News Snippets in Africa 22nd to 1st May 2021

Algeria:              Opposition activist Karim Tabbou detained. (France 24)                            

 

Botswana:          Pres. Mokgweetsi Masis is self-isolating, having tested positive for COVID-19. He was due to chair a meeting of heads of state from Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to address the recent Islamic insurgency in Cabo Delgado. (Reuters)

Burkina Faso:     18 villagers killed in Yattakou (Seno province) by unidentified gunmen. Many local residents fled. (Al Jazeera English)      

Burundi:             150,000 Burundian refugees in camps in Tanzania unwilling to return to Burundi because of fear of insecurity in Burundi which they fled in 2015.  (France 24)            

 

Cameroon:         Gender-based violence from armed separatists, military personnel and civilians on the increase in Anglophone regions. (Al Jazeera English)      

                  

Chad:                  Deaths reported during demonstrations in N’Djamena and elsewhere against the establishment of military rule by Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby(Al Jazeera English)       

                           Govt. Troops and rebels (F.A.C.T. Front for Change and Concord  in Chad drawn mainly from Goran ethnic group)clash in W.Chad. Over 700 hundred protesters arrested and questioned in N’Djamena.  France originally backed the military transition, but is now calling for a civilian unity government.   (France 24)    

 

Democratic Republic of Congo:  State of siege declared in Ituri and North Kivu because of surge in violence by armed groups and intercommunal fighting.  (Al Jazeera English)          

 

Ghana:               Ghana’s military launched nationwide operation to stop illegal miners in lakes, rivers and waterways in central and western regions. (Reuters)

                           Twitter to open first African office citing Ghana as a champion of democracy. LGBT+ campaigners claim this is a “slap in the face” for  sexual minorities in the country. (Reuters)               

 

Ivory Coast:        Months after delivery of 500,000 Astazeneca vaccine doses, many people are refusing because of suspicion an unfounded rumours.  (France 24)

 

Kenya:                Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps hosting 400,000 refugees to close by 30 June 2022. (Al Jazeera English)  

                           Pres. Uhuru Kenyatta has lifted COVID-19 lockdown imposed last month.  (Reuters)

                           Kenyan doctor Stephen Karanja clashed with Catholic Church over the safety of Covid jabs which he claimed were totally unnecessary. He died last Thursday a week after being admitted to hospital with complications caused by Covid-19.

         

Madagascar:      UNWFP warns of severe famine and malnutrition because of drought and sandstorms.    (Al Jazeera English)

                           According to WFP 1.35 million people in need of food but only 750,000 can be reached and that with only half rations.  (France 24) 

         

Mali:                   French and Malian troops killed 26 terrorist near the border with Mauretania.  (France 24)         

          

Morocco:           Jailed Moroccan journalist  Omar Radi has suspended 3-week hunger strike because of ill health. He is protesting together with Soulaimane Raissouni demanding provisional release after months of detention. (France 24)                           

Mozambique:    UNHCR reckons 30,000 people have fled Palma (Cabo Delgado) since attacks by so-called ISIL insurgents on 24 March 2021. Severe impact on critical services. (Al Jazeera English)

                           Southern African leaders meeting scheduled for Thursday to address Insurgency in Mozambique has been postponed.  (Reuters)

                           Government to set up special unit in Attorney General’s off ice to investigate and prosecute cases of terrorism. (Reuters)

 

Namibia:            Red locusts have destroyed 719,000 hectares of grazing and 1,207 hectares of crops in 10 out of 14 regions during a third wave. (Reuters)    

                  

Nigeria:              Germany to begin returning Benin bronzes in 2022 (Al Jazeera English)

                           Sunday 33 Nigerian soldiers killed by attackers linked to Islamic State in Mainok, Bornu State. Air support was called in, the insurgents hid amongst the civilians and, allegedly, the air support mistakenly killed some government soldiers.  (France 24)

                           Parliament calls on Pres. Buhari, the armed forces and the police to address the county’s mounting security crisis. Parliament calls on the president to declare a state of emergency. (Reuters)

Rivers State to ban people crossing its borders at night as violence and lawlessness grow.  (Reuters)

                           Pres. Buhari has urged the US to move its Africa Command to Africa from Germany.  (Reuters)

                           Gang leader, Auwalu Daudawa, killed by another armed group whilst stealing cattle in Zamfara. His gang were allegedly behind the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolchildren. In February he and his gang were pardoned as part of a peace deal, but he recently returned to his formed activities. (BBC)

                           PantamiMustGo# / PastamiMust Stay# indicates division along religious and ethnic lines concerning the calls for Isa Pantami (Minister of Communications and Digital Economy , as well as renowned Muslim cleric) to resign. These calls come after recordings of past extreme Islamist views he professed in 2010 and before, came to light. He claimed Osama Bin Laden was better Muslim than he himself, expressed happiness when infidels were killed and objected to Christians building churches in the North.. A presidential spokesman and Pantami himself claim that he no longer holds these views. (BBC)    

 

Rwanda:             Rwandan Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta says that the 2 reports on the Rwanda 1994 genocide (from France and Rwanda) say essentially the same thing, thus allowing possible new diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. (France 24)      

         

Somalia:             Pres. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (aka Farmaajo) has backed down from extending his term of office after domestic and international pressure. He has now called for preparations for elections which should have been held when his term expired in February 2021. (Al Jazeera English)

 

Somaliland (self-declared republic)

                           2 pet lions belonging to former minister escaped. One was shot dead the other re-captured. (BBC)                   

 

South Africa:      Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa admits mistakes of ANC before judicial panel investigating graft under predecessor Jacob Zuma (Al Jazeera English)        

                           Zulu regent Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu died at age 65 one month after taking over from her deceased husband King Goodwill Zwelithini. (Reuters)

                  

Tanzania:          Pres. Samia Suluhu Hassan announced she will reduce income tax by 1% as well as removing other “unfriendly taxes”.  (Reuters)

                           Oxygen production plants installed in seven of its biggest national hospitals. Each plant can fill 200 cylinders a day. (Reuters)

                  

Uganda:             Uganda to stop flight to and from India following Kenya. (Reuters)

                  

Zimbabwe:         Tobacco farmers unhappy about 40% of their payment for crops paid in local currency which is delayed and calculated at lower exchange rate than black market prices.   (Al Jazeera English)

                           Charges against Hopewell Chin’ono (journalist critical of Pres. Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rule) dropped after he has spent many weeks behind bars. The law he was accused of breaking does not exist. (Al Jazeera English)