Marcos appoints new chief minister in Philippines’ only Muslim region

In this file photo, Abdulraof Macacua poses for a photo at an Eid Al-Fitr celebration in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao on April 22, 2023. (Governor Abdulraof A. Macacua via Facebook)
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Updated 10 March 2025
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Marcos appoints new chief minister in Philippines’ only Muslim region

  • Abdulraof Macacua is the governor of Maguindanao del Norte and senior MILF leader
  • New leader appointed only 7 months before Bangsamoro’s first parliamentary elections

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed a new interim chief minister to oversee the only Muslim-majority territory in the Philippines, as the region prepares for its first parliamentary elections in October.

Bangsamoro was at the heart of a four-decades-long separatist struggle until 2014, when the Philippine government struck a permanent ceasefire agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, paving the way for peace and autonomy in the region home to the biggest Muslim population in the predominantly Catholic country.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was formed in 2019 as part of the region’s transition to autonomy, which will culminate in October this year, when it will elect its legislature and executive.

Until then, BARMM’s leadership is currently under a transition authority appointed by the Philippine president.

Marcos has appointed Abdulraof Macacua, the governor of Maguindanao del Norte — a province within the Bangsamoro region — to replace Murad Ebrahim, who had served as BARMM’s chief minister since 2019.

The change in leadership was confirmed on Sunday by Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro.

“This transition comes at a crucial time as the Bangsamoro region prepares for a significant milestone — its first parliamentary elections in October this year,” Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said in a statement on Monday.

“For the continuity and success of the Bangsamoro peace agreement, we place our trust in Interim Chief Minister Macacua as he takes the helm of governance.”

Macacua’s appointment was welcomed by Yshmael “Mang” I. Sali, the governor of Bangsamoro’s Tawi-Tawi province.

“We stand firmly behind the new leadership as we work together toward the goals of the Bangsamoro Government for the benefit of all its constituents,” Sali said.

Macacua, 67, has been a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority since 2019. Also known as Sammy Gambar, he was a senior MILF leader and had served as chief of staff of MILF’s armed wing.

Rikard Jalkebro, an expert on Muslim Mindanao and associate professor at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, said the “unexpected” change in BARMM’s leadership “carries significant political, governance and security” implications.

“It signals that (the palace) is not happy (or) confident that things are moving in the right direction,” Jalkebro told Arab News.

The last-minute leadership change may create uncertainties for ongoing governance programs, development initiatives and election preparations.

“Ebrahim was leading the BARMM transition with policies aligned with the peace process. Will Macacua continue these policies, or will he introduce new priorities that alter the region’s political and economic trajectory?” he said.

Though Macacua is also part of MILF, his appointment may also “indicate internal rifts within the organization,” according to Jalkebro.

As such, how the MILF and other Bangsamoro stakeholders react to the latest development in the coming months “will be critical” in determining “whether this shift strengthens or destabilizes” the transition process.

“The transition from a rebel movement to a formal political entity is delicate, and any perception of unfair political maneuvers could create tensions, particularly among grassroots MILF supporters,” Jalkebro said.

“The long-term effect will hinge on whether Macacua can maintain stability, ensure a fair election, and uphold BARMM’s autonomy without undue national government interference. This moment is a critical test for the future of Bangsamoro self-governance.”


Kardashian ‘grateful’ after Paris robbers convicted

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Kardashian ‘grateful’ after Paris robbers convicted

PARIS: A French court on Friday convicted a gang of robbers who stole $10 million in jewelry from reality TV star Kim Kardashian in a Paris hotel in 2016, although they will not return to jail and the verdicts were more lenient than requested by the prosecution.
Describing the heist as “the most terrifying experience of my life,” Kardashian swiftly expressed her gratitude to the French authorities for pursuing “justice” in the case.
Nine men and one woman have been on trial since April and prosecutors sought the toughest jail terms — 10 years — for the four men accused of carrying out the robbery.
Aomar Ait Khedache, 69, the ringleader, was handed the heaviest sentence of three years in prison plus five years suspended, but due to time served in jail will not return to detention, like all the others convicted.
Two other suspects accused of handing information about the American superstar’s whereabouts were acquitted. All the sentences were substantially lower than the terms demanded by the prosecution.
Kardashian, then 35, was robbed while staying at an exclusive hotel in the French capital on the night of October 2-3, 2016.
She was threatened with a gun to the head and tied up, with her mouth taped.
Kardashian said after the verdict she she was “deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice.”
“The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family,” she said in a statement sent by her lawyers.
“While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all,” she added.


After the hearing adjourned, the convicted men embraced their loved ones in relief and slowly left the courtroom, taking with them the bags and suitcases they had prepared in case of imprisonment.
“The sentences are quite lenient; I understand that you understand that you have caused harm,” presiding judge David De Pas told them as he read out the verdicts.
He also said “the state of health of the main protagonists ethically prohibits incarcerating anyone. It would have been unjust to take you to prison this evening.”
Aomar Ait Khedache had begged to be forgiven in his final statement ahead of sentencing.
Khedache is now virtually mute and completely deaf, and his statement was read out by his lawyer.
“I ask for forgiveness. I can’t find the words. I am very sorry,” he wrote, asking for “a thousand pardons” from his son Harminy, who was convicted for acting as a driver on the night of the heist.
Two other men convicted of carrying out the robbery on the night, Yunice Abbas, 71, and Didier Dubreucq, 69, were sentenced to seven years jail including five suspended. Dubreucq was absent as he is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer.
The fourth member of the robbery gang, Marc-Alexandre Boyer, at 35 the only youngster, was given the same sentence.
Kardashian’s lawyers said in a statement that the star “looks forward to putting this tragic episode behind her, as she continues working to improve the criminal justice system on behalf of victims, the innocent, and the incarcerated seeking to redeem themselves.”
Most of the stolen valuables were never recovered, including a diamond ring given to Kardashian by her then-husband, rapper Kanye West.
The ring alone was valued at 3.5 million euros ($3.9 million).
The robbery was the biggest against a private individual in France in 20 years.
Most of the accused are now in their 60s and 70s and have been dubbed the “Grandpa robbers” by French media.
But making the sentencing demands earlier this week, the prosecutor urged the judges and jury to remember that Kardashian was targeted by a violent attack and not to be taken in by the “wrinkles” of the defendants.
The American star testified at the trial, wearing a diamond necklace valued at $3 million, according to its New York-based creator Samer Halimeh.
During the trial, Kardashian told the court she forgave Khedache after hearing a letter of apology from him.
“I forgive you for what has taken place but it does not change the emotion, the feelings, the trauma and the way my life changed,” she told Khedache, adding that she believed in a “second chance.”
Kardashian, sometimes described as “famous for being famous,” became well known in the early 2000s through TV reality shows, before launching fashion brands and appearing in films.

France’s Deneuve joins over 900 cinema figures on Gaza petition

Updated 15 min 12 sec ago
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France’s Deneuve joins over 900 cinema figures on Gaza petition

CANNES: France’s Catherine Deneuve has joined over 900 cinema figures who have signed an open letter denouncing alleged “genocide” in Gaza and the movie industry’s failure to speak up about it, organizers said on Friday.
The petition began circulating during the buildup to the Cannes film festival and had garnered around 380 names, including “Schindler’s List” star Ralph Fiennes, when the event kicked off on May 13.
An update by organizers on Friday included more than 900 names, including Deneuve, British director Danny Boyle, and Swedish actor Gustaf Skarsgard.
The initiative, called “Artists for Fatem,” was sparked by the killing of Palestinian photojournalist Fatima (“Fatem“) Hassouna, who was the subject of a documentary that premiered at Cannes week.
Hassouna, 25, was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with 10 relatives in her family home in northern Gaza last month, the day after the documentary was announced as part of the ACID Cannes selection.
“As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza and this unspeakable news is hitting our communities hard,” the open letter says.
Other signatories include Juliette Binoche, who is chairing the jury at Cannes, Rooney Mara, Jonathan Glazer, US indie director Jim Jarmusch, “Lupin” star Omar Sy, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Pedro Almodovar, and
Mark Ruffalo.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is in Cannes to promote a documentary about his life, has also signed the letter, organizers said Friday.
He posed for photographers on Tuesday with a T-shirt bearing the names of killed Gaza children.
On Thursday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 3,613 people had been killed in the territory since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, taking the war’s overall toll to 53,762, mostly civilians.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack triggered the war.


2026 election: Djibouti president leaves door open to sixth term

Updated 20 min 35 sec ago
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2026 election: Djibouti president leaves door open to sixth term

ADDIS ABABA: Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in power since 1999, did not rule out running for a sixth term in next year’s election despite a constitutional ban on doing so, in an interview published on Friday.
Asked about a potential candidacy in April 2026 in the interview with The Africa Report, the 77-year-old said: “I won’t answer that.”
“What I can say is that I love my country too much to lead it into a reckless venture or sow division,” he added.
Running in the 2026 race would require changing the constitution, which prohibits candidates older than 75.
Guelleh won 97 percent of the vote in the 2021 election, and his UMP party currently holds a majority in parliament.

BACKGROUND

Ismail Omar Guelleh won 97 percent of the vote in the 2021 election, and his UMP party currently holds a majority in parliament.

Guelleh, known as “IOG,” succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon — who led Djibouti to independence from France in 1977 — after serving as his chief of staff for 22 years.
Djibouti is a stable state in a troubled region that has become a key strategic base for major powers, with the US, France, and China all maintaining a military presence there.
The Horn of Africa country, bordering Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea, is one of the least populated on the continent, with around one million inhabitants.


Helmsman of cargo ship run aground in Norway ‘was likely asleep’

Updated 26 min 6 sec ago
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Helmsman of cargo ship run aground in Norway ‘was likely asleep’

OSLO: The helmsman of a huge container ship that ran aground in Norway just a stone’s throw away from a cabin as its owner slept was probably asleep as well at the time of the accident, Norwegian media reported on Friday.
“Only one person was on the bridge at the time. He was steering the vessel, but did not change course when entering the Trondheim fjord as he should have,” the news agency NTB reported.
“Police have received information from others who were on board that he was asleep,” police official Kjetil Bruland Sorensen told NTB.
The 135-meter NCL Salten sailed up onto shore just meters from Johan Helberg’s wooden cabin around dawn on Thursday.
Helberg discovered the unexpected visitor only when a panicked neighbor who had rung his doorbell repeatedly to no avail gave up and called him on the phone.

It’s a very bulky new neighbor but it will soon go away.

Johan Helberg

“The doorbell rang at a time of day when I don’t like to open,” Helberg told television channel TV2.
His neighbor, Jostein Jorgensen, said he was roused at around 5 a.m. by the sound of a ship heading at full speed toward land and immediately ran to Helberg’s house.
None of the cargo’s 16 crew members were injured, and Norwegian police have opened an investigation.
“We are aware of the police stating that they have one suspect, and we continue to assist the police and authorities in their ongoing investigation,” the NCL shipping group said on Friday.
“We are also conducting internal inquiries but prefer not to speculate further,” it added.
Efforts to refloat the ship have failed so far, and the massive red and green container ship remained stuck, looming over the small cabin.


UN urges warring sides in South Sudan to ‘pull back from the brink’

Updated 31 min 6 sec ago
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UN urges warring sides in South Sudan to ‘pull back from the brink’

  • The human rights situation risks further deterioration as fighting intensifies, Volker Turk says

GENEVA: The UN rights chief has urged warring sides in South Sudan to pull back from the brink, warning that the human rights situation risks further deterioration as fighting intensifies.
“The escalating hostilities in South Sudan portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation, and undermining the country’s fragile peace process,” said the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
“All parties must urgently pull back from the brink,” he added.
Since May 3, fighting has intensified, with OHCHR citing reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardment and river and ground offensives by the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces SSPDF on Sudan People’s Liberation Army positions in parts of Fangak in Jonglei State and in Tonga County in Upper Nile.
Clashes between South Sudan’s army and fighters backing the rival to President Salva Kiir have killed at least 75 civilians since February, the UN human rights chief said on Friday.
Dozens more have been injured and thousands forced to flee their homes, said the commissioner.
He expressed concern over arbitrary detentions and a rise in hate speech since February.

BACKGROUND

South Sudan, the world's youngest country after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, was plunged into a violent civil war between 2013 and 2018 that claimed around 400,000 lives.

South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan in 2011, was plunged into a civil war between 2013 and 2018 that left around 400,000 dead and 4 million displaced.
A 2018 power-sharing agreement between the warring parties had allowed for a precarious calm.
But for several months, violent clashes have set President Kiir’s faction against supporters of his rival, Vice President Riek Machar, who was arrested in March.
Civilian-populated areas have been struck, including a medical facility operated by medical charity Doctors Without Borders or MSF,  Turk said.
According to a UN estimate in mid-April, around 125,000 people have been displaced since the escalation of tensions.
Turk said dozens of opposition politicians linked to the SPLM-IO had been arrested, including Machar, ministers, MPs and army officers, as had civilians.