malika Haddadi, was elected deputy chairperson, replacing Monique Nsanzabaganwa of Rwanda. Haddadi won in the seventh round, overcoming competitors from Egypt and Morocco.

The summit also saw the election of AUC commissioners. Nigeria’s Ambassador Bankole Adeoye was re-elected as commissioner for political affairs, peace, and security, while Ghana’s Ambassador Amma Twum-Amoah was elected commissioner for health, humanitarian affairs, and social development. Both officials hail from West Africa.

Youssouf, 59, studied foreign languages in France and received advanced training in business management in the UK and Brussels.

Before becoming foreign minister in 2005, he served as Djibouti’s ambassador to Egypt under three different administrations.

“If elected Chairperson of the African Union Commission, my priority will be financial management and governance,” Youssouf stated in Rabat, Morocco, last December.

“My goal will also be to mobilise internal funds. Djibouti has always been a source of trust and credibility, able to play a leading role in promoting stability and security.”

He assumes leadership of the AUC at a challenging time, as the continent grapples with leadership difficulties, security threats, political and economic instability, terrorism, and climate change. Several African nations, including Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Ethiopia, continue to face violent conflicts. Additionally, six AU member states—Chad, Sudan, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are currently under military rule.

The African Union Commission, established in 2002 as the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), plays a critical role in addressing these challenges. Youssouf’s leadership will be closely watched as he navigates the commission through this turbulent period.

The post Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf elected as African Union Commission chairperson first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

The inauguration of the new president took place at Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC. His running mate, JD Vance, was sworn in by Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

In his inaugural speech, Trump said the golden age of America begins right now, adding that he will end the weaponisation of the justice department.

“The scale of justice will be rebalanced and vicious, violent and unfair weaponisation of the justice department and government will end,” he said.

“From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.”

Recollecting the assassination attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania while he was on the campaign trail, Trump said his “life was saved” by the grace of God to make America great again.

Trump has relayed religious imagery following the assassination attempt, with some of his supporters at the Republican National Convention viewing his survival as divine intervention.

Trump won the US presidential election on November 6, 2024, after exceeding the magic number of 270 electoral college votes by six extra points.

Kamala Harris, former vice-president, had 219 electoral college votes in the tightly contested poll.

The Republican has now made a return to the White House after serving as the 45th president of the US from 2017-2021.

The president said he would sign a number of executive actions on his first day in office to “reshape” America.

The post Donald Trump sworn in as 47th US president, says scale of justice will be rebalanced first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

Obi spoke in post share on his X handle on Tuesday to congratulate Mahama on his inauguration as the president of Ghana.

Mahama was sworn in in Accra, Ghana’s capital on Tuesday after winning the presidential election last December, polling polling 56.55 percent of the vote cast, to defeat Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), with 41.6 percent.

Mahama has previously served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2016.

In his congratulatory message, Obi prayed for the new Ghana’s president to have the wisdom and willpower to prioritise the welfare of the people.

“My dear elder brother, President John Dramani Mahama @JDMahama, as you take the oath of office today as President of Ghana, I would like to heartily congratulate you once again and wish you a fruitful tenure,” he wrote.

“On December 7th, 2024, the people of Ghana spoke loudly in an unmistakable voice that they wanted a reset of their country and gave you the mandate to do it.

“My earnest prayer is that God Almighty will be with you and grant you the wisdom and willpower to prioritize the welfare of Ghana’s people rather than the few.

“You should strive to always be exemplary in your commitment to the masses and dedication to inclusive development.

“I extend my heartfelt wishes to you and the people of Ghana as they embark on this journey of hope and resilience.

“May this new chapter be marked by peace, prosperity, and the realization of their collective aspirations. Congratulations once again, my dear brother. May your leadership continue to illuminate the path for a stronger Ghana and a better Africa of Kwame Nkrumah’s dreams.

The post Be exemplary in commitment to the masses, inclusive development, Peter Obi tells Ghana’s John Mahama first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

The post 91-year-old Paul Biya seeks eight term in Cameroon’s presidential poll in 2026 first appeared on The Times of Abuja.

Harris made her choice on Tuesday through a video call to Walz, elevating the former teacher and army national guard veteran to join the Democratic ticket and help lead the party’s fight to defeat former President Donald Trump.

CNN reports that Walz emerged from the most accelerated vice-presidential search in modern history from a shortlist that included half a dozen Democrats, including Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro and Arizona senator Mark Kelly.

The vice-president held in-person interviews with Walz, Shapiro and Kelly on Sunday.

In a remarkable two-week period, Walz ascended from a third-tier candidate to a final contender in the view of Harris and her vetting team. He was propelled by support from across the Democratic Party, progressive and moderate groups alike.

“He talks and looks like a lot of the voters we’ve lost to Trump,” said a longtime Democratic operative who was supportive of Walz from the day President Joe Biden stepped aside.

In March, Walz accompanied Harris when she became the first sitting vice president to visit a clinic that performs abortions.

A source close to Walz said that visit, along with the time Harris spent with the governor as he campaigned for reelection in 2022, had a “big impact.”

“The chemistry was really important to Harris, and it really clicked for both of them,” the source said. “Then, on top of that, the Harris campaign, like all of us, saw how energizing Walz was for the base.”

Trump’s campaign has already begun crafting a narrative around Harris decision on Walz, with one source saying the vice president “bent the knee to the anti-semitic, anti-Israel left and chosen someone as dangerously liberal as she is.”

Shapiro, considered another finalist for the role, is Jewish and has been critical of some demonstrators who have protested Israel’s war against Hamas.

Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Walz “has spent his governorship trying to reshape Minnesota in the image of the Golden State.”

The post Kamala Harris announces Tim Walz as running mate first appeared on The Times of Abuja.