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News and information from the fast-changing continent.
Botswana De Beers Partnership Exemplary
[Botswana Daily News] The partnership between Botswana and diamond consortium, De Beers Group, is one of the most exemplary business collaborations between a government and a private company, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.
President Masisi said this when welcoming De Beers Group chief executive officer (CEO), Mr Al Cook and De Beers Botswana Resident director, Mr Neo Moroka who had paid a courtesy call on him on Monday.
"There are few state-business partnerships that define providence like this one between Botswana
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Uganda: Legal Battle Brews Over Uganda's Fuel Importation Deal
[Nile Post] In a legal showdown, the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) is gearing up to face off against petitioners in Machakos High Court's petition number E014 of 2023.
Royani Energy Limited, Charles Kombo, and Acacia Ridge Construction seek the court's intervention in Uganda's move to withdraw from a fuel importation deal with Kenya.
Peter Muliisa, the Head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at UNOC, expressed confidence in their legal team.
"There is no cause for worry on the Ugandan part as the deal is in the best
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Uganda's Rising Disease Burden Linked to Climate Change
[Nile Post] Environmental scientists have sounded the alarm, attributing Uganda's escalating disease burden to the impacts of climate change, citing man-made disruptions to fragile ecosystems as a key factor.
The revelations emerged during the Climate Change and Health Symposium held ahead of COP 28, shedding light on the critical intersection between environmental shifts and public health challenges.
"Climate change has significantly intensified the prevalence of waterborne and vector-borne diseases, including
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Nigeria's Inflation Hits 27.33% As Food Prices Rise
[Premium Times] Food inflation rate quickened to 31.52% in October, the NBS said.
Nigeria's annual inflation rate rose to 27.33 per cent in October from 26.72 per cent in the previous month, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Wednesday.
The statistics office said the October 2023 headline inflation rate showed an increase of 0.61 per cent points when compared to the September 2023 headline inflation rate.
The NBS said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.24 per cent points higher compared
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Ethiopia: Quest for Own Port Neither New Nor a Threat to Neighbouring Countries - Prime Minister Abiy
[Addis Standard] In his response to questions raised by lawmakers at the 3rd year 4th regular session of the House of People's Representatives (HoPR) today, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed despite widespread talks, analysis, conspiracies and predictions, Ethiopia's quest for sea outlet and to have its own port is neither a new agenda, nor designed to threaten the sovereignty of neighboring countries in the Horn of Africa.
"What I want countries in the Horn of Africa, the world in the east and west alike and all others to
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Liberia: Police Assure Protection of Peace in Presidential Run-Off
[New Dawn] Liberia National Police (LNP) Inspector General Col. Patrick Sudue has assured the protection of peace and tranquility throughout the presidential run-off election that took place Tuesday, 14 November 2023.
Col. Sudue gave the assurance Tuesday after casting his ballot at the Kendeja Elementary School in Rehab Community, Paynesville, Montserrado County.
Sudue emphasized that there is no cause to fear because the joint security is on top of security issues across the country to ensure that the election goes
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Africa: World Diabetes Day 2023 - Need for Equitable Access to Care for People With TB and Diabetes
[Africa Renewal] People with diabetes are at higher risk of developing TB and are more likely to experience poor treatment outcomes, including death
As the world marks the World diabetes Day today (14 November), the World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting the need for equitable access to essential care for people affected by diabetes and tuberculosis (TB).
Diabetes: What you should know
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot
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Kenya: Criticism Over Leaking Roofs at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
[allAfrica] The online community criticized Kenya's transportation minister and airports authority due to reported issues of leaky roofs at the terminals of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), the main airport in the country, BBC reports.
Mwango Capital, a financial research firm, expressed concern about the abnormal conditions observed by one of its team members at JKIA. The firm suggested that the Kenya Airports Authority's management may perceive such occurrences as routine and acceptable. The video showed
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South Africa: Lawyers for Human Rights to Challenge Tshwane's Eviction of Homeless People
[GroundUp] On Friday, metro police forcefully removed people living at Burgers Park and confiscated all of their belongings.
Lawyers for Human Rights wants the court to compel the City of Tshwane to compensate and provide decent shelter to dozens of homeless people living near Burgers Park. On Friday, metro police forcefully removed the group and confiscated all their belongings. Many of the homeless people who have since returned to the park say they have been living there since 2020 and rely on recycling to
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Liberians Unhappy Over Poor Run-Off Election Turnout
[New Dawn] Several Liberians residing in Monrovia have expressed displeasure over what they said was a poor turnout in the presidential run-off election, despite voting centers opening early on Tuesday, 14 November 2023.
Incumbent President George Manneh Weah and his archrival Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai, the country former vice president, met for the second time in a run-off on Tuesday.
During the voting exercise Tuesday, our report visited several polling places in Montserrado County Electoral District #4, #15 and
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Africa: WHO Unveils 5-Year Plan to Fight TB in Children and Adolescents
[WHO] Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the third edition of the Roadmap towards ending TB in children and adolescents, along with partners and civil society. The roadmap outlines an ambitious five-year plan with 10 key actions to improve the prevention, treatment, and care of TB in children and adolescents.
Children and adolescents continue to experience a disproportionate burden of TB. WHO's recently released Global Tuberculosis Report, highlights that an estimated 1.25 million children and
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Zimbabwe: 16 Buffaloes Found Dead in Hwange National Park
[New Zimbabwe] A total of 16 buffaloes have been found dead in the Matetsi area between Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls.
Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority (ZimParks) public relations manager, Tinashe Farawo confirmed to NewZimbabwe.com I6 buffaloes were spotted dead Tuesday.
"That's the information that we have at the moment," said Farawo without elaborating.
Sources said ZimParks veterinary doctors attended to the wildlife disaster and took samples for testing to ascertain the cause of death.
The
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South Africa: 'No Ongoing Crisis,' Says City of Tshwane, Even Though Hammanskraal Tap Water Still Unfit for Drinking
[Daily Maverick] In the aftermath of the cholera outbreak in May centred on Hammanskraal that claimed more than 20 lives, there are lingering concerns about the quality of water supplied to the area by the City of Tshwane.
In a recent report, the newly appointed Public Protector, Kholeka Gcaleka, found the City of Tshwane had failed to provide Hammanskraal residents with "clean water that is suitable for human consumption". She gave the City 60 days to come up with a plan to address the water challenges in Hammanskraal.
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South Africa: Govt Takes Steps to Form National Oil Company - South African News Briefs - November 15, 2023
[allAfrica]
Govt Unveils Plan to Form State-Owned Oil and Gas Company
Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has introduced a bill to create the South African National Petroleum Company, merging government-owned oil and gas entities, reports News24. This new entity will include existing companies like the Strategic Fuel Fund, PetroSA, and iGas, under the control of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). The goal is to consolidate energy operations and assets, ensuring
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Nigeria: Atiku Calls for Opposition Merger to Prevent One-Party State
[Premium Times] Atiku, who decried what he described as a gradual slide of Nigeria into a one-party state, said the opposition parties needed to come together to challenge the ruling APC to save Nigeria's democracy.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has called for a coalition of opposition parties against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku made the call in Abuja on Tuesday when he hosted the national
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Sudan: Will Africa Remain On the Sidelines of Sudan's Jeddah Talks?
[ISS] Given the flawed Jeddah process, the AU and IGAD need a clearer role in the UN's transition mission.
Since civil war broke out in Sudan in April, approximately 10 000 people have died and six million Sudanese are displaced internally and across neighbouring countries - mostly Egypt, Ethiopia, Chad and South Sudan.
Indications are that clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will be protracted as the two sides battle to take key towns and a crisis unfolds in
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Mozambique: Religious Leaders Under Pressure for Approving Fraudulent Election Results
[Mozambique News Reports And Clippings] Anglican bishops last week demanded the immediate resignation of CNE head Carlos Matsinhe from his church post as Bishop of the Libombos, because he abstained in the National Elections Commission (CNE) vote to approve fraudulent municipal election results. And CNE member Daud Dauto Ussene Ibramogy has been dismissed from his post as leader of the mosque in the Maputo city neighbourhood of Aeroporto, because he voted to approve the results. Both faith leaders are accused of violating a principle of their
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Africa: Is This Africa's Greatest Shot At World Cup Glory?
[Scrolla] For the first time ever, nine African nations will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, marking a major step forward for the continent's representation.
In previous years, there has only been enough slots for five teams out of Africa's 54 nations. This has drawn accusations of unfairness in recent years, as Europe's 44 countries got 13 slots.
However, as the tournament expands from 32 to 48 teams for the first time, a further four slots have been awarded to Africa.
With the
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Africa: Ukraine Can Rest Only Once It Has Expelled Russia, Zelensky Tells African Journalists
[Daily Maverick] The Ukrainian president has acknowledged, however, that his country needed a large infusion of sophisticated Western weapons to achieve this.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is adamant that a "stalemate" in his country's war against Russia is completely unacceptable and would simply bequeath the war to his country's children to fight.
He was commenting on the controversial opinion of his military commander-in-chief, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who told The Economist last month, "Just like in the
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Nigerian Woman Sets World Record for Longest Handmade Wig
[Vanguard] Helen Williams, a wigmaker from Lagos, has entered the Guinness World Records by creating the world's longest handmade wig.
The wig measures an astounding 351.28 meters (1,152 ft 5 in) with Helen dedicating 11 days and over two million naira (£2,031; $2,493) to craft this remarkable wig.
The GWR acknowledged her feat, by sharing on its official "X" account, "Helen Williams from Lagos, Nigeria has achieved a new record for the longest handmade wig which stretches an incredible 351.28 metres (1,152 ft
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Ethiopia: USAID Resumes Food Assistance Following Comprehensive Reforms
[U.S. Embassy Addis Ababa] Statement by Spokesperson Jessica Jennings
The United States has long been a leader in providing vital humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable around the world.
In Ethiopia, we remain committed to delivering life-saving aid to those in need. Over the last several months, the United States has engaged in significant diplomatic engagement and negotiation, resulting in widespread and substantial reforms of the food assistance structure by the Government of Ethiopia and our humanitarian partners. These
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Liberia: President George Weah, Main Challenger Joseph Boakai Confident of Victory
[New Dawn] -in November 14 runoff election
Amid visibly low voter turnout across the country, President George Manneh Weah and his main challenger, Joseph Nyuman Boakai are optimistic of victory in Tuesday, November 14, 2023, Runoff Presidential Election.
Speaking to reporters immediately after casting his ballot Tuesday, in Kendeja community along the Robertsfield Highway outside Monrovia, President Weah expressed satisfaction over the peaceful manner in which Liberians turned out to vote for a preferable candidate
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Nigeria: Tinubu Secures Multi-Billion Dollar in Infrastructure Funding From Islamic Bank
[Leadership] President Bola Tinubu, on Monday night, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, advanced negotiations concerning a multi-billion dollar infrastructure finance facility from the Islamic Development Bank to fund a multi-sectoral portfolio of infrastructure projects at the federal and sub-national levels in Nigeria.
According to a statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, this development was the outcome of substantive investment discussions held between President Tinubu and the Vice-President (Country Programs) of
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Africa: Without Warning - Africa's Lack of Weather Stations Is Costing Lives
[African Arguments] The US and EU, with a population of 1.1 billion, have 636 weather radar stations. Africa, with a population of 1.2 billion, has just 37.
In early-May, heavy rainfall led to severe flooding and hundreds of landslides around Lake Kivu, on the border between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), killing at least 600 people. The floods, which caught many as they slept, also displaced thousands of people, destroyed water infrastructure, and damaged productive farm fields.
Floods are one of the
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South Africa: Illegal Electricity Connections Cost Cape Town R83 Million in 10 Months
[Daily Maverick] While the nation grapples with the effects of rolling blackouts, Cape Town has intensified efforts to remove unlawful electricity connections that cost the city millions.
Ongoing illegal electricity connections and vandalism have cost the City of Cape Town R83-million in less than a year. Losses have increased from R56-million in 2022, R28-million in 2021, R14-million in 2020 and R20-million in 2019.
In the third quarter of 2023, the city recorded 201 cases of electricity vandalism and illegal connections
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Africa: Time to Convert Climate Change Rhetoric Into Action, Says WFP's Gernot Laganda
[IPS] 'If you ask what climate justice is, then the litmus test for climate justice is at the local level. So, climate justice needs to be judged by how many people are protected from climate-vulnerable conditions that they have no hand in creating.' - Gernot Laganda, Director of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP
It is crucial to narrow the gaps and ensure that climate finance goes to where people are most vulnerable, says Gernot Laganda,
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Sudan: Paramilitary Forces, Army Clashes Continue in Khartoum State and North Korfodan
[Dabanga] Battles continued for the second day in Jebel Aulia, a city in southern Khartoum state, on Monday, causing mass displacement of citizens towards White Nile state. Clashes also continue in Omdurman and El Obeid in North Kordofan.
Residents near Jebel Aulia told Radio Dabanga that the sounds of explosions and shelling renewed on Monday, to a lesser extent than on Sunday when the RSF launched a major attack on the city that guards a dam across the Nile.
"If the RSF capture the dam, which has a one-land road
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Rwanda: Small Farmer-Led Irrigation Schemes Helping to Fight Malnutrition in Drought-Prone Areas in Rwanda
[Nigeria Health Watch] As a young man, Charles Furaha began assisting his father in constructing dams in Karangazi, a small village in Nyagatare district of Eastern Rwanda. These dams provided the water needed to irrigate crops in this remote part of Eastern Rwanda, contributing to the country's fight against malnutrition in young children.
In its pursuit of food security and improved health outcomes for its citizens, the government of Rwanda proposed initiatives like the Irrigation Master Plan to promote sustainable crop
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Somalia: From Drought to Floods - Climate Extremes Drive Somalia Hunger Crisis
[WFP] Climate extremes will keep hunger in Somalia at record highs, warned the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today, as deadly floods sweep the country, devastating deeply food-insecure communities who are still battling to recover from the country's longest recorded drought. The end of over two years of drought that pushed the country to the brink of famine has brought little relief for families. Floods - by some estimates the worst in decades - have driven close to half a million people from their
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Nigeria: Soldiers Arrest Suspected Gunrunners, Kidnappers, Rescue Hostages in Plateau, Kaduna
[Premium Times] The military said the arrests were made between October and November. It said 15 suspects were apprehended while committing various crimes.
The Nigerian military said troops and police personnel attached to the Operations SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) and HAKORIN DAMISA, units in Plateau and Kaduna states have arrested several persons alleged to be involved in kidnapping, banditry, gunrunning and other offences in both states.
The military said the arrests were made between October and November. It said 15 suspects
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