CAR: At least 14 people killed in clashes between security forces and militias in Bambari.
Chad: Yaya Dillo is standing against Pres. Idris Derby in presidential elections in April. He claims presidential guards went to arrest him in his home in N’Djamena and killed 5 family members including his mother. The Government claim security forces went to arrest him and 2 people were killed and 5 wounded. Internet has been cut in N’Djamena. (Reuters)
Democratic Republic of Congo: The Italian Ambassador to DRC was killed in an attack in Virunga National Park Monday 22/02/2021 together with his driver and a policeman. It is thought that this might have been an attempted kidnapping. (Al Jazeera English) Reuters)
Hutu rebels have denied killing the Italian ambassador and accused the RDC and Rwandan armies. (France 24)
Ethiopia: 6 students feared dead in Tigray bus attack returning from graduation ceremony in Mekelle. (BBC)
US concerned about accusations of mass killings by Eritrean troops in Aksum and has demanded the withdrawal of Eritrean troops. Both Eritrea and Ethiopia have denied the presence of Eritrean troops. (BBC)
Amnesty International accuse Eritrean troops of massacring hundreds in Tigray Region last November. Eritrea denies the accusation (France 24)
Amnesty International has reported that Eritrean and Ethiopian troops began shelling Axum 19 November 2020. Then Eritrean troops killed hundreds of civilians 28-29 November 2020 (Al Jazeera English)
Ghana: Catholic Bishops Conference of Ghana call upon Pres. Akufo-Addo to close the recently opened LGBTQI office in Accra and ask that he declare his stance on homosexuality in Ghana. (citinews.com) (pulse.com.gh)
LGBT centre in Ghana forced to close after threats of violence (France 24)
Ghana Catholic Bishop’s Conference told Pres. Akuffo Addo that they will never bless same-sex marriages.
Guinea: Ebola vaccinations delayed by bad weather. (BBC)
Ivory Coast: Vaccination doses arrived via COVAX. Ivory Coast is the second country to receive them after Ghana. (Reuters)
Kenya: Worst locust plague of locusts in decades. The Bug Picture is a start-up company harvesting locusts and transforming them into animal feed and organic fertiliser. It is thought that the increase in locusts is caused by warmer seas causing more rain, waking eggs and then the adult swarms are dispersed by cyclones.
Libya: Fathi Bashagha, Interior Minister survived an assassination attack on his motorcade whilst returning to Tripoli. (Al Jazeera English)
Mali: 9 soldiers killed and 9 wounded in attack near Bandiagara (Mopti Region)
Niger: 7 members of the electoral commission (CENI) were killed when their vehicle hit a mine in the Region of Tillaberi. Tillaberi is at the junction of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso where Islamist insurgents (al-Qaeda and ISIL) are strongly present. (Al Jazeera English)
2 killed and hundreds arrested after post election violence (France 24)
2 killed and 400 injured after opposition claims of fraudulent elections. President-elect Bazoum was declared the winner and refused any power-sharing.(Al Jazeera English)
Nigeria: Sokoto 16th February, one year after gunmen kidnapped and killed 18 year old seminarian Michael Nnadi. During the Mass, Bp. Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto claimed that things have got progressively worse for ordinary people. Speaking of Michael the bishop said that the people who killed him testified that they killed him for preaching Christ. Such a thing is unknown. The bishop referred to Michael’s death as a message of renewal for Nigeria. (Catholic Hearald)
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria claims that the Nigerian Bishops Conference has donated 425 hospitals and clinics for use as isolation centres for Covid-19 and the Government has made use of none of them. (CSN)
53 people who were kidnapped on a bus were freed. Others in a separate kidnapping incident at a school are still missing. Similar attacks are occurring almost daily.(Al Jazeera English)
Military aircraft crashed near Abuja airport (Minna). All 7 people on board were killed. (Al Jazeera English)
Gunmen have abducted schoolgirls in Zamfara State (Reuters)
Nigeria is expecting 4M Coronavirus vaccine doses from COVAX next week. (Reuters)
300 school girls kidnapped in Zamfara State confirmed. (Reuters) (France 24)
27 school boys released from kidnap in Niger State. (Reuters)
27 school boys, 3 school staff and 12 family members released from kidnap in Niger State.
Rwanda: Saif Banporiki, opposition politician living in exile in South Africa was shot dead whilst sitting in his car in Cape Town. His wallet and phone were stolen. The motive of the murder is not clear as yet. The Rwandan Government has been accused of attacking dissidents in South Africa, but has consistently denied responsibility for these attacks. (BBC)
Somalia: Jubbaland regional government has refused inclusion of national Pres. Mohamed in talks about delayed election.
South Africa: 7M people covered by private health schemes. The Government have set aside $600M to cover the 40M they wish to have vaccinated. (Reuters)
African Swine Fever detected in Western Cape (Reuters)
Tanzania: The Tanzania Law Society called on the Government to openly recognise the Covid-19 virus and take it seriously. (Al Jazeera English)
At Sunday at Mass in Dodoma Pres. Magufuli urged Tanzanians to take precautions against Corvid-19 and wear locally made masks.
Tunisia: Tunisia’a Ennadha (Moderate Islamist) and QalbTounes (liberal) parties were behind thousands of people on the streets protesting against Pres. Saied’s opposition to Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi’s recent cabinet reshuffle.
Uganda: Bobi Wine says he has withdrawn his challenge to the presidential election results but maintains that the “courts are not independent”. A judiciary spokesman insisted that Bobi Wine has merely made a political statement but the case is still with the Supreme Court.
Western Sahara: rebels against Morocco blame UN for deadlock on 45thanniversary of unilateral declaration of Independence.