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The remains of Mugabe to be moved to his village, Kutama

editorial@africanews.com (DIBIE IKE Michael) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 15:44:07 +0000

The remains of former Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe will be transported on Monday to his village of Kutama, northwest of the capital Harare, to allow his family to pay him a final tribute, his family announced on Sunday. The country’s former president died last week at the age of 95 in a luxurious Singapore hospital where he had been receiving treatment for years. His successor Emmerson Mnangagwa and some African heads of state paid tributes to his memory on Saturday at a two-thirds empty Harare stadium at a state funeral. He is to be buried within a month at the “Field of Heroes”, a monument in the capital, once a mausoleum has been built in his honour. Until then, his remains are to be transported on Monday to Kutama, his native village where he owned a property. His coffin will be displayed for the people of the village. He will spend the night there,” a family spokesman, Leo Mugabe, said. The local tribute was initially scheduled for Sunday but, as traditional leader Raphael Zvikaramba disclosed, the family “needed to rest”. The details of Robert Mugabe’s funeral have been the subject of intense tensions between his family and Mnangagwa’s government, whose relations have been bad since the army coup that caused the former president’s fall in 2017. Having led Zimbabwe for 37 years, Robert Mugabe left behind a country traumatized by repression and ruined by 20 years of economic crisis.

36 people dead as a cargo and passenger ship sinked in the DRC

editorial@africanews.com (DIBIE IKE Michael) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 13:38:28 +0000

Thirty-six people have been declared missing when a cargo and passenger ship sank on the Congo River in the Kinshasa region, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, police announced on Sunday. The death toll from the sinking of a “whaling ship” in Congo is “36 missing persons and 76 survivors”, police reported on twitter. The tragedy occurred “on the night of Saturday to Sunday. The causes of the accident are not yet known,” said Colonel Pierrot-Rombaut Mwanamputu, police spokesman. The boat from Mai-Ndombe (west) to Kinshasa sank in the commune of Maluku, located about 100 km from the city centre, place where the current of the great river is strong. Accidents are frequent on DRC’s waterways due to the dilapidated state of the boats, their overloading of passengers and freight and the lack of buoyage. The assessments are aggravated by the fact that in the majority of cases, passengers do not wear lifejackets and most do not know how to swim. The DRC, a 2.3 million square kilometre country in Central Africa, has very few good roads. Travel is often done on Congo’s tributaries and lakes. Due to the scarcity of regular company boats, local residents resort to motorized pirogues or other “whaleboats”, a kind of barge where hundreds of people crowd. In August, at least 15 people died in a motorized pirogue shipwreck in Bukavu on Lake Kivu (east).

G5 Sahel heads of state laud "Desert to power initiative"

editorial@africanews.com (DIBIE IKE Michael) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 13:26:28 +0000

In a bid to make availability of power energy to the Sahel regions, the G5 Sahel heads of state at a Summit in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, gave strong support to Desert to Power, an Africa Development Bank-led initiative. The summit, “Harnessing solar energy for the socio-economic development of the G5 Sahel countries” came on the heels of a high-level technical meeting attended by the region’s energy ministers, and development partners including the World Bank, and regional institutions such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union and ECOWAS. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, participated in the high-level meeting and endorsed the initiative. Addressing journalists, the G5 Sahel President Christian Kabore of Burkina Faso urged the private sector to support the “Desert to Power” and underscored the strategic and critical role of power provision in the Sahel region. “The African Development Bank is our bank and the private sector must be involved in this important initiative for our countries. I have no doubt that with technical leadership of the AfDB, we will be able to mobilize the necessary funds. Access to electricity is key for the economic development, prosperity and security of the G5 Sahel countries” Kabore said at a joint press conference hosted with the President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina, after the Summit. The goal of Desert to Power is to propel the Sahelian economies to higher growth and prosperity. Adesina outlined the initiative’s ambitions of providing 10,000 MW of solar-generated electricity to 250 million people across the Sahel. “The African Development Bank is fully ready to work with all partners to make this Baobab of Energy a success. Your strong political support and policies to make solar energy affordable across the Sahel will be critical,” Adesina said. “Generations of people in the Sahel have waited for light for too long. Generations today and in the future can wait no longer! The time for action is now. The time for Desert to Power to provide electricity for all in the Sahel is now,” he urged. G5 Sahel heads of state acknowledged that limited energy access and a dependence on fossil fuels underscores the necessity of an energy shift and the need to accelerate the economic development of the region and ensure its stability. Five priority areas for the G5 Sahel include expanded utility-scale solar generation capacity; extending and strengthening power transmission networks; accelerating electrification through decentralized energy solutions; revitalizing national power utilities; and improving business climates for increased private sector investments. A joint Task Force and a coordination unit, to be hosted by the African Development Bank, will be set up to improve legal and institutional frameworks, to ensure that priority in energy provision is given to rural communities. Donor and development partners were asked to help mobilise $140 million for the initiatives project preparation phase. Desert to Power has already galvanized huge political support at the global level. during the recent G7 Summit in Biarritz, France. The Desert to Power initiative covers 11 countries: Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, Senegal and Chad and is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Climate Agreement and the Renewable Energy Initiative for Africa.

Africa's biggest Geek and pop culture returns

editorial@africanews.com (DIBIE IKE Michael) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 11:21:30 +0000

The Lagos Comic Con, now known as the Fearless Lagos Comic Con has for nearly a decade been the hottest platform for celebrating and promoting the best of Africa’s creativity in the form of comics, animation, film, books and gaming with thousands of young and vibrant enthusiasts, industry players and investors gathering to exhibit, interact and keep in touch with the latest trends in the industry. According to Toyosi Yusuff, media lead, Lagos Comic Con, this year’s event will feature exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops, competitions, pitches and cosplays. Unlike previous events, the convention will be free access to all zones. According to the Chief Event Coordinator, Ray Anyasi, ¨the fact that it is a three-day event this year has allowed for more robust programming. The activities and fun have been tripled to give the guests a time of their lives¨. He noted that after the unbelievable crowd turn out last year, it became expedient that they expand the duration of the event, stating that they expect over 6000 guests in the three days of this year’s event. While attendance is free, guests must register online on allevents.ng to get access to the many fun activities. The Panel sessions will have top speakers from France, USA, Japan, South Africa and Nigeria discussing key issues in the creative industry like running a viable comic business, creating content that sells, distribution for animation, the effect of digital book platforms on Africa’s reading culture among other topics. At the master class zone, top creative professionals will facilitate classes on film making, story plotting, illustrations and many others. At the costume competition, dozens of cosplayers will compete for a grand prize of N50,000 and other gifts. There will also be exclusive screenings of groundbreaking films in animation and CGI/VFX, most notably the Malika Animation project by Youneek Studio starring Adesua Etomi. The Fearless Lagos Comic Con 2019 will hold on 19th, 20th and 21st of September at the Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Activities are scheduled from 9AM to 7PM each day. This year’s event is sponsored by Fearless energy drink, Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, the French Embassy, Film House Nigeria, African Movie Channel, amongst others.

Egypt's Sisi rebuffs videos alleging corruption

editorial@africanews.com — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 10:51:32 +0000

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday said the allegations of corruption within the army and government were “lies and slander”, in his first public response to graft accusations that have gone viral online. “I swear to God, these are lies and slander,” Sisi told a youth conference in the capital Cairo, referring to the accusations made by Mohamed Ali, a businessman and actor turned political activist who accuses Sisi and some army generals of squandering billions of Egyptian pounds. Sisi, a former army chief who took power after the overthrow of the former Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013, strongly defended the army and said he tolerated no corruption. “The army is a very sensitive institution towards any inadequate behaviour, especially if it was attributed to its leaders,” he said. Ali, whose contracting company used to carry out civilian projects for the Egyptian army, has posted a series of videos from exile in Spain. In them he accuses Sisi of wasting money on presidential palaces and the army on spending billions of Egyptian pounds on projects like a luxury hotel in a Cairo suburb. At a time when many Egyptians are struggling with austerity measures as part of reforms agreed with the International Monetary Funds, Ali’s videos have drawn a huge online followers. His first video on Sept. 2 garnered 1.7 million views on his Facebook page alone. The popularity of Ali’s videos have turned him into a public figure. In Egypt dozens of cartoons have been made pitting him against Sisi, as well as images depicting Ali in the likeness of another Mohamed Ali, an Ottoman-era commander who ruled Egypt in the 19th century. The military’s economic might has expanded since Sisi became president, and companies owned by the military have flourished, causing concern amongst local businessmen and foreign investors. Sisi, however, defended the building of presidential palaces.

Xenophobic attacks: Ramaphosa send emissaries to several African countries

editorial@africanews.com — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 10:33:08 +0000

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent high-ranking emissaries to several African countries to assure them that their citizens are welcome in his country, despite the wave of xenophobic violence earlier this month. The mission, led by former Minister Jeff Radeba, left South Africa on Saturday and is scheduled to visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, the president announced on Sunday. Hundreds of economic migrants from neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique had fled from South Africa recently while Nigeria air lifted 600 of its citizens back home after they were targeted in the violence. It would be recalled that Ramaphosa was jeered at on Saturday during his speech at Zimbabwe ex-leader Robert Mugabe’s funeral in Harare before he apologised for the attacks. “I stand before you as a fellow African to express my regret and apologise for what has happened in our country,” Ramaphosa said at the state funeral. His comments were met with cheers and blasts of air horns from the crowd. Cyril Ramaphosa sends emissaries to African countries to calm xenophobia fears https://t.co/M2bOnA6CnF— BusinessLIVE (@BusinessLiveSA) September 15, 2019 South Africa, the continent’s second largest economy, is a major destination for other African migrants. But they are often targeted by some locals who blame them for a lack of jobs.

West African leaders pledge $1 bln to fight Islamist threat

editorial@africanews.com (DIBIE IKE Michael) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 10:03:18 +0000

In a bid to put an end to Islamist threat in West Africa, the West African leaders have pledged $1 billion to combat the spiralling threat of Islamist militancy in the region, the head of the regional ECOWAS bloc said on Saturday. “With regards to financing ECOWAS decided to contribute 1 billion dollars to the financing of the joint forces and to the reinforcement of the operational capabilities and of state intelligence,” said Niger President, Mahamadou issoufou. The pledge which is to be funded from 2020 to 2024, was announced on Saturday at the end of the Economic Community Summit of West African States (ECOWAS) in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State have strengthened their foothold across the arid Sahel region this year, making large swathes of territory ungovernable and stoking local ethnic violence, especially in Mali and Burkina Faso. The fifteen members of the West African bloc and the presidents of Mauritania and Chad had gathered for an extraordinary summit in Burkina Faso’s capital to address the growing insecurity. “It is the international Community which is cause of the Libyan crisis. The Libyan crisis of which we are suffering the consequences in the Sahel region as well as in the Lac Chad . So now is not the time to divert our gaze away from the Sahel and the Lake Chad,” issoufou added. In July, the U.N. said Islamist attacks were spreading so fast in West Africa that the region should consider bolstering its response beyond current military efforts. ECOWAS Nations Hold Emergency Counter-terrorism Summit https://t.co/hIXMDMIjol pic.twitter.com/3eyQuDXGHx— Asharq Al-Awsat English (@aawsat_eng) September 15, 2019 Addressing the media Issoufou said the Sahel region and Lake Chad expected a bigger contribution in the fight against radical Islamists from the international community which he said caused the Libyan crisis that was putting pressure on the region.

Tunisia's late President's wife dies on election day

editorial@africanews.com (DIBIE IKE Michael) — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 09:34:09 +0000

The wife of Tunisia’s late president, Beji Caid Essebsi died on Sunday, as Tunisians were voting to elect his successor less than two months after his death. Chadlia Farhat, Essebsi’s widow, died at the age of 83, their son said without details. “My mother Chadlia, widow of Béji Caïd Essebsi, is dead, God bless her,” their son Hafedh Caïd Essebsi said on Facebook. It would be recalled that Mrs Essebsi, 83, in July welcomed many heads of state who had come to pay their respects to her husband who died at the age of 92, after having been the first democratically elected president by universal suffrage in Tunisia. Elegant and discreet, she rarely appeared in public, unlike the first ladies of post-independence Tunisia, Wassila Bourguiba and Leïla Ben Ali. “We tell each other everything, and he always asks me for my opinion,” she said in a rare interview with Leaders magazine in November 2014, during her husband’s campaign. “This time, I felt that he was so eager to save Tunisia, and I couldn’t stop him. You have to make sacrifices when it comes to the country you live in. Since then, I have realized the extent of the necessary security measures, but we are trying to keep the same pace of life,” she added. Décès de Chadlia Saïda Farhat Caïd Essebsi https://t.co/VRclZLYExK via webdo_tn #Tunisie

— webdo (webdo_tn) September 15, 2019 The couple had two daughters and two sons, including Hafedh Caïd Essebsi, who retained control of the party created by his father, Nidaa Tounes, at the cost of struggles by people who decimated the formation.

7 million people vote in Tunisia's presidential polls

editorial@africanews.com — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 08:18:55 +0000

13,000 polling stations opened for the second democratic presidential election in the history of Tunisia Sunday. Even before the polling stations opened at 8 GMT, dozens of voters queued up to choose the next president from among the 26 candidates in the running. Among the contenders, Youssef Chahed, Prime Minister with a disputed record, Nabil Karoui, media magnate who was prosecuted for money laundering and Abdelfattah Mourou, first candidate of the Ennahdha party. Seven million voters are expected to vote in this first round. The preliminary results will be announced on Tuesday by the electoral body. AFP

Practicing journalism almost impossible in Libya

editorial@africanews.com — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 08:01:11 +0000

Practicing journalism has almost become impossible in Libya. Hostility towards the media and journalists continues to increase. At least that is what this group of Libyan journalists claims. The journalists attended an programme known as the “Kon Chahed” application or “Be a witness”. It was developed by the Libyan Centre for Press Freedom, which aims to enable journalists to report attacks without fear. Political and security crisis has plunged the country into chaos since 2011. “At the moment, the situation in Libya is that of clashes, conflict areas and war. There are many cases of violations against journalists working in conflict areas’‘, said We’am al-Alem, Coordinator of activities at the Libyan center for freedom of press. Mohamed al-Najem is the Executive Director of the centre. “Unfortunately, many journalists are leaving the country and others have stopped practicing the profession inside Libya. At the same time, there is an increase in self-censorship by journalists about the content of their work”, he said. Libya is ranked 162 out of 180 countries in the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom index. At least 19 journalists have been killed in the country since 2011 and many have gone missing. AFP

Shock as $1.25 MN gold toilet goes missing in UK palace

editorial@africanews.com — Sun, 15 Sep 2019 06:39:12 +0000

News that thieves have stolen a solid gold toilet worth some $1.25 million from the birthplace of British wartime leader Winston Churchill, has shocked many. Police said the 18-carat gold toilet was stolen early Saturday. “I can’t believe they managed to get into the palace as well. I thought security here would be tight locked, so yeah, it’s amazing that someone’s been able to access it and be able to take it. And it’s not small, is it?”, a visitor said. “That is quite shocking. I have to admit, I’ll go back and it’ll be the highlight, we were there and the crime scene, someone stole a one million pound toilet. That’s an amazing story, I think”, another said. Local police said a thorough investigation was underway. “There will be an increased police presence in the local area, whilst officers and staff carry out inquiries into the circumstances. There is a thorough investigation in the process of being carried out”, Richard Nicholls, a local police official said. The toilet was made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It had been installed just two days earlier at Blenheim Palace, West of London. Police said the removal of the gold toilet caused “significant damage and flooding” to the building because it had been connected to the palace’s plumbing system. The building is a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with valuable art and furniture. A 66-year-old man was arrested, but has not been identified or charged. Blenheim Palace said the building was expected to reopen Sunday. AP

Erasmus sees Spring Boks’ early arrival in Japan as a success

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:00:00 +0000

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus feels vindicated in his side’s early arrival in Japan for the Rugby World Cup, even though it will mean their stay in the country will stretch to nine weeks if they make the November 2 final. “We have achieved a lot of the objectives we set in coming early to Japan,” Erasmus told reporters at the team’s base on Friday. “The first was to get to know the country, the people, how things operate here, and to be comfortable in the country and we’ve achieved that. “The second one was to get some match time against good opposition, which was Japan, and we achieved that. And then obviously the third one was to get the guys used to the climatic conditions, not just the heat, but the humidity, both in match and in training.” Captain Siya Kolisi agrees and says the preparation work they have put in now will help them finish strongly in matches. “We know how to handle the conditions now and the fact that our training has been very hard means it will stand us in good stead. The benefits will come through later in the games,” he said. The Bok players will be given a few days off with their families after their final pool game against Canada in Kobe on October 8, ahead of the start of the knockout stages. Erasmus has also praised the welcome his side has been afforded, and the enthusiasm of Japanese people to embrace the tournament. “Something that has stood out for me – and I don’t think I’ve seen this anywhere else – is the people of the host nation wearing the jersey of the visiting team – the Springbok badge,” the coach commented. “I think that’s been amazing to see the Japanese people wearing the Springbok jersey. I think that shows a lot of respect and I think we can learn a lot from that. “It makes us proud to see that and I think you can be proud of how you have supported the World Cup and adopting teams that are visiting here and making them feel at home.” The Boks open their campaign against New Zealand in Yokohama on Sept. 21 and will also play Italy, Namibia and Canada in their pool. REUTERS

Caster Semenya to receive gold medal from 2011 world championships

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 11:00:00 +0000

Olympic 800 metres champion Caster Semenya will be officially awarded her gold medal from the 2011 world athletics championships at this year’s edition in Doha, but will not be there to receive it. Semenya was elevated to the gold medal position two years ago when Russian athlete Mariya Savinova, who sped past her on the final straight, was later disqualified for doping violations. The South African athlete had hoped to defend her 2017 world championship title in Doha starting on Sept. 27, but was forced to withdraw with no verdict yet delivered in her appeal to the Swiss Federal Tribunal against testosterone regulations imposed on her. Semenya is appealing the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) ruling that supported regulations introduced by the sport’s governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). These say that XY chromosome athletes with differences in sexual development (DSDs) can race in distances from 400m to a mile only if they take medication to reach a reduced testosterone level. Semenya has refused to be bound by these restrictions, placing a cloud over her future in athletics. Athletics South Africa (ASA) confirmed on Thursday that Semenya would not be in Doha to receive the medal personally during an IAAF ceremony, but that a representative would collect it on her behalf. Sunette Viljoen, who has been elevated from bronze to silver in the javelin from the 2011 championships will take part in the ceremony. Russian athlete Mariya Abakumova, the original gold medallist, was also later disqualified for doping violations. “Congratulations to our athletes for their achievements and for being honoured as clean athletes,” ASA president Aleck Skhosana said in a media statement. “We are happy that the IAAF now offers a chance to the rightful winners a podium celebration in front of a capacity stadium which the cheats denied them at the original competition.” ASA say they will conduct a formal hand-over to Semenya at a later date. Semenya now has two Olympic, three world championship and one Commonwealth Games gold medal in the 800m. REUTERS

South Africa unlikely to meet its growth forecast of 1.5% - finance minister

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 10:45:00 +0000

South Africa’s economic growth is unlikely to reach the treasury’s target of 1.5% in 2019 because conditions have changed and the country is facing increasing headwinds, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said on Friday. This week ratings agency Moody’s, the last of the top three credit firms to rate South Africa’s debt at investment level, said it had lowered its growth forecast to 0.7% from 1%. The central bank sees gross domestic product at 0.6% this year. Both have cited slow economic reforms as the key drag on economic activity, and massive bailouts to state-owned companies, including 59 billion rand ($4.05 billion) to power firm Eskom. This has limited the government’s scope for stimulus and raised debt while the resultant uncertainty has kept investment subdued. “The assumptions underlying the forecasts have clearly changed … the actual deficit now is probably much higher,” Mboweni told a banking conference in Johannesburg. He said that increasing calls for the treasury to bail out state firms was putting pressure on growth and spending. “We must re-focus our economy on agriculture …but we also have to continue to support Eskom, because without electricity there is no growth,” Mboweni said. A Reuters poll of economists this week forecast South African economic growth at 0.7% this year, up from 0.6% in the previous forecast. Second quarter growth bounced back 3.1% after a revised contraction of 3.1% in the first quarter. REUTERS

World Bank lifts aid embargo, approves $450 million loan for Tanzania

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 10:30:00 +0000

The World Bank has approved a $450 million loan to Tanzania, the bank said on Friday, signalling the release of the first tranche of funds to the East African nation that were frozen last year because of concern over government policies. Those concerns included passing a law that made it illegal to question official statistics and expelling pregnant girls from public schools. The government amended the statistics law in June to remove the threat of jail. But has yet to announce changes to the rules on teenage pregnancy. The financing comes from the bank’s International Development Assistance (IDA), which gives grants or low-interest loans to the world’s poorest countries. It covers a poverty- reduction programme that will help around five million Tanzanians, the bank said in a statement. “The World Bank has been engaging with the government of Tanzania on a range of policy issues that led to a hold-up of financing since 2018”, the World Bank said in a statement. “Approval of this project acknowledges efforts by the government of Tanzania to address the policy issues by amending the statistics law (2018) in line with international practice, as well as the government’s commitment to facilitate all girls to complete their education.” The government has been working to unlock $1.7 billion in funding from the bank that was frozen last year. In July, Tanzania’s statistics agency said it may review its economic growth figure for 2018 after the World Bank came up with a significantly lower one. It has not released updated figures. The World Bank is Tanzania’s biggest external lender. Foreign loans and grants are a key source of foreign exchange for East Africa’s third-largest economy. “This new support will be critical to improve the lives of many more people in need and overall raise the country’s human capital index, which is still very low at 0.40,” said Bella Bird, the World Bank’s country director for Tanzania. “We will continue to work with the government and engage with citizens and other stakeholders on the complex set of development issues facing the country and its people.” REUTERS

10 killed in stampede at Mozambique election rally

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 10:02:00 +0000

At least 10 people have died and 98 were injured in a stampede at a campaign rally of Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi, health authorities said on Thursday. Nampula Central Hospital management’s said the deaths and injuries occurred when a crowd tried to move through a single gate of a stadium in the city of Nampula, northern Mozambique, where the rally was being held on Wednesday. People were trampled on as they attempted to leave the facility. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the hospital’s director Cachimo Molina said 98 people were admitted for care at the health unit and all but 14 were later discharged. Eight have been in intensive care. “With regard to the clinical situation of patients who entered yesterday after the incident, all are stabilized,” Molina said. Mozambican Interior Minister Basilio Monteiro announced the creation of a commission of inquiry to investigate the cause of the incident. Mozambique is currently in its second week of election campaigning ahead of the Oct. 15 general elections, when Nyusi of the ruling Frelimo party is hoping to secure a second term. According to the Public Integrity Centre’s initial monitoring of the campaign “a dozen people were killed in the first week of the campaign (10 due to traffic accidents and 2 to political violence) and 29 have been injured (16 in traffic incidents and 13 in political violence).” “Our correspondents also report at least 33 arrests, most related to destroying posters of other parties. These cases are from 31 August through 6 September”. REUTERS

Zimbabwe committed to reforms, need international support - foreign minister

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 09:46:00 +0000

Zimbabwe is serious about pursuing political and economic reforms and deserves international support, its foreign minister told Reuters on Friday. President Emmerson Mnangagwa promised a different approach when he replaced longtime ruler Robert Mugabe after November 2017 coup, but he has found it hard to revive economic growth and faced criticism over a heavy-handed response to protests. Mugabe’s death last week aged 95 has made some people question what Mnangagwa has achieved in his two years in power. “The international community needs to understand and nurse this country. This country has suffered for the past two decades,” Foreign Minister Sibusiso Moyo said in an interview. “This is the time when it must be supported in its reforms.” Mnangagwa’s government has taken steps to relaunch the Zimbabwean dollar, cut the budget deficit, remove subsidies on fuel and power and repeal laws curbing public and media freedoms. But the currency reforms and austerity measures have compounded ordinary people’s hardships in an economy where unemployment is estimated to be as high as 80%. The opposition says it is being denied the right to protest peacefully. On Friday, Zimbabwe’s central bank raised its overnight borrowing rate to 70% from 50% after a surge in inflation and a steep fall in the domestic currency. Moyo, a former army general and Mnangagwa loyalist, said the government would strengthen social safety nets to cushion the impact of austerity measures and seek to recover public funds “where there was clear-cut evidence of pilfering”. He said the authorities would not use excessive force to control protests and that there was no blanket ban on demonstrations staged by the main opposition group MDC. “This country is undertaking all these reforms, with all the painful processes which are taking place, without any form of support from outside. No lines of credit, no balance of payments support, nothing,” Moyo said. “We are a sincere government in delivering the necessary reforms and freedoms.” REUTERS

Zimbabwe and Africa bid Robert Mugabe farewell

editorial@africanews.com (Eric Oteng) — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 09:33:00 +0000

Zimbabwe paid its final tribute on Saturday to its former and highly controversial President Robert Mugabe, the acclaimed “hero” of the independence of a country that he finally left bloodless after a 37-year authoritarian rule. His successor Emmerson Mnangagwa and several African heads of state, current or retired, began in the middle of the morning to fill the official gallery of the national sports stadium in the capital Harare for a four-hour ceremony. Among them were South African president Cyril Ramaphosa, Kenyan Uhuru Kenyatta and Equatorial Guinean Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who holds the record of the current heads of state with forty years of rule. Robert Mugabe died on September 6 at the age of 95 in a luxury hospital in Singapore where he had been visiting for years for treatment. Forced to resign two years ago by a coup by the army and his party, he left behind him a country wounded by repression and ruined by an endless economic crisis that plunged a large part of its population into poverty. Around the grid lawn of soldiers in ceremonial dress, the stadium bleachers, devoid of any portrait of the deceased, slowly filled up when his coffin arrived. T-shirts and headgear bearing the effigy of the deceased, his supporters welcomed his remains with a salute of songs from the “war of liberation” and a flock of placards and banners greeting the “revolutionary icon” or his “heritage in the service of the nation”. “I am here to mourn our hero,” said a veteran of the “war of liberation,” Solomon Nyoka, 64. “All that is positive about Zimbabwe, its unity, its reconciliation and the land that is now ours, is thanks to Mugabe. “It is impossible to talk about Zimbabwe without reference to Bob. Zimbabwe is Bob,” said another nostalgic Norman Gombera, 57, on his way to the stadium. “It is thanks to a man like Bob, to his bravery, that we were able to obtain our independence,” continued the school principal, minimizing his mistakes. “Bob did his best under the circumstances. Every country has its problems”. However, these praises are far from being shared on the streets of the capital, Harare, by the average Zimbabwean, who is completely consumed by his daily survival, between unemployment, three-digit inflation and shortages of basic necessities. “Shortages are the only legacy of his reign. That’s all he’ll leave behind,” said Steven, 45, “I have no reason to go to his funeral,” said the father of the family who prefers to keep his name secret. “We don’t even have enough fuel to go to his funeral,” said Keshav Therdra, a 59-year-old unemployed man. Divisive throughout his reign, Robert Mugabe managed to divide his country again after his death on the issue of his burial. For several days, his family was determined to have him buried in his village in the Zvimba district, about 100 kilometres from Harare. The government of his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, wanted to send him to the “National Heroes Acre. The dispute finally resolved. Comrade Bob”, as his party leaders called him, will be buried at the Harare National Monument, but not before a month has elapsed to build a mausoleum for him. “He will only be buried once the construction of this mausoleum is completed,” said President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Since the fall of Robert Mugabe, the former president and his family’s relations with Mr. Mnangagwa, whom he publicly described as a “traitor”, have been notoriously bad. In November 2017, the army had pushed Robert Mugabe out after his decision to dismiss Mr. Mnangagwa, then vice president, at the insistence of his wife Grace Mugabe. The first lady of the time then coveted more and more openly the succession of her ninety year old husband. The weekly The Zimbabwean Independent on Saturday summed up the arm wrestling with this unequivocal title: “Betrayed, Mugabe continues the fight against Mnangagwa from his coffin”. AFP

Pics of the day, September 13, 2019

editorial@africanews.com — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 09:00:00 +0000

Africanews samples the best pictures of the day’s news.

Court rules UK parliament suspension unlawful [International Edition]

editorial@africanews.com — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 05:10:00 +0000

Boris Johnson’s suspension of the UK Parliament is unlawful, Scotland’s highest civil court has ruled. Meanwhile, Catalan pro- independence figures reaffirm their determination to achieve their objective in the continuing conflict with Spain. Also, US president Donald Trump ousts John Bolton, his third national security adviser, amid fundamental disputes. Stay tuned as we will have reports on this and other stories as we retrace the major current events covered by the Euronews editorial team. elayneshani

Kenya adds world's first malaria vaccine to routine vaccination

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 19:53:06 +0000

Kenya has added the world’s first malaria vaccine to routine immunization for children under two years. The vaccine was launched in the western county of Homa Bay. This makes the East African nation, the third country in Africa to roll out the vaccine for malaria. “Our current strategic direction for malaria eradication is to have at least have 80% of people living in malaria risk areas having access to appropriate malaria preventative interventions. This strategy will involve sustained implementation of the existing interventions which I have just talked about but also the introduction of new interventions such as the introduction of malaria vaccine which we are here today to launch”, said Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Health, Sicily Kariuki. Josephine Atieno had her child vaccinated Friday. She’s optimistic the vaccine will have positive effects. “Now I am not going to use the money to the hospital. I am happy because of the thing (malaria vaccine), now my child is not going to be sick of malaria again so I am very happy”, she said. Malaria is a top killer of children under five years in Kenya. It plans to roll out the vaccine to eight of its 47 counties over the next two years. Ghana and Malawi launched their pilot programmes of the vaccine earlier this year. Malaria infected about 219 million people in 2017, killing about 435,000 of them. Majority were babies and children in the poorest parts of Africa. Reuters

Kenya's Kipchoge can break 2-hour marathon- Froome

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 17:04:14 +0000

Four times Tour de France winner Chris Froome is optimistic about Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge. Froome says that if anyone can break the two hour marathon barrier, it is Eliud Kipchoge. “I think if anyone can cross the two-hour barrier, it’s Eliud. I think he has such concentration and determination, and after hearing that when he set that goal, he literally applied himself to it, day after day, for months now. He’s already gotten so close, so I think if anyone can do it, it’s Eliud”, the road racing cyclist said. Kipchoge was defeated in his first attempt in Monza in 2017. This time he hopes to make history. “The 1:59 Challenge is about making history. It’s about leaving a legacy in this world, it’s about giving information to the whole world that no man is limited. Feeding your family, doing your daily duties in a professional way, that you can do what humans think is impossible. So it’s about spreading the message and cutting that message, that message that people whereby some people think that some things are impossible in the human family”, Kipchoge said. To set this new record, Kipchoge trains in Kenya near his hometown in Nandi County, where other world-renowned athletes such as Kipchoge Keino, Pamela Jelimo and Conseslus Kipruto were born. The athlete runs between 200 and 220 km per week. Reuters

South Africa activists protest gender-based violence

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 16:33:49 +0000

Hundreds protested at Johannesburg Stock Exchange Friday.They are demanding listed companies to do more to end gender-based violence in South Africa. “Most instances of gender-based violence that happen in the workplace come from the private sector and it remains silent because they don’t do anything about it. They don’t have the necessary policies within their environment in order to deal with those things. So we want them to do better and not be silent. Like, wearing black and having a moment of silence is not enough for you to do. You need to do more, you’ve got the money, we know you have the money. So do what you need to do in order to help us fight gender-based violence in this country”, said protest organizer Nonhle Skosana The protest comes in response to a number of highly publicized incidents of rape and murder in the country. “Obviously every woman in some shape or form has been touched by violence. I myself was raped when I was 18. And it wasn’t by someone anyone would have warned me against. It was by the head boy of a school. And he got 10 As in matric (final year of high school). And he’s gone on to live a perfectly happy, successful life no matter what I had to say about it”, a protester, Robyn Porteous said. South Africa’s murder and sexual offence crimes rose to 3.4 % and 4.6% respectively, according to a police committee. The World Health Organization said that in South Africa, about 3,000 women were killed in 2018 or one every three hours. This is more than five times higher than the global average. Reuters

Cameroon opposition demands amnesty for separatists

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 16:02:00 +0000

Cameroon’s opposition and leaders of the Anglophone separatist movement have reacted to president Paul Biya’s call for national dialogue to resolve the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest regions. Biya on Tuesday announced that he intends to open a major “national dialogue” later this month in a bid to solve the conflict between security forces and armed separatists from the anglophone minority in the west. Separatist leader dismisses dialogue call The leader of the separatist movement, Ayuk Tabe dismissed Biya’s call as a ‘non-starter’. “The speech was a non-event and a non-starter,” separatist leader Julius Sisiku Ayuk Tabe said in a message relayed by his lawyers. In August Ayuk Tabe was sentenced to life in prison along with nine of his supporters, a move that made the prospect of peace seem even more remote. Ayuk Tabe is the first self-proclaimed president of “Ambazonia”, a breakaway state declared in October 2017 in two English-speaking regions of the central African country. He described Biya’s dialogue initiative as “an awkward and grudging attempt timed to avoid UN sanctions, considering that the UN will be deliberating on the anglophone crisis this September and Mr Biya and his regime has been amply put on notice.” He added that “President Biya unilaterally declared the ongoing war in the Northwest and Southwest regions. He must unilaterally declare an end to the war that he declared.” Opposition calls for ‘amnesty before dialogue’ The opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), on Friday called for a “general amnesty” for detainees linked to the separatist crisis and a “ceasefire” before participating in the “grand national dialogue” proposed by Biya. During a meeting with the prime minister who is leading the dialogue, the party transmitted “preliminary conditions for (its) participation in this long-awaited inclusive national dialogue”. “We have unequivocally noted that the announced inclusive national dialogue cannot effectively prosper without a calm environment: the declaration of a ceasefire and the guarantee of a general amnesty for all those involved at any level in the English-speaking crisis,” the statement states. At midday, however, SDF Vice-President Joshua Osih qualified this text in an interview with AFP: “These are proposals, we should not try to qualify them, but it seems obvious to us that this is justified”, he explained, adding: “we have talked about our vision of dialogue, it is up to them to react unless they want a monologue”. The Anglophone crisis Since November 2016, when the government violently cracked down on peaceful protests by teachers and lawyers in the Anglophone regions, the francophone-majority country has been mired in the unrest. More than 2,000 people have been killed while over 500,000 have been displaced as the English-speaking separatists demand independence in the Northwest and Southwest regions. The UN has said that its Secretary General Antonio Guterres “welcomes the announcement” by Biya and “reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to support the dialogue process.” But many commentators said that if Biya’s overture is genuine, it will have little chance of headway as long as separatist leaders remain behind bars or in exile. Agencies

Tunisia's Ben Ali hospitalized for ''serious health crisis''

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 15:25:17 +0000

Tunisia’s ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali has been hospitalized for a ‘‘serious health crisis’‘ in Saudi Arabia, his lawyer told Reuters Friday. Mass protests drove Ben Ali out of power in 2011, leading to the Arab Spring uprising. This is the first time his lawyer Mounir Ben Salha or family have gone public with news of the 83 year old’s health. Ben Ali has made no public statements since leaving for Saudi Arabia where he’s living in exile. In 2011, a Tunisian court sentenced Ben Ali in absentia for 35 years in prison on charges of corruption ranging from torture. The following year, a military court sentenced him to another 20 years for inciting ‘murder and looting’‘. Tunisia will hold a free presidential election on Sunday, September 15 as it continues a path to democracy. Reuters

Politician Paula Yacoubian says she risks her life fighting Lebanese corruption and garbage crisis

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:10:16 +0000

Paula Yacoubian represents what some hope is the future of Lebanese politics. A highly recognizable figure in her country, she’s a former television anchor who most memorably conducted an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Saudi Arabia in 2017. An employee at Hariri’s Future TV station at the time, Yacoubian’s interview centered around the PM’s surprise resignation, which he later rescinded. Exasperated with what she deems a defunct system of government in Lebanon, in 2018 Yacoubian stepped into the political limelight. Through her electoral campaign titled “Bikaffe!”, or “enough is enough”, the 43-year-old became one of only a handful of women brought to power in the country’s first parliamentary elections in ten years. Yacoubian stood out for blowing the whistle on political corruption and she continues to call for an end to what she terms, “blindly following supposed leaders in pursuit of private interests.” [IME S02E31 MAIN ARTICLE – SECONDARY IMAGE 1] Paula Yacoubian speaks to Euronews’ Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham A COUNTRY IN ECONOMIC CRISIS Lebanon’s social and economic woes include the highest number of per capita refugees in the world. The country also has one of the heaviest debt burdens globally at around 150 percent of GDP. Yacoubian lays blame, for what Lebanese officials are calling a state of economic emergency, at the feet of the country’s ruling elite. She’s driven to improve the quality of life for her, often underprivileged, constituents and she’s tackling a myriad of Lebanon’s challenges, not least a rubbish crisis which has plagued the country since 2015. [IME S02E31 MAIN ARTICLE – SECONDARY IMAGE 2] Lebanon faces a garbage crisis since 2015 As a result of the capital’s main landfill closing, mountains of toxic refuse has continued to pile up in residential streets, often being burned to harmful effect. Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham spent a day in Beirut with the new lawmaker to find out more about her political ideologies and the challenges of her new role. Q&A: Rebecca: Paula, following 25 years in journalism you became completely disillusioned with the media. You lost faith. Has anything changed? And do you believe you have more power now, as a politician, than you did speaking to millions of people in their homes through the television? Paula: Currently, I’m into politics, because I think this is where I can play a bigger role in changing things. I’m just trying to convince people that we can do something different and that we deserve better. People don’t know who to vote for and how to vote. Either they stay in their houses or they go and vote for the same people – thinking that they’ve changed. But it’s the same leader, the same party. Rebecca: With a grass roots movement like yours [Tahalof Watani], it is a brave fight to take on the old guard, the political elite. Are you not frightened in doing so? Paula: I feel afraid right now because I’m fighting the mafia and I’m hurting their pockets. When you hurt the pocket of the mafia, this is where you fear for your for your life. So, I’m comfortable in what I’m doing, at the same time I know it is dangerous. If I gain more popularity, yes, they will end up by killing me. [IME S02E31 MAIN ARTICLE – SECONDARY IMAGE 3] Paula Yacoubian speaks to Euronews Rebecca: You’re one of only six female parliamentarians out of 128 members in government. What is preventing more coming to power, what are the barriers to entry as you see it? Paula: I’m a fierce fighter for the quota system, because I think this is the only way to have real women representation. The quota is to rectify a historic injustice towards women, when years ago she used to stay in the house. If the [political party] leader wants to look good, he will place a woman [in a role] and give her votes – just to look good. Rebecca: You say that women in Lebanese society today are oppressed. What exactly do you mean? Just in the world of work or in other ways? Paula: Women in Lebanon are oppressed. You start with the law and it goes back to the family, to the values. I presented a law to remove the reservations of Lebanon from the Cedaw convention [The Elimination of All Discrimination Against Women] but unfortunately it’s sleeping in the drawers of the parliament. I hope to one day see a woman president in my country, the head of the army. And we do have a very powerful woman right now, she’s the Minister of Interior and I think she’s doing an amazing job. Rebecca: We stand here in Karantina, a place you often visit – an underprivileged part of Beiruit. Lebanon has so many social problems; from rising unemployment to constant electricity outages, to the garbage problem – which is an issue very close to your heart. How have you gone about trying to solve it? Paula: This is one of the poorest parts of Beirut and this is where they intend to plant the incinerator for Beirut. This is a big thing in Lebanon right now because we don’t think incinerators are good for us. You don’t have dignity when you see garbage everywhere in the streets. And there’s nothing you can do, just because of some mafia who want to make money out of the garbage crisis. [IME S02E31 MAIN ARTICLE – SECONDARY IMAGE 4] Paula Yacoubian in one of her rallies against Lebanon’s garbage crisis Rebecca: Talk to me about the biggest concerns here. What are the people living in the houses behind us telling you they want week-in, week-out? Paula: The biggest concern is the economy, people want jobs. People want clean air to breathe, people want to have a future – to send their kids to school. And the state has made the country like a welfare system – people wait for the handouts off the political parties. Rebecca: There aren’t enough jobs to go around. The resources are scarce and Lebanon has a refugee situation which is threatening to be at crisis level. How do we reconcile the two problems – is there hope? Paula: The refugee crisis weighs a lot on Lebanon but this is not the problem. The problem is the political cast, we are ruled by a bunch of thieves. And these thieves were doing the same, even before having the refugee crisis. Rebecca: I want to ask you about wider regional politics, and caught in between the tensions of Saudi Arabia and Iran, what do the coming years look like for Lebanon? Paula: Scary. Because this country is divided, not only is the division sectarian, it’s also a division within the regional spectrum. What I try to tell people every time I’m on on stage is that foreign countries are not charities. They have their own interests here, they spend money because they have an agenda. Our Lebanese agenda is the most important – our Lebanese agenda is not to listen to anyone and not to do what’s good for our country. And because of this failure, they [politicians from other parties] are helping us reach a bigger audience faster – an audience that’s from all religions. Let me give you just one index from the elections. All the parties that you see were elected by their sectarian base – the Druze elected the Druze, the Christians elected the Christians and the Shia elected the Shia. We are the only political movement that was elected, 48 percent Muslim, 52 percent Christian – and this has never happened before in the country, not since I was born. SEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA Valentina Dubai and her friends gathered for a clean-up in Lebanon’s Baytroun beach. View this post on Instagram Happy faces during yesterday’s beach clean up in Batroun! I feel grateful for my colleagues at Bel who took team building to a whole new level. You can do it too; propose beach cleanups at work for your next convention or team event. In just an hour we filled up more than 20 bags of recyclables (plastic, cans, paper), it’s not enough and will never be enough to clean Lebanon coastline, but through this kind of initiatives we are doing our part and we shift the mentalities shway shway. After collecting plastic garbage from your own hands, you start realizing your impact as a consumer. We are not perfect and that’s okay « we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly » – let’s start somewhere and be proud of it! . . . #beachcleanup #teambuilding #recycling #beach #plastic #balaplastic #garbage #lebanon #batroun #activist #doit #action #responsible #doyourpart #colibri #zerowaste #becausewhynot A post shared by Why Not Green (@why.not.green) on Jul 20, 2019 at 12:54am PDT

Family accepts to bury Mugabe at Zimbabwe Heroes' Acre

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:03:00 +0000

Zimbabwe’s founding president Roberty Mugabe will be buried on on Sunday, September 15, having passed on last week in Singapore, at the age of 95. Having ruled the Southern African nation for 37 years, until he was ousted by the army in November 2017, Mugabe’s legacy continues to divide opinions at home and abroad. The government and his family also reportedly involved in discussions over the location of his final resting place. While the government wants to bury him in the National Heroes’ Acre, the family is reportedly opposed to the idea, arguing that Mugabe had since fallen out with the current regime. In this article, we will share the latest news and updates on Mugabe’s final journey into the afterlife. Mugabe’s body arrives in Zimbabwe Plane off to Singapore Burial program announced Declared national hero Reactions and tributes Death announcement Mugabe to be buried at Heroes’ Acre The family of former Zimbabwe leader Robert Mugabe have agreed to bury him at a monument for national heroes in Harare, the family said on Friday, though the date for the ceremony remained unclear. “Yes I can confirm,” his nephew Leo Mugabe told reporters when asked whether the family had agreed to a burial at the National Heroes Acre in Harare. He said the traditional chiefs in Mugabe’s homestead had made the decision. “They have now pronounced their position, so if they have pronounced that the burial will be at the Heroes Acre, that means that we now have to wait for the details… whether it will be a private burial or a public one.” A government spokesman did not immediately respond. Matare Mudzinge, a traditional leader from Mugabe’s village in Zvimba area, confirmed the decision. Tensions erupted when Mnangagwa’s government proposed a burial at the National Heroes Acre while the family said he would be buried at a private ceremony, possibly in his homestead of Kutama, northwest of the capital. Family speaks out on Mugabe burial Robert Mugabe’s family said on Thursday that Zimbabwe’s ex-president will be buried early next week in his village and not at a national monument for liberation heroes. The family of Mugabe, who died in Singapore last week, and Zimbabwe’s government have been at odds over whether he would be buried in his homestead in Kutama, northwest of Harare, or at the National Heroes Acre in the capital. “His body will lie in state at Kutama on Sunday night…followed by a private burial—either Monday or Tuesday—no National Heroes Acre. That’s the decision of the whole family,” his nephew Leo Mugabe told AFP. Some family members are still bitter over his ouster, and the role his former ally Mnangagwa played. Mugabe fired Mnangagwa in 2017, in what many believed was an attempt to position his wife Grace to succeed him. The family issued a statement saying it was concerned about the manner in which the government was preparing the programme for Mugabe’s funeral “without consulting his immediate family”. The family “also observed with shock that the Government of Zimbabwe is attempting to coerce us to accept a programme for funeral and burial” which was contrary to Mugabe’s wishes, the statement said. “We are ready and willing to work with the government to develop a programme for the funeral and burial of the late Robert Gabriel Mugabe which is in conformance to his wishes on how his mortal remains will be interred,” the family said. Mugabe was ousted by protesters and the military soon after. Chinese President Xi Jinping, former Cuban leader Raul Castro and a dozen African presidents, including South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, are among those expected to attend Mugabe’s state funeral on Saturday in Harare. Agencies MDC suspends celebrations The MDC said in a statement on Wednesday that it had postponed its 20th anniversary rally because of Mugabe’s funeral. It said: “Notwithstanding our legendary differences with Mr. Mugabe, we have no reason to exhibit barbarity by hosting a national festivity during his funeral.” Mugabe left behind an economy wrecked by hyperinflation and deeply entrenched corruption, and a raging political rivalry between ZANU-PF and the opposition MDC. September 11: Mugabe’s body arrives in Zimbabwe Former president Robert Mugabe’s body arrived at the country’s main airport on Wednesday, but his final resting place remained a source of mystery amid a dispute between some family members and the government. The former president’s body arrived at Harare’s Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport shortly after 1330 GMT, a Reuters witness said. Crowds had gathered at the airport well before the scheduled arrival time, with some people wearing T-shirts bearing Mugabe’s face and others with Mnangagwa’s image, while music blared from loudspeakers. A convoy of 4×4 vehicles with number plates bearing the letters “RG Mugabe” and the former leader’s signature were also on the runway. Mugabe’s wife Grace and Zimbabwean Vice President Kembo Mohadi were among those accompanying the body of the former leader on the plane, Leo Mugabe, a nephew and family spokesman, said. Mnangagwa, top officials and other Mugabe family members were at the airport to receive the body. On Thursday, ordinary Zimbabweans and supporters are expected to pay their last respects to Mugabe at a Harare soccer stadium, where the body will lie in state before being taken to his rural home in Kutama, 85 km (52 miles) from the capital, the family spokesman said. September 9: Bringing Mugabe’s body home A family spokesperson confirmed on Monday that a plane left Zimbabwe for Singapore carrying government officials and relatives to bring home the body of Robert Mugabe. Leo Mugabe, the late president’s nephew and family spokesman, said a charter plane left Harare for Singapore just after 9 a.m. (0700 GMT) on Monday. Mugabe’s body was expected to arrive in Zimbabwe on Wednesday at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT), Leo Mugabe told Reuters. September 8: Burial program announced Zimbabwe’s presidency announced on Sunday that the country’s former president, Robert Mugabe is scheduled to be buried on Sunday, September 15, in a location yet to be determined. “His remains are expected on Wednesday afternoon (in Zimbabwe). The official funeral is scheduled for Saturday, his funeral will take place on Sunday (next),” President George Charamba told AFP, adding that the place of his funeral would be determined by his family. Since his death, discussions between his family and the government about how to organize his funeral have been taking place. Mugabe’s family is pushing back against the government’s plan to bury him at the National Heroes Acre monument in Harare and wants him to be interred in his home village, relatives have told Reuters. When pressed on where Mugabe would be buried, Leo Mugabe was non-committal. “Mugabe was a chief and he will be buried in accordance with tradition. The chiefs have not told us where he will be buried, so it is not clear yet. I also don’t know,” he said. In some parts of Zimbabwe, burials of chiefs are a secret affair and people are only told the resting place afterwards. Mugabe’s resting place has been a topic of discussion since the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper reported last month that Mugabe would snub the offer of a burial at National Heroes Acre – a site reserved for the country’s heroes – because he felt bitter about the way he was removed from power. The Zimbabwean government said in a memo sent to embassies that it planned to hold a state funeral for Mugabe in the National Sports Stadium on Saturday, with a burial ceremony on Sunday, but it did not say where the burial would be. If Mugabe is buried in Kutama village, 85 km (50 miles) from Harare, it would be a major rebuke for his successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and the ruling ZANU-PF party that Mugabe helped to found. September 6: National hero Zimbabwe declared Robert Mugabe a national hero on Friday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said, and the country would be in national mourning until the former leader was buried. Tributes and reactions Revered by many as a liberator who freed his people from white minority rule, Mugabe was vilified by others for wrecking one of Africa’s most promising economies and ruthlessly crushing his opponents. Most residents in downtown Harare said on Saturday that they were saddened by Mugabe’s death since he was their liberator and had broadened access to education. “Even now we have livestock we keep in the rural areas because of him, so it’s painful to lose our father, our grandfather who helped us to learn and go to school,” said Tongai Huni, a fruit vendor. Others expressed anger that Mugabe had left the economy in a sorry state, with hyperinflation and mass unemployment. “We are just trying to deal with … the harm that he did,” said Margaret Shumba, another Harare resident. I learnt this morning about the passing of an African liberation icon & great Pan-Africanist, His Excellency Robert Mugabe. I join edmnangagwa, the people of Zimbabwe and the entire African continent in mourning the demise of this great son of Africa. May his soul rest in peace.— Yoweri K Museveni (KagutaMuseveni) September 6, 2019 I’m saddened by the passing of our martyr & giant of the African Revolution cde President Robert Mugabe. Let’s continue the fight & protect his legacy. We must not allow our enemies to tell us how to remember him; we know our heroes. May his soul rest in revolutionary peace. pic.twitter.com/wpvQm3Waf0— Julius Sello Malema (@Julius_S_Malema) September 6, 2019 1/3 My condolences to the Mugabe family and Africa for the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding President.This is a dark moment for the family because a giant among them has fallen. May the Lord comfort them.— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) September 6, 2019 September 6: Death announcement Mugabe died on Friday aged 95 in Singapore, where he had long received medical treatment. He had dominated Zimbabwean politics for almost four decades from independence in 1980 until he was removed by his own army in a November 2017 coup. It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President, Cde Robert Mugabe (1/2)— President of Zimbabwe (@edmnangagwa) September 6, 2019

Pics of the day, September 12, 2019

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 10:07:10 +0000

Africanews samples the best pictures of the day’s news.

NBA Junior League launched in Morocco [The Morning Call]

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 07:22:00 +0000

A new, multiyear partnership to expand Junior NBA programs in Morocco. An announcement made by the OCP Group, a world-leader in the phosphate industry, and the National Basketball Association to transformative power of basketball to empower Moroccan youths. The NBA Junior League competition was recently held in the cities of Khouribga and Benguerir over a two-day period.

Niger: Niamey hit by intense floods [The Morning Call]

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 07:20:00 +0000

Niger has been hit by deadly floods since the beginning of June which have claimed the lives of 57 people and affected more than 130,000. According to government figures, the rains have destroyed over 12,000 houses, killed more than 850 cattle and engulfed more than 2,000 hectares (nearly 5,000 acres) of crops. The hardest hit regions are south-east Maradi and south-central Zinder. It’s not the first time the country is facing this kind of extreme weather. Last year, 56 people died in flooding which affected over 200,000 people.

Burkina Faso: ECOWAS to discuss terrorism [The Morning Call]

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 07:18:00 +0000

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will be holding an Extraordinary Meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso this Saturday, to deliberate on the growing threats of terrorism in the region. The summit has been described as a turning point in the fight against terrorism in the geographical area according to the ECOWAS commission president Jean Claude Brou. For Burkinabé President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, the meeting provides an opportunity to take strong action against the scourge. Terrorist attacks in West Africa and the Sahel region are mostly fuelled by the Boko Haram and al Qaeda terrorist groups. The proposals of this meeting will be presented at the next United Nations General Assembly later this month in New York.

Egypt to host second Afcon in 2019 [Sports]

editorial@africanews.com (Philemon Mbale NSONGAN) — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 07:08:28 +0000

It will be a second opportunity for Egypt to showcase it’s ability in hosting a second continental trophy in 2019. In November they will host the 2019 edition of the U23 Afcon. As hosts, the Pharaohs secured automatic qualification for the tournament and will subsequently be the only Arab nation present. South Africa have also secured qualification after beating Zimbabwe 5-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round. Additionally Zambia narrowly beat Congo 5-4 while Ghana came out on top against Algeria with a 2-1 scoreline. Even though Tunisia was able to hold Cameroon to a 2-2 draw on aggregate they still lost on away goals. Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Mali also qualified after beating Guinea, Sudan and Morocco respectively. The list of qualified teams for the competition that will run from November 8 to 22nd. Still in football, after the Fifa international week, weekly actions continue in the various European championships as African footballers continue to stamp their authorities especially in the English top flight. Watch out for them in the different leagues in Europe. In Rugby for the first time in history the world cup will be played in the Asian continent as Japan hosts the tournament. Africa has two candidates in the 20 team competition Namibia qualified for the 2019 World Cup by winning the Rugby Africa Gold Cup this year. Namibia are in Group B alongside New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and Canada. South Africa gained automatic qualification for the tournament on the basis that they came in the top three in the top three in their pool during the 2015 tournament held in England.The Springboks finished 3rd with Bronze behind Australia and champions New Zealand and will be hoping to improve their results in a few days. Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will be back in action in Las Vegas on September 14th as he takes on Sweden’s Otto Wallin. The two appeared on stage together in their final news conference before Saturday’s clash. Wallin , was offered the biggest fight of his career against Fury in late July. Fury remains on collision course with WBC champion Deontay Wilder following their battle to a draw last December. The British fighter shocked the world in 2015 when he defeated long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko to capture the IBF, WBA and WBO belts.

Mugabe family opts for private burial: date, location unknown

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 04:30:00 +0000

The dispute between ex Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s family and the government has overshadowed arrangements for Zimbabweans to pay their respects to the late leader. Mugabe will not be given a state burial on Sunday at the national Heroes’ Acre site, family spokesman Leo Mugabe announced Thursday. The burial will be a private, family affair, he said to press outside Mugabe’s Blue Roof house. “There have just been discussions between President Mnangagwa and Mai (Mrs.) Mugabe and it would look like nothing has changed,” said the ex-president’s nephew. “The family … said they are going to have a private burial. We don’t want the public to come. They don’t want you to know where he is going to be buried. We are not witnessing burial on Sunday, no date has been set for the burial.” The announcement came after President Emmerson Mnangagwa met with Mugabe’s widow, Grace, and other family members to try to resolve the burial dispute. Instead of an interment on Sunday, Mugabe’s body will be on view to the public at a place near Mugabe’s birthplace in Zvimba district, said Leo Mugabe, who added that the family had not decided if he would be buried in Zvimba. Speaking at the Mugabe house, Mnangagwa said his government would respect the family’s wishes over the burial, saying they have “the full support of the government. Nothing will change.” The ongoing uncertainty of the burial of Mugabe, who died last week in Singapore at the age of 95, has eclipsed the elaborate plans for Zimbabweans to pay their respects to the former guerrilla leader at several historic sites. The burial dispute has also highlighted the lasting acrimony between Mnangagwa and Mugabe’s wife and other family members. Mugabe was deposed in November 2017 by Zimbabwe’s military and his former ally Mnangagwa. Grace and other family members still resent his ouster, apparently resulting in their refusal to go along with state burial plans. Shortly after Mugabe’s death, Leo Mugabe said the former strongman died “a very bitter man” because he felt betrayed by Mnangagwa and the army generals who were his allies for close to four decades before they put him under house arrest and forced him to resign. It has long been taken for granted that Mugabe would be buried at Heroes’ Acre monument, a burial place reserved for top officials of Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party who contributed to ending white colonial rule. Mugabe had overseen the construction by North Korea of the monument atop a prominent hill and featuring a grandiose towering sculpture of guerrilla fighters. Mugabe gave many speeches at the site and his first wife, Sally, is buried there next to a gravesite long reserved for the ex-leader. Mugabe’s casket will be displayed to the public at several sites. It will also be shown Friday at Rufaro Stadium. On Saturday a ceremony will be held at the National Sports Stadium, which several African heads of state and other prominent officials are expected to attend. Supporters of the ruling ZANU-PF party are being bused from all over the country to go to the stadium ceremonies. Grace Mugabe is expected to stay beside the casket the entire time. Earlier Thursday at Blue Roof, Mugabe’s 25-bedroom mansion in Harare’s posh Borrowdale suburb, Zimbabwe’s opposition leader paid his respects to the man who had been his bitter political foe. “I am here to do the African thing that is expected … to pay honor,” said Nelson Chamisa, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, the main opposition party. “In politics we have had many differences but we are here to reflect on his contribution. “... We are here to pay condolences to the Mugabe family, all Zimbabweans and indeed the whole of Africa. It is only fair and necessary to see that we unite to see that he is given a decent burial and a peaceful send off. Today is a day of mourning.” AP

'Time to stop the war in two Sudans' - FMs as Hamdok meets Kiir in Juba

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Sudan’s new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok flew to South Sudan on Thursday on a two-day visit to cement a new plan for peace talks with many of the rebel groups fighting against the government, brokered the previous day by Sudan’s southern neighbour. Hamdok, a former U.N. diplomat, took office three weeks ago under an agreement between the military and civilian parties in Sudan after months of demonstrations against generals who seized power after toppling long-serving autocrat Omar al-Bashir. The ruling Sovereign Council has set an aim to bring a swift end to insurgent conflicts that have plagued Sudan for years and made it a pariah under Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide in the Darfur region. It has installed a government of technocrats led by Hamdok. “Time has come for us to stop the war in two Sudans,” said Awut Deng Acuil, South Sudan Foreign Minister while addressing the media at the state house with her Sudansese counterpart. The two Sudans currently have female Foreign Ministers. Acuil was appointed in August whiles Asma Abdalla was appointed Sudan’s first woman foreign minister by PM Hamdok. “Time has come for us to stop the war in two #Sudans”, said South Sudan Foreign Minister while addressing the media at the state house with her Sudansese counterpart. #Juba pic.twitter.com/2KxxptVAKT— Denis Dumo (@DenisDumo) September 12, 2019 On Wednesday, representatives of the Sudan’s Sovereign Council signed a deal with rebels outlining a roadmap for peace talks at a meeting hosted in the South Sudan capital Juba. The deal was signed by the SRF, an umbrella group that includes three of the main rebel factions, among them rebels in Darfur, as well as by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, leader of a wing of the SPLM-N, the main group fighting against the government in the southern provinces of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. “He (Hamdok) is coming to cement the agreement as far as ending the war in Sudan,” said James Wani Igga, South Sudan’s vice president. Hamdok told reporters on his arrival that he would also hold talks with South Sudanese officials on trade, border disputes and the free movement of people between both countries. “I am looking for a very strategic, very distinguished relationship between our two nations,” he said. Good relations between the two nations are vital for the flow of oil from fields in South Sudan, which depend on pipelines that go through Sudan. South Sudan obtained independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of civil war. The two countries have since frequently accused each other of harbouring or aiding rebels fighting against their governments. REUTERS

Photos: Stampede, tears as Zimbabweans flock Mugabe's funeral

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 03:30:00 +0000

Controversy over where and when former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will be buried and a stampede which injured several people trying to view his body marred the mourning for the deceased leader Thursday. A crowd insisting to see Mugabe’s face in the partially opened casket surged past a police cordon, causing a crush in which several were injured at Rufaro Stadium in the capital’s poor Mbare neighborhood where thousands had come to view his body. “I want to see my father,” said Margaret Marisa, 63, one of those who pushed their way into the line. “I was a collaborator who supported him in the war against Rhodesia. I have supported him ever since.” At least five people were carried away on stretchers and the severity of their injuries wasn’t immediately clear. Others limped away or were treated by Red Cross medics on the field. Riot police later restored order, at times using batons to strike those pushing to get into the line. Mugabe’s widow, Grace, sat on a podium to the side of the sports field where Mugabe’s casket was under a tent at the center. The event was marked by singing and drumming of traditional songs of bereavement. The casket was open to allow a view of Mugabe’s face, eyes closed and calm. Even the most raucous youths who were in the crush were subdued after walking single file past the casket. “This man was a legend. He played a pivotal role in our lives,” said John Chiwashira, 36, a member of the National Youth Service. “I saw his face. He was asleep.” A military helicopter later landed on the field and carried away the coffin with Mugabe’s widow, wearing a black veil, at its side. The casket was returned to Mugabe’s Blue Roof house in the capital. AP text and Reuters Photos

Sudanese demand justice for victims of pro-democracy revolution

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 03:00:00 +0000

Thousands of Sudanese protested outside the presidential palace in Khartoum on Thursday, calling for the appointment of senior judicial officials and justice for demonstrators killed since December. It was the first major protest since the signature last month of a power-sharing deal between the military and civilian groups for a three-year transition leading to elections, following the overthrow of former president Omar al-Bashir in April. Police had blocked protesters in central Khartoum about 200 metres from the palace, but they surged past a barbed wire barrier to the palace gates. Police later fired tear gas to disperse them, Reuters witnesses said. The protesters called for the appointment of a new head of the judiciary and a new public prosecutor, steps they hope will lead to the prosecution of security forces blamed for deaths during demonstrations against Bashir and against the military council that initially replaced him. “Blood for blood, we won’t accept blood money,” the crowd chanted, repeating a slogan first used during protests against Bashir that began in December. Some also called out “The people want a new chief justice,” and “Yes to an independent judiciary.” “We demand justice for the martyrs, and for those who killed them to face justice,” said one young female protest organiser. In June, the military council dismissed public prosecutor Awaleed Sayed Ahmed Mahmoud and named an interim replacement. The move came shortly after Mahmoud had announced that he would investigate the killing of dozens of people in the early hours of June 3, when security forces cleared a sit-in outside the Defence Ministry. Authorities have acknowledged 87 deaths resulting from the violence that day, but protest groups have put the toll at nearly 130. Justice over those deaths and other killings during crackdowns on anti-Bashir protests has been a key demand of the civilian parties that negotiated the power-sharing deal. After the deal a joint military-civilian council was formed, followed by a government of technocrats sworn in this week. REUTERS

Ethiopian cock slaughtered for swallowing gold earrings

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 02:30:00 +0000

Police in Ethiopia’s Oromia region had to intervene between two traders in a local market after a cock belonging to one swallowed the gold earrings of the other. The “agile” cockerel earlier this week snatched the 1.75kg earring from Hachaltu Bedira, a trader who herself sells chicken at the market in Woliso. Police intervention was needed after the incident generated a disagreement. Eventually officers brokered a deal between the two traders. That the owner of the earring buys the cokerel. Ms Hachaltu eventually agreed to buy the cockerel for 150 Ethiopian birr ($5), a BBC report noted. The public broadcaster in Oromia, OBN Oromiyaa later said the new owner and her husband slaughtered the cock and retrieved the earrings. We have an update?OBNOromiyaa reported Hachaltu has her husband slaughter the naughty rooster & extracted her gold earring of off its stomach?after that,Hachaltu & her family are enjoying the deliciousness of Ethiopian chicken stew (Doro Wot)! #HachaltuDecided! melonadamou pic.twitter.com/3XcRcSvl1D— Addis Standard (@addisstandard) September 11, 2019

DRC, Ethiopia join Syria, Yemen in highest global displacement nations

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 02:00:00 +0000

Conflict and disasters forced nearly 11 million people from their homes in the first half of this year, a global monitoring group said on Thursday, warning mass displacement was becoming “the norm”. Natural disasters such as cyclones and floods caused 7 million people to leave their homes, while a further 3.8 million fled conflict and violence, said the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Yemen suffered the highest levels of displacement due to conflict. “These numbers are … at a concerningly high level and the trend overall is that they are not going down,” Bina Desai, the IDMC’s head of policy and research, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “The number of people exposed to displacement risk is increasing as more people live in poverty or insecurity as well as in areas at risk of flooding or other disasters.” A growing number of people face more than one such threat, from poverty or environmental degradation to political instability, said Desai. Countries already battered by conflict or disaster are suffering high levels of new displacement, said the IDMC, a Geneva-based monitoring and analysis organisation set up by the Norwegian Refugee Council. Natural climate patterns usually cause a rise in extreme weather events towards the end of the year, meaning the total displaced by disaster is expected to grow to about 22 million in 2019, said the IDMC. However, it pointed out that in some cases, high levels of displacement represent success. Cyclone Fani caused more than 3.4 million new displacements in India and Bangladesh, which saw a huge planned evacuation ahead of the storm. Many of those forced to flee suffered losses but survived and were ultimately able to return home. The response to the cyclone underscored the need for governments to take early action to protect communities and make them more resilient to disasters, the report said. “In terms of risk reduction and longer-term comprehensive approaches towards addressing conflict displacement, there are opportunities now because a number of countries have started to recognise the issue as a development issue,” said Desai. “The challenge now on the international community and the donor countries is to really support those opportunities … rather than just perpetuating a reactive humanitarian system.” REUTERS

Ethiopia army arrests Islamic State members recruiting, arming locals

editorial@africanews.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 01:00:00 +0000

An Ethiopian army official says members of the Islamic State extremist group have been detained in the East African country. Berhanu Jula, deputy chief of Ethiopia’s military, told the state-owned Ethiopian News Agency on Wednesday that there is evidence the extremist group “has recruited, trained and armed some Ethiopians.” He did not say how many were arrested and how. He said other members of the group still at large are being hunted down and warned that the Islamic State group had tried many times in the past to set up base in Ethiopia. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has recently warned about attempts by the Somalia-based al-Shabab extremists to make inroads into Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s army has a heavy presence in border areas with Somalia, where al-Shabab mounts regular bomb attacks. AP

Cameroon discovers 300 mining sites [Business Africa]

editorial@africanews.com (Ignatius Annor) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 18:20:00 +0000

Cameroon has discovered 300 new mineral mines across the ten regions of this Central African nation. Sapphire, zinc, rare earth, uranium, nickel and manganese are among the rich minerals discovered in a project funded by the World Bank. According to the Cameroonian Minister for Mines and Technological development, the country has increased potential for mineral resources. And Zimbabweans have decried harsh living conditions. Motorists have had to queue up to fuel their cars over fuel shortages across the Southern African nation. Small and Medium scale enterprises on the other hand, are frustrated in transacting their day-to-day businesses. The introduction of a bond note to check Zimbabwe’s multi-currency system, is yet to help as residents lack trust in the bond notes. Ignatius Annor has more on this week’s edition of Business Africa. @IgnatiusAnnor

Somaliland seeks investors [Business Africa]

editorial@africanews.com (Ignatius Annor) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 18:20:00 +0000

Somaliland is seeking investors to boost trade and ultimately the local economy. The semi-desert territory on the Coast of the Gulf of Aden, declared its independence from Somalia in 1991. It is a main livestock exporter. The World Bank pegs its Gross Domestic Product at $1.9 billion. As at 2017, the population of Somaliland stands at 3.5 million. The country has been working to secure recognition as a sovereign nation by the international community. In recent times, it has opened it doors for investors. Internationally acclaimed logistics company, DP world has pumped over $400 million to support the governments plans for diversification. We hear from my colleague Ronald Kato who spent a few days in Hergeisa and the port of Berbera. Kato speaks to Somaliland’s Finance Minister and Chief Executive of DP World about the company’s ongoing port expansion program. But how does this impact locals? Join Ignatius Annor for this week’s edition of Business Africa. @IgnatiusAnnor

Kenya limits trips, use of state vehicles, govt delegations to save money

editorial@africanews.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 17:50:16 +0000

Kenya’s acting finance minister, Ukur Yatani on Thursday announced plans to introduce “brutal” cuts to spending, including on government officials’ overseas trips, in an effort to rein in the fiscal deficit. The government in its annual budget in June set a target to bring the fiscal deficit down to 5.6% of gross domestic product for the 2019/20 financial year (July-June), from 7.7% in 2018/19. Critics have accused President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government of ramping up borrowing at a rate that will saddle future generations with too much debt. The government has defended the borrowing, saying it is required to fund infrastructure. Acting Finance Minister Ukur Yatani said all non-core expenditure will be reviewed to ensure the government can make savings and fund its programmes without relying too much on debt. “The cuts will be brutal and sustained…because the success of this government will depend on our dignity as a country to be self-sufficient,” he told a public meeting to plan the budget for the next fiscal year. Yatani’s predecessor, Henry Rotich, was criticised for increasing spending in June and unveiling additional tax measures on already squeezed taxpayers. As well as runaway spending, Kenyatta’s government has been criticised for failing to stamp out widespread corruption as hundreds of billions of shillings in government funds are lost every year. Rotich was removed as finance minister after he and other senior officials were charged over the misuse of funds for the construction of two dams. He has denied the charges and was freed on bail. The government plans to cut the budget deficit to 3.5% of GDP by the 2022/23 fiscal year, Yatani said. Julius Muia, the finance ministry’s principal secretary, told the same meeting that the budget deficit was expected to fall to 4.8% of GDP in 2020/21. Muia also said the Treasury now expects Kenya’s economy to expand by 6.0% this calendar year, rather than the 6.3% growth it forecast in June and slowing from 6.3% growth in 2018. “In the face of the slowdown in global growth, our government has adopted an all-inclusive fiscal consolidation policy package, encompassing fiscal, monetary and financial policies,” Yatani said. Inside the spending cuts Yatani singled out overseas trips by state officials – which often involve lavish travel allowances – and advertising by government departments – as examples of wasteful spending. The use of state vehicles and the size of government delegations for foreign meetings will also be limited to help the state make savings, Yatani said. On capital expenditure, the government plans to only fund existing public projects and not start new ones, the minister said. “In particular, emphasis should be on projects nearing completion to ensure citizens benefit from such public investments,” he said. Muia, the principal secretary, said the Treasury expects the current account will fall to 4.5% of GDP from 5% in 2018. “Our economy is fairly strong and resilient,” Muia said. He attributed the benign current account outlook to strong remittances – or cash sent home by Kenyans abroad, earnings from tourism and horticulture exports as well as slower growth in imports. REUTERS

Xenophobia hub: South Africa 'blocked' some Nigerian returnees over papers

editorial@africanews.com (Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:10:00 +0000

September 12: South Africa ‘blocking’ Nigerian returnees The first batch of Nigerians fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa returned home via the commercial city of Lagos. But head of the country’s Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa says South Africa had blocked a number of them from leaving citing documentation issues. Reports have said around 600 Nigerians in total were scheduled to return home. The contingent of about 200 people were flown in aboard privately-owned Nigerian airline, Air Peace. Asked about why only 200 nationals had returned, she responded on Twitter: “South Africa denied almost half of them from coming yesterday. They claimed documentation. But they will still return subsequently.” South Africa denied almost half of them from coming yesterday . They claimed documentation. But they will still return subsequently .And flyairpeace Chairman says he is on standby . Great gesture https://t.co/gXggHp6eBB— Abike Dabiri-Erewa (abikedabiri) September 12, 2019 A number of the returnees expressed joy at being home whiles condemning the violence by South African thugs which forced their decision. Some of them displayed “No to xenophobia” placards as they descended from the flight. Amongst them were adults, teenagers and children. The airline has been roundly hailed for the gesture, its officials joined in the “No To Xenophobia” campaign. Emmanuel Iyoha, a returnee told the press: “I went there to South Africa when I was just 6 years old, I spent about 10 years there so coming back, it’s a new experience so I am happy because I feel safe. “... normally even to go to school I’m scared to go to school and all that like sometimes I can’t even think when my sister is at work, so she is the one I have been thinking of since but I’m happy that I am here.” “With the whole situation, killing and looting shops and everything. I just decided no, it’s time to come back home,” Temilade Tosunde also said. Welcome Home!! flyairpeace CEO, Mr Allen Onyema welcomes back the Nigerians stranded in South-Africa amid Xenophobic attacks after sending a free evacuation/rescue flight at the MMIA Cargo & Hajj Terminal in Lagos on Wednesday pic.twitter.com/QanKasdhPw— Air Peace (flyairpeace) September 12, 2019 September 11: Looting in Mpumalanga Province As South Africa struggles to curb attacks on foreign-owned businesses, a new attack was reported by a journalist and lawyer who tweets about crime and security issues in the country. Yusuf Abramjee posted a video on Twitter on Wednesday of an attack on a foreign-owened shop in a suburb of the Mpumalanga province. Locals are seen carting away materials from a shop as the expatriate owners of the electronic shop fight back by attacking some of the looters. No reports of deaths or injuries have been recorded in the latest incident. It is the first such in the province given that the violence of last week and early this week was concentrated in Guateng and Kwa Zulu Natal Provinces. President Ramaphosa had in condemning the violence stressed that measures were being taken to ensure that the violence does not mutate. South Africa has suffered international backlash for the xenophobic attacks. Foreign owned store in eMalahleni (Witbank) CBD looted today. SAPoliceService MpumalangaGov pic.twitter.com/Bu4J4LxnjC— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) September 11, 2019 September 10: Mozambique blasts SA xenophobia Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi on Tuesday commented on xenophobic incidents in neighbouring South Africa, issuing a stern condemnation of the acts. The privately-owned STV Noticias reported the president as saying over 500 Mozambicans lost their homes due to the violence. He also said the government had activated processes to repatriate affected nationals. Mozambique becomes the second African nation to do so. Nigeria, who have been most vocal in the wake of the violence in Johannesburg and other suburbs said over 600 of its citizens were ready to be airlifted back home. Meanwhile South African ministers in the security cluster met on Tuesday and made stern pronouncements on clamping down on the issue of illegal migration. “With regards to hiring of undocumented foreign nationals, we will clamp down on private business owners who do not abide by the labour and immigration laws. Home Affairs, Police Service and department of labour will intensify inspections,” the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster said. pic.twitter.com/ZPUiitG6oC— HomeAffairsSA (@HomeAffairsSA) September 10, 2019 Bullet points of major incidents around the issue: South Africa to tighten its immigration Nigeria government cautions SA to get grip on security MTN, Shoprite others bemoan impact of closing shops in Nigeria Nigeria government debunks news of bomb attack at SA embassy Nigeria to repatriate over 600 citizens, MPs vow to push for compensation South Africa police operation to verify foreigners in Pretoria Ghana confirms injury of three citizens, arrest of five others Nigeria FM slams South African counterpart Madagascar calls off friendly with South Africa Air Tanzania suspends flights to South Africa Anti-South Africa protests in DRC Nigerian Airline to airlift citizens back home for free South Africa says arrests at 289, death toll stands at 5 Kenya says two of its citizens were killed South Africa must do more to stop xenophobia – Amnesty International Nigeria issues South Africa Travel Advisory Local airline, Air Peace, offers free evacuation of Nigerians Nigeria pulls out of World Economic Forum on Africa, ongoing in Cape Town Reprisal attacks were recorded in Lagos and Ibadan Abuja issued statement calling for calm and restraint Nigeria police beefs up security at SA-owned businesses Regional body, Southern Africa Development Community, SADC; voices condemnation Botswana issues South Africa travel advisory MTN shuts all shops across Nigeria Zambia shuts three South African malls Zambia football body cancels match with SA Nigeria looking to repatriate about 600 Over 600 Nigerians will be voluntarily returning home according from South Africa according to head of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri. The first news of repatriation was from a local airline, Air Peace which made the offer last week. Its plans were impacted by lack of documentation of beneficiaries. The embassy stepped in to provide necessary papers. The first batch are expected to leave on two flights on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Consul General in Johannesburg, Godwin Adama, told the BBC. Only those who were under distress as a result of the attacks would leave the country, he added. The government via president Buhari also issued a statement for voluntary repatriation of all Nigerians living in South Africa. Ms Dabiri has also called for the South African government to pay compensation to victims of the xenophobic violence that has so far claimed a dozen lives. Lawmakers in Nigeria’s lower chamber have also said they will push for compensation. September 8, 2019: Fresh violence erupts in Johannesburg At least two people have died and dozens arrested following fresh xenophobic attacks in South Africa’s Johannesburg city on Sunday. Local Eyewitness News reported that a group of men had raided the city’s central business district on Sunday morning, demanding that foreigners leave the area. The city’s police chief David Tembe confirmed that two people had died from gun shot wounds and stabbing, adding that cars, buildings and businesses had been vandalised. “I think this is pure criminality because some of the shops that were burned did not belong to the foreigners, it belonged to South Africans,’‘ Tembe said. September 7, 2019: Nigeria debunks explosion at SA embassy in Abuja The Nigerian government on Saturday dispelled reports that there had been an explosion at the Abuja premises of the South African embassy. Information Minister Lai Mohammed told the media that the reports that had been making the rounds were untrue and that no such incident had taken place. A statement by his media aide said the “explosion” was fake news orchestrated by the desperate opposition to cause panic and chaos among the populace. The Police also called the report a classic fake news. “Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has provided adequate security in and around all South African Missions and related business interests,” their statement read in part. South African businesses were targeted earlier this week in reprisal attacks by some Nigerians after a surge in xenophobic violence saw other Africans attacked in Johannesburg and other areas. The South African embassy closed its doors in the wake of the security threats that officials were receiving. Some businesses like MTN and Shoprite closed their shops for fear of attacks. The Nigerian government also issued a travel advisory for South Africa, pulled out of the World Economic Forum on Africa – which took place in Caper Town and recalled its envoy. A private airline, Air Peace, has since offered to evacuate citizens who are willing to voluntarily return but the move has been hampered as a result of the lack of proper documentation of some of the applicants. The above video is another classical example of a disingenuous piece of Fake News. There was no explosion in the South African High Commission or any other part of Nigeria today. The public are therefore advised to disregard the information in its entirety. pic.twitter.com/tkNF4kup8p— Nigeria Police Force (@PoliceNG) September 7, 2019 September 6, 2019: Nigeria MPs talk tough on SA xenophobia Lawmakers of Nigeria’s lower chamber of parliament, the House of Peoples Representatives, on Thursday gave a stern statement on xenophobic violence in South Africa. Led by leader Femi Gbajabiamila, the MPs stressed the importance of protecting all citizens wherever they find themselves as much as Nigeria welcomes and respects the rights of others within its jurisdiction. Among the major issues that he raised were as follows: Demand that the federal government continues efforts to secure the interest of citizens That the South African government fully probes the recent xenophobic incidents That Nigerians must desist from all acts of reprisals as it affects fellow citizens most Efforts to seek justice for persons affected and push for reparations That federal government works towards tackling the country’s internal security issues .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } READ MORE – Nigerians online reject reprisals on SA businesses September 6, 2019: SA conducting op on foreigners Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry says five nationals have been arrested in Pretoria following an operation by the South African security agencies. Three Ghanaians were also injured in the xenophobic attacks of earlier this week, a statement of September 6 read. “Our Mission in Pretoria has reported that three [3] Ghanaians have been injured in the xenophobic unrest. The Mission is ensuring that the injured Ghanaians receive the necessary medical attention.” “It is precisely this kind of outrageous stigmatization of a people from senior government officials that fuel xenophobia and embolden criminals,” this is a Twitter reaction by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister to a pronouncement by his South African counterpart. Expired documents hampers free evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa Naledi Pendor had been quoted as saying on Thursday that drug peddlers and human traffickers needed to be kept out of the country. Pandor told local eNCA: “(The Nigerian government must) Help us address the belief and the reality that our people have that there are many persons from Nigeria, who are dealing in drugs in our country, who are harming our young people by making drugs easily available to them. “The belief that Nigerian nationals are involved in human trafficking and other abusive practices. This kind of assistance in ensuring that such people don’t come to our country would be of great assistance to our nation.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Madagascar latest to boycott Bafana Bafana Meanwhile, the national football team, Bafana Bafana, have been released from camp after the football association failed to secure a friendly opponent. Zambia withdrew from a planned fixture before Madagascar went down the same route. In both instances, they cited the xenophobic attacks as reason for their pullout. “The South African Football Association (SAFA) has taken a decision to release the players who had been in camp whole week to go back to their clubs after the withdrawal of Madagascar team from the friendly match against Bafana Bafana which was scheduled for Orlando Stadium on Saturday, 7 September 2019. “The decision to release the players was taken after the meeting with the players and technical staff. “SAFA has consistently and strongly condemned the xenophobic attacks and the criminal looting of foreign and South African businesses and wanton attacks on foreign nationals and South African citizens. “We reiterate our call that these criminals must be arrested and dealt with harshly. We have noticed that 289 arrests have already been made and we urge the authorities to accelerate further arrests and prosecutions,” the SAFA statement read in part. September 5, 2019: SA consulate, businesses attacked in DRC, Air Tanzania suspends flights Nigeria and Zambia, now its in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC; that South Africa is under attack. Photos on social media showed that protesters had violently displayed at the premises of the South African embassy in Lubumbashi, capital of the Katanga Province. Police were deployed to disperse the protests. Elsewhere, businesses belonging to South African brands have also been attacked and looted, reports have suggested. The local advocacy group, Lucha, had called for peaceful anti-xenophobia protests. Over in the SADC region, Tanzania’s national carrier, Air Tanzania; announced that it had suspended flights to South Africa over the violent incidents of the last few days. Works Transport and Communication Minister, Isack Kamwelwe, on Thursday said all flights scheduled for South Africa effective Friday had been cancelled till the South African authorities get a grip on safety of foreigners in the country. “We have temporarily suspended flights until when calm is restored because we wouldn’t want to fly passengers to a destination with chaos,” said Mr Kamwelwe. September 5, 2019: Airlifting of Nigerians from South Africa A local carrier in Nigeria, Air Peace, on Wednesday offered to evacuate Nigerians willing to leave South Africa back home, the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that following the recent unfortunate xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians in South Africa, the Proprietor of Air Peace Airlines Chief Allen Onyema, has volunteered to send an aircraft from Friday, 6th September 2019 to evacuate Nigerians who wish to return to Nigeria free of charge. “The general public is hereby advised to inform their relatives in South Africa to take advantage of this laudable gesture. Interested Nigerians are therefore advised to liaise with the High Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria and the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg for further necessary arrangement. The xenophobic attacks in South Africa have been building up since 2008. Nothing was done by authorities to tame this tide of hatred. #XenophobiaInSouthAfrica #XenophobicAttack ?? pic.twitter.com/I40tgpRvX6— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) September 4, 2019 September 4, 2019: Zambians protest, MTN shuts offices Students from the University of Zambia protested in the capital, Lusaka, against attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa. Reports indicate that hundreds gathered on campus and marched to a number of popular shopping malls and targeting South African-owned businesses. Three malls in Lusaka have been shut in the process. The protests were largely peaceful despite scattered looting incidents. A section of the protesters marched to the South African High Commission and others went to President Edgar Lungu’s residence. The president has since issued a statement slamming what he called “lawlessness” of the students. READ MORE: Police on decline in public violence and looting in Johannesburg and Tshwane UNZA DEMO IMAGES: ? Gabriel Mulenga Photography #Zambia pic.twitter.com/BGAu9oQXf6— Mwebantu (@Mwebantu) September 4, 2019 South African grocer Shoprite Holdings said on Wednesday several stores in its home market, Nigeria and Zambia were closed and extensive damage had been done to several supermarkets over the past 24 hours. The shops were attacked after days of riots in South Africa chiefly targeting foreign-owned, including Nigerian, businesses. September 4, 2019: Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy ditch SA; victims lament experiences Players in Nigeria’s entertainment industry have severally been reacting to the violence in South Africa with two of Nigeria’s biggest acts announcing that they have ditched trips to South Africa. The first was musician Burna Boy, who on Tuesday tweeted that he would not be visiting South Africa ever again. In a tweet storm slamming the violence he also tasked the government to immediately find a solution to the crisis. “I have not set foot in SA since 2017. And I will NOT EVER go to South Africa again for any reason until the SOUTH AFRICAN government wakes the fuck up and really performs A miracle because I don’t know how they can even possibly fix this,” he said. For her part, Tiwa Savage, posted on Twitter that she had suspended an upcoming engagement in Johannesburg in the light of recent developments. “I refuse to watch the barbaric butchering of my people in SA. This is SICK. For this reason I will NOT be performing at the upcoming DSTV delicious Festival in Johannesburg on the 21st of September. My prayers are with all the victims and families affected by this,” she said in a tweet. Meanwhile, a number of African leaders who were expected in Cape Town for the World Economic Forum on Africa pulled out barely hours to the opening of the proceedings. Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Peter Mutharika of Malawi were listed among those that opted out. The event has since kicked off. TRAVEL ADVISORY – SOUTH AFRICAMIACBW wishes to advise all Batswana traveling to South Africa to exercise extreme caution in light of recent developments resulting in violent unrests in some parts of the Republic of South Africa. pic.twitter.com/hfYTjPlP4o— Botswana Government (BWGovernment) September 4, 2019 September 4, 2019: Zambia president’s statement [Facebook] I wish to condemn the ongoing attacks in South Africa in all its forms and manifestations. Attacks of this nature targeted at foreign nationals call for urgent concerted measures by the South African Government and the regional bodies . I call on all Zambians both locally and abroad to remain calm and disengage from acts of violence as they voice out their grievance. I wish to assure you all that together, we are working on solutions to combat these acts of violence and bring back the spirit of Ubuntu. Let us continue praying for peace and unity across the region. September 3, 2019: Ramaphosa Buhari reaction, Lagos reprisals South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has reacted to xenophobic violence in parts of the country condemning the incidents as unacceptable and without any justification whatsoever. In a video posted on his personal Twitter handle, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of restoring peace and security as quickly as practicable. “I condemn the violence that has been spreading around a number of our provinces in the strongest terms,” he said. He added that he was convening all ministers in the security cluster today to make sure that a very close eye was kept on what he described as “acts of wanton violence” and find ways of stopping them. Ramaphosa said it was not right for locals with grievances to attack other nationals. He tasked security forces for their efforts at restoring order in Kwa Zulu Natal and Guateng provinces. He also cited the fact that with an increasingly integrated Africa, South African workers also risked being attacked in other countries if others are to met out the same treatment South Africans are exhibiting today. The people of our country want to live in harmony; whatever concerns or grievances we may have, we need to handle them in a democratic way. There can be no justification for any South African to attack people from other countries. pic.twitter.com/StGyNlhV1q— Cyril Ramaphosa ?? (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 3, 2019 Reports indicate that looting and clashes with security forces continued today in some parts of the country. Police have also confirmed more arrests in addition to the over forty recorded on Monday. Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe governments and the Somali community in South Africa have reacted to the incidents. The African Union Commission through Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat also condemned the violence and said it backed South African measures to restore law and order. 03 September 2019, Addis Abeba: AU statement on xenophobia in South Africa The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat condemns in the strongest terms, the incidents of violence against nationals of fellow African countries in South Africa, including the looting and destruction of their property. The Chairperson is encouraged by arrests already made by the South African authorities. He calls for further immediate steps to protect the lives of people and their property, ensure that all perpetrators are brought to account for their acts, and that justice be done to those who suffered economic and other losses. The Chairperson reiterates the African Union’s Commission continued commitment to support the South African government in addressing the root causes that led to these despicable acts, in order to promote peace and stability, within the framework of the African Union’s longstanding principles of continental solidarity.

Nigerians fleeing xenophobia in South Africa arrive in Lagos

editorial@africanews.com (Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:00:00 +0000

Nigerians fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa returned home via the commercial city of Lagos. About 200 people, the first batch, were on board privately-owned Nigerian airline Air Peace. Reports have said around 600 Nigerians in total were scheduled to be voluntarily returned home. A number of the returnees expressed joy at being home whiles condemning the violence by South African thugs which forced their decision. Some of them displayed “No to xenophobia” placards as they descended from the flight. Amongst them were adults, teenagers and children. Emmanuel Iyoha, a returnee told the press: “I went there to South Africa when I was just 6 years old, I spent about 10 years there so coming back, it’s a new experience so I am happy because I feel safe. “... normally even to go to school I’m scared to go to school and all that like sometimes I can’t even think when my sister is at work, so she is the one I have been thinking of since but I’m happy that I am here.” “With the whole situation, killing and looting shops and everything. I just decided no, it’s time to come back home,” Temilade Tosunde also said. The violence has led to a heightened diplomatic tension between Africa’s two big powerhouses. South Africa closed its embassies in Nigeria as a security measure whiles Nigeria recalled its ambassador. Head of Nigeria’s Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri reiterated condemnation for the violence: “I think it’s a shame that in the African continent we still have a situation of blacks killing blacks it’s not something that any African should be proud of. “I think it should be embarrassing to us all as Africans. As our president has said and he has been showing, we would continue to preach love, brotherliness and unity. “So we just appeal to the South African government to show the political will to stop these killings and one of the ways to do this is to ensure that there are consequences for actions.” In the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence in South Africa, deadly riots over the last two weeks in Pretoria and Johannesburg killed at least 12 people and targeted foreign-owned businesses.

Pics of the day, September 11, 2019

editorial@africanews.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:09:05 +0000

Africanews samples the best pictures of the day’s news.

DRC minister says at least 50 dead after train accident

editorial@africanews.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:02:43 +0000

The humanitarian minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo confirmed on Thursday that at least 50 people were killed when a train derailed in the country’s southeastern province of Tanganyika. Minister Steve Mbikayi said the accident happened around three in the morning local time in the town of Mayibaridi and the death toll was provisional. “Speaking for the government, I present my condolences to the families affected,” he said on Twitter. But the governor of Tanganyika, Zoe Kabila, gave a lower estimate: 10 people killed and 30 injured. He said three of the train’s carriages had come off the tracks. Mbikayi later told Reuters the ministry was aware of the contradictory death tolls and was trying to establish the exact number. Deadly transport accidents are common in Democratic Republic of Congo due to poor infrastructure and lack of regulation. The national railway company confirmed an accident had taken place. Hubert Tshiakama, the company’s head of operations, said the untouched front carriages of the train were once again on their way to the town of Kalemie. “For now, we cannot determine the causes of the accident,” he said.

Ugandan MPs warned against 'reckless sex', alcoholism and poor table manners

editorial@africanews.com (Daniel Mumbere) — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Legislators in Ugandan have been urged to be at their best behaviour during the forthcoming Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference(CPC). Local media reported that the speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga tipped her Members of Parliament (MPs) to observe etiquette, respect the official dress code and warned them against indulging with delegates. “When you ‘load’ your plates, don’t overload, don’t mix dessert and meat, pineapple and matooke, and the soup,” Kadaga said, adding: “while eating, even when you are hungry, don’t rush.” Kadaga added that several members of the Ugandan parliament had been impregnated by Tanzanian delegates a few years ago when Uganda held a summit with Tanzania. “So, don’t take risks, don’t get involved, a man may come from Jamaica and you won’t see him again, and for the men, a woman from down in the Pacific, you cannot find her again. We must be very careful in whatever we do,” Kadaga said. The Speaker also implored the MPs and the staff not to drink excessively. “Your drinking should be done in your homes and avoid the smell of alcohol in the morning,” she said. Ugandans react The fact that this has to be even a conversation amongst MPs leaves us with so many questions….— onenphilip (@philiponen_papa) September 12, 2019 Sounds like school children being warned not to misbehave…. Ridiculous!!!! I would be offended if i were Jamaican— Elizabeth Betty Owor (@EliOwor) September 12, 2019 When does one rest from patriarchal princessing? Riyale! Why the need to control how women choose to live their lives, even in parliament!! Kadaga needs to find a new hobby! https://t.co/XZkYBP7p7P— Rosebell Kagumire ♉ (@RosebellK) September 12, 2019 Uganda proud of hosting CPC The speaker also used the occasion to emphasise the significance of hosting the global event. “The people who are coming will be able to know more about our country and speak about us, so whatever experience they get from here, they will use it for or against us,” she said. The CPC is slated for September 22 to 29 at the Commonwealth Resort Hotel in Munyonyo, Kampala, with more than 1,000 delegates expected in the country.

Success: Northern White Rhino embryos created

editorial@africanews.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:16:41 +0000

The quest to create two embryos using eggs from the two remaining female Northern White Rhinos and frozen sperm from deceased males is a success. This simply means renewed hope for the fate of the Northern White Rhino in Kenya. “We collected ten eggs, five from each female. And we had two embryos from one of the two females, which is 20%, which is what we normally achieve in equine reproduction, so we get the same efficiency. So we were positively surprised by such efficiency (success)”, said co-founder and director of Avantea, Cesare Galli. The international team working on this project in Italy is pleased with progress thus far. “If Fatu is not killed by someone then we can produce 20, 30 embryos in the duration of the Bio Rescue project. Our expectation, once the technology is perfected for egg transfer, in horses we need to implant two embryos to get one foal. Why not expect the same efficiency from the rhino?”, Galli queried. The two embryos are now stored in liquid nitrogen and will be transferred into a Southern White rhino who will act as a surrogate mother in the near future. Thomas Hildebrandt is head of department of reproduction management, leibniz institute for zoo and wildlife research and biorescue project head. “I think there is a potential new life demonstrated by these new northern white rhino embryos, is an incredible example of that you should not give up. We have two infertile females, no male and these two females represent a key species and a very fragile and complex ecosystem, that were taken out by criminal activity and today we could demonstrate that the human race is not only destroying our planet, they find alternatives to restore what was done wrong in the past”, he said. The Northern White rhino is on the verge of extinction, but this latest turn raises further hopes that the species will survive. The ultimate aim is to create a herd of at least five animals that could be returned to their natural habit in Africa. Now this could take many years. AP

Pregnant Nigerian woman airlifted from migrant ship

editorial@africanews.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 10:29:31 +0000

A pregnant Nigerian woman and her husband were airlifted by Malta’s armed forces onboard a charity ship Wednesday. The charity ship, Ocean Vikings, run by SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders was carrying more than 80 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. “We have just completed a medical evaluation of a pregnant woman and her husband with a helicopter from the Armed Forces of Malta, who came from Malta and is now taking this woman who is in need of immediate medical care”, said Nicola Stalla, Search and Rescue Coordinator for SOS Mediterranee. A midwife and a medical team examined the pregnant woman on the Ocean Viking. They determined she had developed a serious medical complication which could risk her life and that of the baby. “And now we still have the remaining 82 survivors on board who are in an urgent need as well of a place of safety”, Stalla added. The charity ship’s appeal to Malta and Italy for a safe place to disembark did not receive an immediate response as at Wednesday. It is not yet clear if the government that took office last week will continue the policy. The crew on the Ocean Viking found 50 of the migrants in a rubber boat Sunday, including the woman due to give birth at any time. The ship took on another 34 migrants Monday from a sailboat operated by another humanitarian group. AP

DRC: Free primary education controversy [The Morning Call]

editorial@africanews.com — Thu, 12 Sep 2019 09:36:00 +0000

Free primary education, a promise yet to be delivered in some institutions in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some primary schools have began implementing the government directive though some Catholic schools which have signed agreements with the government continue to charge parents to pay for costs. This is according to the country’s Teachers’ Union through its secretary General Cecile Tshiyombo who says “these schools continue to demand that parents pay fees. In North Kivu, there are still Catholic convention schools that require parents to continue paying for costs.” When he took office in January, President Felix Tshisekedi pledged to allocate $2.6 billion to primary education, approximately 40 percent of the vast country’s annual budget. His promise concerns more than 50,000 state primary schools and affects millions of children so far deprived of education because their families cannot afford the fees.