With monkeypox cases subsiding in Europe and parts of North America, many scientists say now is the time to prioritize stopping the virus in Africa.

In July, the U.N. health agency designated monkeypox as a global emergency and appealed to the world to support African countries so that the catastrophic vaccine inequity that plagued the outbreak of COVID-19 wouldn’t be repeated.

But the global spike of attention has had little impact on the continent. No rich countries have shared vaccines or treatments with Africa, and some experts fear interest may soon evaporate.

“Nothing has changed for us here. The focus is all on monkeypox in the West,” said Placide Mbala, a virologist who directs the global health research department at Congo’s Institute of Biomedical Research.

“The countries in Africa where monkeypox is endemic are still in the same situation we have always been, with weak resources for surveillance, diagnostics and even the care of patients,” he said.

Rich countries hoard vaccine

Monkeypox has sickened people in parts of West and Central Africa since the 1970s, but it wasn’t until the disease triggered unusual outbreaks in Europe and North America that public health officials even thought to use vaccines. As rich countries rushed to buy nearly all the world’s supply of the most advanced shot against monkeypox, the World Health Organization said in June that it would create a vaccine-sharing mechanism to help needy countries get doses.

So far, that hasn’t happened.

“Africa is still not benefiting from either monkeypox vaccines or the antiviral treatments,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Africa director, adding that only small amounts have been available for research purposes. Since 2000, Africa has reported about 1,000 to 2,000 suspected monkeypox cases every year. So far this year, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified about 3,000 suspected infections, including more than 100 deaths.

In recent weeks, monkeypox cases globally have fallen by more than a quarter, including by 55% in Europe, according to WHO.

Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, head of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, said the lack of help for Africa was reminiscent of the inequity seen during COVID-19.

“Everybody looked after their (own) problem and left everybody else,” he said. Adetifa lamented that monkeypox outbreaks in Africa never got the international attention that might have prevented the virus from spreading globally.

Rich countries have stretched their vaccine supplies by using a fifth of the regular dose, but none have expressed interest in helping Africa. WHO’s regional office for the Americas recently announced it had struck a deal to obtain 100,000 monkeypox doses that will start being delivered to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean within weeks. But no similar agreements have been reached for Africa.

“I would very much like to have vaccines to offer to my patients or anything that could just reduce their stay in the hospital,” said Dr. Dimie Ogoina, a professor of medicine at Niger Delta University in Nigeria and a member of WHO’s monkeypox emergency committee.

Since WHO declared monkeypox a global emergency, Nigeria has seen the disease continue to spread, with few significant interventions.

“We still do not have the funds to do all the studies that we need,” Ogoina said.

Research into the animals that carry monkeypox and spread it to humans in Africa is piecemeal and lacks coordination, said Mbala, of Congo’s Institute of Biomedical Research.

Last week, the White House said it was optimistic about a recent drop in monkeypox cases in the U.S., saying authorities had administered more than 460,000 doses of the vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic.

Cases drop in U.S.

The U.S. has about 35% of the world’s more than 56,000 monkeypox cases but nearly 80% of the world’s supply of the vaccine, according to a recent analysis by the advocacy group Public Citizen.

The U.S. hasn’t announced any monkeypox vaccine donations for Africa, but the White House did make a recent request to Congress for $600 million in global aid.

Even if rich countries start sharing monkeypox tools with Africa soon, they shouldn’t be applauded, other experts said.

“It should not be the case that countries only decide to share leftover vaccines when the epidemic is declining in their countries,” said Piero Olliaro, a professor of infectious diseases of poverty at Oxford University. “It is exactly the same scenario as COVID, and it is still completely unethical.”

Olliaro, who recently returned to the U.K. from a trip to Central African Republic to work on monkeypox, said WHO’s emergency declaration appeared to offer “no tangible benefits in Africa.”

In Nigeria’s Lagos state, which includes the country’s largest city and is hard hit by monkeypox, some people are calling for the government to urgently do more.

“You can’t tell me that the situation wouldn’t have improved without a vaccine,” said Temitayo Lawal, 29, an economist.

“If there is no need for vaccines, why are we now seeing the U.S. and all these countries using them?” he asked. “Our government needs to acquire doses as well.”
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Ghana’s consumer inflation reached nearly 34% in August, the highest since 2001, despite a historic rate increase by the central bank.

Consumer inflation in the West African country climbed to 33.9% annually in August from 31.7% in July, according to new figures released by the statistical service Wednesday.

Addressing the media in Accra Wednesday, the head of the service, Samuel Kobina Annim, said the inflation rate was mainly driven by high fuel prices that are affecting transport fares and utility costs.

The surge in prices, high cost of living and the steep fall of the Ghanaian cedi sparked street protests in the capital in June.

Annim cautioned against focusing too much on bad news.

“We need to be careful when we are only looking at just the negative side of what potentially might happen to our economy going forward with all the increases and the global economy. Inasmuch as all those challenges are confronting us, we should also look at some positives that are happening in terms of government interventions.”

Last month, Ghana’s central bank raised its benchmark interest rate to a record-high 22% in a bid to curb inflation.

The government is also in talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout of around $3 billion to strengthen the ailing economy.
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As Africa reflects on the legacy of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, Kenyans remember how a princess visiting the country in 1952 left a queen. Analysts note how Elizabeth helped steer the end of Britain’s empire and exploitative colonial rule. But while relations were repaired and improved under the monarch, colonialism left lasting wounds.

The queen’s accession to the throne came as African colonies clamored for independence and she had to supervise the elimination of the British colonial empire.

Macharia Munene, professor of history at the United States International University Africa in Nairobi, said the queen’s reign saw a transition from empire to commonwealth.

“She was able to adjust to the reality of the imperial decline,” Munene said, “and then transform that imperial decline to a good thing, something common that people can be part of, that is the Commonwealth.”

To some Africans, British colonial rule is synonymous with exploitation. They blame the queen, the representative of British interests, for atrocities during that period.

That includes Gitu wa Kahengeri, the secretary general of the Mau Mau War Veterans Association, who was detained during the fight for independence in Kenya.

“I personally will not forget that I was incarcerated for seven years,” he said. “I cannot forget I was put together with my father. I cannot forget I left my children for seven years without food, without education. That, I will never forget.”

But with territorial colonialism now decades gone, memories of British rule in Africa are fading, and people’s views of the queen have changed.

“She was many things to many people,” Munene said. “To the colonial subjects at the time of colonialism, she was the symbol of the evil that was colonialism. With independence, she was able to transform herself to a likeable person. And as a person, she was likeable.”

Queen Elizabeth was widely admired and seen as a role model by many on the continent. Among them is Benedict Yartey from Ghana.

“The legacy she has left will keep her name deeply rooted in the hearts of generations to come,” Yartey said.

Sophia Emmanuelle from South Africa was sympathetic about the queen’s death.

“For me, it’s just sad,” she said. “I can’t really say I take it personally, but I mean it’s sad for people around the world and especially for England.”

Tunde Kamali of Nigeria took a philosophical view of the queen’s death.

“I have never known any other ruler that lasted that long,” Kamali said. “So, for this now to have happened, it only means that every man has an end.”

Analysts say Queen Elizabeth’s biggest legacy is the creation of the Commonwealth. And with the death of the queen, the future of that legacy now lies with King Charles III.
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More than 50 African environment ministers are gathering in Senegal this week for the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment. Plastics and the harmful burning of waste are high on the agenda.

The conference is taking place in the wake of major flooding and drought throughout the continent, which have aggravated food insecurity, damaged vital infrastructure and cost fragile economies billions of dollars.

On top of these disasters is the issue of plastic pollution and the burning of waste, which releases methane and other harmful gases into the environment.

Richard Munang is the deputy regional director of the United Nations Environment Program’s Africa office.

“If that is not addressed, it will not only end up creating inconvenience in the cities, but at the same time the open burning is causing outdoor pollution. And so, converting that waste into opportunities like recycling plastic waste into plastic tiles, where young people can learn skills, will create jobs,” he said.

About 600,000 million Africans die from air pollution-related illnesses each year, according to the U.N. Environment Program.

The ministers in attendance will also discuss the development of an international agreement on plastic pollution — a major issue in African countries where waste management systems and anti-littering education are often lacking.

“We have to ensure that Africa calls out the major causes: the producers who cause the problem of plastic to take action in curbing plastic production, removing harmful substances in the production and looking at the redesign of the product,” said Griffins Ochieng, the executive director of the Center for Environmental Justice and Development.

John Kerry, the U.S. special presidential envoy for climate, is expected to attend the conference Wednesday and Thursday to discuss methane emissions, climate adaptation and waste management.

Badgie Dawda, the executive director of Gambia’s National Environment Agency says he hopes the event will allow attendees to create meaningful partnerships that span the globe.

“It is important for us to work as a team, look at areas of concern, and maximize how best we can work on those issues. The environment has no boundaries. What affects us here also goes to other parts of the world,” he said.

The conference will continue through Friday.
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Kenya’s new president, William Ruto, was sworn in Tuesday after a tightly contested election and a narrow win against his rival, Raila Odinga, who declined to attend the inauguration.

Tens of thousands of Kenyans and at least 20 heads of state gathered at Moi International Sports Center in Nairobi to witness the ceremony.

Many people tried to force their way into the stadium, and Kenya’s Red Cross communications manager Peter Abwao said first responders treated about 40 people with minor injuries.

“There were those who tried to jump over the fence and then some fell. Some sustained cuts,” Abwao said. “There were no major injuries as such, and they have been given first aid. Our teams are on the ground in case of anything, but the situation is calm.”

Ruto takes the reins of power from outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, his former boss.

As deputy president, Ruto fell out with Kenyatta, who supported Odinga in last month’s election.

Odinga lost with 6.9 million votes to Ruto’s 7.1 million in an election marked by low voter turnout, a split election commission, and allegations of fraud by Odinga.

Despite supporting Odinga, Kenyatta welcomed the incoming president with a tour of State House, the Kenyan president’s official residence.

He urged Ruto to work for all Kenyans without favoritism.

President Ruto faces the daunting tasks of lowering a high cost of living and managing a massive debt after years of borrowing.

He vowed to work for all Kenyans, reduce external borrowing, and deal with corruption.
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Nigeria has lost its position as Africa’s top oil producer to Angola, industry insiders say, and could soon become third after Libya.

Oil analysts say Nigeria’s production struggle is coming at the worst time, as oil prices have jumped, partly because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Nigerian oil regulation commission, the country’s oil production during August dropped to 972,000 barrels per day, down from about 1.1 million barrels per day in July.

That allowed Angola to pass Nigeria in monthly oil production for the third time this year. The other months were May and June.

Nigeria’s oil production has been declining steadily for months. Authorities blame rising crude oil theft and sabotage at production sites.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said recently that thieves from all levels of society, including religious groups, were stealing 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Oil and gas expert Emmanuel Afimia said Nigeria’s its position as Africa’s biggest oil producer has consequences.

“[It] actually sends a wrong signal to the global oil market,” Afimia said. “The country may slowly be losing its influence in the global market, and it may be difficult for Nigeria to contribute to decisions in the global market as time goes on. And most importantly, buyers may start to panic, because if you look at the reasons behind the decline, the buyers will think Nigeria is slowly losing its grasp.”

The lost production also translates into billions of dollars in lost revenue. Global oil prices skyrocketed in March soon after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and oil is still trading at around $96 per barrel.

At that level, crude oil is trading 36 percent above Nigeria’s benchmark for its 2022 budget.

But in July, the NNPC reported zero revenue from crude oil exports, compared with $5.96 million earnings in June.

Last Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari instituted a Committee on National Economy and immediately discussed issues of oil theft with the new team.

He said the theft is putting the country in a precarious economic position.

“The fall in production is essentially due to economic sabotage,” the president said. “Producing at about half our OPEC quota has deprived us of much-needed revenue and foreign exchange. The government is working tirelessly to reverse this situation.”

Afimia said authorities must address theft and invest more in oil production before companies can raise monthly output.

“Once the country is able to increase its surveillance and improve security as well, it will really encourage existing firms to maximize their production. That confidence will be restored,” he said.

Last week, Nigeria’s oil workers union said massive crude oil theft was putting worker safety and jobs at risk and threatened to go on strike if the issue is not addressed.

Nigerian authorities say they have improved surveillance of oil assets, especially in areas prone to bunkering and vandalism.

This month, security authorities arrested 122 oil thieves and said operatives recovered nearly 36 million liters of stolen oil and 22 million liters of diesel.
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Somalia’s military says an offensive in the central Hiran region has captured 20 villages that were occupied by the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. 

A Somali National Army commander, Captain Mohamed Ibrahim Daud, told VOA by phone Monday that army troops backed by armed locals have killed more than 100 al-Shabab fighters and also “liberated” 20 villages from the al-Qaida-affiliated group. 

He said the retaken villages include several key locations in Hiran region, including the small town of Fidow near Somalia’s border with Ethiopia. 

Daud said troops captured another 20 militants alive. 

He acknowledged that the army received air support during the operations, without naming a country.  

In a statement issued Sunday night, Somali Information Ministry said the operations were the first step in implementing the government’s vision of fighting terrorism and getting rid of al-Shabab “all over the country.” 

“The Somali government is committed to remove al-Shabab as a threat to the Somali people,” the statement said. 

Abdulkarim Abdulle, a Mogadishu-based independent security analyst, told VOA via WhatsApp that local militias are determined to work with the security forces to eliminate al-Shabab in the regions. 

He said the Macwisley — referring to local militia — is something that Somali government encouraged in the population, and they decided to liberate themselves from al-Shabab. Without them, Abdulle said, the operations could not succeed. 

Al-Shabab did not comment on the government’s claims, but said it carried out a series of bomb attacks in the Hiran region targeting Somali security forces. 

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” against al-Shabab in August 2022, after the group staged a deadly hotel siege in the capital Mogadishu that killed 21 people and wounded more than 100 others. 

 
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Ethiopia’s Tigrayan forces called for an immediate cease-fire Sunday and said they would join an African Union-led peace process after three weeks of renewed fighting ended a fragile truce.

Tigrayan forces from Ethiopia’s northern region have said they are prepared to participate in an “immediate” cessation of hostilities followed by peace talks mediated by the African Union.

In a statement to mark the beginning of the Ethiopian new year, the Tigray region’s leadership called for a “comprehensive negotiated” cease-fire and said they had established a negotiating team that is “ready to be deployed without delay.”

“[T]he Government of Tigray is prepared to participate in a robust peace process under the auspices of the African Union,” the statement said.

The statement came as heavy fighting was reported along Tigray’s northern, eastern and southern borders.

The latest round of hostilities erupted on 24 August, bringing an end to a cease-fire agreed by the parties in late March. Each side blamed the other for starting the fighting.

Thousands have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict first broke out in November 2020.

The Tigray forces have previously rejected the African Union as a mediator, claiming its peace envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, is too sympathetic to Ethiopia’s federal government and expressing a preference for talks in Nairobi overseen by Kenya and the U.S.

Their call for a cease-fire was welcomed by the AU, the European Union and the United Nations.

On Thursday, the U.N. said the fighting has halted much needed aid deliveries to Tigray and war-affected parts of the neighboring region of Amhara.

The AU chairperson described the cease-fire call as “a unique opportunity towards the restoration of peace in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia,” while EU foreign affairs head Josep Borrell said the EU was “ready to support” talks.

Ethiopia’s federal government has not yet responded to the statement from the Tigray region’s leadership, but it has previously said it is ready to participate in AU-led talks “anytime, anywhere” while also questioning Tigray forces’ commitment to resolving the conflict through dialogue.

 
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A mine dam burst and sparked flooding that swept away houses and cars in central South Africa, officials said on Sunday, forcing residents to be evacuated.

Television footage showed a river of mud and water flowing away from the mine and into a nearby residential area, covering roads and sweeping houses away, in Jagersfontein, a town about 100 kilometers southwest of the Free State province capital, Bloemfontein.

“The mine dam in the area burst this morning… around 6:00 am (0400 GMT),” Palesa Chubisi, a spokeswoman for Free State premier Sisi Ntombela, said in a statement.

“The incident has swept away houses and cars,” she said, but did not provide figures.

Chubisi added no fatalities had been reported so far, but 11 people were taken to local hospitals with minor injuries.

A disaster management team was at the scene to determine the extent of the damage, but the cause was not yet known.

The provincial department of social development said it was assisting with the evacuation of those affected and coordinating relief efforts.

The flooding caused some houses to collapse “leading some members of the community to escape with only the clothes on their backs,” the department said in a statement.
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Somalia says the country’s elite military unit has killed a senior al-Shabab commander in an operation in the Lower Shabelle region. Federal police say civilian hostages were freed during the operation. 

Somali police spokesman Sadiq Adan Ali Doodishe said Somalia’s elite military unit had conducted an operation against the al-Qaida-affiliated Islamist militant group al-Shabab, killing two senior commanders and wounding 10 others. 

Police say the operation’s aim was to destroy al-Shabab’s main extortion base in the small town of Mubarak, located 95 kilometers southwest of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

During a news conference in Mogadishu Saturday, the spokesman said the army killed a senior al-Shabab commander known by the name “Carab”, and Aw Maaye, who was in charge al-Shabab’s extortion operations in Mubarak. 

Doodishe said during the operation the military freed civilian hostages from the militant group.

He said around 5:00 p.m. local time, the elite unit from the Somali national army conducted the operation targeting a place the terrorists used to extort money from civilians. In accordance with the statement from the Ministry of Information, the army killed Carab, the deputy al-Shabab leader in the town of Mubarak, and Aw Maaye, who was the al-Shabab foreman in charge of extortion. He said during the operation dozens of others were wounded, including the group’s leader in charge of Mubarak. He said at the time of the operation al-Shabab was holding civilians hostage for extortion but the army freed the hostages. Some of them were hurt during the operation. 

Police have warned the public against aiding al-Shabab. 

Doodishe said the public has been told that it’s a crime to have sympathy toward al-Shabab and collaborate with the group. Anyone who is engaged in that activity will be brought to justice, he added. 

Local media and residents reported that there was an airstrike involved in the military operation against al-Shabab on Friday.

The Islamist group claimed that the airstrike killed 10 people and wounded 20 others, all civilians.

VOA could not independently verify the airstrike nor the civilian deaths. 

Somalia has been grappling with increasing insecurity in recent years. Al-Shabab is one of the main threats and is responsible for deadly attacks across the country and in neighboring Kenya.
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Dozens of civilians were killed this week in a northern Malian town attacked by jihadists affiliated with the Islamic State group, a local elected official and the leader of an armed group told AFP Friday.

It was the first time the town of Talataye, about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from the city of Gao, has been attacked on such a scale by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).

On Tuesday, the jihadists fought a fierce battle with rivals from the al-Qaida-affiliated Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) and other armed groups, including the Tuareg-dominated Movement for the Salvation of Azawad (MSA), people familiar with the events told AFP.

The ISGS fighters, who emerged from the bush on motorbikes, took control of the town Tuesday evening after more than three hours of fighting, AFP learned earlier this week.

The situation on the ground remains unclear, as information is difficult to come by in the dangerous and remote Sahel area, largely cut off from communication networks.

The death toll also varies according to different accounts.

A local official said that 45 civilians had been killed, while an MSA leader put the civilian death toll at 30. Both spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity and added that houses and the market had been torched.

An international humanitarian worker in the region said “several dozen” civilians had been killed.

It is unclear whether the civilians were deliberately killed or caught in crossfire.

Both the local politician and the MSA leader said there had been at least a partial withdrawal of ISGS fighters since Tuesday.

MSA fighters entered the town on Thursday, the group said. It says it now controls one part of the area while the GSIM controls another part.

MSA fighters have “gathered information and bodies,” he added.

“What really worries us is the humanitarian situation — the people are left to fend for themselves,” the local politician said.

A women’s association from the area, but based in Gao, launched an “urgent appeal” on Friday to “come to the aid of the battered population.”

Caught in the crossfire

Talataye, an agglomeration of hamlets, lies at the heart of competing areas of influence, and clashes are frequent. It had some 13,000 inhabitants in 2009, the date of the last census in Mali.

The area is mainly inhabited by Tuareg Dahoussahak nomads, with few urban centers and a sparse population.

The GSIM is said to be influential there.

Other armed groups consisting mainly of MSA fighters that signed a 2015 peace accord are also based there.

The regions of Gao and Menaka, to its east, have for months suffered infighting among jihadist groups as well as violence between jihadists and other armed groups.

The state has a very weak presence, and civilians, mainly nomads living in camps scattered across the desert, are frequently caught in the crossfire.

Jihadists attack the civilians, often on suspicion of siding with the enemy.

Hundreds of civilians have died, and tens of thousands have been displaced.

The Malian government on Tuesday said it had carried out a “reconnaissance offensive” of Talataye from the air.

The army’s communications chief, Colonel Souleymane Dembele, told the Malian press Friday that the occupation of Talataye by ISGS jihadists was “fake news.”

ISGS, formed after a split with other jihadist groups in 2015, has flourished in recent years in the border area between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

It recruits largely from historically marginalized nomadic communities, and is responsible for numerous civilian massacres, notably in Seytenga, Burkina Faso, where 86 civilians were killed in June.

One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Mali has been battling separatist and jihadist insurgencies since 2012.
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Zambian rights groups are calling on the government to make good on a vow to repeal a defamation law they say is being used to silence critics of President Hakainde Hichilema. The call comes after Zambian police arrested an opposition leader this month under the colonial-era law for insulting the president.

Zambian court Tuesday charged the leader of the opposition Patriots for Economic Progress party, Sean Tembo, with hate speech, which carries a punishment of a fine of up to $6,000 and two years in prison if he is found guilty.

The charge followed Tembo’s September 1 arrest after he posted online criticism of President Hakainde Hichilema’s monthly fuel price hikes, comparing them to menstruation.

While the charge was reduced, Zambian rights groups note the arrest was the latest carried out under a harsh, colonial-era law against defaming the president.

The 1965 law carries a punishment of up to three years in prison for insults against the president and has been used by past governments to silence critics.

Campaigning for president in last year’s election, which he won, Hichilema promised to revoke the law.

In the past year, though, rights groups say Zambian police arrested 12 people under the law, including members of opposition political parties. Two were released, six were jailed, and four, including Tembo, are awaiting trial.

Chama “Pilato” Fumba is a popular musician and director of the group People’s Action for Accountability and Good Governance in Zambia. He himself has been arrested several times for insulting Zambia’s president.

He says the defamation of the president as a law is very backwards and very unnecessary in a democratic country like ours. “This law should be scrapped off our constitution as it does not represent our interests and our aspirations as a country. It is a bad law that even good presidents can become bad presidents.”

Hichilema’s spokesman was quoted in Zambian media saying the president had nothing to do with opposition leader Tembo’s arrest.

Cornelius Mweetwa is a lawyer and spokesman for the ruling United Party for National Development.

He says Zambia’s opposition is being petty in complaining about the law.

“It has nothing to do with restriction of the freedom of speech because this is not a law promulgated and enacted under the new dawn administration. It is a law that has always been in force but one where now the opposition wants to take advantage of to be insulting the president when they are arrested so that they can say no change has occasioned in Zambia. Deep down their hearts they know that this is a different Zambia. This is Zambia that the people wanted and voted for.”

Mweetwa would not say whether the government plans to amend the controversial law.

Macdonald Chipenzi is director of Zambian rights group Governance, Elections, Advocacy, and Research Services.

He says the government will continue to abuse the defamation law if there are no campaigns to end it.

“So, the only thing that is required now is to call for the immediate review or reform of this law so that it is not infringing on the freedom of the people and also try to bring in the aspect of civic education on the responsibilities of citizens as they express themselves as they enjoy this freedom.”

Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard met with Hichilema in Zambia in March and repeated their position that the law should be repealed, citing its past use against critics, opposition, and journalists.

The president said his government was committed to upholding human rights, liberties, and freedoms but would maintain strict adherence to the rule of law.

The Zambian court has not yet set a date for Tembo’s trial.
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