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2023-02-05 20:10:59+00:00
🇪🇹 Tigray set to restart banking services
The Ethiopian government said on Saturday it was sending about $90 million to the Tigrayan capital to help restart banking services.
Prime Minister Abiy's national security advisor announced that the National Bank had started to send the money to Mekele for distribution from Monday. Ethiopian Airlines was also planning to increase the number of flights to the region.
On Friday, the prime minister met for the first time with Tigrayan leaders since a peace agreement was signed in Pretoria in November after a violent conflict between the federal government and rebels in the northern Ethiopian region.
#Ethiopia
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2023-02-05 19:22:15+00:00
🇿🇦 South Africa records two imported cholera cases
South Africa has recorded two confirmed imported cases of cholera, the health department said.
The cases were of sisters who had in January travelled to Malawi, where a cholera outbreak since last year has claimed more than 1,000 lives as of January, the highest on record in the country.
"Both patients had developed symptoms on their return to Johannesburg," the health department said in a statement.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-05 18:31:59+00:00
🇸🇩🇺🇳 Sudan calls on the United Nations to lift the arms embargo
Sudan has asked the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo and other sanctions imposed during the violence in the western Darfur region in 2005.
Sudan's representative to the United Nations said in a letter to the Security Council that the sanctions "are no longer appropriate to the today's reality in Darfur today compared to the situation in 2005."
The Sudanese representative also indicated that the Sudanese transitional government is committed to addressing remaining social and security issues in Darfur, including intermittent tribal clashes.
#Sudan #UN
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2023-02-05 17:30:00+00:00
🇳🇬 41 killed during bandits, vigilantes clash in Nigeria
Authorities in Nigeria's Katsina state have launched a joint security operation after 41 people were killed when a vigilante group clashed with bandits who attacked their Yargoje village.
Katsina state police spokesman said that, as of Saturday, a joint security team that includes the military, air force and police were still searching for the perpetrators. The bandits are believed to be holed up in the nearby Yargoje Forest, where many of the victims were found.
The local vigilante group known as Yankasai was drawn from 11 communities in the Bakori area, where bandits stole 50 cows and 30 sheep before fleeing. The vigilante group traced the suspects to the Yargoje Forest but were ambushed by the bandits.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-05 16:02:32+00:00
🇸🇩 Six international envoys from Western countries will arrive in Sudan on an official two-day visit
The Sudanese news agency SUNA informed that the US, French, Norwegian, British, German and the European Union envoys will arrive in Sudan next Wednesday on a two-day visit, during which they will meet with representatives of the different blocs in the country in order to bring their views closer and promote a political settlement between sides.
Envoys will also meet with the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan to learn about the humanitarian aid programs supported by their countries through United Nations agencies
It is worth noting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Sudan on the same day and for the same two-day period as the six envoys.
#Sudan
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2023-02-05 13:41:59+00:00
🇿🇦Opposition party in South Africa says the problems in country under current ruling party will remain despite all measures
The leader of the opposition party ActionSA, Herman Mashaba, says even if there is a cabinet reshuffle, South Africa will remain a sinking ship until the ANC is voted out of power.
It has been widely speculated that President Cyril Ramaphosa could announce a cabinet reshuffle before his annual State of the Nation Address next week.
Mashaba said: “The President can go to an extent of bringing in a new cabinet. You look at members of Parliament; is there anyone decent who can bring anything positive to SA? We are more divided than we were pre-1994. We are the rape, murder capital of the world. That cabinet reshuffle will be business as usual while everything is getting worse.”
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-05 12:17:00+00:00
🇿🇦 A Kingpin behind vehicle crime border syndicate in South Africa was apprehended
Gauteng Law Enforcement Agencies arrested a man suspected to be behind the theft and hijacking of high-caliber vehicles that were taken to neighboring countries. The suspect, who is a foreign national, was found with suspected stolen vehicles.
Gauteng Police spokesperson said they were able to catch the suspect in Johannesburg. Police team pounced on the suspect as he was about to exit the mall on a hijacked car.
Spokesperson added that further investigation led the team to the suspect’s place of residence where many other stolen vehicles were found.
The suspect is expected to appear at Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 06 February 2023. More suspects might be arrested pending further investigation.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-05 10:40:00+00:00
🇿🇦South Africa push to use drones for security and border control
There has been a large push in drone use across South Africa, with issues regarding safety being a key reason for the adoption of the tech.
In response to demand, Pretoria-based company Milkor wants to introduce the largest drone ever produced in Africa – the Milkor 380.
According to the manager of business development at Milkor, the drone is intended to be used by the Defence industry and can be used for observation, reconnaissance and attacks. He added that the drone could also be used for border control, conversation efforts, and the fight against poaching.
The drone will cost millions to produce, but governments on several continents have already shown interest in the drone, according to du Plessis. Milkor aims to have five drones ready by the end of the year.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-05 09:13:25+00:00
Main Events in Africa on January 29 - February 4
🇹🇳 Political crisis in Tunisia remains. Parliamentary election drew only 11% voter turnout. Opposition calls for unity against the President, who said that parliamentary elections did not represent anything for voters. The state of emergency was extended.
🇸🇴 Top al-Shabaab commanders were killed by Somali forces, while East African leaders vowed to destroy al-Shabaab during their meeting in Somalia.
🇨🇩 M23 rebels took control of Kitchanga in the eastern DR Congo. Rwandese troops were expelled from the DR Congo.
🇩🇪🇲🇱 Germany considers early withdrawal of German troops from the UN mission in Mali.
🇲🇿 TotalEnergies' head went to Mozambique to review the security to resume the gas project.
🇿🇦 Ruling ANC party in South Africa outlined plans to end load shedding by end of this year. South Africa also received 280 million euros for green transition from EU.
🇳🇬🇬🇧 Nigerian communities filed damages claim against Shell in UK court.
🇻🇦🇨🇩🇸🇸 Pope Francis arrived in DR Congo and South Sudan to comment on situation in countries and to meet ordinary citizens.
🇧🇾🇿🇼 Belarusian President visited Zimbabwe and signed agriculture and defense agreements.
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso reconsiders G5 Sahel membership.
#digest
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2023-02-05 06:49:39+00:00
🇿🇦 South Africa Deputy President resigns
David Mabuza has confirmed that he has resigned as Deputy President of South Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa has accepted his resignation.
Mabuza said he had agreed with President Ramaphosa that he must step down to allow newly elected ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile to take over.
Resigned Deputy President added that the President will make the announcement in due course.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-05 04:48:01+00:00
🇹🇳 Tunisia's trade union accuses President Saied of intimidation and repression
Tunisia's UGTT trade union has accused President Kais Saied of targeting it as a distraction from record low election turnout.
UGTT chief Noureddine Taboubi held a meeting in Gammarth to discuss the arrest of the union's senior official Anis Kaabi earlier in the week. Taboubi said: "The president is trying to divert attention from the record low election turnout in the first and second round of legislative elections and the utter failure of his economic and social decisions."
Taboubi added: "Why is the UGTT a target? Because the authorities want to pass the painful reforms they are always discussing."
#Tunisia
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2023-02-05 03:00:04+00:00
🇿🇦 South Africans fume at cascading crisis
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.
Criminality has also contributed to the crisis, with Johannesburg's municipality saying hundreds of water tanks were stolen or vandalized.
This further aggravated residents who for months have had to plan mundane activities such as cooking and do laundry based on a daily blackout schedule.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-05 00:30:59+00:00
🇹🇳 About the political crisis in Tunisia
A Russian channel Rybar analyzed the current political crisis in Tunisia.
Previous Sunday, on January 29, parliamentary elections were held in Tunisia.
A record low number of voters - about 11% - took part in the vote.
The opposition called for a boycott of the elections, which, according to opposition leaders, were pointless, since the country's parliament had no real powers.
Tunisian President Kais Saied said that the parliamentary elections were not important and "people did not need them."
🔻What is the cause of the crisis?
The Tunisian Revolution of 2010-2011, which launched the Arab Spring, overthrew President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled the country since 1987, and power passed into the hands of an interim government.
▪️In 2014, a new constitution was adopted, that divided the power between the president and the parliament.
However, the change of regime did not improve the situation in the country. Taxes and prices continued to rise, and people's incomes declined.
The situation was exacerbated by the absence of a party with a majority of seats in parliament or a full-fledged coalition after two consecutive elections, in 2014 and 2019.
▪️In 2019, Kais Saied won the presidential election under the slogans of fighting corruption and stabilizing the economy.
▪️On January 15, 2021, on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Arab Spring, anti-government protests began, which lasted for six months across the country.
The reason was the ongoing economic crisis, corruption, and unemployment, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
▪️On July 25 of that year President Said, with the support of the military and the conservative population, dissolved the parliament and announced a new draft constitution that strengthened the power of the president. Said's cronies also assumed the highest positions in the state.
The president accused the parliament of being unable to form a viable coalition and successfully fight the COVID-19 pandemic and economic problems.
Said said that radical solutions were needed in such difficult times.
🔻What is happening now?
Tunisia became a presidential republic after the adoption of a new constitution in June 2022.
▪️Against this background, opposition parties united in the "National Salvation Front" to oppose the Said regime and return the power to parliament.
At the same time, within the Front itself there have been constant ideological differences.
▪️On February 1, the Tunisian president announced another extension of the state of emergency in the country because of the "threat of terrorist attacks." The decision is attributed to the increased radical activity of the opposition, which declares "the need to fight against the central government.
▪️The economic crisis in Tunisia has not ceased.
The turnout for the elections is not only due to protest, actively called for by the opposition, but also due to the inability of citizens to get away from work, as drought continues to ravage Tunisia.
Corruption, falling living standards, and rising prices have not gone away either.
🔻The Western media is predicting a coup d'état in Tunisia, but for now this is very unlikely. Said has managed to retain the loyalty of the army and a large part of the population, disillusioned with the political establishment that has plunged the country into a series of revolutions.
#Tunisia
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2023-02-04 21:31:42+00:00
🇨🇦🇨🇩 Canadian company begins exploration of lithium deposit in southern DR Congo
The Canadian company AJN Resources Inc. received a 75% stake from a Congolese company to explore a lithium deposit near the town of Lubumbashi in southern DR Congo.
The Company already mobilized an exploration team.
#Canada #DRC
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2023-02-04 20:55:34+00:00
🇧🇾🇷🇺🌍 Belarus expects to participate in the second Russia-Africa Forum
"There is a willingness of the Russian side to help us, there is our interest to be represented at this forum primarily in the business and humanitarian segments. Because it is a good option to establish new contacts and strengthen the existing ones," said the Head of the Africa and Middle East Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Yury Nikolaychyk.
"Now Belarus has five foreign offices in African countries. They are Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe," he added.
The second "Russia-Africa" summit and economic forum will take place on July 26-29.
#Belarus #Russia
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2023-02-04 20:32:34+00:00
🇨🇮 A mysterious disease kills 20 in Ivory Coast
The mysterious illness that has struck a village in central Ivory Coast since December 2022 has killed twenty people, mainly children.
"We recorded twenty deaths, including two adults " said the president of a youth association in the village of Kpo-Kahankro. It is specified that "the age of the child victims varies between 1 and 8 years", the children suddenly begin to stiffen up and to vomit. The adults who died were women aged 60 to 70, both of whom died in a hospital "after showing the same symptoms as the first deaths, namely vomiting and diarrhea".
On January 31 the Minister of Health went to the village to assess the situation. So far, it has not been possible to find out what this disease is.
#IvoryCoast
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2023-02-04 19:35:29+00:00
🇨🇩 East African regional leaders demand ceasefire in eastern Congo
East African regional leaders on Saturday renewed their call for an immediate ceasefire by all sides in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
At a summit in Burundi's capital Bujumbura, the leaders of the regional East African Community (EAC) bloc called for an "immediate ceasefire by all parties," according to a communique issued at the end of the meeting. "The summit reiterated its call to all parties to de-escalate tensions," the communique read.
EAC also demanded the withdrawal of all foreign and armed groups from DRC and asked regional military chiefs to meet within one week and set a timeframe for the withdrawal.
#DRC
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2023-02-04 18:05:59+00:00
🇵🇹🇨🇫 Portuguese Prime Minister arrived in CAR
The Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr. António Luís Santos da Costa, arrived at Central African Republic (CAR) for a working visit.
He met with he Prime Minister of the CAR, Felix Molua, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the CAR, Sylvie Baypo Temon and the President of the CAR, Faustin Archange Touadera. The fight against armed groups and the training of the Central African Armed Forces were the main topics of the meeting.
President Touadera expressed his interest in strengthening bilateral security cooperation. According to António da Costa, the Portuguese are committed to the definitive restoration of peace and stability in the CAR.
#Portugal #CAR
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2023-02-04 17:47:33+00:00
🇪🇹 Shots fired during church protest in Ethiopia
At least 2 people died as a result of the use of weapons by Oromia State police during rally of supporters of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the town of Shashamane in Oromia State, say witnesses.
Previously this week the Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church issued ultimatum to the government "to carry out the responsibilities assigned by the constitution by upholding the institutional supremacy of the Church, the rights and interests given to it by law, and by giving appropriate correction to the illegal actions" by the breakaway Archbishops, and alternatively, threatened to call for a worldwide protest if corrective measures were not to be taken.
#Ethiopia
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2023-02-04 16:33:44+00:00
🇻🇦🇸🇸 Pope calls on church leaders in South Sudan to challenge injustice
Pope Francis has been trying to console 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 .
He also added that deceit and injustice crushes people and condemned what he called "the use of violence to conduct business in the shadow of conflict."
#Vatican #SouthSudan
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2023-02-04 14:05:21+00:00
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso leader gives assurances over relations with France
Burkina Faso's military leader, Ibrahim Traoré, has said there has been no break in diplomatic relations with France. Traoré insisted diplomatic relations were unharmed. "The French embassy is here," He said. "French nationals are here, just as ours is there, so diplomatically nothing has changed.
Traoré also denied Wagner group troops were active in the country. He said: "We've heard everywhere in the press that Wagner is in Ouagadougou. That's also how we heard about it. I've asked some people who say, 'Oh really? Where are they?' "We've since heard that they're even in a hotel somewhere, we're surprised to hear about that," he added.
#BurkinaFaso
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2023-02-04 12:14:21+00:00
🇳🇬 More than 40 killed in Nigeria during gunmen and vigilantes clash
More than 40 people have been killed in clashes between gunmen and vigilantes in Nigeria’s northern Katsina state.
Katsina state police spokesperson said on Friday that an armed gang, known locally as bandits, attacked a village in Katsina’s Bakori local government area and had rustled cattle and sheep before fleeing into the bush.
A local vigilante group mobilised and pursued the gunmen, which led to the deadly clash and large loss of life.
“A joint security operations is currently ongoing with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book,”spokesperson said.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-04 10:31:13+00:00
🇲🇿 TotalEnergies' head met Mozambique President
The head of TotalEnergies met Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi on Friday to discuss the humanitarian situation in the Cabo Delgado area, where a 2021 attack on civilians led to a key liquefied natural gas project being halted.
The French company said on Friday that its chairman and chief executive Patrick Pouyanne had visited the Cabo Delgado area to review the security and humanitarian situation, and that Pouyanne had met the Mozambique President during his trip.
The results of the meeting have not been released yet.
#Mozambique
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2023-02-04 08:28:13+00:00
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso reconsiders G5 Sahel membership
President Ibrahim Traoré is reportedly considering the value of Burkina Faso's remaining a member of the G5 Sahel (now the G4 given Mali's exit), a group of five Sahelian former French colonies who face common security concerns.
The pro-French G5 has condemned the autocratic and anti-Western turn of Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years. For now, Burkina Faso is placing a higher priority on bilateral relations with Mali alone.
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2023-02-04 07:12:01+00:00
🇿🇦 Blackouts in South Africa put pressure on healthcare
The challenge for South African paramedics is getting harder as worsening power blackouts in the nation further strains the country's health sector.
"We got called to a hospital where the generators stopped working and then it was 18 paramedics and nine ICU ventilator patients. And so it was two paramedics per patient and then nine of us, we had to ventilate them manually for four hours, until their generators were fixed," one of the paramedics said.
Many people are forced to go without the oxygen concentrator helping them breathe. Patients complain that their backup tanks are empty, the 8 to 10 hours with no power have made it too expensive to refill.
Also people are afraid that if there will be a need of an ambulance during the blackout, there would be no way to call one, due to limited battery and no phone service.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-04 04:15:05+00:00
🇺🇳🇸🇩 UN rights expert in Sudan urges security reforms
A UN expert on Thursday called for reforms in Sudan's security services and accountability, during a first visit to the country.
Radhouane Nouicer's visit comes more than a month after civilian and military factions agreed on an initial step in a two-phase political process aimed at restoring stability. Nouicer also called on authorities to allow the work of civil society groups who have complained about "mounting restrictions" on their activities.
The UN human rights expert urged authorities to "hold to account" officials who had abused their powers and called for "a clear roadmap for security sector reform". "The immunity from prosecution of members of the security forces implicated in human rights violations must be lifted," he told.
#UN #Sudan
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2023-02-04 02:20:05+00:00
🇧🇫 Human rights activists accuse Burkina Faso army of killing at least 25 civilians
A human rights NGO in Burkina Faso has accused the army of killing at least 25 civilians, including a woman and a baby, in the east of the country this week. Relatives of victims accused Burkinabe Defence and Security Forces of executions of civilians in the localities of Piega, Sakoani and Kankangou.
Twelve deaths (including three women and a baby) were reported in the village of Sakoani, about 125 km from Fada N'Gourma, the capital of the eastern region, seven (including four women) in the village of Piega, 60 km from Fada N'Gourma, and six in the hamlet of Kankangou in the territory of the village of Sampiéri.
Neither the army nor the Burkinabe government reacted to these accusations.
#BurkinaFaso
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2023-02-04 00:20:05+00:00
🇨🇩 M23 fighters released a photo of captured weapons from FARDC recently.
Large quantity of AKM/Type 56 rifles, Romanian PM md. 65 rifle, 60mm M57 mortar, RPG-7s with rockets (Type 69-3, PG-7V, OGi-7MA) PKM/Type 80 machine guns can be seen.
#DRC
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2023-02-03 22:20:02+00:00
🇻🇦🇸🇸 Pope Francis implores South Sudanese leaders for peace
Pope Francis made a plea for peace in South Sudan while speaking at event sitting side-by-side with the country's president.
Francis warned South Sudan’s political leaders on Friday that history will judge them harshly if they continue to drag their feet implementing a 2018 peace accord.
Accompanying him to the overwhelmingly Christian country were the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt. Rev. Iain Greenshields.
They hope to cast a spotlight on what Francis has called a “forgotten crisis.”
#Vatican #SouthSudan
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2023-02-03 20:13:35+00:00
🇪🇹 Ethiopia's Prime Minister meets Tigray leaders for the first time since peace deal
Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has met Tigrayan leaders for the first time since the two sides signed a peace treaty three months ago.
Ahmed and other government officials met with top Tigrayan figures, including the commander of Tigrayan forces, General Tadesse Worede. Sides reported to have discussed the progress made in implementing the peace deal, as well as issues needing further attention.
#Ethiopia
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2023-02-03 18:38:00+00:00
🇳🇬 President Buhari meets governors over cash crisis
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has met the state governors from his ruling All Progressives Congress party over the challenges arising from a scarcity of local currency in the country.
At the meeting the governors expressed their disapproval of the government's policy of redesigning some of the country's currency notes and the consequent scarcity of new notes.
Some of the governors said that they explained to the president the inappropriateness of taking such a step at this time and the problems the measure has caused the nation. They therefore suggested that the president should rethink the policy and allow the new and old naira notes to coexist for some time, to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-03 17:28:44+00:00
🇰🇪 Ex-policeman gets death penalty for Kenya lawyer's murder
A Kenyan court has sentenced to death a former Kenyan policeman for the killing of a human rights lawyer and two other people more than six years ago.
Two other ex-policemen and a civilian were sentenced to between 20 and 30 years in prison for the murder of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and a taxi driver in June 2016.
The four were last year each found guilty of three counts including murder. All the four can appeal their conviction and sentencing within 14 days.
In her judgement, Justice Jessie Lessit said evidence produced during the trial had shown that the murders were premeditated and the victims brutally tortured and killed.
#Kenya
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2023-02-03 16:09:59+00:00
🇸🇸 27 killed in South Sudan on eve of pope’s visit
27 people have been killed in South Sudan’s Central Equatoria state in violence between cattle herders and members of a militia on the eve of a visit to the country by Pope Francis.
Violence broke out after fighters from a rebel group killed six people from a herding community. Herders retaliated on Thursday by killing 21 civilians in a nearby area, including five children and a pregnant woman.
The pope is set to arrive from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, hoping to revive a peace process aimed at ending a decade of conflict.
#SouthSudan
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2023-02-03 13:30:52+00:00
🇪🇬🇲🇷 Egypt and Mauritania sign memorandum on expanding military cooperation
Egypt's president held talks with Mauritanian Defense Minister Hanen Ould Sidi in Cairo.
The meeting focused on developing bilateral relations and enhancing military and security cooperation.
The two defense ministers also signed a memorandum on expanding defense cooperation during the visit.
#Egypt #Mauritania
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2023-02-03 11:44:59+00:00
🇷🇺🌍 Russian Foreign Minister will resume his Africa tour in February
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Sudan of February 9 to hold meetings with the head of the Sovereign Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo.
This visit will be part of his Africa tour that will resume on February 4 and end on February 10. During this period Lavrov will also visit Mauritania and Mali.
#Russia #Africa
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2023-02-03 10:14:59+00:00
🇺🇸🇸🇩 US urges Sudan to re-arrest diplomat's killer
The United States has called for the immediate re-arrest of a Sudanese man convicted of the killing of an American diplomat 15 years ago.
The US State Department has also summoned Sudan’s ambassador to Washington over the release of the convict, Abdel Raouf Abu Zaid. Zaid was facing the death penalty over the killing of diplomat John Granville and his Sudanese driver Abdel Rahman Abbas on New Year’s Day in 2008.
The US has described as false Sudan's claims that the family of Mr Granville had forgiven the killer. The State Department denied that the release was part of an agreement between the two countries.
#USA #Sudan
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2023-02-03 08:23:59+00:00
🇨🇲 Cameroon arrests suspects over journalist's death
Several people have been arrested in Cameroon over the murder of a journalist Martinez Zongo, the presidency said. It did not reveal the identities of the suspected people or their number. A statement said the suspects were being interrogated to determine the level of their involvement and the identities of all the people connected to the murder that happened two weeks ago.
For the first time since Zogo's body was found, President Paul Biya paid a "special tribute” to him and expressed his “heartfelt condolences” to his family. The radio host was found dead on January 22 after going missing for five days. His decomposing naked body was found near the capital, Yaoundé, after alleged abduction by unknown men on January 17.
#Cameroon
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2023-02-03 06:30:00+00:00
🇳🇬 Electoral Commission office and police station were attacked in Nigeria
A group of heavily armed men attacked an electoral commission office and a police station in southeastern Nigeria on Wednesday, killing one teenager and wounding another.
On Wednesday morning, men in four cars armed with "improvised explosive devices" attacked an electoral commission office, a police station and a residential building adjacent to the station, according to a statement from the police in the southeastern state of Anambra.
"Unfortunately, a 16-year-old boy, a relative of an on-duty police officer, was killed by the gunmen, while a 15-year-old girl was shot and injured," the statement said.
Electoral materials for the presidential and legislative elections were destroyed, including "729 ballot boxes" and "243 voting booths".
#Nigeria
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2023-02-03 04:35:00+00:00
🇿🇼 New Zimbabwe law regarding the NGOs was passed
Zimbabwean non-governmental organizations (NGOs) fear that the government could close them down after the Senate passed a bill that gives the government greater control over their operations.
The Private Voluntary Organization Amendment bill was initially crafted to combat international money laundering, according to the Ministry of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. It was expanded to regulate operations of NGOs and how they are funded.
The Zimbabwean government has often accused Western governments of using NGOs to destabilize the country to benefit the opposition.
#Zimbabwe
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2023-02-03 02:50:00+00:00
🇸🇸 Fighters massing in volatile area of South Sudan
Reports from South Sudan say heavily armed men loyal to a rebel general Johnson Olony, a military commander who opposes the transitional government in South Sudan, have been mobilizing in numbers in the north, which has recently seen some of the country’s worst ethnic violence.
Olony has been fighting government forces since September 2019, when he announced he would replace South Sudanese Vice-President as the leader of opposition forces.
UN peacekeepers have now been deployed to the area where fighting between his forces and government troops has already killed hundreds of people and and forced tens of thousands from their homes. The UN says this build-up is a threat to the civilians and could affect humanitarian operations in the volatile region.
#SouthSudan
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2023-02-03 01:15:00+00:00
🇬🇭 Ghana military denies role in civilian deaths in the north
Ghana's military has denied claims that its personnel were behind the killing of at least 10 civilians in the town of Bawku, in the north of the country, close to the border with Burkina Faso.
The civilians were killed in separate incidents and Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, condemned the incidents. He accused the military of being behind the deaths and called for an immediate investigation.
Eyewitnesses told that they saw armed men in military uniform chasing and shooting at civilians on Wednesday. They added that in the Missiga district of Bawku alone, eight people were killed including a 12-year-old boy who was burnt to death in a grain silo.
#Ghana
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2023-02-02 23:44:00+00:00
🇲🇦 A demonstrations held in Morocco against normalized relations with Israel
Citizens gathered outside the Moroccan parliament in Rabat on Wednesday 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 for the Support of Palestine and Against Normalization said in a statement on Saturday that these protests are the consequences of this normalization.
Many cities in Morocco have been the scene of demonstrations for several days. The Moroccan demonstrators expressed, according to the statement, their "rejection of any form of normalization, and reaffirmed their unconditional support for the Palestinian cause.
#Morocco
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2023-02-02 22:45:00+00:00
🇧🇫🇲🇱 Burkina Faso Prime Minister considers the idea of federation with Mali
Burkina Faso's Prime Minister, Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela, in a visit to neighbouring Mali this week, has suggested that the countries should form a federation.
He said the economies of both countries were based on cotton, cattle and gold, and forming a common market would provide more financial clout.
There's been no response from Mali to the suggestion.
Both nations are battling jihadist insurgencies and have expelled French forces.
#BurkinaFaso #Mali
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2023-02-02 21:15:17+00:00
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe cuts policy rate to 150% after inflation falls
Zimbabwe's central bank has cut its policy rate by 50 percentage points to 150% driven by a downward trend in inflation since late last year.
Monthly inflation fell to 1.1% in January from 2.4% in December, while yearly inflation dipped to 229.8% from 243.8%.
"The moderation in interest rates is important and necessitated by the downward trend in the month-on-month inflation since the last quarter of 2022," said the bank, adding it expects the trend to continue into 2023.
#Zimbabwe
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2023-02-02 19:41:38+00:00
🇮🇱🇸🇩 Israel and Sudan agree to press on with normalization
Israel and Sudan agreed to press on with efforts to normalize relations during a visit by Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen to Khartoum.
Cohen and Sudan's sovereign council head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan discussed deepening cooperation between the two countries in security and military matters, as well as in agriculture, energy, health, water and education, Burhan's office said in a statement.
Cohen's office said he would convene a news conference in the evening "upon his return from an historic state visit".
Sudan agreed to take steps to normalise ties with Israel in a 2020 deal brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, alongside normalisation agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, known as the "Abraham Accords".
#Israel #Sudan
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2023-02-02 18:38:24+00:00
🇳🇬 Gunmen kill eight people in central Nigeria
Gunmen in central Nigeria have killed eight people, including a divisional police chief.
Police in Benue state responded to a distress call after gunmen blocked the Markurdi-Naka road, forcing travellers to flee, state police spokesperson said.
During the clash the divisional police officer who led the team sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to General Hospital Naka where he was eventually confirmed dead.
A police said two other police officers were shot and killed during the fight with the armed gang. When the gunmen retreated, they killed two children and three women in a nearby village.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-02 17:07:51+00:00
🇳🇬🇬🇧 Nigerian communities file damages claim against Shell in UK court
More than 11,000 Nigerians from the oil-producing Niger Delta region have filed a compensation claim against Shell at the London High Court. The claim said oil spills resulting from Shell’s operations in the Niger Delta have destroyed farms, contaminated drinking water and harmed aquatic life.
Law firm Leigh Day said it had filed claims on behalf of 11,317 people and 17 institutions including churches and schools from the Ogale community in the Niger Delta for compensation for loss of livelihoods and damage against Shell.
A Shell spokesperson said the majority of spills related to the Ogale claim were caused by illegal third-party interference, including pipeline sabotage.
#Nigeria #UK
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2023-02-02 15:22:25+00:00
🇹🇳 Tunisian labor union says police arrested top union official over strike
Tunisian police arrested an official in the country's largest labor union over a strike by toll booth workers, the UGTT union said. The UGTT, which has more than one million members, said police detained Anis Kaabi, the general secretary of the union's highways branch, at his home late on Tuesday.
Hamza al-Mahmoudi, a union official, said Kaabi was arrested after a complaint from a government ministry that he was costing the state financial losses due to a strike this week by union members at highway toll booths who are demanding more pay.
Both the police and a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry did not comment on situation.
#Tunisia
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2023-02-02 13:35:17+00:00
🇪🇸🇲🇦 Spanish Prime Minister visits Morocco to mend ties after tense relations
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is on an official visit to Morocco, aimed at mending ties following a deep diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
"The better the relations are between Morocco and Spain, the better it is for Spain, for Morocco, for Europe, for business, and for the citizens of both countries," Sanchez said at an economic forum in Rabat.
He and a dozen Spanish ministers were set to meet top members of the Moroccan government.
They are expected to sign some 24 deals including Spanish investments in the kingdom and on partnerships in areas from culture and education to desalination and rail transport.
#Spain #Morocco
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2023-02-02 11:40:02+00:00
🇺🇸🇸🇩 US concerned over Sudan releasing diplomat's killer
The United States says it is deeply concerned over the release of a Sudanese man facing the death penalty in connection with the killing of a US diplomat 15 years ago.
The Sudanese authorities freed Abdel-Raouf Abu Zaid, who was convicted over the killing of John Granville and his Sudanese driver Abdel Rahman Abbas. They were shot dead by Islamist gunmen on New Year's Day 2008.
The State department denied that the release was part of an agreement by both countries. It said it was troubled by the lack of transparency in the legal process.
#USA #Sudan
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2023-02-02 10:01:29+00:00
🇺🇳 UN warns of sub-standard medicines being sold in Sahel region
Up to half of the medicines available in the Sahel region are either sub-standard or out of date, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned. The UNODC report highlights Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad as the hardest-hit countries.
"Even if there are no reliable data on all the quantities trafficked in various forms and routes in the countries of the Sahel, studies indicate a percentage of substandard or falsified medicines on the market ranging from 19 to 50%", it stated.
"Despite the often-announced involvement of terrorist groups and non-state armed groups in drug trafficking in the Sahel, many documented cases show that it is limited,” the report said.
#UN
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2023-02-02 08:37:01+00:00
🇿🇦 Four killed in South African township shooting
Three people were shot dead and another one died in a hospital after gunshots were fired in KwaMashu township, north of South Africa's Durban, police said on Wednesday.
Five more people with gunshot wounds were rushed to a clinic, said police spokesperson in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal.
"It is reported that at least 20 armed suspects stormed into the hostel and opened fire to the victims," he said in a statement. Police said they were investigating the murder cases.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-02 07:31:01+00:00
🇨🇲 Cameroon ex-defense minister jailed for corruption
A court in Cameroon has sentenced a former defense minister to 30 years in prison for embezzling nearly $40m.
Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo'o was accused of inflating contracts to buy military equipment from Brazil. His wife, Bernadette, was also found guilty of embezzlement and was handed a 10-year sentence. The pair denied wrongdoing and their lawyer said they would appeal against the verdicts at the Supreme Court.
The court decided to seize many of the defendants' assets, including luxury cars, houses and land titles.
#Cameroon
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2023-02-02 06:00:01+00:00
🇲🇿🏴 Islamic State (IS) fighters brutally massacred government militias in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique. IS killed thirteen people (two of whom they beheaded), capturing one of them along with trophies.
#Mozambique
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2023-02-02 04:28:59+00:00
🌍🇸🇴 East African leaders vow to 'destroy' al-Shabab
Regional leaders meeting in Somalia have agreed on a joint offensive operation against Islamist militant group al-Shabab.
The "search and destroy" operation will boost the momentum built up by government forces who have made huge gains over the past few months.
"The time sensitive campaign will prevent any future infiltrating elements in the region," said the communique signed by the leaders of Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. It did not provide any details about the operation.
#Somalia
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2023-02-02 02:32:59+00:00
🇹🇿 Tanzania to probe missing funds from prosecutor's office
Tanzania has formed a commission to investigate claims that most of the money collected for plea-bargain agreements by the public prosecutor are missing, with some allegedly banked outside the country.
“Most of the money is missing. If you ask questions, you will be told that they are in an account in China," President Samia Suluhu said at an event launching the investigative commission. Tanzania President did not give the exact figures of how much was missing and the owners of the said offshore account.
In 2019, Samia’s predecessor amended the criminal laws to introduce, among other changes, a plea-bargaining arrangement, where detained suspects and convicts bought their freedom or got lesser sentences.
According to the government's audit office, the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions had collected at least $21m by April 2021.
#Tanzania
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2023-02-02 00:42:59+00:00
🇨🇩 M23 rebels take control of Kitchanga in eastern DR Congo
The M23 rebels have seized the strategic town of Kitchanga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after days of fierce fighting, drawing condemnation from the UN.
“We have tactically withdrawn from the city in order to attract these genocidal forces deep into the city and avoid the worst for our people in Kitchanga,” said spokesman for the military governor of North Kivu.
The rebels took control of Kitchanga after capturing several villages on the road linking the town of about 60,000 people to the provincial capital Goma about 90 kilometers apart.
M23′s political spokesman in a statement accused government troops of attacking civilians in Kitchanga and elsewhere, and said the rebel group was “obliged to intervene and stop another genocide”.
#DRC
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2023-02-01 22:45:00+00:00
🇹🇩🇮🇱 Chad to open embassy in Israel on Thursday
Chad will inaugurate on Thursday an embassy in Israel, building on bilateral relations that were established five years ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said.
The announcement on Wednesday came as Chadian President Mahamat Deby’s office said he was on a 48-hour state visit to Israel.
Netanyahu’s office said the Chadian leader would officiate at the embassy inauguration.
#Chad #Israel
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2023-02-01 21:13:01+00:00
🇪🇹 About the Oromo conflict in Ethiopia
A Russian channel Rybar analyzed the current situation in Oromia state in Ethiopia.
Previous week a separatist group in Ethiopia, the Oromo Liberation Army, published a manifesto.
In it members of the organization, which is recognized as a terrorist group in Ethiopia, spelled out demands for the central government, including the inclusion of the capital Addis Ababa into the Oromia region and recognition of the Oromo language at the federal level.
In exchange, the rebels will be ready to take part in peace talks with the government.
There was no response from Addis Ababa and, following the publication, skirmishes occurred between government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army in various parts of Ethiopia.
▪️These clashes were the largest since the implementation of the peace agreement between the rebels of the Tigray People's Liberation Front and the Ethiopian government.
🔻What is the cause of the conflict?
The Oromo people are the largest ethnic group living in Ethiopia, comprising approximately 25 million people, or 34.5% of the country's total population.
▪️The roots of the conflict date back to the period of colonialism. Oromia remained independent until the last decade of the 19th century, when the region was incorporated into the Ethiopian Empire. In the first half of the 20th century, the Oromo language was banned and its speakers were discriminated against, especially by the Amhara people, the dominant ethnic group in the Ethiopian Empire.
▪️In 1973, as a result of the oppression, the Oromo Liberation Front was formed as a political movement.
🔻The transition to armed struggle
▪️After the overthrow of the monarchy in 1974, the new military regime began arresting "Front" leaders in an attempt to prevent the country from falling apart.
In response, the movement expanded to include the Oromo armed formations and formed the military wing of the organization, "The Oromo Liberation Army". An active struggle with the military government of Ethiopia began.
▪️In 1991 the military regime was overthrown and the new central government successfully suppressed separatist movements. Leaders of the Oromo Liberation Front fled the country.
▪️In 2018, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in Ethiopia and managed to negotiate peace with the "Front". However, the paramilitary wing of the movement refused to negotiate, citing continued oppression of Oromians by the central government, and turned to active guerrilla warfare.
▪️During the Tigray war, the Oromo Liberation Army sided with the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
Despite the successes of the Oromo Liberation Army at the beginning of the war, gradually the central government was able to stop the advance of the separatists, who again switched to guerrilla tactics.
🔻What is happening now?
In January 2023, after the start of the withdrawal of Ethiopian armed forces from Tigray, the central government aimed to expand offensive operations against the Oromo separatists for the final suppression of the insurgency in the country.
▪️The Oromo Liberation Army, for its part, refuses a real negotiation process, making deliberately impossible demands and continuing to attack the armed forces.
🔻The continuation of the Oromo conflict is a result of the overall dominance of Amharic culture and language in multi-ethnic Ethiopia, as well as the unjust, in the view of many residents, territorial arrangement of the country.
The largest ethnic groups have territorial claims against their neighbors, which leads to armed clashes.
The Oromo separatists will be the main focus of the Ethiopian armed forces after the de-escalation in Tigray and withdrawal of troops from there. At the same time, the government of Abiy Ahmed is likely to refrain from large-scale military action for the time being, as it needs a respite to restore the country's economy after a grueling war and sanctions pressure.
High-res
#Ethiopia #Oromia
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2023-02-01 19:40:00+00:00
🇺🇳🇸🇸 UN concerned about militia build-up in South Sudan
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (Unmiss) has expressed concern about the latest reports of a build-up of ethnic-linked militia known as Agwelek in Upper Nile state in the north.
It has appealed to national and community leaders to “exercise restraint and commit to peace and dialogue”.
“The mission urges these forces, loyal to General Johnson Olony, to refrain from any actions or movements that might pose threats to civilians and affect humanitarian operations," Unmiss said.
#UN #SouthSudan
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2023-02-01 18:30:48+00:00
🇳🇬🇺🇸 Starlink begins operations in Nigeria
Nigeria is now the first country in Africa to be served by Starlink, in theory offering broadband internet coverage nationwide.
The service promises internet speeds of 50–200 Mbps, although at a price point (about $25 per month) out of reach of most rural Nigerians, whom Starlink is intended to serve.
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2023-02-01 16:50:00+00:00
🇰🇪 Kenya opposition leader faces lawsuit over secret video claim
Kenya's former electoral commission boss, Wafula Chebukati, has threatened to take legal action against the opposition leader after the politician alleged that the poll team, including the chairman, visited his home during last year's closely fought election.
Kenya's opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has been holding a series of rallies claiming Wafula Chebukati engineered a fraud that led to him losing his fifth bid for the presidency. On Sunday, he threatened to release a video showing Mr Chebukati and his top team visited his home.
But Mr Chebukati has denied that the visit took place saying the claim was false and that it "lowered his dignity and injured his reputation." Chebukati's lawyers have given Odinga seven days to prove his claim or they will take legal action.
#Kenya
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2023-02-01 15:40:00+00:00
🇲🇼 Malawi president reduced the size of cabinet in reshuffle
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has reduced the size of his cabinet in a reshuffle that also saw the appointment of seven new faces including an opposition lawmaker. The list of ministers and deputy ministers has been reduced from 33 to 27.
The reshuffle was expected following reports that a number of ministers were implicated in a corruption investigation being carried out by Malawi's Anti-Corruption Bureau and the UK's National Crimes Agency.
In his New Year message, President Chakwera had promised to name a new and leaner cabinet.
#Malawi
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2023-02-01 14:30:00+00:00
🇹🇳 Tunisian president extends state of emergency
Tunisian President Kais Saied has issued a decree extending the state of emergency that has been in place in the country since November 2015.
The state of emergency was extended until the end of December this year, the state news agency TAP reported.
Saied last extended the state of emergency on 30 December for a month. Before that, it was extended for nearly a year from February to 31 December 2022. The initial declaration of a state of emergency in November 2015, followed a bombing targeting a bus transporting presidential guard forces, which killed 12.
#Tunisia
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2023-02-01 13:10:17+00:00
🇸🇴 Bombs hit Mogadishu as leaders meet at summit
Mortar shells have exploded in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, as regional leaders are gathered in the city to discuss their joint offensive against the al-Shabab militant group.
The four shells hit areas near the heavily guarded presidential palace.
There are no reports of casualties.
#Somalia
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2023-02-01 12:40:28+00:00
🇸🇴 Somalia hosts regional summit to discuss the fight against al-Shabaab
Somalia is hosting a summit of leaders from several neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa to discuss the fight against al-Shabaab, as a wide-ranging offensive against the armed group gathers pace.
Leaders of Somali, Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia participated.
Somali leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his counterparts are due to discuss a coordinated military offensive against the al-Qaeda-linked group.
Security was beefed up in the city with movement restrictions and military patrols. Commercial flights have also been suspended.
#Somalia
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2023-02-01 11:29:50+00:00
🇨🇲 Fuel prices rise in Cameroon as subsidies scrapped
Fuel prices in Cameroon rise by about 15% after the government agreed to pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cut fuel subsidies.
The prime minister's office also announced a 5.2% pay rise for public service workers as a cushion to the impact of the increase in fuel prices. Many unions had urged the government to increase the minimum wage for the private sector.
The IMF is expected to provide $74.6m to Cameroon as a credit facility in March.
#Cameroon
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2023-02-01 09:45:17+00:00
🇩🇿🇷🇺 Algerian president to visit Russia in May
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune plans to visit Russia in May, his office said. This came as Tebboune and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, held a telephone conversation to discuss "ways of boosting bilateral partnership, including the sector of energy."
The Algerian president was supposed to visit Moscow back in December last year, but apparently the relevant documents were not prepared for signing. One of the document is expected to be on new arms supply.
#Algeria #Russia
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2023-02-01 07:40:00+00:00
🇳🇬 Nigerian Senator on trial in London in organ trafficking case
Nigeria's former deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife are accused of taking a 21-year-old man to the UK from Nigeria to have his kidney removed and transplanted to their daughter.
The young man is said to have refused to consent to the procedure after undergoing medical examinations at a hospital in north-west London and fled to report to the police.
The Ekweremadu family was arrested at Heathrow Airport in London in June 2022. Ekweremadu has since been in custody while his wife and daughter have been released on bail. Another man, Obinna Obeta, a 50-year-old doctor from south London, had also been charged and has since been in custody.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-01 05:59:59+00:00
🇩🇪🇲🇱 Germany considers early withdrawal of German troops from the UN mission in Mali
Germany announced that it is considering the early withdrawal of its troops from Mali. "Under current conditions, they cannot fulfill their UN mandate," German Defense Minister said.
"If our soldiers cannot leave the base or can only move in a small radius around it because the drones cannot fly, they are not fulfilling their mandate. And then the mission is a waste of money and time," he added.
In November 2022, Germany said it would withdraw its troops from the UN peacekeeping force in Mali by May 2024.
#Germany #Mali
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2023-02-01 04:14:59+00:00
🇸🇩 Sudan approved its preliminary state budget for 2023
The Council of Ministers approved the country's draft budget for 2023, with an overall deficit of 1.4 percent of GDP. The approval is not final but "preliminary," according to a statement from the cabinet.
According to a statement by Sudanese Finance Minister, the expected total revenues of the state in the budget were $12.7 billion and total expenditures were $14.1 billion.
#Sudan
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2023-02-01 02:34:59+00:00
🇳🇬 Nigeria's lower house approves extra $2.2 billion central bank loans to government
Nigeria's lower house of parliament has approved President Muhammadu Buhari's request to borrow an extra $2.2 billion in temporary advances from the country's central bank.
The lawmakers said that they would discuss with officials the request to turn central bank loans to government worth $52 billion into long-term debt.
Buhari asked parliament in December for approval to convert central bank's temporary advance to government into 40-year bonds at 9% interest to cut interest payments but lawmakers questioned the plan.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-01 00:43:00+00:00
🇪🇹 20 workers of Dangote cement factory in Oromia region were kidnapped
Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped 20 workers of Dangote Cement Factory, located in Adea Berga district in West Shewa Zone of Oromia region.
According to witnesses, the gunmen kidnapped all workers at the duty station except one staff who passed out during the abduction, and two security personnel. The company has not yet traced both the identity and the whereabouts of the kidnappers.
This is the second kidnapping of factory employees recently. In December, 30 employees of the company were kidnapped by unknown assailants and released after a ransom was paid.
#Ethiopia
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2023-02-08 20:42:59+00:00
🇲🇿🇨🇳 Mozambique shuts Chinese firm over fraud allegations
A Chinese-owned private security firm has been closed in Mozambique’s port city of Beira for alleged involvement in money laundering.
The attorney general’s office (PGR) accuses the owner of Panda Security, Jiye Zhuo, of defrauding the state of about $13m through tax evasion. Another of his firms, the Thian Hai petrol station, was closed by the authorities two months ago, also on allegations of money laundering.
The PGR also suspects him of financing terrorism, forging documents, conspiracy and environmental crimes. Jiye has not commented on the allegations.
In response to the latest closure, more than 3,000 of Panda Security’s workers demonstrated, demanding two months of back pay.
#Mozambique #China
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2023-02-09 21:30:19+00:00
🇰🇪 Kenya ex-interior minister seeks to block detention
Kenya's former interior minister Fred Matiang’i has sought anticipatory bail, saying he fears he could be arrested and arraigned in court for political reasons.
His lawyer filed an application at a high court in the capital, Nairobi, seeking to bar the police from arresting or harassing the former minister.
It comes as police denied a reported security operation at the ex-minister’s home on Wednesday night. Inspector General of Police said the police force had not deployed any officer to the home of the former minister.
But Matiang’i's family said that a group of men who declined to identify themselves arrived at their home on Wednesday night and did not explain their mission. They say the men took off shortly after the family lawyers and media arrived at the home.
#Kenya
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2023-02-10 20:32:00+00:00
🇺🇳🌍 UN says threat from Islamic State extremists remains high
The threat posed by Islamic State (IS) extremists remains high and has increased in and around conflict zones. The group’s expansion is “particularly worrying” in Africa’s center, south, and Sahel regions, the U.N. counter-terrorism chief said on Thursday.
He told that the terrorist group continues to use the Internet, social media, video games, and gaming platforms “to extend the reach of its propaganda to radicalize and recruit new supporters.”
UN added the high level of threat posed by the Islamic State and its affiliates in Africa underscores the need for multifaceted approaches to respond – not just focused on security but on preventive measures including preventing conflicts.
It was also said the threat from the IS “presents a complex, evolving and enduring threat in both conflict and non-conflict zones.”
#UN
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2023-02-11 20:18:00+00:00
🇪🇹 Ethiopia court bans breakaway clergy from entering churches
A court in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, has placed an injunction order against breakaway clergy - banning them from entering churches after the main Christian Orthodox Church filed a petition.
The restrictions also include more than 20 bishops appointed by the splinter clergy, the federal police and local police in Oromia region, where clashes have been reported.
#Ethiopia
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2023-02-12 22:32:00+00:00
🇹🇳 Tunisian police detained politicians and businessman
Tunisian police detained politicians and a politically connected businessman on Saturday, their lawyers said, in a case that local media said was based on suspicion of conspiracy against state security.
Local media said that the police arrested the Abd El Hamid Jlassi, a former senior official in Ennahda Islamist party and a fierce critic of President Kais Saied, on charges of plotting against state security. Khayam Turki, a former finance minister, and Kamel Ltaif, a construction magnate and some other former diplomats and retired military officers were also detained
#Tunisia
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2023-02-13 21:23:01+00:00
🇺🇸🇸🇩 U.S. Coast Guard delegation will arrive in Sudan in the end of February
The Sea Ports Authority said that a delegation from the US Coast Guard will arrive in Sudan on February 27 to learn about the extent of implementing the requirements of the compulsory marine audit, to visit operating ports, and to hold meetings with the authorities.
These visits occur on a regular basis as part of agreements to implement the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. Another such visit to Sudan is expected to take place on April 24.
The US Coast Guard, on a previous visit, praised the insurance of ships and port facilities.
#USA #Sudan
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2023-02-14 21:44:01+00:00
🇳🇬🇦🇪 Nigerian president pleads for Nigerians over UAE visa ban
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to lift a visa ban his nation imposed on Nigerians.
Nigeria and the UAE have been embroiled in several diplomatic disputes with the UAE imposing a visa ban on Nigerians, and suspending its national carrier, Emirates Airlines, from operating in Nigeria since October 2022.
President Buhari assured the UAE that judicial sanctions will be imposed on Nigerians found to have committed criminal acts in the UAE. "Nigeria and the UAE have enjoyed excellent and beneficial relations for many years, including at the highest political levels. We can and must continue to iron out whatever issues arise between us", Buhari said.
#Nigeria #UAE
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2023-02-15 20:43:01+00:00
🇬🇭 Inflation in Ghana falls for first time in 19 months
Ghana's inflation rate has fallen - albeit slightly - for the first time in 19 months, official statistics show.
The inflation rate in January was 53.6%, compared with 54.1% in the previous month.
But food inflation rose slightly to 61.0% in January, while non-food inflation was down to 47.9%, Ghana Statistical Service figures showed, Reuters news agency reports. This means that prices are still rising, just not quite as quickly as before.
#Ghana
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2023-02-16 22:17:26+00:00
🏴🇪🇬 Egyptian jihadist Seif al-Adl is the new leader of Al-Qaeda
Jihadist Seif al-Adl, a former member of Egypt's Special Forces based in Iran, has been the leader of al-Qaeda since Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in the summer of 2022, the US Department of State said in statement.
"Our assessment is the same as that of the UN - namely that the new de facto leader of Al-Qaeda Seif al-Adl is based in Iran" , indicated a spokesman for the American diplomacy.
But, according to the UN report, the group did not formally declare him "emir" for two reasons: firstly because it is a delicate subject vis-à-vis the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan, who did not want to acknowledge that Zawahiri was killed by Americans in a house in Kabul last year.
#Egypt
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2023-02-17 23:24:04+00:00
🇲🇱🇬🇳🇧🇫 Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso seek re-entry to AU
The foreign ministers of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso are in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, ahead of an African Union summit to lobby to be let back into the organisation.
All three countries were suspended from the African Union and the regional grouping Ecowas following military coups.
Mali's foreign ministry said the suspensions were hindering the desire of all three Sahel countries to make the transition back to civilian rule.
The ministers will not be able to participate in the summit but say they have met foreign ministers from the hosts Ethiopia and the Comoros Islands who currently hold the presidency of the AU.
#Mali #Guinea #BurkinaFaso
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2023-02-18 22:39:33+00:00
🇿🇦 South Africa electricity company steps up power cuts
South Africa's state-owned power firm, Eskom, has announced an intensification of its programme of planned power cuts.
Supplies will be cut off from 20:00 local time until 05:00.
The company said shorter blackouts would then be implemented until further notice.
#SouthAfrica
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2023-02-20 23:27:02+00:00
🇫🇷🇨🇮 France eyes Ivory Coast to adjust its strategy in West Africa
France's defence minister pledged on Monday to boost military support to Ivory Coast, as Paris adjusts its strategy in West Africa after neighbouring Burkina Faso ordered French troops to leave and vowed to curb a worsening Islamist insurgency solo.
"We will strengthen cooperation with Ivory Coast in terms of training and equipment because it is an important country for us," French minister told.
#France #IvoryCoast
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2023-02-21 22:50:06+00:00
🇪🇬 Egypt to raise $1.5 billion with debut sale of Islamic bonds at 11% yield
Egypt was set to raise $1.5 billion on Tuesday from its debut sale of Islamic bonds known as sukuk at a yield of 11%, a document on the deal showed.
The three-year sukuk had initial guidance of around 11.625% and tightened after books closed with demand over $5.35 billion.
Egypt's vulnerable finances fell into crisis after the Ukrainian crisis triggered heavy foreign investment outflows from Egyptian financial markets. The cash-strapped country sought a four-year, $3 billion rescue plan from the International Monetary Fund that was finalised in December.
The sukuk will be listed on the London Stock Exchange, issued through The Egyptian Financial Company for Sovereign Taskeek, with the finance ministry as obligor.
#Egypt
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2023-02-22 22:51:14+00:00
🇳🇬 Nigeria economic growth slows as industry and oil sectors shrink
Nigeria's economic growth slowed to 3.52% in the fourth quarter from 3.98% a year earlier, as widespread flooding destroyed farms, oil production declined and industry was squeezed by rising costs, the statistics office said.
Double-digit inflation and a weaker naira currency have held back Africa's biggest economy as it has recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-23 22:11:01+00:00
🇳🇬 Kidnappings decline as a result of Nigeria currency policy
Northeast Theatre Commander General Ibrahim Salihu Ali claims that kidnappings have drastically declined in the region as a result of the Central Bank's policy to update naira notes.
Old notes will become void in April, making new notes the only reliable long-term store of value. As these are in short supply for all Nigerians, prospective kidnappers are unable to demand enough cash to make ransoms worth their while.
Ali claims that instead of cash, kidnappers are now often demanding foodstuffs.
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2023-02-24 22:11:02+00:00
🇺🇳🇷🇺🇲🇱🇧🇫 Mali and Burkina Faso refuse to condemn Russia at UN
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on the one year anniversary of the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war, condemning Russia's actions, and calling on the country to withdraw its troops from Ukraine.
141 UN member states supported the resolution. However, 7 states including Mali (along with Syria, Belarus, and North Korea among others) rejected it, demonstrating their close relationship with Russia.
32 states abstained from voting, and a few others didn't even bother to send a delegate, among them Burkina Faso, which has also drawn closer to Russia in recent years.
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2023-02-25 23:24:00+00:00
🇳🇬 Displaced Nigerians hope new leaders will provide help
When casting their ballot for the general elections on Saturday, Nigerians considered key issues such as: the high cost of living, corruption and insecurity.
Internally displaced people voting at the Malkohi camp in Yola, north-eastern Nigeria, looked forward to a positive transformation of the country.
"The one thing we want the new leader to do for us the IDPs is for him to bring us back home so that we can live like normal human beings in our own home. That is all we want,» say people.
Counting of votes is currently underway.
#Nigeria
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2023-02-27 10:05:54+00:00
🇫🇷🌍 Macron seeks strategy shift in Africa visit
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to outline new Africa policy ahead of his visit to four African countries beginning from Monday. It comes as Paris seeks to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.
Anti-French sentiment has been running high in some of its former colonies in the Sahel.
#France #Africa
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2023-02-27 22:23:04+00:00
🇨🇩 DR Congo president says unrest in east could disrupt elections
Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi said on Monday that a conflict with rebels in the east of the country could disrupt preparations for general elections scheduled for Dec. 20.
Congo's electoral commission started registering voters on Feb. 17 in North Kivu province, parts of which are occupied by the M23 rebel group.
"The persistence of the war in the east of our country risks jeopardising the electoral process, which is already underway, due to a massive displacement of people from combat zones, the insecurity and the inaccessibility of these areas," Tshisekedi told the U.N. Human Rights Council session. He urged the international community to help Congo restore peace and state authority in this part of the country.
#DRC
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2023-02-28 22:43:04+00:00
🇲🇱 Mali forecasts 3.5% decline in industrial gold output in 2023
Mali expects industrial gold output to fall by about 3.5% to 63.9 tonnes in 2023 from 66.2 tonnes the previous year, the mines ministry said on Tuesday.
Mali is one of Africa's top gold producers and home to industrial mines operated by companies including Barrick Gold, B2Gold Corp, Resolute Mining, AngloGold Ashanti and Hummingbird Resources.
The decline is mainly due to a drop in production expected at Barrick Gold's Somilo/Gounkoto mine and B2Gold's Fekola mine, said Mamadou Sidibe, head of the statistics department at the mines ministry. With an estimated 6 tonnes produced in artisanal mines, Mali's total gold production this year is expected to reach 69.9 tonnes, Sidibe said.
#Mali