Day: September 10, 2022

Ethiopia slammed a request Friday by the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia who urged the UN Security Council to “take action” against the country.

The experts made the request Sept. 7, two weeks after the resumption of fighting between federal forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebels, shattering a five-month humanitarian truce.

“The Commission has no competence or proper appreciation of the conflict triggered by the TPLF in violation of the humanitarian truce,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The Commission’s ultra vires and blatant call for action against Ethiopia by the Security Council only show the reckless behavior of the Commission and vindicates the Government’s assertion that the resolution establishing the Commission, and the works of the Commission are politically motivated.”

“The Commission weaponized human rights for political pressure and exposed its true intentions, foreclosing all doors of cooperation with the Government,” according to the statement.

It said Ethiopia would continue to respect and ensure respect for human rights and bridging violations to justice.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Star players, including Mauro Icardi, Michy Batshuayi, Dele Alli and Maxi Gomez made their way to Türkiye during the 2022 summer transfer window that closed Thursday.

Galatasaray in Istanbul had a very busy transfer window for the 2022-23 campaign.

They signed several players including Argentine forward Icardi from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), 2010 FIFA World Cup winner Juan Mata, Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira from Arsenal, Portuguese midfielder Sergio Oliveira from Porto and Belgian forward Dries Mertens, who left Italy’s Napoli.

This summer the Lions sold Brazilian central defender Marcao to Spain’s Sevilla for €12 million ($12.2 million).

In addition, Egyptian forward Mostafa Mohamed joined Nantes on loan.

According to the German football data website, Transfermarkt, Galatasaray spent €31.5 million to buy players but earned €13 million selling several, including Marcao.

Fernandes, Dele Alli, Weghorst move to Besiktas

Besiktas, another football powerhouse from Istanbul, strengthened their squad by adding Portuguese midfielder Gedson Fernandes from Benfica, French right-back Valentin Rosier, Congolese forward Jackson Muleka, Everton’s Dele Alli and Dutch forward Wout Weghorst from Burnley.

Turkish forward Cenk Tosun returned to Besiktas from Everton and the club signed English winger Nathan Redmond on free transfer.

Besiktas spent €19.05 million but received €10 million.

The Turkish trio of Emirhan Ilkhan, Ridvan Yilmaz and Serdar Saatci left the Black Eagles.

Midfielder Ilkhan was sold to Italy’s Torino for €4.5 million. Left-back Yilmaz joined Scottish team Rangers for €4 million and defender Saatci was purchased by Portugal’s Braga for a €1.5 million transfer fee.

Canadian forward Cyle Larin, Croatian central defender Domagoj Vida and Brazilian midfielder Alex Teixeira left Besiktas when their contracts expired in July.

Fenerbahce acquire Peres, Pedro, Batshuayi, sell Kim

One of the title contenders in the Super Lig, Fenerbahce, bought players such as Uruguayan winger Diego Rossi from the US’ Los Angeles FC, Brazilian defender Luan Peres from Olympique Marseille, Italian forward Joao Pedro, Belgian forward Batshuayi from Chelsea, Brazilian midfielders Lincoln and Willian Arao and Turkish winger Emre Mor.

The club signed Watford’s Norwegian forward Joshua King on free transfer.

South Korean defender Kim Min-jae was a target for European clubs with Napoli making the purchase from Fenerbahce for €18.05 million.

Turkish midfielder Ozan Tufan left Fenerbahce for England’s Hull City.

Marcel Tisserand was another Fenerbahce player who left this summer.

Fenerbahce paid a €29.81 million transfer fee for summer signings but earned at least €30 million.

Trabzonspor sign Trezeguet, Maxi Gomez, Marc Bartra

Defending Turkish champions Trabzonspor had several signings including Egyptian winger Trezeguet from Aston Villa, Uruguayan forward Maxi Gomez from Valencia and Spanish defender Marc Bartra from Real Betis.

North Macedonian midfielder Enis Bardhi and Turkish forward Umut Bozok were the other Trabzonspor arrivals.

Lille’s Turkish attacking midfielder Yusuf Yazici returned to Trabzonspor as he joined his former club on loan.

The club spent €18.8 million on the new signings.

Trabzonspor sold Turkish defender Ahmetcan Kaplan to Dutch team Ajax, Danish forward Andreas Cornelius to Copenhagen and Turkish midfielder Berat Ozdemir to Saudi club Ettifaq FC.

The Turkish team’s Nigerian regular Anthony Nwakaeme left Trabzonspor once his deal expired.

The club earned €19.3 million after selling players including Kaplan for €9.5 million, Cornelius at €6 million and Ozdemir for €2.4 million.

Super Lig’s most expensive signings

Galatasaray’s duo of Torreira and Yusuf Demir and Besiktas’ midfielder Fernandes were the most expensive transfers this summer.

The Lions paid a €6 million transfer fee for Arsenal to sign Torreira and spent the same amount to snap up Austrian winger Demir from Rapid Vienna.

Like Galatasaray, Besiktas spent €6 million to add Fernandes from Portuguese club Benfica.

Additionally, Olympique Marseille received €5.3 million to let Brazilian defender Peres join Fenerbahce.

Super Lig clubs sign 243 players

Turkish Super Lig clubs acquired 243 players in the summer transfer window.

There were 138 footballers signed from 37 foreign leagues and 105 others from Türkiye.

A club from the Turkish Mediterranean region, Adana Demirspor, had the most signings with 22 new players.

Nigerian winger Henry Onyekuru, Russian forward Artem Dzyuba, Ukrainian defender Yaroslav Rakitskyi were their big-name arrivals.

But the club’s Italian star Mario Balotelli was sold to Switzerland’s FC Sion for €2.62 million in August.

The Turkish top-flight division’s oldest signing was Serkan Kirintili.

Umraniyespor’s Turkish goalkeeper is 37 years, 6 months and 25 days. He left Alanyaspor in July.

The youngest signing was Enver Sarialioglu. The Istanbulspor midfielder is 18 years, 2 months and 14 days.

Sarialioglu joined newly promoted Istanbulspor from Trabzonspor U19 team earlier this week.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Central African energy ministers announced a plan Friday to boost energy supply in the region after signing a deal to construct an oil and gas pipeline network.

Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, Angola, Congo and the Republic of Congo inked the deal at the Central Africa Business Forum which concluded in Douala, Cameroon.

Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, said the countries are committed to increasing energy production in the region.

The deal to “build three gas pipelines measuring about 6,500 kilometers” (4,000 miles) is aimed at “ensuring the survival of the entire region in the energy sector,” he said.

At least three refineries and power plants fired by gas linking 11 countries will also be built under the deal

The goal is to eradicate energy poverty by 2030, create energy security for the future and create an energy market in the African sub-region, said Lima.

While most of the countries that signed the deal lack sufficient refining capacity, Lima said regional financial institutions were ready to finance the projects.

Oil reserves in Central Africa are estimated at 31.3 billion barrels. Of the top 10 oil reserves in Africa, five are in the region: Gabon, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Angola.

The forum said there is a need to invest in heavy energy infrastructure for common benefits through pooling resources and turning to south-south foreign direct investment.

Secretary-General Omar Farouk Ibrahim from the APPO, the organization of African oil-producing countries, expressed support in June for the project to build the pipelines.

Source: Anadolu Agency