International

The Togolese government has dismissed allegations of malfeasance in the management of the fund intended to fight the coronavirus epidemic, saying that spending is “compliant, regular and sincere”. Significant irregularities have been pinpointed in an audit report by the Court of Auditors, sparking outrage in the West African country. In a press release published Thursday

COMMUNITIES living in conservancies in the Kunene region want the government to review the compensation for losses caused by wild animals. They feel the compensation for human-wildlife conflict losses is too little compared to the value of livestock and other losses. The community expressed this during their meeting with members of the National Assembly’s standing

The mission of Morocco’s ambassador to France has ended without a successor being appointed, in a climate of diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Paris, local media announced on Friday. “In accordance with high royal instructions, it has been decided to terminate the functions of Mr. Mohamed Benchaâboun as Ambassador of His Majesty to the French

Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Betty Amongi Akena speaks to NBS Television’s Canary Mugume about her suspicions regarding the management of the National Social Security Firm (NSSF) that have led to the parliament probe. The board recommended Richard Byarugaba to be re-appointed despite him clicking retirement age. Why did you not go by

Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar promised to revamp agriculture and commerce in Kano, if made president. Kano is Nigeria’s second-largest city and could help determine who wins the presidential vote. Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku who lost to Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 is one of the leading contenders in the race, alongside Bola Tinubu of the

Khartoum — Journalist and political analyst Ashraf Abdelaziz says that the official visit of six international envoys yesterday, along with a visit from Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov today, is linked to conflict over Sudanese resources. Six envoys representing the US, UK, France, Germany, Norway, and the European Union envoy to the Horn of

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Wednesday the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Unesco Peace Prize, during a ceremony in the Ivorian capital Yamoussoukro, rewarding in particular her action in the massive reception of refugees by Germany in 2015. “The jury wanted to distinguish the courageous decision taken in 2015 to welcome more than a million refugees (…)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) condemns in the strongest terms the murder of two of its employees in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, in northwestern Burkina Faso. The organisation is suspending its medical activities in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. On the morning of Wednesday February 8, an MSF vehicle, clearly identified as such, carrying a

Russian FM Lavrov meets Mauritania counterpart Merzoug and President Ghazouani Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Mauritania on Wednesday, holding talks with his colleague Salem Ould Merzoug and President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani. The two sides discussed bilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas, as well as regional and international issues. Mauritania is interested in

What is happening in eastern DR Congo is far from being peaceful and tranquil if politicians and diplomats continue to avoid the truth, facts, and evidence, President Paul Kagame told envoys accredited to Rwanda on Wednesday, February 8. In his address during the diplomatic corps dinner, Kagame spoke at length about Rwanda’s relations with the

The three main armed movements that make up the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), merged on Wednesday in Kidal, a northeastern Malian town they have controlled militarily since 2013. The group includes National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad, the Arab Movement of Azawad and the High Council for the Unity of Azawad. In concrete

South Africa’s mass HIV testing programme has been a huge success over the last decade, so much so that the country has almost hit the global target of 95% of people with HIV knowing their status. This success has largely been built on the use of many millions of rapid HIV tests. The UNAIDS targets

South Africa’s economic hub, Gauteng is bearing the brunt of water shortages caused by dwindling reservoir levels due to high demand of water. As taps are running dry, Dr Ferrial Adam, Water and Environment Manager for the Community Action Network (WaterCAN) believes the cause for the crisis are factors like ageing infrastructure and inequality. “We

Maputo — Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, has accused agents of the Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR – the Mozambican equivalent of the riot police) of murdering a prominent Renamo member in the western province of Tete. A Renamo press release issued in Maputo on Monday claimed that the police members had formed a “death squad”

Ghana is optimistic about concluding the ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to get the support of the fund by March. According to local news reports, the issues surrounding the domestic debt exchange programme, one of the requirements, has been “virtually concluded”, paving the way for the country to go the full hog.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has embarked on a massive clampdown on owners of vehicles producing hazardous exhaust emissions above regulated levels. Since the start of the operation in the Mashonaland West province Thursday last week, 1,319 vehicles have been inspected for vehicular emissions and the compliance level was 96, 4%. By the time of

A group of Senegalese organizations from the civil society and citizens filed Monday (Feb. 06) a complaint with the Dakar court to ask the courts to take up the Covid-19 mismanagement case. The move by « Sunu’y milliards du ress », « our billions will not disappear » collective follows the publication of a report

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) acting deputy executive director Sonja Leighton-Kone is visiting Zimbabwe this week, the world body has revealed. According to a statement from the UN agency, Leighton-Kone will be in Zimbabwe from February 6 to 11 2023. “The UN official will engage senior government officials on environmental opportunities and challenges especially

African leaders are expressing condolences and solidarity with Türkiye and Syria after a 7.8 magnitude  earthquake hit parts of the two countries Monday. They included the presidents of Ethiopia, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Burundi and Gambia. Also the AU chairperson Moussa Faki-Mahamat in a tweet welcomed the “global outpouring of support and solidarity”. Their condolences

Men remain skeptical of seeking health services and remain at a low rate on HIV testing, condom use, circumcision and enrolment on antiretroviral drugs, a gender assessment report by the National AIDS Council has revealed. The gender assessment report says this is because most of the focus on HIV response has been on females. Speaking

A South African peacekeeper was killed and another seriously wounded Sunday when their helicopter was shot at in the violence-ridden eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly” condemned the attack, saying in a statement that “attacks on UN peacekeepers can constitute a war crime under international law. The plane, which was

Youths say this year’s elections will shape the way for their future as they get a chance to choose their own leaders. Some young people who were registering to vote told 263Chat that the time to be politically heard is nigh and are eager to exercise their constitutional rights. “It is important for me to

The family of former Burkinabe president Thomas Sankara, announced Sunday evening in a statement that they would not attend the burial of his remains. Burkinabe government had announced that the body of Burkina the nation’s revered revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara is to be buried alongside his 12 comrades, at the spot where in 1987 they

An announcement said that the country will showcase investment opportunities in the mining sector at 2023 Invest in African Mining Indaba, which kicked off from 6 to 9 February in Cape Town, South Africa. The Indaba presents a unique opportunity for Namibia to exhibit its investment prospects in the mining sector to a worldwide audience

UNESCO has settled a long-standing jollof rice dispute involving Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon, after declaring Senegal king of the famous West African delicacy in January this year. The Senegalese Jollof, stood out from that of the three other countries, cementing the country’s position as the true originator of the dish. The UN cultural organisation

Geneva — Swiss President Alain Berset will visit the troubled Cabo Delgado province this week during a trip to Mozambique and Botswana. His visit comes in the year Switzerland assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for the first time. “In both countries, the regional situation and global issues will be discussed in

Two weeks after the dead body of Cameroonian journalist Salomon Mbani Zogo better known as Martinez Zogo was found, an influential tycoon is being questioned. Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga was arrested Monday (Feb. 06) according to the Cameroonian Communications ministry. Belinga’s media group l’Anecdote confirmed its owner was undergoing questioning by the gendarmerie’s top institution. Martinez

South African Tourism (SA Tourism) is reported to be planning to spend US$52 million (about R900 million) to sponsor UK football team Tottenham Hotspur over three years. The proposal gives the country branding on the club’s kit, backdrop branding in interviews, advertising on match days, partnership status, local training camps and access to tickets and

In the Libyan town of Ghadames, known as the “Pearl of the Desert”, Tuareg traditions are being celebrated with a huge craft and shopping festival. Built around an oasis and spring, the UNESCO-listed city, more than 600 kilometres south of Tripoli, is one of the oldest communities in the pre-saharan region and families from all

Addis Ababa — Children are facing a growing risk of disease as cholera and measles outbreaks tighten their grip on Ethiopia, raising fears for the many vulnerable children already suffering from malnutrition, Save the Children said. A cholera outbreak is affecting the Oromia and Somali regions, with at least 1,055 cases reported, including 28 deaths

Pope Francis has been trying to console the long-suffering people of South Sudan as he opened his first full day in the country on Saturday. Meeting with bishops, priests and deacons at St Theresa’s Cathedral in Juba, he asked people to challenge injustice amid an ethnic conflict that has led to years of fighting. He

Egypt’s ambassador to the European Union and Belgium Badr Abdel Ati has reviewed means to cement cooperation with the EU in the domains of renewable, traditional and clean energy and green hydrogen. The diplomat had a meeting with Kadri Simson, the EU Commissioner for Energy, Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten and a host

As data worldwide suggests the number of people with cancer is rising, some poorer nations are looking to find alternatives to cancer-causing fuel sources. Kenya has seen the introduction of solar-powered cookers which capture the Sun’s rays instead of using wood fires which are blamed for half-a-million deaths. It uses mirrors to focus sunlight to

Residents and passersby gathered as night fell on Thursday as they joined a team of emergency and aid workers who searched through the rubble looking for survivors. At least two people have now been confirmed dead after a two-storey building collapsed in Abuja, officials of the emergency response services said. Twenty-one people have been rescued

Already struggling without electricity for hours a day, many South Africans are now having to do also without water, as power outages batter the supply system. A power failure at a pump station feeding reservoirs and water towers caused taps to run dry in parts of Johannesburg and Pretoria, provincial utility Rand Water said this

Harare — Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Tourism, distanced herself from the reported R1 billion deal to sponsor Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, which has sparked widespread outrage. This comes after SA Tourism (SAT) was lambasted after the Daily Maverick’s publication of its proposed plans for a three-year deal worth £42.5 million (approximately R900 million) beginning

Pope Francis made a plea for peace in South Sudan while speaking at event sitting side-by-side with the country’s president on Friday. Francis, on a novel ecumenical peace mission to the world’s youngest country, warned South Sudan’s political leaders on Friday that history will judge them harshly if they continue to drag their feet implementing

Nairobi — President William Ruto now says 800,000 Hustler Fund loan borrowers have defaulted in their payments. Speaking during the Kenya Police Sacco 50th anniversary in Nairobi, the Head of State urged Kenyans to pay on time in order to increase their loan limit and savings. “Of those who have borrowed, 800,000 are behind schedule

Morocco’s Walid Karti, right, and Badr Boulhroude, second from left, challenges the ball with Nigeria’s Rabiu Ali, center, during the final of the CHAN   –   Copyright © africanews Abdeljalil Bounhar/Copyright 2018 The AP. All rights reserved. Last updated: 4 hours ago Senegal At least 40,000 people are expected at the Stade Nelson Mandela in Algiers

Luanda — Belgian Government has expressed its interest in cooperating with Angola in the renewable energy sector, said the European country’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib. The Belgian top diplomat, who confirmed this Wednesday after the audience granted by the Angolan Head of State João Lourenço, added that her country also wants to focus

Pope Francis on Wednesday (Feb. 1) celebrated Mass for about 1 million people, invited Congo’s people to forgive those who committed “inhuman violence” against them, and then heard first-hand of the atrocities some of them have endured. During the intimate encounter at the Vatican Embassy in Kinshasa, the Pope listened and sought to shine a

PRESIDENT Hage Geingob yesterday expressed concern about the escalation of tensions in Eswatini, and reiterated his call for authorities in the kingdom to investigate the death of human rights and political activists Thulani Rudolf Maseko. Maseko, who was assassinated at his home in Mbabane a week ago, was the chairperson of the Multi-Stakeholder Forum. The

Spain’s Prime minister was welcomed Wednesday (Feb. 1) by his Moroccan counterpart Aziz Akhannouch. Pedro Sanchez and Akhannouch presided over an economic forum in Rabat. The Spaniard’s trip to the north African Kingdom is aimed at further mending ties after a deep diplomatic crisis between the countries was resolved last year. “Our common goal is

Nairobi — Esophageal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women in Kenya, a new Status of Cancer in Kenya Report shows. The report which was officially launched on Thursday by the National Cancer Institute of Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO)Alfred Karangu, showed that nine out of ten persons

Citizens gathered outside the Moroccan parliament in Rabat on Wednesday to show their support for to protest Morocco’s normalization of ties with Israel in a show of support to Palestine. The demonstrations began Saturday in several cities of the country, two years after the resumption of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel. The Moroccan Front

Nairobi — The Government of Kenya has unveiled plans to accede to the establishment of a Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) that will support green investments in the country. The GGGI, established in 2012, is a treaty-based international, intergovernmental organization whose vision is a low-carbon, resilient world of inclusive and sustainable growth by supporting members

Trevor Noah feels more comfortable hosting the Grammy Awards for a third-straight year, but the former “The Daily Show” host still has some nervousness about leading the ceremony with big-time acts like Beyoncé, Adele and Harry Styles looking on. “The nerves come in because you’re standing in front of not just some of the best

Ayem Mahious scored two goals as hosts Algeria hammered Niger 5-0 to reach the final of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Tuesday. Mahious scored his fourth and fifth goals of the tournament in the first-half to secure the emphatic victory for the Desert Warriors in Oran. Captain Ayoub Abdellaoui opened the floodgates before

South Sudan prepares Papal visit   –   Copyright © africanews Africanews By Africanews Last updated: 31/01 – 22:04 South Sudan Pope Francis landed in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, on Tuesday afternoon for the first Papal visit to the DRC since 1985. The visit to the Continent includes a trip on Friday to Juba, the capital of

Papa Diallo scored the lone goal as Senegal edged Madagascar 1-0 to book a place in the final of the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2022 on Tuesday night at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers. Diallo connected to a Mamadou Sane pass from the right to net a looping header past the Madagascar goalkeeper

The plane carrying the Holy Father arrived at Kinshasa International Airport in the middle of Tuesday afternoon. A dozen dignitaries including Congolese Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, alongside civil and religious authorities met him at the foot of the plane. Pope Francis was then escorted in his Popemobile to the Palace of the Nation where he

Nairobi — The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has retained its lending base rate at 8.75 percent on easing inflationary pressure that saw the cost of goods and services rise. On Monday, CBK’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) said that it retained the rate since the existing monetary policy proved effective in containing spiraling price rises.

The first U.S. Cabinet member to visit Somalia since 2015 urged the world’s donors on Sunday to give immediate help to a country facing deadly famine, which she described as “the ultimate failure of the international community.” The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, heard perhaps the starkest warning yet about the crisis

Nairobi — Conflict and political unrest in north-east Africa – civil wars, uprisings and attacks by armed insurgents – are fueling a famine, causing displacement, loss of livelihoods, and disrupting of food production and food supply chains. Nearly one in four children under five in Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and parts of Kenya are

Tunisian citizens have expressed little hope one day after the second round of parliamentary elections with record abstention. Preliminary results suggest that nearly 89% of the electorate decided to stay away from the political process. “Those who have been elected, what are they going to do again? What will they bring? Don’t tell me that

opinion By By Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u and Prof. Théophile T. Azomahou The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a profound setback after a quarter-century of economic and social progress. Insecurity and political instability are becoming pervasive across Africa. The Russian-Ukrainian war is exposing millions of people to food insecurity, and the most vulnerable are the hardest hit as

In Kinshasa’s Ndolo airport everything is ready to welcome Pope Francis.  The Holy Pontiff arrives on Tuesday in Kinshasa, capital of the DRC and Africa’s largest catholic country. On Wednesday more than a million people are expected to attend a morning mass. In total, Pope Francis will deliver twelve speeches and will meet, in addition

As the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group expands its Africa footprint, questions remain about what “neutrality” really looks like for African governments. On New Year’s Day, video emerged of a young Ivorian serving with the Wagner Group on the frontlines of Ukraine. While being interviewed by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally to Vladimir Putin and head of

Dan Izzett has lived with leprosy’s effects on his body for 70 years, and has lost much to what he calls an “ancient, fascinating, very unkind disease”. The Zimbabwean former civil engineering technician and pastor was diagnosed at the age of 25 in 1972, but first contracted the disease when he was just five. That

The first pontiff to travel to Congo in 37 years will bring a simple message of peace, perhaps strengthening the sense of community in a nation where the Catholic Church has long played a dominant role. They hardly let anyone through at Ndolo. At the barriers of the domestic airport, soldiers only wave through travelers

Tunisia’s president and its shaky, decade-long experiment with democracy are facing an important test on Sunday as voters cast ballots in the second round of parliamentary elections. Turnout was just 11% in the first round of voting last month, as many disaffected Tunisians stayed away and the influential opposition Islamist party boycotted. The runoff elections

The CBN governor, who spoke to journalists Sunday morning, said he had the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the extension. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a 10-day extension of the deadline for the use of old naira notes across Nigeria. The CBN governor, who spoke to journalists Sunday morning, said he had

It should an idyllic scene – a waterfall cascading into the river below. But look a little closer and all is not well. The Nairobi River has turned sewer conduit in Kenya’s capital. Its waters turn from clear to black as it traverses informal settlements and industrial hubs. As clean water runs short, one of

The Plan seeks to tackle the dual crises of energy poverty and climate change with renewable energy contributing at least 30 per cent to the energy mix by the year 2030. Nigeria’s seat of power, known as the State House, will lead the way in keying into renewable energy sources to help mitigate the impacts

Moroccan human rights activists on Thursday welcomed a resolution by the European parliament critical of Morocco’s human rights record. Last week, a resulotion urging Rabat to respect the freedom of expression was overwhelmingly adopted by the EU parliament. It focused in particular on the case of Omar Radi, a freelance journalist critical of the government

Air Zimbabwe is promoting more domestic routes, as the airline seeks to expand its operations. This is according to the airline’s spokesperson, Firstme Vitori. The airline is expected to take delivery of a second Embraer (ERJ145) soon, in line with its six-year strategic turnaround plan (STP). Votori noted that key to this strategy is the

Germany apologized on Thursday (Jan. 26) for using a leopard emoji in a tweet refering to the Russian Foreign Minister’s visit to Africa. The post that was regarded as offensive by some users was called out by the spokeswoman for the African Union chairman Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat. The German foreign ministry attempted to poke fun at Russia’s

Nairobi — President William Ruto has called out the Kenya Power Company over numerous reports that some city estates have been disconnected from power over non-payment. Speaking at Shauri Moyo during the launch of affordable housing in units on Friday, the President instead advised Kenya Power to first engage with the residents so as to

The view of a cybercafé is commonplace in The Congo. Gloire Ness a 21-year old from Bacongo in Brazzaville managesa small business. On a daily basis, he has to deal with issues ranging from blackouts to poor access to Internet. “The difficulties primarily from the Internet connection. Customers often say it’s a little slow. It’s

“Doing so will help reassure the public of the “robustness of our system and to strengthen our processes ahead of the General Election,” the INEC Chairman says. In preparation for the coming general elections, Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, has scheduled a mock accreditation of voters for 4 February. This is to further test the Bimodal

French medical charity Doctors Without Borders or MSF, shared Friday (Jan. 27), footage of the rescue of 237 migrants off the Libyan coast. The NGO’s chartered rescue vessel was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea, north of the country’s capital Tripoli on Wednesday, when it received a distress call. The Geo Barents ship later encountered other

According to the World Health Organization, of the roughly 10 million people who fall ill with TB annually, over 80% survive, in most cases due to a six-month treatment course. Unfortunately, as with long COVID, being cured is not always the last hurdle and many people go on to struggle with post-TB lung disease. Professor

France said on Thursday that it was recalling its ambassador from Burkina Faso, a day after agreeing to demands from the ruling junta to pull out troops from the former French colony in Africa’s Sahel region. “In the context of the latest developments in Burkina Faso, we have decided to recall our ambassador to Paris

Tunis/Tunisia — January 29 is the only legal date for the second round of legislative elections, President of the Independent High Authority for Elections (French: ISIE) Farouk Bouasker said as he paid Thursday a working visit to Béja. “The date will be maintained regardless of weather conditions in the northwest,” Bouasker further told TAP. Polls

The African continent fueled many debates at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. The forum’s discussions centred around sustainable solutions, ranging from energy transition, reimagining globalisation, inclusion and diversity to prepare the world to collaborate and share equally in all future opportunities. How can the African continent position itself to thrive in an

Some sea cucumber species appear to be resilient to heavy fishing pressure while others show clear signs of over-exploitation according to a recently published 2021/2022 survey by the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA). According to a press release from the SFA on Tuesday, the survey was completed in October 2022 and about 200 of the original

From dairy farms unable to keep milk refrigerated, to chickens suffocating en masse as ventilators fall idle, an energy crisis is taking a heavy toll on South Africa’s food sector, industry groups said. Record power cuts have caused shortages of some staples, threatening price rises that could make some popular items too expensive for poor

The East African Community on Wednesday, January 25, launched its verification mission to assess Somalia’s readiness to join the regional economic community. This comes after the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, on July 21, 2022, rekindled his country’s request to join the bloc. At the time, during an EAC Heads of State meeting in

A cholera outbreak in Malawi has killed more than 1,000 people, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday (Jan. 24) as the country ran out of vaccines. The southern African nation has been battling its worst cholera outbreak on record, with more than 30,600 people infected since the first cases were reported last year. In November

The raid happened as the vigilantes were preparing to pursue terrorists who attacked their village. Many vigilantes were reportedly killed in an air raid by a yet-to-be-identified aircraft in Galadima Kogo, a community in Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, on Tuesday. Several members of the vigilante group, including its leader, were also injured in

The Cameroonian government has denied that it asked any country to mediate in its conflict with separatists trying to form a breakaway state called Ambazonia in its minority English-speaking regions. The latest comes after Canada last week said it had received a request to work on a peace process. In a statement issued on Monday

THE Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has directed education officers and quality controllers to visit all schools and libraries to identify unethical books being used by the institutions. The government directives follow complaints by some stakeholders that some books being used in some schools are immoral. The call was made on Monday in Dar

A Tanzanian cargo ship sank Tuesday (Jan. 23) in a jetty in the southern Iranian port of Assaluyeh, state media reported. The official IRNA news agency said the vessel named Anil overturned because containers on it were configured incorrectly at the port’s dock No. 9. The port has more than two dozen piers. IRNA said

Former Chivi South legislator Killer Zivhu has accused the ruling Zanu PF of rigging elections while urging Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa to be brave and counter election rigging. Posting on Twitter, Zivhu said Chamisa should be encouraged to be brave and build a strong opposition against Zanu PF failure of which elections

After Senegal, Ghana is the latest African country where officials have been called out for misappropriating or mismanaging funds dedicated to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ghana audit service report on the government’s covid-19 expenditure for the period going from March 2020 to June 2022 is widely commented on social media. In all, GH¢21,844,189,185.24 (over

Lusaka — ZAMBIA has been a member of the 79-year-old International Monetary Fund (IMF) since 1965, a year after the dawn of the southern African country’s political independence. Since then, the copper-rich country has had 13 arrangements with the fund. On August 31, 2022, the IMF announced its executive board’s approval of the 38-month $1.3

Yellen’s trip comes a month after the US-Africa summit in Washington, where the US president pledged billions of dollars in investment, trade and development assistance   –   Copyright © africanews Yesica Fisch/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved. By Africanews Last updated: 14 hours ago Zambia U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is in Zambia on the

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is in Zambia on the second leg of her African tour, a stop aimed at promoting American investment and ties while she’s in a capital city that is visibly dominated by Chinese dollars. Visitors to Lusaka arriving at the renovated Kenneth Kaunda International Airport see a facility expanded in 2015

Moroccan football player Achraf Hakimi won the award for Best Arab Sportsman in Saudi Arabia. The 24-year-old player was rewarded for his outstanding 2022 season with his club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and his odyssey into world cup history with the Moroccan national squad. In Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, some of the biggest names in the movie

PEPFAR’s twentieth anniversary should prompt reflection on some inconvenient truths for U.S.-Africa relations. This month marks the twentieth anniversary of President George W. Bush’s signature global HIV/AIDS initiative, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR. From the outset, PEPFAR was profoundly ambitious in its vision, rejecting conventional wisdom about the viability of providing

From cabaret feathers to sleek suits and velvet robes, Dior celebrated Josephine Baker and the wild freedom of the Roaring Twenties in a celeb-packed show on Monday to kickstart haute couture week in Paris. A parade of stars were in the front row, including Anya Taylor-Joy, Kirsten Dunst, Rosamund Pike and K-Pop’s Jisoo, to see

Today we witness particularly hard times for the entire world because no country — poor and rich — has been spared of inflation. The argument by experts is that effects of COVD-19 — let alone other adverse economic conditions that prevailed before the pandemic broke out — have spared no country and that these effects

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Cabo Verde for the Ocean Race Summit on Sunday He also plans to observe some of the solutions being considered to help protect the 10-island archipelago off the coast of Africa.  Speaking to journalists, Guterres said, Cabo Verde “is on the frontlines of the existential crisis generated by

KEY players and stakeholders in the nutrition sector have been advised to form a collective multisectoral effort in order to win the fight against malnutrition. The advice was given by Global and Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Country Director Ms Prisce Rwezahula, during the 20th anniversary celebration of the organisation since its establishment held in

People in Burkina Faso have broadly welcomed plans by the military government to oust French troops within a month. The state broadcaster announced the move on 21 January saying the decision had been made to end the presence of France’s military on Burkinabe soil. It follows mass protests in the capital Ouagadougou demanding the French

Gombe state government has denied issuing an order for the arrest of a radio journalist for hosting a member of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) as alleged by the party. This is contained in a release signed by Alhaji Shuaibu Gara, Special adviser to Gov. Inuwa Yahaya on information management and strategy and made available

Juventus, the record 36-time Italian champion, were hit with a massive 15-point penalty for false accounting on Friday (Jan.20). The sanction following an appeal hearing at the Italian soccer federation. The decision means the Turin giants will plunge from third to 11th place in the Serie A table, although they have indicated that they will

Police in Plateau State said yesterday they arrested abductors of the paramount traditional ruler of Izere in Jos East local government area, Rev. Dr. Azi Wakili. According to a statement issued in Jos by the state police spokesman, DSP Alfred Alabo, a distress call was received by Angware Police Divisional headquarters that gunmen entered the

Nigeria’s health authorities confirmed a deadly outbreak of diftheria on Friday (Jan.20). In Kano state, one of the worst-hit states in the country’s north, Dr. Aminu Tsanyawa the health commission for the state has recorded more than 70 suspected cases along with 25 deaths related to the bacterial infection. The total number of confirmed cases and

Dakar, Senegal — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen went to Gorree Island in Senegal Saturday, and spoke of the “unspeakable cruelty” of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. “Ultimately, Goree Island reminds us that the histories of Africa and America are intimately connected,” Yellen said after touring the island. “We know that the tragedy did not stop

Burkina Faso’s army has freed 66 women and children who were abducted earlier this month by Islamic extremists while gathering food in the country’s northern Sahel region, according to a state television report Friday (Jan.20). National broadcaster RTB reported that armed forces had located the hostages during a military operation in Center-North region. The group

Nairobi, Kenya — U.S. officials say food insecurity in Africa will worsen this year because of climate change, conflict, and market disruptions caused partly by Russia’s war on Ukraine. Speaking online to journalists Thursday from Malawi, Cary Fowler, special envoy for Global Food Security, said looking for solutions is key. “As much as I wish

The speaker of Zimbabwe’s parliament on Thursday handed over a pre-election report to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, as the southern African country counts down months before its generation election. It is constitutional tradition in Zimbabwe for the President to receive a briefing from parliament ahead of an election. On Friday, Mnangagwa is expected to hand over

High Court judge, Justice Priscilla Munangati Manongwa, has set aside a section of the Urban Councils Act which gave Local Government minister, July Moyo, powers to interfere and control local authorities. In a landmark ruling handed down recently, the judge said separation of powers was crucial, adding that the minister cannot be allowed to run

It has been nearly a year since European leaders and their African counterparts converged in Brussels for a summit billed as the beginning of a ‘renewed partnership’ between the two continents. The summit’s final declaration dubbed ‘the Joint Vision for 2030’ promised among other things to invest in Africa $25 billion per year over the

LISTED beverages manufacturer, Delta Corporation Limited, has credited policy interventions employed by monetary authorities for easing inflation and spurring foreign currency sales for businesses across the economy. Monetary authorities have sustained the implementation of measures aimed at stabilising the economy, which have seen annual inflation receding from over 800% recorded in July 2022 to the

Aboard canoes, motorboats and kayaks fashioned from papyrus stems, the faithful converged on a lake in central Ethiopia to celebrate the Orthodox holiday of Epiphany, known locally as “Timkat”. Lake Ziway, 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Addis Ababa, is at the heart of annual celebrations in this region to mark the baptism of Christ

Despite the indictment and consequent sack, Mr Buhari known for his anti-corruption rhetoric reappointed her. In 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan sacked Saratu Umar as the Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC). The sack followed a recommendation by a ministerial panel that indicted her for several offences, including lack of administrative competence

Uganda on Wednesday issued a final tender to company controlled by TotalEnergies to construct a $3.5 billion oil pipeline through to Tanzania. The final approval will provide a way forward to the construction of the pipeline that will be used to transport the country’s crude to international. The signature follows a Monday approval by the

Patients told to get health care “in their own countries” Members of Operation Dudula have been turning immigrant patients away from the Jeppe Clinic in central Johannesburg. They say immigrants must get health care in their countries of origin. The Gauteng health department says it is unaware of the problem at Jeppe Clinic. Members of

Inflation in Ghana is slowing after peaking at 78,1% in November. According to data collected by the statistics service, producer price inflation retreated in December reaching now 52,2%. Last month, consumer price inflation accelerated to 54.1% year-on-year driven by rising fuel, utilities and food costs. According to experts, the decline in month-on-month producer inflation could

Far-right MP Marine Le Pen is in Senegal for three days – her first trip abroad since failing to clinch the French presidency in April last year. The visit is an opportunity to hone her international profile, but why Senegal? Le Pen arrived in Dakar on Monday evening. The head of the National Rally (RN)

The head of Italian diplomacy on Wednesday said Italy is “ready to increase” the flow of legal migrants from Tunisia but calls for more efforts against illegal immigration. Antonio Tajani, Italian foreign minister on his visit to the north African country reiterated on the need to reduce irregular immigration and strengthen regular immigration between the

Kampala, Uganda — Uganda is set to make a major shift in the battle against malaria, with focus turning from treatment to prevention, especially at household level. Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr Diana Atwine said government has agreed with the Global Fund and other partners to put more emphasis on disease prevention. This she said

Authorities in Goma in eastern DRC have clashed with demonstrators on Wednesday. Around one hundred demonstrators gathered to demand the withdrawal of the East African Community (EAC) forces deployed to fight armed groups in the east of the country. The regional force consists of hundreds of Kenyan and Burundian soldiers.Another 750 soldiers from South Sudan

EL-DHER [SMN] – The war against Al-Shabaab is raging on at a speed time as the SNA and vigilantes take over three towns within two days, a victory that will live long. The minister of defense Abdulakadir Mohamed Nur ticked with a green pen the seizure of the El-Dhere in Galgadud from Al-Shabaab peacefully as

Braving stressful waits, red tape and repeated visits, Nigerians are rushing to pick up their voting cards for next month’s presidential election, where three main candidates are vying to replace President Muhammadu Buhari. Nearly 10 million new voters have been registered for the February 25 ballot, of whom 84 percent are young people aged under

Rwandan First Son, 2nd Lt Ian Kagame has joined the elite Presidential Guard in the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF). The presidential guard is the army unit that guards Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame and his family. Ian, appeared publicly for the first time taking on his new assignment at the Annual National Prayer Breakfast held on

The security situation in Mali is worsening. The United Nations Secretary-General highlighted key findings of a new report on the Sahelian country that was circulated Monday (Jan.16). Al-Qaida and Islamic State extremist groups are driving insecurity in central Mali and continue to clash near populated areas in the northern Gao and Menaka regions, the U.N. chief

The Mozambican Government, through the Ministry of Public Works, intends to invest this year 20 billion meticais (US$ 313 million) for the rehabilitation of rural roads and the installation of bridges. According to a document of the Annual Plan of Activities and Budget of the Road Fund, cited in the Maputo daily newspaper “Noticias” on

Head of Ethiopia’s Supreme court, Meaza Ashenafi, and her deputy, Solomon Areda Waktolla “have resigned” from their position. A letter to the House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) on Tuesday did not state the reason for their resignation, local media house Addis Standard reported.  The Parliament has subsequently approved Assistant Professor Tewdros Mihret, from Addis Abeba

Mali coach Diané Nouhoum is cautious that his side need to have the right mindset ahead of their opening game against Angola in the TotalEnergies CHAN 2022 on Monday, 16 January at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, Algeria. The Eagles, who are making their fifth CHAN appearance, have only lost their opening game once

Eighteen people were arrested in Morocco for their alleged involvement in acts of vandalism Saturday in Khouribga, 120 km from Casablanca, during a national soccer championship match, Moroccan police said Sunday. The incidents took place during a match counting for the 12th day of the Botola, the Moroccan first league, won 2-0 by AS FAR

Cameroon coach Alioum Saidou expects his side to approach every game as a final when they kickoff their campaign against Congo in the TotalEnergies CHAN 2022 on Monday, January 16 at the Miloud Hadefi Stadium in Oran, Algeria The Intermediate Lions, who finished fourth at the last edition at home two years ago, are under

Four Malian gendarmes were killed and three wounded on Sunday in an ambush in the west of the Sahelian country plagued by jihadist attacks, the gendarmerie said. Two gendarmerie vehicles were burned and two others, topped with machine guns, were captured by the attackers during this operation carried out in Kouala , she added. Two

Ahead of Angola’s first game at the TotalEnergies CHAN 2022 against Mali, head coach Pedro Gonçalves wants his side to approach the tournament with the belief that they can go all the way to the final on February 4. Palancas Negras are a team that are rebuilding with a couple of young faces as well

MOMO Pencils, based in Athi River, Machakos County, came up with an effective way to reduce the number of trees cut down every year to make simple writing pencils. The company, headed by brothers Mahamud Omari and Rashid Omari, sources its raw materials, in this case glue and old newspapers, locally. They currently import the

ZANU PF National Commissar, Mike Bimha, has unwittingly admitted that mushrooming appendages of the party are using their proximity to the ruling organisation for financial gains, deviating from their mandate of drumming up support ahead of elections. Affiliates under Zanu PF have been mushrooming ostensibly to support the economic development of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and

The Tanzanian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu says he plans to return home this month from exile in Europe, after the government lifted a ban on political rallies. The ban, imposed by former president, John Magufuli in 2016, allowed only elected politicians to conduct rallies in their constituencies. Lissu, a former politician

A State lawyer, Mike Mudara (34), has been slapped with an 18-year jail term following conviction for raping his friend’s four year old daughter. Mudara was employed by the Justice ministry and was stationed at Gokwe magistrate court. According to a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on the day he committed the crime

Hundreds of people in the Tunisian capital have taken to the streets in demonstrations against President Kais Saied on the 12th anniversary of the fall of former dictator Ben Ali. Angry crowds protested against the deterioration of their living conditions, against a backdrop of increased political divisions. Supporters of the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party called for

Zanu PF’s secretary for youth affairs, Tinomuda Machakaire, has made a major climb down on his criticism against Zimdancehall kingpin, Wallace Chirumiko, better known as Winky D, urging fellow critics “not to fight the musician.” Winky D has been a subject of criticism from Zanu PF sympathisers and leaders since the release of his latest

Malians protest against ECOWAS   –   Copyright © africanews OUSMANE MAKAVELI/AFP or licensors Last updated: 15 hours ago Bamako Mali marked its new “National Day of Patriotic Sovereignty” on Saturday, introduced by military leader Colonel Assimi Goïta. The event is intended to be a founding act of popular resistance to external pressure. Malians earlier protested against

The programme accepts that informal settlements are a major part of our cities Over the past five years the Western Cape Department of Human Settlements has scaled up its support of informal settlements. With eight organisations, it has implemented the Informal Settlements Support Programme (ISSP) in municipalities across the province. The programme accepts that informal

Premier League footballer Benjamin Mendy has been cleared of sex attacks on four women following a six-month trial, as prosecutors sought a retrial over two other allegations. The Manchester City star, 28, sitting in the dock at Chester Crown Court, covered his face with both hands, gently rocking back and forth, as the jury foreman

R300,000 in compensation awarded to senior police officer The South African Police Service (SAPS) must pay R300,000 in compensation and apologise to an officer falsely accused of racism. SAPS management had “dismally failed” to put an end to the year-long “racial harassment” of Lt Col Annemarie Oosthuizen, the Johannesburg Labour Court found. Judge Portia Nkutha-Nkontwana

Polisario movement members are meeting this Friday in a refugee camp in Algeria to discuss leadership elections. Morocco controls almost 80% of the resource-rich territory and has proposed an autonomy plan under its sovereignty.  The Sahrawi Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, has called for a referendum on self-determination. More than 2,200 members of the movement

Eskom appreciates the tough NERSA revenue decision for FY2024 and FY2025 Eskom again apologies for the severe extent of loadshedding. The impact on individuals and businesses is understood. The minimising of loadshedding is the highest priority for Eskom and continuous focus at all levels in the organisation is being given. Eskom appreciates the tough decision

The US Ambassador to Sudan has urged former rebel groups who did not take part in a post-coup political deal to join talks seeking to restore civilian rule. Last month, military leaders and some civilian factions agreed on the first of a two-phase political process aiming to end the political turmoil that resulted from a

Nairobi — Younger women, particularly girls in tertiary institutions, are increasingly offering to donate their eggs to fertility clinics in a trend that has been linked to the pursuit for monetary gain. Although the selling of eggs or sperm is illegal, young donors are taking advantage of the money reimbursed as part of a reasonable

****Benin’s main opposition on Thursday (Jan. 12) claimed vote buying and fraud allowed allies of the President to win Sunday’s legislative election.** Beninese electoral commission announced late Wednesday, preliminary results of Sunday’s parliamentary election. According to the commission, the main opposition Democrats won 28 seats while the Republican Bloc (BR) and Progressive Union for Renewal

Bellinzona, Switzerland — The trial of the Liberian warlord Alieu Kosiah opened today in Bellinzona. It started with a surprise report financed by Kosiah’s friends and family. Redacted by a Liberian lawyer, it consisted of 8 pages of fact finding missions and statements by Liberian people involved in the war. There were also photos and

The heads of French and German diplomacy began a visit to Addis Ababa on Thursday to support peace in Tigray, more than two months after the agreement that ended the conflict in this northern region of Ethiopia. During the two-day visit, which comes just after the Tigray rebels began surrendering their heavy weapons, Catherine Colonna

Germany and France have dispatched their top envoys to Ethiopia to revamp relations strained by the Tigray conflict. Analysts say the EU member states are keen to support the reconstruction process but challenges remain. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock’s January 12-13 visit to Ethiopia comes as the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front

Illustration photo: people cross the Kasai Bridge that connects the two sides of   –   Copyright © africanews JUNIOR D. KANNAH/AFP or licensors Last updated: 9 hours ago Democratic Republic Of Congo At least five people were missing Wednesday in the centre of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) the day after the collapse of a

Political parties and analysts have raised concerns over the report citing that it had an influence on boundaries of constituencies which are tilted in favour of the ruling Zanu PF party. In a statement, ERC said the failure to adequately address the issues raised may result in the contestation of the report thereby affecting the

The Church of England on Tuesday apologized for past links to slavery by a related financial body now engaged in a wide-ranging process to compensate victimized communities. “I am deeply sorry,” responded Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church. “The time has come to take action in response to this

The trafficking of donkey skin to meet Asia’s growing demand is wiping out the local animal population. Donkeys are prized in West African communities as a valuable source of income and transport. But the animals are increasingly targeted by transnational organised criminal groups that profit from lax law enforcement, a ready West African supply and

Uganda’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday removed a key part of a controversial internet law which rights groups charged was aimed at stifling free speech. A section of the Computer Misuse Act made it an offence for anyone to “use electronic communication to disturb or attempt to disturb the peace, quiet or right of privacy of

Trade volumes between Kenya and South Africa have always been minimal compared to each country’s engagement with its other major trading partners. But in recent years, leaders of the two countries have been taking steps to stimulate trade. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa was on the same mission late last year when he addressed the

**In Uganda, the promoter of a deadly New Year’s Eve event and the concert MC appeared in court Tuesday (Jan. 10). They were granted bail after the hearing by the Makindye Magistrates Court. Promoter Abby Musinguzi and MC Elvis Francis Juuko remain charged with crimes including counts of neglects. Speaking outside the Kampala courtoom, the

It’s a typical story in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city. With the failure to provide services such as refuse collection by the local municipality, township residents dump garbage wherever they fancy, and with time, dumpsites become “official.” For 56-year-old Mariyeti Mpala, however, a community dumpsite on land that belonged to the local municipality a stone’s throw

France’s deputy foreign minister, on a visit to jihadist-torn Burkina Faso, denies accusations that Paris is seeking to meddle in the already troubled former colony. Speaking after her exchange with junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore, junior minister Chrysoula Zacharopoulou affirms that France “is imposing nothing” on Burkina Faso. “I have come to bring a clear

Tunis/Tunisia — The Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA) called for devising an urgent programme to rescue the economy based on a set of major measures. The UTICA considers in a statement issued on Monday, that the 2023 Finance Law (FL), which lacks an economic vision, will have a negative impact on the

The Somalia-based al-Shabab extremist group has denied having contact with the Somali government after the country’s deputy defense minister claimed that the extremists had for the first time asked to negotiate. An unnamed al-Shabab official with the group’s media unit told a pro-al-Shabab website in comments published Sunday that “there is no talk between us.”

The sale of electric cars is growing. Globally, some 2 million electric vehicles were sold in the first quarter of 2022 – 75% more than in the first three months of 2021. Most, though, are sold in high income countries. As transport electrification takes hold in rich countries to reduce emissions that lead to climate

**On Monday (Jan. 09), a Kenyan court allowed the police to hold five suspects over the death of activist Edwin Chiloba.** The suspects include a freelance photographer, who was reportedly a lover of the 25-year-old and is accused of killing him. They appeared in court in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret but did not

Without proper supervision and control, the use of 50 000 armed civilian auxiliaries could aggravate security problems. Fifty thousand Burkinabe civilians have joined the Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland (VDP) to fight the violent extremists currently occupying nearly half of the country. The recruitment campaign, launched in October 2022 by Burkina Faso’s authorities

Gabon’s president Ali Bongo Odimba named Monday (Jan. 09) the country’s first female vice-president. Rose Christian Ossouka Raponda served until this nomination as Prime Minister. The 59-year-old is a former mayor of the capital Libreville and Minister of Defence.  She fills an office that has been vacant since 2019 making history for a second time.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has called on the transitional authorities in Burkina Faso to ensure that their investigation into the killing of at least 28 people at the end of December will hold those responsible to account, regardless of their position or rank. In a statement released on Friday, Mr.

The forty-six Ivorian soldiers pardoned by Mali’s junta leader returned home Saturday night. After their plane landed at 11:40 pm (GMT) the uniformed soldiers disembarked one by one, each brandishing a small Ivorian flag. They were greeted by President Alassane Ouattara before entering the presidential pavilion at the airport where their families were waiting for

Mogadishu — Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called on young al-Shabab fighters he says are “brainwashed” to surrender to the government amid ongoing military offensives against the group. Speaking at a mosque in the country’s capital Friday, Mohamud, who last year after his election for second term declared an “all-out war” against the Islamist

After Mali’s junta leader Colonel Assimi Goita pardoned all 49 Ivorian soldiers on Friday, whose arrest in July triggered a bitter diplomatic row, Malian citizens praise the decision. “We were in diplomatic turmoil for a long time, so if President Assimi Goïta was able to pardon these 49 soldiers, I think it is a relief

GOVERNMENT has admitted its failure to develop the waste recycling industry and make income out of such initiatives. Speaking during a clean up campaign held in Redcliff, Kwekwe recently, Environment Minister, Mangaliso Ndlovu, said government was losing out. “The recycling industry has not been fully developed, which discourages some of the community based organisations who

Zimbabwe has registered its largest wheat harvest in 2022, 375,000 tons, making the austral African country a self-sufficient agricultural powerhouse. With 375 thousand tons of wheat harvest registered for 2022, Zimbabwe is set to become a self-sufficient agricultural powerhouse. A unique performance in Africa. The harvest in 2022 was 13% higher than the previous year

THE speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles, Honourable Roger Mancienne (RM), is the new president of the SADC Parliamentary Forum, which brings together 15 national parliaments in SADC. This is after he was unanimously elected for two years at the 52nd plenary Assembly Session that took place in Kinshasa, the capital city of the

M23 rebels on Friday handed over the Rumangabo army base to east African regional forces, after nearly two months in charge.  At a brief ceremony held at the facility, a rebel representative said the gesture symbolizes the group’s commitment to peace.  A summit held in the Angolan capital last November ordered the rebels to vacate

For easy and manageable ranking, the Zambezi region can be divided into four routes radiating from the central zone of development, which is the town of Katima Mulilo. Each route has experienced some form of developmental challenges. For easy referencing, route one could be indicated as one radiating from Katima Mulilo through Schuckmansburg, Nsundwa, Ikaba

A journalists’ union in South Sudan confirmed on Friday that six staffers with the national broadcaster have been detained in connection with footage apparently showing the country’s president urinating on himself during an event. The South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation footage aired in December and was widely shared online. It showed 71-year-old President Salva Kiir standing

The Accra Initiative was born out of seven West African countries desire to pool together their resources to deal with emerging threats: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Niger and Togo. Nigeria associated itself with it at the concerned Heads of State and Governments summit held in the Ghanaian capital on 22 November 2022.

A French-Rwandan man sentenced in Paris in 2021 for complicity in genocide, has been released from prison pending his appeal. Claude Muhayimana was released from detention on 21 December and placed under judicial supervision pending his appeal. The former driver, who has appealed his conviction, was referred to the investigative division of the Paris Court

Lusaka, Zambia — Without adequate rain, farmers must turn to irrigation. But without fuel to power the pumps, there’s only so much they can grow. In 2021, Patrick Kasoka had a devastating harvest of maize, Zambia’s staple food. Parts of Chongwe district, a rural area east of Lusaka, had experienced a long dry spell. As

Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said that the north African country was the target of calculated media attacks and legal harassment aimed at undermining ties with the European Union. The comments were made Thursday during a visit to Morocco from the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell. Last year Belgian authorities implicated Morocco and Qatar in

Note to editors: Please finds a linked soundbite in English by Andrew Whitfield, MP. Across South Africa 10111 call centres are in a state of crisis with little more than 40% of the ideal number of staff employed and more than seven million calls being dropped. These shocking statistics – based on feedback for the

In Sudan, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the capital, Khartoum, on Thursday, to demand the country’s military rulers leave power. The demonstrators also rejected a deal struck weeks ago for the gradual transfer of power to civilian leaders. A military coup in October 2021 abruptly ended a previous democratic transition agreement with

High stakes and encouraging progress in Zambia should prompt international support. Zambia’s leaders, who have been laser-focused on addressing the country’s crippling economic crisis, closed out 2022 by pivoting to legal reform to strengthen democracy. The Zambian government repealed a notorious law criminalizing defamation of the president, which had been used to punish government critics.

The Senegalese authorities on Thursday banned a demonstration planned for Friday in Dakar by the opposition, to denounce irregularities in the management of an anti-covid fund identified in a report by the Court of Auditors, an official source said. A decree by the prefect of Dakar states that “the place chosen (for the demonstration) is

Beleil — On Monday evening, leaders of the strife riven Daju and Rizeigat tribes signed an agreement to end hostilities under the supervision of the Vice-President of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Rapid support Forces (RSF), Mohamed ‘Hemeti’ Dagalo. Jurists and community activists have questioned the feasibility of quelling the violence through reconciliations.

Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, who is also the son of the president, has accused the country’s former colonial power Spain of “interference.” The allegation comes after Spain’s judiciary opened an investigation into the “kidnapping” and “torture” of two Spanish nationals,  Feliciano Efa Mangue and Julio Obama Mefuman, in the West African state’s capital

Africa has contributed negligibly to the changing climate, with less than 4% of global emissions. Yet it stands out disproportionately as the most vulnerable region in the world. It was therefore fitting that the UN climate change conference last year, COP27, was hosted in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The African continent is facing some of the

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe, who is mediating in the case of 46 Ivorian soldiers suspected of being “mercenaries” and detained in Mali since July, arrived in Bamako on Wednesday, a diplomatic official and an airport source told AFP. “President Faure has just arrived in Bamako for a visit of some hours. He was welcomed by

Rome — The Catholic Church in different parts of Africa remembers Benedict XVI with masses and suffrage prayers. The Bishops of Uganda, who said they had a close relationship with Pope Benedict XVI, remembered him as a scholar and doctor of the church who helped many of them during his mandate as Pope. They described

Without quick IMF deal harder times lie ahead, Tunisia’s central bank chief warned Wednesday (Jan.04). The country is struggling under debt worth nearly 90 percent of its GDP. It reached an agreement in principle with the International Monerary Fund in mid-October, for a package worth around $2 billion. It now awaits the IMF’s stamp of

Officials from Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) are calling on the government to table the Older Persons Bill in the next parliamentary session to protect senior citizens who are being killed on suspicion of witchcraft. CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa said the only way elderly people can be protected is to have a

Twenty-eight bodies were found in Nouna in northwest Burkina Faso over the weekend, the government said, noting an investigation was underway as speculation grew over who may be responsible. “The government has been informed of a tragedy that occurred in Nouna, capital of the province of Kossi, during the night of December 30 to 31,”

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has urged Malawians to be vigilant against social and health threats that could potentially compromise the security of the country and its resources. Chakwera mentioned the raging cholera outbreak as one of the public health threats that may disrupt the operations of the government. “Chief among the threats you must

A sarcophagus dating back to the Late Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt, has eventually returned home. Egyptian officials announced Monday, that the artefact, which was featured at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences had been symbolically handed over at a ceremony in Cairo by the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Egypt. The handover came more than

Cape Town — Govt, Agency in Final Talks to Scrap E-Tolls – Minister Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has said that government and a technical team from the South African National Roads Agency SOC Ltd (SANRAL) are in the closing stage of reaching an agreement to scrap e-tolls, Eyewitness News reports. Government has also agreed to

The American drummer Fred White, of the funk group Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at the age of 67, his brother and a former member of the band announced Monday. Born in 1955 in Chicago (Illinois, north), White started playing the drums at a young age. During his career, he won six Grammy Awards

The East African Community Regional Forces (EACRF) deployed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have taken over two territories formally under control of the M23 fighters. This was reached on Saturday, December 31 in a meeting between officials from the East African Community Regional Force (EACRF), the ad Hoc Verification Mechanism and Extended Joint

The 46 Ivorian soldiers detained in Mali for nearly six months and who have just been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Bamako, “will soon return to Ivorian soil,” Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara assured on Saturday. “My thoughts are particularly with our soldiers detained in Mali since 10 July,” Ouattara said in his end-of-year

Omdurman / Khartoum — On Friday, members of the Greater Omdurman Resistance Committees and other protesters against the October 2021 coup d’état commemorated the people killed during anti-junta protests on December 30 last year. During the December 26 demonstrations, at least 42 protesters sustained injuries. The Public Prosecutor decided to form a committee to investigate

Al Nassr fans believe that Cristiano Ronaldo joining their club will open the door for more football stars to follow path and join the Saudi League. The Portuguese star is set to receive the biggest football salary in history after joining the Saudi Arabian outfit on a three-year deal. The club supporters, who rushed into

Hissein Mahamoud Barkai won France’s Lebey Prize for best artisan in 2022. A member of the Toques françaises association of chefs, he’s become an ambassador for Chadian gastronomy around the world, with hallmark creations like the “Paris-N’Djamena”. Barkai was born in Chad and after training in France as a pastry chef now spends his time

Morocco said Saturday it was banning travelers from China in a bid to stave off a possible new wave of coronavirus infections. A foreign affairs ministry statement said the restrictions would be extended to all people arriving from China regardless of their nationality. The ban will come into force “from 3 January and until further

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo appeals to young Nigerians to stop inheriting other people’s prejudices and enemies. The former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has endorsed Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, as his preferred choice for president in next month’s election. Mr Obasanjo gave his endorsement in an open letter to young Nigerians on

At least nine people died, most aged between 10 and 20, in a shopping mall crush as revellers rang in the New Year in Uganda’s capital, police said on Sunday. After fireworks outside the Freedom City mall in Kampala, “a stampede ensued, resulting in the instant deaths of five people and injuries to several others,”

Accra — Record inflation in Ghana, the highest in 21 years, is making the holiday season a struggle for many people. The high cost of living has forced many Ghanaians to cap their expenses, including traditional travels to the countryside to spend time with relatives. Families are instead trying to save money as the New

International NGO Reporters Without Borders has released figures showing 1,668 have died in violence over the past two decades.   The war in Ukraine is the main cause of the upturn in 2022, with 8 journalists’ deaths since Russia invaded. Fifty-seven journalists have lost their lives worldwide. Separately, 533 have been detained, 65 have been seized

Cape Town — In the latest development arising from the fallout between Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi and his predecessor, a magistrate has issued a warrant for the arrest of former president Ian Khama. The warrant was issued after Khama, who left Botswana in November 2021, failed to appear in court on charges including the illegal