Algeria: Cars swept away and 7 people dead in flooding in Chlef region (BBC) Pres. Abelmadjid Tebboune sets 12 June date for early legislative elections (France 24)
Cameroon: Hundreds of kidnappings by separatists for money according to Human Rights Watch (BBC)
CAR: Legislative elections are being held in 118 out of 140 constituencies because they could not be held in December 2020. Rwandan and Russian troops are helping with security. (BBC)
Congo-Brazzaville:
2 weeks of presidential election campaigning has begun. Pres. Denis Sassou Nguesso ( in power since 1979 apart from 5 year gap) is standing for 4thterm. Catholic bishops and civil society groups have expressed concern about transparency of the elections. Country spends 5 times more on debt repayment than on healthcare. (BBC)
Democratic Republic of Congo: US blacklisted Allied Democratic Forces and its leader Abu Yasir Hassan as “specially designated global terrorists” (France 24)
Egypt: Egypt and Sudan call for international mediation to settle dispute over Nile dam. (BBC)
Equatorial Guinea:
Big explosions in main city of Bata near the main military camp. The cause is unknown. (BBC)
Mass funeral for 105 blast victims 12th March in Bata. Suggestions that blast caused by negligent handling of dynamite in military base and fires set by farmers. Pres. Nguema promised to bring those responsible to account. (Reuters)
Parents still phoning local radio stations searching for lost children after being separated by blast. (Reuters)
Ethiopia: Ethiopia rejects US accusations of ethnic cleansing in Tigray 13thMarch. (Al Jazeera English)
Gambia: Calls from Human Rights Watch to investigate role of ex-Pres. Yahaya Jammeh in killings of 59 West African migrants in 2005. Pres. Jammeh was removed from office in 2017 and is at present in Equatorial Guinea. (BBC)
Ghana: Pres. Akufo-Addo predicted strong economic recovery for Ghana in 2021 (Reuters)
MPs plan law criminalising promotion of LGBT+ rights (Reuters)
Guinea: The present Ebola outbreak is likely to come from latent infection in human population from last outbreak according to WHO (Reuters)
Ivory Coast: Death of PM Hamed Bakayoko Mon 8th March from Cancer in Germany. He became PM in July 2020 after death of former PM Amadou Gon Coulibaly from a heart attack. Coulibaly had been foreseen as governing party’s candidate in October 2020 presidential election. Pres. Ouattara then ran in his stead for controversial 3rd mandate. Bakayoko was then seen as eventual successor to Pres. Ouattara in 2025 election. Now there is no clear successor. (Al Jazeera English)
Kenya: Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta has extended nationwide curfew by 60 days, political gatherings for 30 days and further restrictions on weddings and funerals. Opposition leader Raila Odinga in quarantine after Covid positive test 11th March. (BBC)
Curfew extended by 60 days because of 3rd wave of Covid infections. (Reuters)
Libya: UN Security Council calls for withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya. It is reckoned that 20,000 foreign troops and mercenaries are in Libya. A UN embargo on arms has been ignored (Al Jazeera English)
Mauretania: Ex-Pres. Muhamed Ould Abdel Aziz and 10 others charged with corruption. (France 24)
Mozambique: Schools to re-open Monday 8th March. (BBC)
Palma (NE Mozambique) cut off by Al-Shabab. 500,000 people forced out of homes by insurgents. They fled to escape beheadings and abductions. Criticism of Government restrictions on media and (too a lesser extent) aid organisations. There is real hunger in the besieged enclave. (BBC)
Pres. Felipe Nyusi has appointed Maj-Gen Cristavo Chume as head of army. Ex-army and Airforce heads have been demoted. (BBC)
US blacklisted Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama and its leader Abu Yasir Hassan as “specially designated global terrorists” (France 24)
Nigeria: Archbishop of Canterbury criticised fellow Anglican Archbishop of Nigeria over making “unacceptable and dehumanising” anti-homosexual statements. (BBC)
180 students and staff kidnapped by gunmen from school near army base in Kaduna State. 150 were subsequently rescued by the army. 30 remain missing. (BBC)
10th March hundreds of trade union members marched on Parliament in Abuja about possible change in minimum wage arrangements.
Rwanda: Paul Rusasesabangina (“Hotel Rwanda Hero”) on trial Kigali after being allegedly abducted from Dubai, has refused to attend terror trial after being refused 6 months to prepare his defence. (BBC)
Senegal: Riots continue into 5th day. (BBC)
Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko called for more protests against Pres. Macky Sall 8th March. He had just been released on bail for alleged rape. His arrest had caused the riots. (Reuters)
French-owned businesses across Dakar have been attacked during the latest protests. French troops are garrisoned in Dakar which also has the largest French embassy in sub-Saharan Africa. Peaceful protests against inequality, Government corruption and Corvid restrictions turned into attacks on businesses of former colonial power. (Al Jazeera English)
Movement for Defence of Democracy (M2D) called for postponement of rally after rioting and deaths 12th March. (France 24)
Somalia: Kenya/Somalia maritime border dispute. Kenya says it will not attend hearing foreseen for 15th March in International Court of Justice (Hague).
South Africa: King Goodwill Zwelithini, king of the Zulus died last week aged 72 after being treated in hospital in KwaZulu-Natal for a diabetes-related condition. (BBC)
King Zwelithini died 12 March. Hailed as “visionary monarch” by Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa (Reuters)
Police fired rubber bullets on protesters at Univ. of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg on Wed 10 March. One student was killed.
Tanzania: No public records of Covid infections and deaths since May 2020 (500 case/20 deaths) in order to avoid “spreading fear”. There has been much speculation about Pres. Magufuli who has not been seen in public for 2 weeks (BBC)
PM Kassim Majaliwa denies that Pres. Magufuli (last seen 27thFeb.) is sick. Blames rumours on Tanzanians living abroad spreading rumours because of hate. (Reuters)
Opposition leader Tundu Lissu claimed that Pres. Magufuli had been taken to Kenya for treatment of Covid then transferred to India and is comatose since 10th March. This has all been denied by the Tanzanian Government and no information has been forthcoming from Kenya or India. (Reuters)
Tunisia: 39 die as 2 boats of migrants sink off Tunisian coast trying to reach Lampadusa (Italy) 10th March. Coastguard rscued 165. (Reuters)
Uganda: Human Rights Watch have insisted that Uganda stop abduction of Opposition supporters and release those illegally detained. US exploring ways to punish Ugandan security forces involved in crackdown and EU called for sanctions (Reuters)