South Africa: New Tighter COVID-19 Restrictions
PRETORIA, 18 June 2021 – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced new, stricter restrictions as the country faces a third wave of COVID-19. A nationwide curfew will now begin at 10 pm and remain in force until dawn the next day. Public gatherings remain...
Ethiopia: Tigray Starvation Worse than Thought
ADDIS ABABA, 18 June 2021 - The United Nations humanitarian chief says the starvation in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region is much worse than previously thought. There is now famine in Tigray, Mark Lowcock told the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, according...
Cote d’Ivoire: Laurent Gbagbo Returns Home
ABIDJAN, 18 June 2021 – The former president of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, has returned to the country after almost a decade of absence. The former leader returns home after being cleared of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal...
Nigeria: Gunmen Abduct Students
BIRNIN KEBBI, 18 June 2021 - Unidentified gunmen killed a police officer, injured one student, and abducted at least 80 other students from a mixed boarding school in Kebbi state, northwestern Nigeria. The abductees, who included five teachers, were still in captivity...
Kenya: New COVID-19 Restrictions Imposed
NAIROBI, 18 June 2021 – Kenyan authorities have declared the western part of the country a COVID-19 hotspot, imposing new and stricter restrictions. All but essential travel between, into, and out of 13 counties in western Kenya will be "strongly discouraged"...
Ambazonia: Calls for Tougher Sanctions against Cameroun
BUEA, 17 June 2021 – Southern Cameroonian liberation movements signatories to the Swiss-led Process have lauded America’s policy of visa restrictions, but want tougher sanctions. In a statement released Wednesday night, Team Ambazonia also known as (aka) the Ambazonia...
Zambia: Kenneth Kaunda Dies at 97
LUSAKA, 17 June 2021 – Zambia’s founding president and one of the last in the generation of Africa’s independence leaders, Kenneth Kaunda, has died. He was 97. "I am sad to inform we have lost Mzee," Kaunda's son, Kambarage, wrote on his late father's Facebook page,...
Mozambique: Probe into Allegations of Prison Prostitution
MAPUTO, 17 June 2021 – Judicial authorities in Mozambique are probing allegations that staff at a women’s prison have been forcing inmates into prostitution. Prisoners from Ndlavela Women’s Penitentiary in the capital, Maputo, have been taken to nearby guest houses to...
Ambazonia: Four Cameroonian Officers Killed in Ambush
BUEA, 17 June 2021 – Four officers of Cameroon’s armed and security forces have been killed in an ambush in the breakaway republic of Ambazonia. The victims were identified Wednesday as two police and two gendarme officers. Four other officers are missing, reportedly...
Liberia: Search for COVID-Positive People
MONROVIA, 17 June 2021 – Liberian officials are searching for nearly 140 people who tested positive for COVID-19 but have neither turned up for treatment nor have isolated. Efforts to trace the patients have been unsuccessful so far, Liberia’s health minister...
Uganda: Military Court Releases 18 on Bail
KAMPALA, 17 June 2021 - Eighteen opposition supporters have been released on bail by a military court in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The 18 were arrested last December during a campaign rally they had organized for singer turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi, also...
Somalia: Relations with Kenya Normalized
MOGADISHU, 17 June 2021 - Somali authorities say they have normalized diplomatic relations with neighboring Kenya after the latter lifted a ban on flights to and from Mogadishu. On Wednesday, Somalia’s foreign minister called on Kenya to reopen its diplomatic mission...
Tanzania: Ending Exports of Raw Gold
DAR ES SALAAM, 17 June 2021 – The Tanzanian government has inaugurated a $5.2 million gold refining plant under an initiative aimed at ending exports of raw gold. The Mwanza Precious Metals Refinery factory is the third such new factory established in the east African...
Africa: Dozens of Migrants Feared Dead
LAHIJ, 17 June 2021 - Dozens of African migrants are feared dead after a boat carrying them reportedly capsized off the coast of Yemen. At least 25 bodies have been recovered in the water near Ras al-Ara, according to news reports citing fishermen in the Lahij...
South Sudan: Nationwide COVID-19 Vaccinations Resume
JUBA, 17 June 2021 – More than 16,000 people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in South Sudan, according to health authorities. It is an insignificant number of people incouldated so far a country of 13 million inhabitants. Last March, Africa’s youngest nation...
Egypt: Death Penalty Confirmed for Muslim Brotherhood
CAIRO, 17 June 2021 – The death penalty ruling handed down to twelve members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been upheld by an Egyptian court. Those condemned to death include two senior officials of the Muslim Brotherhood. The court of cassation reduced the sentence...
Tanzania: CPJ Advocates for a Free Press
DODOMA, 17 June 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Tanzania to adopt reforms to guarantee press freedom. "We write to urge you to take all necessary steps to ensure a free and safe environment for journalists,” the CPJ said in an open...
Zimbabwe: Land Re-acquisition Program Slammed
HARARE, 16 June 2021 - Siphosami Malunga, the son of a Zimbabwean national hero, Sydney Malunga, is protesting plans by the government to seize farmland owned by his family. Under the plan, Zimbabwean authorities seize privately-owned farms in order to redistribute to...
Kenya: Elephant Naming Festival
NAIROBI, 16 June 2021 - Kenya’s tourism ministry has launched an elephant-naming festival in furtherance of its initiative to promote wildlife conservation. Under the initiative, individuals who contribute at least a minimum amount in support of conservation will be...
Mali: UN Calls for Free and Fair Elections
NEW YORK, 16 June 2021 – The United Nations Security Council has called on the junta in Mali to organize free and fair elections to return the country to civilian rule. The Security Council called on the junta in Bamako, Mali’s capital, to take immediate action on the...
South Africa: Police Fail to Stop Rush for Stones
JOHANNESBURG, 16 June 2021 - Police in South Africa’s Kwazulu-Natal have failed in preventing people from searching for what they believe are precious stones. A man herding cattle was first to find the rare stones after which rumors spread that the stones were either...
Uganda: New Portrait of Museveni Coming Onstream
KAMPALA, 16 June 2021 – Public offices across Uganda have been invited to replace an old portrait of President Yoweri Museveni with a more recent one. Officials in charge of such offices have been invited to place orders with the government printers for copies of the...
Somalia: Fifteen Killed in Suicide Bombing
MOGADISHU, 16 June 2021 – At least fifteen Somali soldiers have been killed Tuesday in a suicide bomb attack at a military training base in the capital, Mogadishu. The suicide bomber posed as a military trainee, according to eyewitnesses. The fake identity allowed the...
Rwanda: Fresh Spike in COVID Cases and Deaths
KIGALI, 15 June 2021 – Rwanda is seeing another spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths despite ongoing vaccinations, the country’s health ministry said Monday. New infections rose to 1,307 in the seven days to Sunday, up from 334 in the previous week, according to the...
Nigeria: Islamist Militants Release Ten Captors
MAIDUGURI, 15 June 2021 - Islamist militants in northern Nigeria have freed ten people who were abducted and have been held in captivity for five months. One of the ten is an aid worker by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). A spokesperson for the UNHCR...
Zambia: KK Receiving Treatment for Pneumonia
LUSAKA, 15 June 2021 – Zambia’s founding father, Kenneth Kaunda (KK), is in hospital, receiving treatment for pneumonia, one of his aides has said. The 97-year-old KK has asked people to pray for him, according to a statement issued Monday by one of his aides. The...
Mozambique: Spike in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths
MAPUTO, 15 June 2021 – Public health officials in Mozambique are on high alert as COVID-19 cases spike and fatalities from the pandemic rise. Over the last fortnight, the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in the country have risen to 773 from 442 cases over the...
Egypt: First Locally-Made COVID-19 Vaccines
CAIRO, 14 June 2021 - Egypt will this week begin producing its first packs of locally manufactured Sinovac new coronavirus vaccine. The expected rollout of the vaccines was announced by Egyptian Prime Minister, Mostafa Madbouly. Egypt received its first shipment of...
Kenya: Resumption of Flights to Somalia
NAIROBI, 14 June 2021 – The ban on direct flights from Kenya to Somalia and vice-versa has been lifted, less than a month since it was imposed. In announcing the move, Kenya’s foreign minister said he hopes it will lead to full normalization of diplomatic relations...
Ethiopia: Elections Postponed in Two Federal States
ADDIS ABABA, 14 June 2021 – Elections have been postponed until next September in two of Ethiopia’s federal states, the electoral board has confirmed. The two states are Somali and Harari. "For some constituencies, the election will be done in a second-round on 6...
Uganda: Record COVID-19 Cases and Deaths
KAMPALA, 14 June 2021 - Uganda has established a new record in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths confirmed per day in the East African nation. A total of 1,438 out of 8,478 people tested positive for the virus in tests conducted last June 8, according to...
South Africa: Sale of Stake in South African Airways
JOHANNESBURG, 14 June 2021 – The government of South Africa is proceeding with a plan to sell a 51 percent stake in the country’s national airliner. The Takatso Consortium, which is taking up the stake, will pay $220 million for it, according to South Africa’s Public...
Burundi: Muslim Leaders Agree to Stop Noisy Service
BUJUMBURA, 13 June 2021 – A call for religious leaders not to hold noisy worship sessions has irked some in the Muslim community in Burundi. Other Muslim leaders have distanced themselves from a fellow Muslim cleric, Ndikumana Rashid, who criticized Burundian...
Zimbabwe: Woman Sues Police Seeking $3 Million
HARARE, 13 June 2021 - A 63-year-old Zimbabwean woman is suing the police boss and home affairs minister for police allegedly assaulting her. Lydia Chapalapata is demanding $3 million in compensation for injuries she sustained and treatment she received after being...
Nigeria: U.S. Condemns Twitter Ban
WASHINGTON, DC, 13 June 2021 – The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has condemned the Nigerian government for its ban on Twitter. The order has no place in a democracy, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department Ned Price told reporters on Thursday. Price...
Ethiopia: Addis Denies Reports of Famine
ADDIS ABABA, 12 June 2021 - The government of Ethiopia has denied reports by the United Nations that famine looms in the country’s northern regions, especially in Tigray. Addis Ababa has said the claims of hundreds of thousands of people living in famine conditions is...
Algeria: Early Legislative Elections Underway
ALGIERS, 12 June 2021 – Algerians are casting votes Saturday in parliamentary elections boycotted by the main opposition and the Hirak protest movement. Critics say the early elections are really meant to grant a semblance of democracy to a regime that is the civilian...
Ghana: Planting Five Million Trees
ACCRA, 11 June 2021 – Ghana on Friday embarked on an ambitious operation to plant five million trees in a single day, local media coverage said on Friday. All Ghanaians citizens were invited during long weeks of campaigns to take part in planting at least one tree as...
South Africa-Lesotho: Diplomats Asked to Leave
PRETORIA, 11 June 2021 - Several diplomats from Lesotho have been given 72 hours to leave South Africa over allegations of the illegal sale of duty-free alcohol. The diplomats have “abused their diplomatic privileges”, South African authorities said in a statement...
Mozambique: Safety of Civilians a Big Concern
MAPUTO, 11 June 2021 - The United Nations is deeply concerned over the insecurity and violence on civilians in northern Mozambique by jihadists militants. The northern province of Cabo Delgado continues to witness widespread acts of violence, with local people telling...
Nambia: Hospitals Overwhelmed by COVID-19 Cases
WINDHOEK, 10 June 2021 – Hospitals in Namibia are overwhelmed by high numbers of new coronavirus infections and deaths from the virus. Over the last seven days, 91 people have died from the pandemic, according to data maintained by the country’s health ministry. Our...
Egypt: Ramses III Linked to Saudi Peninsula
CAIRO, 11 June 2021 - Archaeologist are planning an excavation project in Saudi Arabia to determine the connections of Pharaoh Ramses III with the Arabian Peninsula. World renown Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass will lead the project initiated after several...
Ethiopia-Djibouti: Chinese-built Rail Earns $29 Million
ADDIS ABABA, 11 June 2021 – A 752.7 km Chinese-built railway line linking Ethiopia to Djibouti has brought in $29 million over the last nine months. The funds were earned from 1.35 million tons of cargo and 15,480 passengers that were transported over the period,...
Egypt: TikTok Girls Get Three Years in Jail
CAIRO, 11 June 2021 - A court in Cairo, Egypt, has sentenced a female TikTok influencer to three years in prison for "violating society's values and principles". The TikToker, Minatullah Emad, known as Renad Emad, was arrested in July 2020 at a café in Cairo’s Dokki...
Djibouti: UN Condemns the Rendition of Refugees
DJIBOUTI CITY, 11 June 2021 - The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has expressed concern over the ‘breach of international law after Djiboutian authorities returned refugees to Ethiopia. Three individuals from Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region who arrived Djibouti seeking...
Chad: Calls for Sovereign National Conference
N’DJAMENA, 11 June 2021 - Twenty prominent Chadians, including former ministers, former presidential advisers, and parliamentarians have called for a sovereign national conference. The appeal they signed calls for what they call a "sincere inclusive and sovereign...
Libya-Algeria: Boosting Trade Volume to $3 Billion
TRIPOLI, 11 June 2021 - Libya and Algeria project their bilateral trade hitting $3 billion annually in the near future, officials of both countries have said. At a Libyan Arab Forum, Algerian Trade Minister Kamel Rezig called for the removal of all barriers to...
Algeria: Parliamentary Election Campaigns End
ALGIERS, 10 June 2021 – Campaigns officially closed Wednesday ahead of early parliamentary elections in Algeria next Saturday, June 12. Algeria’s main opposition political parties and the Hirak movement have called for a boycott of the ballot. Pro-governmment parties...
Guinea: Dissident Gets Three Years in Jail
CONAKRY, 10 June 2021 - A court in Guinea has sentenced an opposition activist to three years in prison for organizing protests against President Alpha Conde. Oumar Sylla, known as Foniké Mengue, was found guilty of illegal assembly and spreading false information....
CAR: Prime Minister and Government Resign
BANGUI, 10 June 2021 – The prime minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), Firmin Ngrebda, has announced on Twitter that he and his government have resigned. Ngrebad may be asked to stay in the role and form a new government, the French News Agency (AFP)...
Cote d’Ivoire: Anti-Terror Academy Opens
ABIDJAN, 10 June 2021 - An international academy dedicated to training troops to combat terrorism has opened its doors in the outskirts of Abidjan. The center, located about 50 miles outside of the country’s economic capital, Abidjan, was inaugurated in the presence...
Kenya-South Africa: U.S. Eases Travel Restrictions
WASHINGTON, DC, 10 June 2021 - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has eased travel advisories for Kenya and South Africa. The U.S. State Department has downgraded Kenya’s travel advisory to Level Two, from Level Four, allowing American citizens...
Eritrea-Somalia-Ethiopia: No Somali Troops in Tigray
ASMARA, 10 June 2021 - Eritrea’s Information Minister Yemane Meskel has missed allegations that Somali troops fought in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. Meskel; was reacting to claims that Eritrean troops fought alongside Somali soldeiers and Ethiopa to oust the...
South Africa: Cutting Red Tape to Ramp Up Electricity
PRETORIA, 10 June 2021 - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said his government will allow private power companies to generate more electricity without red tape. The announcement of the energy sector shake-up comes as South Africa faces rolling blackouts. For...
Ethiopia: Death from Famine Knocking on Doors
ADDIS ABABA, 10 June 2021 - There is famine in northern parts of Ethiopia, the United Nations humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, said Thursday. "There is famine now,” Lowcock said, adding: “This is going to get a lot worse”. UN-backed research into the situation in the...
Nigeria: Donald Trump Applauds Twitter Ban
MAIMI, 9 June 2021 - Former United States President Donald John Trump has praised the decision by the Nigerian government to ban Twitter. "Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their president," Trump said in a...
South Africa: South African Gives Birth to Decuplets
PRETORIA, 9 June 2021 - A South African has given birth to decuplets (ten babies), establishing a new world record of the highest number of children in a single birth. Pretoria News confirmed the births on Wednesday, citing the husband of the woman, 37-year-old...
Kenya: Allegations “Water Vaccines” being Administered
NAIROBI, 9 June 2021 – Media outlets in Kenya have printed allegations that some healthcare workers are administering fake COVID-19 vaccines and getting paid for it. The mass vaccination program against COVID-19 of the East African nation of 54 million inhabitants is...
Uganda: Shortages Halt Mass Vaccinations
KAMPALA, 9 June 2021 - Uganda has suspended mass vaccination against COVID-19 as the nation awaits to receive more vaccines from different sources, officials said Tuesday. "For now mass vaccination is suspended as we wait to receive more vaccines," the New China News...
Mali: Opposition Leader Named Prime Minister
BAMAKO, 9 June 2021 – The new junta leader of Mali, Col. Assimi Goita, who was sworn in as president Monday, has named an opposition leader as prime minister. The newly-appointed prime minister, Choguel Maïga, leads the coalition which spearheaded protests against...
Nigeria: Negotiations Underway after Twitter Ban
ABUJA, 9 June 2021 - Nigerian authorities say they are in negotiations with Twitter after the micro-blogging giant was suspended in Africa’s most populous nation. Nigerian foreign minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, said Abuja is waiting to see how negotiations, held in...
DR Congo-Rwanda:Residents Returning After Eruption
GOMA, 8 June 2021 – Residents of districts near Mount Nyiragongo are returning to normal life after last month’s eruption in which 32 people were killed. The prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde has invited residents...
DR Congo: Artist Nkanu Assaulted in France
PARIS, 8 June 2021 – Congolese songwriter and singer, Aime Nkanu, has reported an attack on his person to French police, calling it a hate crime. The artist has shared photos of himself on his Facebook page, showing his swollen forehead, with cuts to some areas of his...
Nigeria: Boko Haram Leader Committed Suicide
ABUJA, 8 June 2021 – The leader of the jihadist militant group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has killed himself, a rival group has said in an audio recording. The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) said Shekau died detonating explosives on himself after a...
Tanzania: Petition Wants Platnumz Off BET Awards
DAR ES SALAAM, 8 June 2021 – An online petition asking that a Tanzanian music star be dropped from the BET Music Awards has garnered over 20,000 signatures. Diamond Platnumz was recently nominated alongside Nigerian stars, Burna Boy and Wizkid, in the Best...
Burkina Faso: All Artisanal Mines to be Closed
OUAGADOUGOU, 8 June 2021 – All artisanal mines have been ordered closed in Burkina Faso’s northern Sahel province, after a series of recent attacks left at least 174 people dead. Authorities in the capital, Ouagadougou, said the order was coming into force at midnight...
The Cameroons: U.S. Announces Visa Restrictions
WASHINGTON, DC, 7 June 2021 – The U.S. has announced visa restrictions against individuals who are preventing the peaceful resolution of the war in The Cameroons. "I am establishing a policy imposing visa restrictions on individuals who are believed to be responsible...
Sudan: Nearly 40 People Killed in Ethnic Clashes
KHARTOUM, 7 June 2021 – Nearly 40 people have been killed and dozens injured in fresh ethnic clashes in Um Dafuq, in the state of South Darfur. State media which gave the death toll Monday did not explain what sparked this latest round of ethnic violence. The fighting...
Somaliland: Opposition Wins Parliamentary Elections
HARGEISA, 7 June 2021 – Somaliland’s two biggest opposition political parties have won a majority of seats in last week’s parliamentary elections. The opposition Somaliland National Party (WADDANI) and the opposition Justice and Welfare Party (UCID) won a combined 52...
Zambia: Police Denies Firing at Opposition Leader’s Convoy
LUSAKA, 7 June 2021 – Zambian police has denied reports that police officers fired on a convoy in which an opposition presidential candidate was traveling. Media reported Sunday that police had opened fire on the convoy of presidential wannabe Hakainde Hitchilema as...
Eswatini: Students Protest Alleged Police Brutality
MBABANE, 7 June 2021 - Students in Eswatini have been demonstrating outside the country’s capital, demanding justice for a young man allegedly shot dead by police. The body of the victim, identified as Thabani Nkomonye, was found in the outskirts of Manzini, one of...
Libya: Two Killed Five Injured in Blast
SABHA, 7 June 2021 – Two Libyan security officers were killed in a blast at a checkpoint on Sunday in which five other security officers were injured. The attack occurred in the southern Libyan city of Sabha. A suicide bomber detonated a car bomb at the checkpoint,...
Mali: Junta Leader Sworn-in as President
BAMAKO, 7 June 2021 – The new leader of the junta in Mali has been sworn in as president at a ceremony Monday in the capital, Bamako. The event was a formality for Colonel Assimi Goita who declared himself president a fortnight ago after forcing the transitional...
Uganda: Schools Closed as COVID Cases Spike
KAMPALA, 7 June 2021 – Schools have been shutdown in Uganda and all public gatherings suspended for a period of 42 days as the country faces a surge in COVID-19 cases. Nine people were reported dead and 1,259 new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Sunday, the most...
Burkina Faso: Death Toll in Attacks Rises to 174
OUAGADOUGOU, 6 June 2021 – The death toll in attacks on civilians in two villages in northern Burkina Faso on Friday night has risen to 174. Over the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen by 41 more civilian deaths. The two attacks hit Solhan village, situated in...
Burkina Faso: Gunmen Killed 132 Civilians
OUAGADOUGOU, 6 June 2021 – A total of 132 civilians have been confirmed killed following two Friday night attacks on two villages in northern Burkina Faso. The latest death toll has been updated to include 16 other victims who were not counted when the government of...
Nigeria: Televangelist TB Joshua Dies at 57
LAGOS, 6 June 2021 – Leading Nigerian televangelist and self-proclaimed prophet, TB Joshua, has died of an undisclosed illness. He was 57. "God has taken His servant Prophet TB Joshua home,” a posting Sunday on the Facebook page of his church read in part. "His last...
Algeria: U.S. Offers $7m to Capture al-Qaeda Leader
WASHINGTON, DC, 5 June 2021 – The U.S. State Department has offered a reward of $7 million for information leading to the capture of an Algerian-born al-Qaeda leader. Abu Ubaydah Yusuf al-Anabi took over last November as the leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb...
Ghana: Nine Killed in a Flooded Mine
GBANE, 5 June 2021 – At least 12 miners have been confirmed killed in a mine that was flooded in a downpour in the northeastern Ghanaian town of Gbane. A search and rescue team recovered the nine bodies after pumping water out of the pit. Rescue workers said the risks...
Sudan: Seeking Justice for 128 Civilians Massacred
KHARTOUM, 4 June 2021 – Rights groups in Sudan continue to demand justice for over 100 people massacred during street protests in June 2019. Protesters whose mobilization in massive street demonstrations led to the fall of Sudan’s former tyrant Omar al-Bashir...
Mauritius: State Funeral for Jugnauth
PORT LOUIS, 5 June 2021 – A state funeral has been held for the former prime minister and former president of Mauritius, Sir Anerood Jugnauth. The ceremony, rich in protocol, held Saturday in the capital, Port Louis, to memorialize the leader who died Thursday at the...
Burkina Faso: Gunmen Kill at least 114 Civilians
OUAGADOUGOU, 5 June 2021 – At least 114 civilians have been killed in a Friday night attack on Solhan village in the northern part of Burkina Faso. Assailants arrived the village, situated in Yagha province, near the eastern border with Niger, riding on motorbikes,...
Ghana: Calls for Release of LGBT+ Activists
ACCRA, 4 June 2021 – Rights groups have called for the immediate release of 21 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and gender-diverse (LGBT+) activists detained in the Ghanaian town of Ho. On Friday, a group of United Nations human rights experts expressed "deep" concern...
Egypt: Six Teenage Girls Killed in Fire
CAIRO, 4 June 2021 – Six teenage girls and no fewer than 19 other people have been injured in a fire accident at a facility for juvenile offenders in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. An electrical fault in one of the cells at the facility situated in the Al-Marg district...
Ethiopia: UN Fears Repeat of 1984 Famine
GENEVA, 4 June 2021 - The United Nations has warned of a repeat of Ethiopia's devastating 1984 famine in which millions of people were killed. Close to eight million Ethiopians lived in famine in 1984 and up to one million starved to death, according to United Nations...
South Sudan: UN Commits to Prevent Relapse into War
JUBA, 4 June 2021 – The UN head of mission to South Sudan says the peacekeepers in the war-torn country will do more to guarantee the success of the peace process. Nicholas Hayson said UNMISS, as the mission is known, will do everything to offer more protection for...
Mauritius: Establishing a Presence in Space
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, 4 June 2021 – Mauritius will have a small satellite in space after one traveled Thursday in a rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. Scientists at the Mauritian Research and Innovation Council (MRIC) in Ebene, Mauritius, will be in...
Nigeria: Zamfara Facing a Humanitarian Crisis
ABUJA, 4 June 2021 - Escalating and persistent violence in the northwestern Nigerian state of Zamfara is now causing a humanitarian crisis, an international medical charity has warned. On Friday Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) also known as Doctors Without Borders...
South Africa: Millions Face Power Rationing
JOHANNESBURG., 4 June 2021 – Millions of South Africans are facing massive power outage as the utility ESKOM rations power to prevent vital services from shutting down. Poor and old infrastructure is to blame for the power rationing, the country’s utility boss, Andre...
Kenya: Nurses Sacked for Partying as Woman Died
NAIROBI, 4 June 2021 – Kenya’s health ministry has sacked two healthcare workers for reportedly partying as a women died while seeking treatment. The 58-year-old woman died while waiting to be attended to by Laikipia county medical staff who were attending a...
Rwanda: Banyamulenge Activist Dies in Suspected Suicide
KIGALI, 4 June 2021 - A campaigner against threats to Banyamulenge people living in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), has died in a suspected suicide. Bukuru Ntwari died after falling from a commercial building in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, according to...
Nigeria: Twitter Off in Nigeria
ABUJA, 4 June 2021 - Twitter has been indefinitely suspended from operating in Nigeria, the country’s government announced Friday. Offering a justification for its decision to suspend the micro-blogging site, the Nigerian government cited the "persistent use of the...
Ethiopia: Troops from Eritrea Begin Withdrawal
ADDIS ABABA, 4 June 2021 – Ethiopian authorities say troops from neighboring Eritrea have started withdrawing from the Horn of Africa nation. Asmara sent troops into the northern Ethiopian region of Tigray to fight alongside Ethiopian federal troops against soldiers...
Sudan: Reviewing Russian Plan to Build Naval Base
KHARTOUM, 3 June 2021 – Sudanese authorities say they were reviewing an agreement signed with Russia to allow the latter build a naval base in the country. Under the deal, Russai would build a naval base in Port Sudan, situated on the country’s Red Sea coast. Sudanese...
Algeria: France Asked to Apologize for Genocide
ALGIERS, 3 June 2021 – Algerian President Abdelamdjid Tebboune has urged France to fully recognize and apologize for atrocity crimes committed as part of the colonization of his country. Paris should do this in the “form of apology”, Tebboune told the French magazine...
Mauritius: Former President Jugnauth Dies at 91
PORT LOUIS, 3 June 2021 - The former president of Mauritius, also a former prime minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, has died, the state broadcaster announced Thursday. He was 91. No details have been provided about the cause of death, but reporting on his passing...
South Africa: Interpol Asked to Arrest Some Guptas
JOHANNESBURG, 3 June 2021 – Judicial authorities in South Africa have asked INTERPOL to arrest and extradite some members of the Gupta family to face trial on corruption charges. South Africa is interested in the arrest, detention and extradition to South Africa of...
Kenya: No Fees for Tanzanian Processed Foods
NAIROBI, 3 June 2021 – Kenyan revenue officials are no longer collecting fees for the inspection of processed foods imported from neighboring Tanzania. The move is one in a series of actions agreed during talks held between delegations of the two countries meeting in...
Burundi-Kenya: MoUs to Expand Trade on Madaraka Day
KISUMU, 2 June 2021 – Burundi and Kenya have signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) that would deepen trade, facilitate better relations and collaborative efforts. Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye and First Lady Angeline were guests of honor, Tuesday at the...
Mali: France Backs ECOWAS Transition Efforts
PARIS, 2 June 2021 – The French foreign ministry has reiterated France’s condemnation of the coup in Mali and called for strict adherence to the country’s transition timetable. "France shares the absolute priority given by the Economic Community of West African States...
Nigeria: 136 Abducted Students Still in Captivity
TEGINA, 2 June 2021 - Some 136 students remain missing from an Islamic school in Nigeria where suspected jihadist militants abducted students on Sunday. Abubakar Alhassan, the head teacher of the school in the town of Tegina in the western Nigerian state of Niger...
Angola: Security Chief Sacked
LAUNDA, 2 June 2021 – Angolan President Joao Lourenco has sacked the country’s head of security, Pedro Sebasiao, giving no reason for the firing. Lourenco also fired the country’s defense secretary and the head of military intelligence. The sackings come weeks after a...
Ethiopia: Tigray in Urgent Need of Food
ADDIS ABABA, 2 June 2021 - More than 90 percent of people in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray are in dire need of emergency food aid, the UN food agency says. "A total of 5.2 million people, 91 percent of Tigray’s population, need emergency food assistance due to...
Rwanda: Trial Resumes for Genocide Suspect Kabuga
THE HAGUE, 1 June 2021 - Top genocide suspect, Felicien Kabuga, who was arrested in France in May 2020, appeared Tuesday at The Hague at the resumption of his trial. Kabuga, who was transferred from France last October 26, pleaded not guilty in the case which is...
DR Congo: 500,000 Without Water after Eruption
GOMA, 1 June 2021 - Nearly half a million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) are without clean drinking water after a volcano erupted, an international charity has warned. Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says there is an urgent need to provide people...
West Africa: 30 Million Starve While Pets are Fed
LONDON, 1 June 2021 - Exports of fish meal and fish oil from West Africa are depriving more than 30 million people a year of food, rights groups have warned. Greenpeace Africa and Changing Markets, an NGO based in The Netherlands have urged West African governments...
Uganda: Musveni Vows to Defeat Criminals
KAMPALA, 1 June 2021 - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has vowed to defeat the criminals who injured a former army commander, killing his daughter and driver-bodyguard. The Ugandan state house has not officially referred to the attack as an assassination attempt. A...
Ethiopia: PM Denies He’d Rather Die than Quit
ADDIS ABABA, 1 June 2021 - A recording purportedly of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been disowned by his office, which on Tuesday called it fake. The audio clip published by the U.S.-based Kello Media has a voice presented as Abiy Ahmed saying he would...
SADR-Western Sahara: Spain Won’t Arrest Polisario Head
MADRID, 1 June 2021 - A judge in the Spanish city of Madrid has denied a request by prosecutors to detain the leader of Polisario or Western Sahara. Brahim Ghali, the leader of Western Sahara occupied by Morocco, has been receiving medical attention in Spain after...
South Sudan: Juba Decries UN Sanctions
JUBA, 1 June 2021 – The government of South Sudan says the renewal of sanctions against Africa’s youngest nation undermines the progress it is making towards peace. The sanctions will undermine implementation of the revitalized peace agreement and will negatively...
Uganda: Two Killed in Minister’s Assassination Attempt
KAMPALA, 1 June 2021 – The bodyguard and daughter of a Ugandan minister has been killed in an assassination attempt on the minister’s life, news reports said Tuesday. Katumba Wamala, who is minister of works and transport and a former Ugandan armhy general, cheated...
Rwanda: AfDB Provides $84 Million for Electricity
ABIDJAN, 1 June 2021 - The African Development Bank Group on Monday approved $84.22 million in loans and grants for an electricity project in Rwanda. "The project will advance the country’s goal of universal electrification and benefit small businesses and youth,”...
South Sudan: Humanitarian Crisis Could Worsen
JUBA, 31 MAY 2021 - Fears have grown that the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan could worsen with the United Kingdom (UK) cutting aid by around 30 percent. The UK is South Sudan’s second biggest donor of emergency food and its cut in food assistance comes at a time...
Africa: Three Artists Nominated for BET Awards
NEW YORK, 31 May 2021 - Three African artists - two from Nigeria and one from Tanzania - are among those nominated for this year’s American BET Awards. One of the three – Nigerian-born Burna Boy – was already crowned winner of the international category last year. The...
Ghana: Defense for Burning Illegal Mining Gear
ACCRA, 31 MAY 2021 - Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo has defended the action of his law enforcement agencies who burnt down mining equipment at illegal mining sites. The owners of the equipment can to to court, Nana Akufo Addo has said. Aggrieved mining companies...
DR Congo: Over 400000 Flee Nyiragongo Eruption
GOMA, 31 May 2021 – No fewer than 400,000 people have fled the volcanic eruption of Mount Nyiragongo, according to the United Nations. Goma city in eastern DR Congo was evacuated Thursday and Friday under orders from the country’s officials, worried lava flows into...
EAC: Cross-Border Maize Trade Still Blocked
ARUSHA, 30 May 2021 – Tanzanian maize exporters are facing new obstacles meeting quality control guidelines to get their goods into the Kenyan market. Dozens of lorries ferrying maize from Tanzania to Kenya are stranded at Namanga, considered the busiest border post...
Kenya: Halt to AstraZeneca Vaccines
NAIROBI, 30 May 2021 – Kenyan public health officials have instructed hospitals to stop giving first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Kenyan authorities say they will be using other vaccines to vaccinate the rest of its population. A shipment...
Uganda: Hundreds Queuing for Vaccination
KAMPALA, 30 May 2021 - Hundreds of people are queuing at health ministry offices to get vaccinated as Uganda enters its second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The second wave has reach full-blown pandemic level within less than ten days, according to Uganda’s Director...
Uganda-DR Congo: Road Deals Sealed
ENTEBBE, 29 May 2021 – Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have sealed road construction deals in an effort to boost bilateral trade. The deal, known as the Inter–Governmental Agreement (IGA), covers three roads stretching a total 223 kilometers....
Sierra Leone: Citizenship for DNA-Linked Diaspora
FREETOWN, 29 May 2021 - The government of Sierra Leone is offering citizenship to people in the Diaspora who trace their roots back to the west African nation. Authorities in the capital, Freetown, say they have partnered with genealogy service AfricanAncestry.com to...
Zambia: Making Life in Prison More Humane
LUSAKA, 29 May 2021 – The Zambian government is launching a new program whose goal is to make life-time imprisonments more humane. Under the program, life-time prison inmates in the country will be able to enjoy a two-week break to visit their families if they are...
Somalia: Four Killed in IED Attack
BAIDOA, 29 May 2021 – Four people have been killed and seven others injured in an explosion at a busy market in the town of Baidoa, southwestern Somalia. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Somali state media reports. Authorities in the...
Kenya: Ship Blocking Port of Mombasa
MOMBASA, 28 May 2021 - A giant ship - over 200 meters long – is blocking maritime and ferry traffic to and from the Port of Mombasa. The ship developed technical problems while sailing through the waterway. Official say the ship had just left the Base Titanium berth,...
South Sudan: Juba Reassures Ethiopia
JUBA, 28 May 2021 – South Sudanese authorities have said they will not tolerate groups or individuals using the country to destabilize neighboring Ethiopia. The world’s youngest country won’t harbor or cooperate with countries or individuals that are seen as working...
Tanzania: No Longer Leaving the African Court
DODOMA, 28 May 2021 - Tanzanian authorities have signaled their intent to reverse an earlier decision committing to withdraw from the African Court of Human and People’s Rights. The administration of late President John Pombe Magufuli announced plans to withdraw....
Namibia: Germany Admits Colonial-Time Genocide
WINDHOEK, 28 May 2021 – Germany on Friday formally recognized that atrocity crimes committed by its troops in present-day Namibia constitute genocide. German colonialists wiped out over 80 percent of the Nama and Herero people of Namibia during those campaigns between...
Mali: America Stops Military Cooperation
WASHINGTON, DC, 27 May 2021 - The United States has halted security assistance to Mali following the ouster of the country’s interim leaders in a second coup in under nine months. "We are now suspending all security assistance that benefits the Malian Security and...
Rwanda: Macron Asks for Forgiveness on Genocide
KIGALI, 27 May 2021 – France's President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday asked for forgiveness for the role of his country in the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. "I hereby humbly and with respect stand by your side today, I come to recognize the extent of our responsibilities,"...
Mali: Assimi Goita Declares Himself President
BAMAKO, 27 May 2021 - The leader of the former junta in Mali, Col Assimi Goïta, has declared himself the country's transitional president. Soldiers under his command arrested, detained, and stipped the country’s interim president, Bah Ndaw, and Moctar Ouane, his prime...
Uganda: Former Ally Urges Museveni to Resign
KAMPALA, 27 May 2021 - Another former ally of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has pleaded with him to step down peacefully. Jaberi Bidandi Ssali, a former presidential candidate and former minister in one of Museveni’s Cabinet, called on the long-serving Ugandan...
Tanzania: Finalizing Plans to Ratify AfCFTA
DAR ES SALAAM, 27 May 2021 – Tanzanian authorities have pledged to ratify the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) between June and October 2021. The country’s cabinet is expected to endorse AfCFTA prior to its presentation for debate, adoption, and...
South Sudan: UN Backs Constitution-Making
JUBA, 27 May 2021 – South Sudan has embarked on the process of writing a new constitution, a prerequisite for ahead of the holding of free and fair elections. South Sudanese stakeholders are gathered in the capital, Juba for a workshop on drafting the constitution....
Rwanda: French President Macron to Visit
KIGALI, 26 May 2021 – The Rwandan capital, Kigali, is ready to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron who arrives here Thursday for a rare visit by any French leader. It is only the second visit by a French president since the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. Former French...
Kenya: Man Blocks President’s Convoy
NAIROBI, 26 May 2021 - A man walked to the middle of the road and managed to block President Uhuru Kenyatta’s moving car for up to seven seconds. The incident was caught on a mobile phone video posted and gone viral on social media. Kenyatta was traveling to the Lucky...
South Sudan: Soldier and Chinese Worker Shot Dead
JUBA, 26 May 2021 - A Chinese construction worker and a South Sudan soldier were shot dead Wednesday morning by an unknown assailant outside the capital, Juba. An unidentified gunman shot at a vehicle in which the unidentified Chinese national was driving, killing him...
Rwanda: Earth Tremors Send Thousands Fleeing
KIGALI, 26 May 2021 – Thousands of people have fled their homes in Rwanda's western town of Gisenyi as volcanic tremors continue to rattle or collapse dwellings. Rwanda’s Seismic Monitor reported earthquakes and tremors on both Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Although...
Uganda: Bail for 17 Democracy Activists
KAMPALA, 26 May 2021 – Seventeen pro-democracy activists have been released on bail by a Ugandan military court, five months after they were first detained. It took three applications for bail for the military court to finally grant bail under some tough conditions....
Burundi: Several People Killed in Grenade Attacks
BUJUMBURA, 26 May 2021 - Several people have been killed and dozens injured after four grenades exploded in Burundi’s economic capital, Bujumbura. The explosions went off at around 7:00 pm Tuesday evening. The first of the four grenades went off “in the bus parking...
Ethiopia: Hundreds Arrested in IDP Camps
ADDIS ABABA, 26 May 2021 - Hundreds of people displaced by the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have been rounded up and detained by Ethiopian soldiers, according to eyewitnesses. The arrests took place late on Monday in the town of Shire in Tigray. Most...
Mali: President and Prime Minister Resign
BAMAKO, 26 May 2021 - Mali's interim President Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane have officially resigned, according to the unknown leaders of a new junta. The two were arrested and have been detained since Sunday at a military base just outside the capital,...
South Africa: Accelerating COVID-19 Inoculations
JOHANNESBURG, 26 May 2021 - South Africa has opened up more COVID-19 vaccination centers – among them, a drive-through site - in a bid to fast-track inoculations. A steady line of cars brought thousands of people to be vaccinated through their car windows at the...
Zimbabwe: Chief Wants Mugabe Buried Anew
BAMAKO, 26 May 2021 - A traditional chief in Zimbabwe has ordered that the remains of former president Robert Mugabe be exhumed and reburied at a national cemetery. Mugabe died in 2019 and was buried in his rural home Kutama town as per his wishes. Zimbabwean...
Chad: Washington to Prosecute Envoy for Bribery
WASHINGTON, DC, 26 May 2021 - U.S. prosecutors have opened a case against Chadian diplomat Mahamoud Adam Bechir on allegations of bribery. Bechir is accused alongside his wife and a former deputy of his of reportedly taking a bribe from a Canadian oil company...
DR Congo: Hundreds of Children Reunited
GOMA, 25 May 2021 - The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, says it has rescued 530 missing children and reunited some with their parents in the wake of Saturday’s volcanic eruption. Over 25,000 people living in the area most affected by the eruption vacated their homes in...
Africa: Celebrations Marking Africa Day
HARARE, 25 May 2021 – Celebrations are underway in several African countries notably in Ethiopia to mark Africa Day. The day commemorates the founding in 1963 of the erstwhile Organization of African Unity (OAU) renamed the African Union (AU). Zimbabwe’s President...
Eritrea: Celebrations Marking Independence
ASMARA, 25 May 2021 - Eritrea on Sunday celebrated 30 years of independence from Ethiopia with President Isaias Afwerki beating his chest about defending the country’s sovereignty. Eritrea “refused to succumb to slavery, colonialism, deceit, the logic of force, and...
Egypt-USA: Presidents Biden and Sisi Discuss GERD
CAIRO, 25 May 2021 - U.S. President Joe Biden and Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi discussed the Nile dam dispute with Ethiopia on Monday, according to phone call readouts. Both leaders also discussed the truce brokered by Egypt in the Gaza Stripe, according to...
Sudan: State of Emergency Declared with 30 Killed
kHARTOUM, 25 May 2021 – The government of Sudan has declared a state of emergency and a night curfew in areas affected by a fresh outbreak of ethnic clashes. At least 30 people have been killed and over 60 others have been injured, according to the most updated death...
Mali: UN Calls for Release of President and PM
BAMAKO, 25 May 2021 - The United Nations has demanded the immediate release of President Bah Ndaw and the prime minister, with the two detained by soldiers at a military base. The call for unconditional release came from the United Nations resident mission in the...
Liberia: Weah Fetes Son’s Win of French Title
MONROVIA, 25 May 2021 – Liberian President George Weah Opong has congratulated his son, Timothy Weah, after his French club, Lille, won the French league title. "As a winner of the Ligue 1 title myself, I know it takes immense determination, hard work, commitment, and...
Egypt: Italian Court to Try Egyptians
ROME, 25 May 2021 - ROME, 25 May 2021 – Italian prosecutors have asked a judge to bring to trial four Egyptian security officers in connection with the murder in Egypt of Italian student Giulio Regeni. The student briefly disappeared five years ago before his badly...
Kenya: Young Doctor Wins WHO Award
NAIROBI, 25 May 2021 - A young Kenyan doctor Jemimah Kariuki is the winner of an award from the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizing her contribution “to advancing global health". In the midst of the imposition of curfews last year following the outbreak of the...
Tunisia: Abir Moussi’s Rising Political Fortunes
TUNIS, 24 May 2021 – The rise of a hitherto unknown female politician, Abir Moussi, has surprised many a Tunisian as the country looks to elections later this year. Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Destourian Party, is known for pulling off attention-grabbing stunts,...
Rwanda: Woman Admits to Recruiting Rebels
KIGALI, 24 May 2021 - The only woman in a group of 21 Rwandans facing terrorism charges, has admitted to recruiting girls to serve in militia groups. Angeline Mukandutiye told a high court in the capital, Kigali, that she was recruiting the girls for a Rwandan...
Kenya: Row Over Tax Exemption for Japs
NAIROBI, 24 May 2021 – A decision by Kenyan authorities to waive taxes for firms and individuals working on Japanese-funded projects has sparked an uproar. Kenyan civil society groups have slammed the decision, calling it opaque, unjustified, and prone to abuse. We...
Sudan: Khartoum Off the Terrorism List
WASHINGTON, DC, 23 May 2021 - The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has quietly concluded the process of removing Sudan from its list of state-sponsors of terrorism. Sudan was officially removed from the list when a decision by Washington, DC, officially...
Madagascar: Over One Million Face Starvation
ANTANANARIVO, 23 May 2021 - More than a million people in southern Madagascar are facing acute food shortages, food security experts have warned. The shortages come as the island nation faces its worst drought in 40 years. The United Nations World Food Program (WFP)...
South Sudan: Aid Workers At Risk
JUBA, 22 May 2021 – International observers monitoring the implementation of the peace deal in South Sudan are deeply concerned about the safety of aid workers. Widespread violence in the country threatens the “safety and security” of aid workers, the observers said...
Ghana: Mahama Withdraws as Envoy to Somalia
ACCRA, 22 May 2021 – Former Ghanaian President John Mahama has withdrawn from the role of Special Envoy of the African Union (AU) to Somalia after his impartiality was questioned. The AU appointed Mahama last May 7 and the former Ghanaian leader initially accepted the...
Morocco: Spain Returns Thousands of Migrants
CEUTA, 22 May 2021 – Spanish officials have forcibly returned over 6,500 of more than 8,000 migrants who entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta earlier this week. Calm has returned to the enclave after panic hit most of its 75,000 inhabitants following the successfully...
Nigeria: Fuel Explosion at Obasanjo Library
ABEOKUTA, 22 May 2021 – Nigerian judicial authorities are investigating a gas explosion that killed one person in the library of former president Olusegun Obasanjo. The victim has been identified as Olamide Jamiu Olamide, who is the son of Honorable Kunle Bakare, a...
Tanzania: First COVID-19 Jabs Coming
ZANZIBAR, 22 May 2021 – The Tanzanian government is making plans to vaccinate the mostly Muslim population of the autonomous archipelago of Zanzibar, according to official sources. The goal is to ensure that Zanzibaris who wish to, can travel for the annual Hajj...
Algeria: Two Groups Designated as Terrorist
ALGIERS, 22 May 2021 – Authorities in Algeria have designated the Kabylie separatist group (MAK) and religious movement Rachad as terrorist organizations. The country’s High-Security Council accused the two groups of posing “hostile and subversive acts… [to]...
Egypt: Comedian Ghanem Dies from COVID
CAIRO, 22 May 2021 - One of Egypt's best known and globally acclaimed comedians and actors, Samir Ghanem, has died from complications arising from his infection with COVID-19. He was 84. His family says the iconic comedian rested Thursday in a hospital in the capital,...
Ethiopia: Pro-regime Protests Staged
ADDIS ABABA, 22 May 2021 – Supporters of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed jammed the streets of the capital, Addis Ababa, to call on the international community to “hands off Ethiopia”. The carefully organized protests come in the wake of pressure from the...
Africa: EU to Build Vaccine Hubs
ROME, 22 May 2021 – The European Union (EU) says it intends to invest up to a billion euros, approximately 1.2 billion dollars, building COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing hubs in Africa. The commitment was given Friday by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the...
Nigeria: Army Chief Dies in Plane Crash
ABUJA, 22 May 2021 - Nigeria's army chief, Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and ten other officers have been killed in a plane crash in the country’s northwestern state of Kaduna, officials say. The military plane in which they were traveling crashed as it was trying to...
Kenya: First Cargo Ships Dock at Lamu Port
LAMU, 21 May 2021 - The newly commissioned deepwater port of Lamu in Kenya has welcomed its first cargo ships. The $3 billion deepwater port was built with funding from the Chinese government in an effort to open new trade corridors linking the east African nation...
Nigeria: Probing if Boko Haram Leader Died
ABUJA, 21 May 2021 – The Nigerian Army says it is investigating yet another claim that the leader of the Islamist group Boko Haram has either died or was seriously injured. Army spokesman Brig Gen Mohammed Yerima told the BBC that the army was still looking into what...
Zimbabwe: Quarantine for Travelers from India
HARARE, 21 May 2021 - Zimbabwean authorities have imposed a mandatory quarantine on travelers arriving from or transiting through India over fears of COVID-19. All travelers arriving Zimbabwe from or transiting through India must be quarantined at designated centers...
Chad: DR Congo’s Tshisekedi Says Junta is Legit
PARIS, 20 May 2021 - “What happened in Chad is not a coup d’etat”, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Felix Tshisekedi, has said. It was not a coup d’etat, “but the assassination of a head of state,” Tshisekedi said in a statement from the...
Algeria: Land Borders to Remain Closed
ALGIERS, 20 May 2021 - Algeria has backed off a decision to reopen land borders closed in an effort to stem the spread of the new coronavirus. The north African nation will, however, resume international flights from next June, a statement from the presidency has...
Ethiopia: Category Five Emergency in Tigray
ADDIS ABABA, 20 May 2021 – There is “extreme hunger” in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, the top U.S. aid official has said in a tweet. Samantha Power, head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said her agency has detected a...
Mozambique: Children Suffering Disproportionately
MAPUTO, 20 May 2021 - Children are suffering disproportionately from the insurgency by Islamist militants of al-Shabaab in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, an international charity said Wednesday. Save the Children said in a new report released...
DR Congo-Rwanda: Disagreement Over Atrocities
KINSHASA, 20 May 2021 – Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have broken with Rwanda in calling for justice for the victims of atrocity crimes highlighted in a 2010 report by the United Nations. The President of DR Congo Felix Tshisekedi told the...
South Sudan: Court Martial in Uganda for Gang
KAMPALA, 19 May 2021 - Sudanese gang members arrested in Uganda will face court-martial in Uganda on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition charges. The suspects were arrested in Lucom village in Kitgum district by Ugandan People Defense Forces (UPDF), military...
Somaliland: Self-Declared Republic 30 Years After
HARGEISA, 19 May 2021 – The self-declared Republic of Somaliland is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its unilaterally declared restoration of independence and break-away from Somalia. Street celebrations which usually mark the day, notably in the capital, Hargeisa,...
Africa: Destroy Expired COVID-19 Vaccines – WHO
GENEVA, 19 May 2021 – The World Health Organization (WHO) has reversed itself, calling now for expired COVID-19 vaccines to be destroyed. The world body’s earlier guidance was for countries to continue administering the vaccines up to 36 months after the expiry date...
Nigeria: $5.8 Million of Looted Funds Returned
ABUJA, 19 May 2021 – Nearly six million dollars in stolen state funds have been recovered in bank accounts in the United Kingdom (UK) and returned to Nigeria. A Nigerian government statement says $5.8 million was recovered by UK agencies. The funds will be invested in...
Tanzania: Refugees from Mozambique Turned Back
MAPUTO, 19 May 2021 - People fleeing violence by Islamist militants of al-Shabaab in northern Mozambique are being refused asylum in neighboring Tanzania, and are being forcibly returned, the UN has said. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) says it...
Uganda: Youngest MP Used to Sell Fish
KAMPALA, 19 May 2021 - Twenty-three-year-old Hellen Auma Wandera is set to become the youngest member of parliament in Uganda when she takes the oath of office this week. She won the Woman MP seat for the governing National Resistance Movement (NRM) party in Busia...
Nigeria: Governor’s Aide Faces Fraud Charges in USA
NEW YORK & ABEOKUTA, 19 May 2021 - An aide to the governor of Nigeria’s Ogun State has been suspended after he was arrested in New York in connection with benefit fraud in the United States. The suspension of Abidemi Rufai was confirmed Tuesday by a spokesperson...
Rwanda: Hotel Rwanda Hero Says He Was Tortured
KIGALI, 18 May 2021 – The hero of the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina, has said he was tortured by Rwandan authorities for several days. He said the acts occurred shortly after he arrived Rwanda last August following his abduction while he believed he was on...
Kenya: Eight Soldiers Killed in Ambush
NAIROBI, 18 May 2021 – Eight Kenyan soldiers are feared dead and several others injured after an ambush attack on the vehicle they were traveling in. An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ripped apart the vehicle as soldiers of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) were...
Algeria: Land and Air Borders to Reopen
ALGIERS, 18 May 2021 - Algeria will reopen its air and land borders fully next June 1, but will maintain measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, officials said Monday. Only five flights a day from and to Algerian airports will be allowed “with full adherence to...
Rwanda: Kigali Normalizing Relations with Paris
KIGALI, 18 May 2021 - Rwanda and France have a "good basis" to create “a good relationship”, Rwandese President Paul Kagame has told the French News Agency (AFP). “I think France and Rwanda have a chance now and a good basis on which to create a good relationship as...
Algeria: Fury Over Arrests of Journalists
ALGIERS, 18 May 2021 – Rights groups have expressed outrage following the arrests and detention of journalists and pro-democracy activists in the Algerian capital, Algiers, last Friday. Police acted ostensibly to prevent a weekly pro-democracy protest rally from...
Niger-Sudan-Nigeria: Partnership to Stabilize Chad
KHARTOUM, 18 May 2021 – The new junta in Chad is working with neighboring Sudan and Niger to help disarm and demobilize Chadian rebels in neighboring Libya. Interim junta leader, Mahamat Deby Itno aka Kaka along with his envoys have visited Niger, Sudan, and Nigeria...
Djibouti: Guelleh Starts Record Fifth Term
DJIBOUTI CITY, 18 May 2021 – The president of Djibouti, Ismael Omar Guelleh has taken the oath of office for a record fifth term in office. Six African presidents attended the ceremony Monday in the capital, Djibouti City. Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta arrived Saturday ahead...
Egypt: Civil Servants Trained for New Capital
CAIRO, 18 May 2021 - The Egyptian government says it is training public sector employees to work in the country’s New Administrative Capital (NAC), ahead of the transfer of the capital there by the end of 2021. Some 4,942 employees nominated for the transfer have...
Ambazonia-Cameroon: Over 300 Vehicles Stranded in Mud
BAMENDA, 18 May 2021 - Over 300 vehicles and thousands of passengers were stranded over the entire weekend on a stretch of road linking French-speaking Cameroun to the breakaway self-declared Republic of Ambazonia. The Guardian Post newspaper reported Monday that...
Africa: Over 6,000 Migrants Arrive Ceuta
CUETA, 18 May 2021 – Over 6,000 African migrants have reached the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighboring Morocco, many swimming to get there. It is a record number of arrivals in the enclave in a single day, including at least 1,500 minors. Reports say migrants who...
Uganda: Trucker Arrest Over Human Sacrifice
KAMPALA, 18 May 2021 - Police in Uganda claimed to have arrested an alleged child trafficker filmed in a 2011 BBC investigative report into human sacrifice. The suspect [name withheld] was picked up at the border town of Elegu, in northern Uganda over the weekend. He...
Zambia: Vice President Dropped as Running Mate
LUSAKA, 17 May 2021 - Zambian President, Edgar Lungu, dropped his vice-president in favor of a microbiologist as running mate in his re-election bid. Lungu said his choice of Nkandu Luo as running mate, followed "reflection and prayerful thought". Zambia’s...
Ghana: Probe into Violence against Journalist
ACCRA, 17 May 2021 – Rights groups in Ghana have called for an independent investigation into the alleged mistreatment of a Ghanaian journalist by security operatives. Caleb Kudah, working with an Accra-based radio station, City FM, had gone to the premises of the...
Sudan: Paris to Lend Khartoum $1.5 Billion
PARIS, 17 May 2021 – The French government officials say they will lend Sudan $1.5 billion to help it pay off its arrears to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The funds are needed to qualify Sudan for debt forgiveness under the World Bank and IMF Heavily-Indebted...
South Africa: Zuma Trial Formally Opens May 26
PIETERMARITZBURG, 17 May 2021 - A formal plea will be entered next May 26 when the corruption trial of former South African President Jacob Zuma begins. Sources close to the former president’s lawyers say he is expected to plead “not guilty”. Zuma faces 16 counts of...
Tanzania: Task Force Wants Action on COVID-19
DAR ES SALAAM, 17 May 2021 - A task force formed to review COVID-19 protocols in Tanzania has advised that the government should consider a mass vaccination program against the pandemic. Members of the task force submitted their report to President Samia Suluhu Hassan...
Africa: Millions in Drugs Seized by Interpol
NIAMEY, 17 May 2021 – Interpol officials say they have seized a huge quantity of drugs in Africa and the Middle East, in operations involving more than 40 countries. The drugs included 1,000 bricks of cocaine in a fishing vessel off the western coast of South Africa....
