Senegal's Constitutional Council declines jurisdiction over Ousmane Sonko's return to National Assembly
via Lefaso.net1 min read
On June 17, 2026, Senegal's Constitutional Council declared itself incompetent to rule on a petition filed by opposition deputies concerning Ousmane Sonko's reintegration into the National Assembly. The petitioners challenged the legality of the former Prime Minister's return to Parliament, arguing it might contradict provisions governing incompatibilities between governmental functions and a parliamentary mandate. They contended that such a situation required a regular validation procedure before the resumption of a parliamentary mandate. However, after reviewing the case, the Constitutional Council determined that the matter was not within its jurisdiction, thereby concluding the proceedings before the high court.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Lefaso.net.
Burkina Faso's Superior Council of Communication CSC has fined Canal+ International 50 million CFA francs for failing to meet its contractual obligations regarding the accessibility of national public channels within Burkina Faso. The decision follows Canal+ International's non-compliance with an agreement signed on February 14, 2025, which stipulates the free and unconditional broadcast of Radiodiffusion Télévision du Burkina RTB channels to subscribers in Burkina Faso, even after their subscriptions expire. Despite a grace period for technical adjustments and a formal notice issued in April 2025, the CSC found that difficulties persisted, including the requirement for users to send an SMS to activate free access. The regulatory body stated that an ultimatum set for June 11, 2026, went unheeded, constituting a violation of the convention and demonstrating a lack of commitment. Canal+ International has 30 days to pay the fine and another 30 days to remove all obstacles to free access for RTB channels without requiring SMS activation or other steps from subscribers. Failure to comply with this injunction could lead to "higher-degree sanctions." The CSC also reminded Canal+ of its obligation to maintain permanent accessibility of Burkinabe public channels for other active subscribers residing outside Burkina Faso.
Must ReadBurkina Faso's Permanent Secretariat for Innovation and Monitoring of Emerging Digital Technologies held a national workshop on June 17, 2026, to validate the national artificial intelligence AI roadmap for 2026-2030. This roadmap aims to structure the national vision and guide public and private actions towards a responsible, inclusive, and competitive technological ecosystem. Burkina Faso intends to use AI as a tool to serve national realities and needs, respecting the country's priorities, values, and sovereignty. Jonas Michel Somé, Secretary General of the Ministry of Digital Transition, stated that the roadmap will serve as a national reference framework to guide public action and unite initiatives around established priorities. Its development involved public administrations, the private sector, academia, research centers, civil society, the diaspora, and technical and financial partners. The roadmap's implementation is expected to strengthen institutional and strategic foundations for AI governance, promote digital infrastructure and services, support data production and security, develop national AI competencies, foster research and innovation, and ensure ethical, responsible, secure, and inclusive AI use. Dr. Yaya Traoré, Permanent Secretary for Innovation and Monitoring of Emerging Digital Technologies, explained that the roadmap defines priority areas and actions, including AI solutions for education, health, and administration, based on challenges identified in th
Must ReadBrussels is preparing to tighten its trade policies with China through anti-dumping and anti-subsidy instruments, scrutiny of foreign public support in mergers and public procurement, and making supply chain security a condition for market access. Five states—France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and Lithuania—are advocating for faster and broader tools, though Germany's absence from this call is notable. European concerns stem from sluggish growth, deindustrialization, and high deficits. However, the Draghi report, commissioned by the European Commission, attributes these issues primarily to internal factors such as innovation delays, prohibitive energy costs since 2022, and a fragmented capital market. The report suggests that these problems cannot be solved by tariffs and highlights an annual investment gap of approximately 800 billion euros. The automotive sector illustrates this, with divided votes on tariffs for Chinese electric vehicles, and Brussels later considering minimum prices. The European business community's perspective differs from Brussels, with a 2025 German Chamber of Commerce in China report indicating that 92% of German companies plan to maintain their presence in the Chinese market, and over half intend to increase investments in the next two years. European chambers of commerce have also warned that excessive focus on supply chain security could increase costs and weaken competitiveness. The article argues that while "de-risking" is legitimate, a protecti