News Snippets in Africa 29 March to 5 April 2021

Algeria:     Coronavirus figures: 

Cases confirmed: 117,622   Deaths confirmed:  3,105 (BBC)   

Angola:      Coronavirus figures: 

Cases confirmed: 22,631      Deaths confirmed:  542 (BBC)               

Benin:        Coronavirus figures: 

Cases confirmed: 7,313       Deaths confirmed: 93 (BBC)          

Botswana: Coronavirus figures: 

Cases confirmed: 40,878    Deaths confirmed:  591  (BBC)       

Burkina Faso: Coronavirus figures:                   

Cases confirmed: 12,817   Deaths confirmed: 150  (BBC)                  

Burundi: Coronavirus figures:                                                             

Cases confirmed: 2,911   Deaths confirmed: 6   (BBC)    

Cameroon: Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed: 57,337   Deaths confirmed: 851   (BBC)

Cardinal Christian Wiyghan Tumi, Cardinal Archbishop of Douala died 2 April 2021 in a clinic at the age of 91.

Cape Verde: Coronavirus figures:                                                       

Cases confirmed: 17,871    Deaths confirmed: 173  (BBC)                 

CAR: Coronavirus figures:                                                               

Cases confirmed: 5,245    Deaths confirmed: 72  (BBC)

Sidiki Abass, leader of 3R group (part of the Coalition Patriots for Change who attempted to prevent the recent presidential elections) died 25 March from wounds sustained during  an attack on a town November 2020. (Al Jazeera English)

Chad: Coronavirus figures:                                                               

Cases confirmed: 4,595   Deaths confirmed:  165  (BBC)

Accusations of rape and attempted rape by Chadian soldiers in Niger to help fight armed groups. Chadian authorities claim the perpetrators have been arrested and will be punished.  3 April. (Al Jazeera English)

 Comoros:  Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed: 3,719    Deaths confirmed: 146  (BBC)

 Congo-Brazzaville: Coronavirus figures:                                          

Cases confirmed: 9,681    Deaths confirmed:  135  (BBC)         

Democratic Republic of Congo: Coronavirus figures:                   

Cases confirmed:  28,325    Deaths confirmed:  745

Foreign Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan met in Kinshasa 4thApril to try to reach an accord over the giant dam built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile. (France 24)

Measles epidemic broken out 8 months after last epidemic. MSF reported 13,000 case in 2021 so far. (Reuters)

ICC, 30 March, upheld convictions and 30-year prison sentence of warlord Bosco (The Terminator) Ntaganda for crimes committed 2002-2003 (France 24)

Oxfam has suspended 2 staff members after an investigation into sexual misconduct and bullying. (Al Jazeera English)

 Djibouti:             Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed:  8,509    Deaths confirmed:  72  (BBC)

 Egypt:        The Pharaoh’s Golden Parade. Procession of 22 mummies (18 kings and 4 queens from Egyptian Museum to new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo. (BBC)

Marwa Elselehdar, Egypt’s first female ship’s captain rumoured to be responsible for ship blocking the Suez Canal, even though she was hundreds of miles away in Alexandria. (BBC)

Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed: 204,965   Deaths confirmed:  12,163      (BBC)

Foreign Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan met in Kinshasa 4thApril to try to reach an accord over the giant dam built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile. (France 24)

The last of the ships stranded because of the blockage in the Suez Canal passed through on Saturday 3 April (France 24)

 Equatorial Guinea:     Coronavirus figures:                                      

Cases confirmed:  7,008   Deaths confirmed: 103   (BBC)

 Eritrea:      Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed:  3,334  Deaths confirmed: 10   (BBC)

 Eswatini: Coronavirus figures:                                                            

Cases confirmed: 17,352   Deaths confirmed:  668    (BBC)

 Ethiopia:   Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 215,189   Deaths confirmed:  2,963        (BBC)

G7 “strongly concerned” by reports of human rights abuses and calls for those responsible to be held account. They also call for Eritrean troops to pull out of Ethiopia  (BBC)

                  30 Amhara civilians killed in gun attack on village in Western Oromiya on 1st April. Oromo Liberation Front blamed (Reuters)

Foreign Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan met in Kinshasa 4thApril to try to reach an accord over the giant dam built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile. (France 24)

 Gabon:      Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 19,863   Deaths confirmed:  119    (BBC)

 Gambia:    Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 5,505   Deaths confirmed: 166   (BBC)

Ghana:      Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 90,782   Deaths confirmed:  748    (BBC)

 Guinea:     Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 20,405   Deaths confirmed:  130    (BBC)

Suspected carriers of Ebola fled a town in South-East. They are being sought after first case in a month confirmed 1st April. (Reuters)

 Guinea-Bissau:  Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed: 3,662   Deaths confirmed: 66   (BBC)

 Ivory Coast:        Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed: 44,749   Deaths confirmed:  255    (BBC)

Former Pres. Laurent Gbagbo free to leave Brussels after ICC upheld acquittal. (France 24)

 Kenya:       Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 138,988   Deaths confirmed:  2,224        (BBC)

UK to put Kenya on list of countries from where non-UK or non-Irish nationals will be refused entry from 9th April. British and Irish will have to follow 10 day mandatory quarantine in hotels. (Reuters)

It was reported 1 April that 3rd wave of Covid-19 hits Kenyan hospital (France 24)

Kenya has given UNHCR 2 weeks  (from 24 March) to produce a plan to close 2 refugee camps (Kakuma opened 1992 and Dadaab opened 1991) holding 410,000 refugees from several countries, otherwise they will be forced to the border with Somalia.  (Al Jazeera English)

 Lesotho:    Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed: 10,707   Deaths confirmed:  315    (BBC)

 Liberia:      Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed: 2,042   Deaths confirmed: 85   (BBC)

 Libya:        Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 162,294   Deaths confirmed:  2,737        (BBC)

 Madagascar:      Coronavirus figures:                                               

Cases confirmed: 25,572   Deaths confirmed:  454    (BBC)

 Malawi:     Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 33,661   Deaths confirmed:  1,123          (BBC)

 Mauritania:        Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed:  17,927  Deaths confirmed:  449    (BBC)

 Mali:          Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 10,580   Deaths confirmed:  392    (BBC)

4 peacekeepers killed and several injured when Aguelhok (Northern Mali) attacked on 3rd April. (Reuters)

 Mauritius: Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed: 1,121   Deaths confirmed: 12   (BBC)

 Morocco:  Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed:  498,197  Deaths confirmed: 8,850        (BBC)

 Mozambique:    Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed: 68,119   Deaths confirmed:  782    (BBC)

Palma retaken by Mozambican forces from al-Shabab on 5th April (BBC) 

Total has closed its operations in Northern Mozambique and withdrawn all its staff because of the recent Islamic incursions. It is claimed that the staff may not be easily persuaded to return (France 24)

Portugal to send troops in early April to train Mozambican troops to deal with Islamic insurgents (France 24)

Mozambican army have recaptured the airfield in Palma and significant numbers of fighters have been killed, but have not declared that they have retaken the town as yet. 5th April. (Al Jazeera English)

 Namibia:   Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 44,790   Deaths confirmed:  537    (BBC)

Namibia to receive $271M from IMF to fight Covid-19

 Niger:        Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 5,041   Deaths confirmed: 188  (BBC)

New Pres. Mohamed Bazoum sworn into office 1 April in first peaceful transfer of power. (France 24)

Accusations of rape and attempted rape by Chadian soldiers in Niger to help fight armed groups. Chadian authorities claim the perpetrators have been arrested and will be punished.  3 April. (Al Jazeera English)

 Nigeria:     Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 163,195   Deaths confirmed:  2,058        (BBC)

Boko Haram claim to have downed a Nigerian Air Force in North East Nigeria on 2nd April (Reuters)

 Rwanda:    Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 22,482   Deaths confirmed:  311    (BBC)

 São Tomé: Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed:  2,240   Deaths confirmed: 35   (BBC)

 Senegal:    Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 39,024   Deaths confirmed:  1,063          (BBC)

 Seychelles:         Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed: 4,290   Deaths confirmed: 24   (BBC)

 Sierra Leone:     Coronavirus figures:                                               

Cases confirmed: 3,988   Deaths confirmed: 79   (BBC)

 Somalia:    Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed: 11,783   Deaths confirmed:  557    (BBC)

4 youths and a child were killed in a teashop when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Mogadishu on 4th April. (Al Jazeera English)

Al-Shabab fighters attacked 2 military bases 2 April. Attacks repulsed. Dozens killed. (Al Jazeera English)

 South Africa:      Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed:  1,551,964  Deaths confirmed:  52,987           (BBC)

Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa announced that religious gatherings of up to 250 indoors and 500 outdoors to be allowed over Easter. (Reuters)

 South Sudan:     Coronavirus figures:                                                

Cases confirmed:  10,267  Deaths confirmed:  113    (BBC)

 Sudan:       Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed:  31,833  Deaths confirmed:  2,063          (BBC)

Foreign Ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan met in Kinshasa 4thApril to try to reach an accord over the giant dam built by Ethiopia on the Blue Nile. (France 24)

 Tanzania: Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 509   Deaths confirmed:  21 (BBC)

Tanzanian police have announced that 45 people died during a stampede on 21 March at the stadium in Dar es Salaam where people were mourning the death of John Magufuli. (France 24)

 Togo:         Government using “Poverty Maps” – satellite images – to identify people economically affected by Covid-19 then sending them financial help. (BBC)

                  Coronavirus figures:                                                         

Cases confirmed: 11,187   Deaths confirmed:  112    (BBC)

Tunisia:     Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed:  260,044   Deaths confirmed:  8,965       (BBC)

Hundreds of protesters against unemployment tried to storm Govt. offices in Tataouine 29th March. Police fired tear gas 

 Uganda:    Sudden death of Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Archbishop of Kampala. He was found dead in his house 3rd April 2021. He will be buried on Thursday 8th  April. (NTVUganda)

Bodies of 4 Ugandans killed in South Sudan returned to Uganda. Truck drivers parked their vehicles as a protest against insecurity. Claims that 15 + Ugandan drivers and passengers killed recently in South Sudan (NTVNews)  

Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 40,962   Deaths confirmed:  335    (BBC)

Western Sahara: Coronavirus figures:                                               

Cases confirmed:  0  Deaths confirmed:  0     (BBC)

 Zambia:     Coronavirus figures:                                                          

Cases confirmed: 88,930   Deaths confirmed:  1,220          (BBC)

 Zimbabwe: Coronavirus figures:                                                        

Cases confirmed:  36,923    Deaths confirmed:  1,525   (BBC)