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News and information from the fast-changing continent.
Liberia: What's At Stake As Liberians Vote On Tuesday
[Observer] .... Liberians poised to vote president, vice president, and legislators, issues of corruption, economics, healthcare, and security take center stage
In 2018, President Weah won a resounding victory in the presidential election, making him the country's 25th head of state.
His victory brought relief to so many underprivileged Liberians, especially the youth, who saw him as a beacon of hope, given the fact that he grew up in Clara Town, a slum in Monrovia, rose to the pinnacle of international athletics-and
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Uganda: Security Forces Cordon Off Bobi Wine's Party Headquarters
[Nile Post] The National Unity Platform (NUP) head office in Kamwokya, Kampala has been cordoned off by security forces as the party prepares to hold prayers for their alleged supporters who lost their lives due to the regime's actions.
In an announcement on Sunday, Kyagulanyi stated that they would gather at their party offices on Monday to pray for their comrades who were killed, abducted, or are still missing.
He expressed his frustration with the security forces' actions in blocking their prayers.
"The military
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Niger Military Govt Slashes Budget as Sanctions Bite
[allAfrica] Niger reduced its projected spending for 2023 by 40% as a result of international sanctions imposed after the military overthrew the government in a coup in July, 2023, Reuters reports.
The announcement stated that the budget for this year, which was originally estimated to be U.S.$5.3 billion (3.29 trillion CFA francs) had been reduced to U.S.$3 billion (1.98 trillion CFA francs) but did not specify where the budget cuts would occur.
On July 26, soldiers from the presidential guard detained President
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Cameroon: Over Dozen Dead After Landslides Hit Cameroon Capital
[allAfrica] Many people are believed to be dead or missing in Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, after landslides demolished many homes in the Mbankolo neighborhood, BBC reports.
The calamity claimed the lives of at least 13 people, and the number is likely to rise, according to state media. The number of people still missing after the disaster is unknown, but rescue efforts continue. Earlier on Sunday, October 8, neighboring Nigeria issued a flood alarm for a number of its states, blaming the sudden release of water
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Nigeria: Nurse Is Prime Suspect in Mohbad's Death - Police
[Premium Times] On Friday, the Lagos State Police Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, at a press briefing, shared some recent findings in the investigation of Mohbad's death.
The police have named an 'auxiliary nurse' who administered an injection as the prime suspect in the death of singer Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly called Mohbad.
Lagos Police Commissioner Idowu Owohunwa disclosed this at a press briefing Friday where he shared a police report detailing the result of an ongoing investigation of Mohbad's
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Ghana IMF Debt Review Looks Promising
[allAfrica] The Ghanaian government and the International Monetary Fund agreed at the staff level to the first review of a U.S.$3 billion loan program, clearing the way for a transfer of U.S.$600 million once it has received the IMF executive board's approval.
"IMF staff and the Ghanaian authorities have reached staff-level agreement on economic policies and reforms to conclude the first review of the 36-month ECF-supported program. Performance with respect to the program's targets and reform objectives has been very
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Rwanda Closes All Diesel Power Plants
[New Times] Rwanda closed all its diesel power plants in June this year, stopping the generation of such electricity as the country's hydroelectricity and methane gas sources expanded to make a significant contribution to the grid.
Speaking in a media interview on Sunday, October 8, infrastructure minister Jimmy Gasore said two new power plants, Rusumo Hydro Project and Shema Power Lake Kivu Ltd were opened recently, a development that facilitated the decommission of diesel power plants.
The Rusumo Hydro Project is a
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Rwanda: Inside Upcoming HRW Report On Rwanda and the Politics Behind It
[New Times] Human Rights Watch (HRW) is set to release another of its biased reports on Rwanda, a continuation of its three-decade campaign against Kigali, The New Times has learnt.
Titled, "Rwanda's "transnational repression", the upcoming report has been described as "not something new, but a continuation of HRW's three-decade recycled anti-Rwanda conspiracy."
A highly-placed source familiar with details of the upcoming report, which seeks to dent Rwanda's image among its allies and others in the international
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Malawi: Trafficking for Commercial, Sexual Exploitation Still a Serious Problem in Malawi
[Nyasa Times] NGO Coalition on Child Rights (NGOCCR) has told the ongoing Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) CSO Programme Regional Learning Workshop in Lilongwe that trafficking for commercial and sexual exploitation remains a serious problem affecting Malawi.
NGOCCR is one of the organizations implementing child-centred interventions with financial support from Save the Children.
The coalition's Project Officer Faith Iwalani said annually, traffickers
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Liberians Concerned About Fairness of October 10 Polls
[Observer] -- "While Liberia's elections have been mostly peaceful recently, the survey findings illustrate a notable level of apprehension among respondents regarding potential election-related violence or disruptions in Liberia, especially with reported pre-election violence in some areas," Geopoll says.
A GeoPoll survey has revealed that Liberians' confidence in the October 10 elections is far from uniform, with a significant portion of the population believing that the election outcome will not be 'fair and
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Nigeria: Abuja Calls for Ceasefire, Dialogue in Israel-Hamas War
[Premium Times] The Nigerian government has called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas amid an ongoing war that has left over 300 people dead.
Nigeria's foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, in a Saturday night statement said the Nigerian government is "deeply concerned about the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas."
Nigeria called for a "ceasefire" and a "peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue."
PREMIUM TIMES reported how a surprise attack by Hamas on Israeli communities Saturday morning
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African Union Urges Middle East Ceasefire
[Capital FM] The African Union has called on Israel and the Hamas militant group to bring an end to the ongoing conflict, which has resulted in hundreds of casualties and thousands injured.
The conflict ensued following rocket attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Israel, leading to global condemnation and Israel declaring full-scale war in Palestine.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union, released a statement Sunday urging the warring parties to return to the negotiating table to
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Uganda: Museveni Reacts to Israel Attack By Hamas
[Nile Post] President Museveni has said implementing the two-state solution will help deescalate the tensions between Israel and Hamas.
"The breakout of renewed violence in Israel- Palestine is regrettable. Why don't the two sides implement the two-state solution," Museveni said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.
In a planned operation, Hamas launched an intense barrage of rockets with some reaching as far away as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv before Palestinian fighters entered southern Israel by sea, land and air.
These
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Nigeria: University to Award Doctorate Degree to Inventor Without Formal Education
[Premium Times] The university says it will also honour Vice President Kashim Shettima and five others with honorary doctorate.
The Gombe State University has said it would confer a honorary doctorate on Abdulhadi Usman, a self-taught engineer known for inventing a radio transmitter, a Vespa-engine helicopter and a telephone (handset) as far back as the 1970s.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Aliyu El-Nafaty, stated this at a press conference on Thursday ahead of the institution's combined convocation ceremony
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Uganda: UN Rights Commission Raises Red Flag Over Human Rights Violations Ahead of Elections
[Monitor] The United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) has raised a red flag over the rising human rights violation cases in Uganda ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections slated for January 14.
According to the press statement by the UNCHR spokesperson, Ms Ravina Shamdasani, numerous human rights violations have been reported including; violation of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and participation, arbitrary deprivation of life, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture.
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Ethiopia: No Deal Better Than a Bad Deal
[Ethiopian Herald] The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) represents a critical milestone in the development of the Horn of Africa and has the potential to unlock immense benefits for sustainable development and regional cooperation. Construction of the dam stems from Ethiopia's desire to harness its extensive water resources and drive economic growth through hydropower generation. Started in 2011, the project was conceived as a catalyst on Ethiopia's path to becoming a regional powerhouse and a key player in the
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Mozambique: Clashes Cause Serious Injuries in Nacala
[Mozambique News Reports And Clippings] Volent clashes between Frelimo and Renamo supporters in the northern port city of Nacala took place Saturday (7 September) The clashes, which began at about 10.00, resulted in six serious injuriest
Our correspondents and other local sources report that the clashes occured when the two motorcades crossed paths, at the Sonho Real traffic lights. The Frelimo motorcade was returnimng from Nacala International Airport, from the reception of President Filipe Nyusi, while the Renamo motorcade set off from the
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Sudan: OCHA - '5.5 Million Now Displaced By Sudan Conflict'
[Dabanga] Since the start of fighting in Sudan in mid-April, more than 5.5 million people have been displaced from their homes. Sudan's Ministry of Health reports that more than 1,200 people have been killed and 8,396 injured due to fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Only a third of the necessary funding for humanitarian provisions has been raised, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In its latest situation update on Saturday, OCHA
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Africa's Ocean of Organised Crime
[ISS] A lack of state and industry accountability has turned the ocean into the world's biggest transnational crime scene.
The ocean is central to global illicit trade. Criminal networks plunder marine resources, scour shipping lanes for vessels to hijack, and traverse coastal state waters and the high seas to move commodities to distant destinations.
Covering 70% of Earth's surface, the ocean is likely the world's most extensive transnational crime scene. And Africa's location between multiple global demand and
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Kenya: Kelvin Kiptum Sets New Marathon World Record in Chicago
[DW] Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum has shaved more than 30 seconds off the men's marathon world record in Chicago. He claims the accolade from his countryman Eliud Kipchoge, who set the previous record in Berlin.
It's not quite as round a number as the 2-hour barrier, but Kelvin Kiptum became the first ever runner to complete a marathon in less than 2 hours and 1 minute in Chicago on Sunday, setting a new marathon world record.
The Kenyan athlete shaved more than 30 seconds off the previous record, set by Olympic
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Ghana: Govt, IMF Reaches Staff-Level Agreement On the First Review of Extended Credit Facility
[IMF] End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF's Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF's Executive Board for discussion and decision.
Accra, Ghana: An International Monetary Fund (IMF)
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South Africa: Avian Influenza Outbreak Threatens Chicken Supply
[allAfrica] Dr Greg Cilliers, a veterinarian and executive board member of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, warns that chicken meat will be scarce in South Africa in the coming weeks due to a shortage of broiler chicks, reports IOL.
The HPAI H7 avian influenza outbreak is devastating, affecting every adult bird in Gauteng and resulting in the egg shortage consumers are now observing at retailers. Cilliers said that the spread of the virus appears to be slowing down, but only because there are
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South Africa: Western Cape Hospitals On Brink of Collapse
[Scrolla] National government has slashed budgets by a massive R600 million at the Western Cape's top hospitals.
The move has sent shock waves through the state medical sector in the province, which is already under serious strain.
Scrolla.Africa has seen a document showing the Western Cape government warns hospitals will collapse by January next year if the cuts are not made immediately.
"Unfortunately, if we continue to function as we have over the past 6 months, our cash flow will run out by mid-January (our Day
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Nigeria: Tinubu Outlines His Govt's Plans for Nigerian Universities
[Premium Times] The President also condemned the politics of having individuals indigenous to the communities where the universities are sited insisting on holding principal offices.
President Bola Tinubu has said the Nigerian government would soon reconstitute the governing boards of federal universities as part of plans to reinvigorate them.
The president said the new boards would be charged with prioritising the implementation of various visitation panel reports in the universities.
Mr Tinubu, represented by the
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South Africa: Avian Influenza Outbreak Threatens Chicken Supply - South African News Briefs - October 9, 2023
[allAfrica]
South Africa Faces Chicken Meat Shortage Amid Avian Influenza Outbreak
Dr Greg Cilliers, a veterinarian and executive Board Member of the World Veterinary Poultry Association, warns that chicken meat will be scarce in South Africa in the coming weeks due to a shortage in broiler chicks, reports IOL. The HPAI H7 avian influenza outbreak has been devastating and has affected every adult bird in Gauteng, resulting in the egg shortage consumers now observed at retailers. Cilliers noted that the
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Africa Calls for End to New Middle East War, Talks for 'Two-State Solution'
[allAfrica] The African Union (AU) and African presidents and foreign ministers are calling for an end to the fighting between Israel and Hamas militants from Gaza which broke out on Saturday.
AU chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat released a statement on Sunday urging the warring parties to return to the negotiating table. “The chairperson urgently appeals to both parties to put an end to the military and to return, without preconditions, to the negotiating table to implement the principle of two states living side
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Sudan: South Kordofan - Education in the Time of War
[Ayin English] Since the start of the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces last April, the government stopped paying the salaries of the state institutions' employees; a decision that impacts all workers in the public sector in Sudan.
According to statistics from the Sudanese Ministry of Social Development in 2019, a million people worked for governmental institutions, including more than 300,000 teachers, many of whom have not received their salaries since March this year.
Education Hurdle
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Kenya: President Ruto Condemns Attack on Israel, Calls for Ceasefire
[Capital FM] President William Ruto has denounced the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, saying terrorism cannot be justified.
Hundreds have been killed and thousands more injured in the conflict which followed rocket attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on Israel, in what has sparked global condemnation and and a declaration of a full-scale war by Israel on the enemy in Palestine.
"Kenya strongly maintains that there exists no justification whatsoever for terrorism, which constitutes a serious threat to
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Kenya: British Model Naomi Campbell Appointed Magical Kenya International Ambassador
[Capital FM] The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife has announced the appointment of English supermodel Naomi Campbell to become Magical Kenya International Ambassador.
In a statement, the Ministry says Campbell, 50, will help promote the marketing of Kenya as an ideal tourism and travel destination to the world.
The appointment was agreed upon following a meeting between Campbell and Najib Balala, the Cabinet Secretary of the ministry.
"We welcome the exciting news that Naomi Campbell will advocate for tourism and trave
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Uganda - Presidential Candidate Bobi Wine Says Army Raided His Home, Arrested Staff
[DW] Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was doing a live radio interview with Kenya's Hot 96 FM station when the reported raid took place. Ugandan authorities are yet to comment.
Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine said on Tuesday that soldiers raided his home and arrested his security guards as the country prepares to go to the polls in two days' time.
"The army has this morning raided my home, arrested all my security guards and anyone they could see around my premises," Wine, who is
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