Category: Africa

Africa news. Africa is highly biodiverse, it is the continent with the largest number of megafauna species, as it was least affected by the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna. However, Africa also is heavily affected by a wide range of environmental issues, including desertification, deforestation, water scarcity, and pollution

Villagers In Central Malawi Face Attacks from Elephants

Posted on by SeeAF

Residents in areas surrounding Malawi’s Kasungu National Park are criticizing two wildlife organizations for allegedly enabling deadly elephant incursions.

In June 2022, the African Parks Organization and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) funded the relocation of 250 elephants to restock the partly-fenced park despite protests. The lack of fencing has allowed the elephants to roam outside the park, causing mayhem and civilian deaths.

Villagers in the areas of Nthunduwala and Chulu say the elephants have destroyed hundreds of hectares of crops and killed six people, the most recent death on September 16.

Masiye Phiri, 32, was killed by elephants early this year at Chifwamba village in the Chulu area. Her father-in-law, Postani Jere, said he is struggling to care for Phiri’s five children. Her husband, the family breadwinner, fled the village soon after the elephant killed his wife.   

Jere said he can’t afford food for the children, or to pay for their schooling. In addition, he said, the elephants have destroyed all the family’s crops.

He also said the roaming elephants forced farmers to abandon cultivating in the nearby Chiwoza Irrigation Scheme. 

The animals had been moved to Kasungu National Park because poaching had depleted the park’s elephant population. 

However, the organizations responsible for the move declined requests from the community to finish erecting the 110-kilometer fence that would keep the animals away from people and their crops before bringing in the elephants. 

Patricio Ndadzela, the representative of IFAW in Malawi and Zambia, said work is in progress to fence the remaining part of the park. 

“When we were translocating these animals, we had done 40 kilometers of fence. As I am saying, we are talking of 90 kilometers of the fence now. By the end of next year, we will have done 110 kilometers of the fence,” Ndadzela said.

Incidents of elephants killing people are not unique to Malawi.

An IFAW report concludes around 400 people die each year from conflict with elephants in India. The report also says about 200 people were killed by elephants in Kenya between 2010 and 2017.  

However, Ndadzela said the human-wildlife conflict at Kasungu National Park is largely because people there ignore warnings to avoid conflict with the elephants. 

“We had an incident where one community member was following an elephant that had come out, to a level where somebody wanted to touch the tail of the elephant,” he said. “Those dangerous sorts of attitudes … can be avoided.” 

Ndadzela added that the communities grow their crops very close to the national park boundary, which makes it easy for elephants to destroy the crops.

In the meantime, the bereaved families and owners of the destroyed crops near Kasungu National Park are asking the Malawi government to compensate them. 

Malawian Minister for Tourism Vera Kamtukule told VOA that the existing wildlife legislation does not provide compensation for people attacked by wild animals. 

“So, what we are doing now is we are working very closely with our counterparts in the Ministry of Justice and also the Law Commission to see how we can review the Wildlife Act to ensure that we are incorporating issues of compensation,” Kamtukule said.

Kamtukule added that the government has increased the number of game rangers to help keep the elephants away from people living near the parks.   
…

your ad here

Fleeing Militants Pose Challenge to Somalia’s Security

Posted on by SeeAF

As Somalia’s army and allied clan militias continue to drive al-Shabab fighters out of locales in central Somalia, analysts warn the country could still face security threats from Islamist militants on the run.

Somalia’s National Army is in the middle of a military offensive against al-Shabab. Since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” against the militants in August 2022, al-Shabab fighters have withdrawn from some of the group’s central Somalia strongholds under military pressure from the army, the militias and international partners’ airstrikes.

Despite the significant breakthrough in the government’s campaign against the al Qaida-linked group, Somali security analysts believe one of the major challenges that the country faces is the presence of fleeing militants who, despite losing their bases of operation, continue to pose a serious threat to national security.

Ismail Dahir Osman, former deputy commander of Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, sees a looming threat.

“The militants fleeing from the front lines have scattered into the rural areas, and many are secretly coming to the major cities, including Mogadishu, the country’s capital. Yet they still may have weapons and plans for renewed mayhem,” said Osman.

Colonel Abdullahi Ali Maow, a former Somali intelligence official, told VOA that he agrees there’s a security threat from the militants fleeing from the government’s offensive.

“I think the displacement of the militants doesn’t necessarily mean the end of their threat; it often leads to new challenges for Somalia’s fledgling security forces in the major cities,” he said.

Maow describes the fleeing militants’ strategy as that of a frog.

“An al-Shabab fighter’s plan of survival is like that of a frog, which buries itself in the mud, sand or other shelters to slow down its body function and survive until the next rain,” he said. “The prediction is that they are trying to have safe houses in the major cities to elude justice.”

Omar Abdi Jimale, a Somali political and security analyst, said fleeing militants can seek refuge and support from sympathizers and allies in major populated cities, making it harder for security agencies to track and neutralize them.

“Fleeing militants often carry with them years of combat experience and ideological fervor. This makes them more capable of carrying out acts of terrorism and insurgency in new areas,” said Jimale. “They go into hiding. They start licking their wounds and thinking about what they could do next.”

Analyst Mahad Wehlie said he believed the threat of the fleeing militants, especially lower-ranking foot soldiers, was lower compared with the damage they have caused in Somalia for years while organizing their criminal acts from their former strongholds.

“Most of the fighters fleeing from the front lines seek to blend in locally, and many of them may give up,” he said. “But what government security agencies need to do is to drive militants down to a point their threat can be handled by local police and intelligence agencies with the support of the grassroots.”

Multifaceted approach

Maow warned that even if al-Shabab was completely defeated in Somalia, the risk would exist as long as its upper-level leaders and foreign ranks remained alive.

“As long as their top leaders and foreign fighters are alive and capable of commanding, the threat and the danger from the brainwashed lower-rank young Somali fighters will remain,” he said “They [top leaders] should be dead or in jails.”

He said a multifaceted approach would be required to effectively counter this threat, including international cooperation, improved intelligence sharing, and addressing the root causes of militancy in conflict-affected regions.

“It is clear that a proactive and collaborative effort among the government intelligence and security agencies, and the Somali people, is essential to safeguarding peace and stability in Somalia, in the Horn of Africa region and on a global scale,” he said.

As a part of a government effort to secure more international support for its long-running war against al-Shahab militants, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre told VOA on Thursday that he would appeal to the U.N. General Assembly this weekend about removing an international arms embargo so Somalia is capable of eliminating al-Shabab, a U.N.- and U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has fought the Somali government for 16 years.

This report originated from the VOA Somali Torch Program.     
…

your ad here

Sudanese Filmmakers Who Fled War Screen Work in Nairobi

Posted on by SeeAF

When an award-winning Sudanese filmmaker documented the journey of Sudan’s martial arts team, which traveled by road to Kenya for an international championship in 2019, he did not know that four years later he would be taking a similar path as he did in the film “Journey to Kenya” but for completely different reasons. VOA Nairobi Bureau Chief Mariama Diallo recently attended the screening of his movie and those of other Sudanese filmmakers and has this story.
…

your ad here

Kenyan Troops to Haiti Discussed at UN

Posted on by SeeAF

World leaders are hoping to soon send Kenyan troops to Haiti to quell gang violence there. Meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the issue with Kenyan President William Ruto. But the idea makes some Haitians uneasy. VOA’s Senior Washington Correspondent Carolyn Presutti brings us the latest.
Camera: Tina Trinh
…

your ad here

Nigerian Authorities, Unions Disagree Over Fuel Subsidy Removal

Posted on by SeeAF

Nigerian unions are threatening to strike, demanding the reinstatement of fuel subsidies the government ended in May. The Nigerian Labor Congress, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers, is asking the government to reverse its decision or introduce measures that would help citizens cope with soaring food and transportation costs. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.
…

your ad here

Report: Atrocities, War Crimes Pervade Northern Ethiopia Despite Peace Pact 

Posted on by SeeAF

A report presented Thursday to the U.N. Human Rights Council accuses all parties to the conflict in northern Ethiopia of widespread atrocities, many amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, despite a peace agreement signed nearly a year ago.

The blistering 21-page report from the three-member International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia documents wide-ranging atrocities committed since the conflict between the government and the Tigray Liberation Front erupted November 3, 2020.

In presenting the report, Mohamed Chande Othman, commission chair, warned that the failure of last year’s agreement to end the hostilities has shattered optimism that the pact “would pave the way for an end to one of the deadliest conflicts of the 21st century, one which has devastated communities across northern Ethiopia.”

600,000 deaths

The United Nations and other institutions estimate about 600,000 civilians in Tigray died and more than 2 million were displaced from November 2020 to August 2022.

“Not only has the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement failed to bring about any comprehensive peace,” said Othman, “but atrocities are ongoing, and conflict, violence and instability is now near national in dimension.”

He said the commission’s investigation clearly shows the Ethiopian government and forces under its control, as well as the Eritrean forces in Ethiopia, continue to commit serious violations and atrocity crimes throughout the northern region.

“The Ethiopian national defense forces, Eritrean defense forces, regional forces and affiliated militias perpetrated violations in Tigray on a staggering scale,” he said. “These included mass killings, widespread and systematic rape and sexual violence against women and girls, deliberate starvation, forced displacement and large-scale arbitrary detentions. These amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

The commission report confirms that Tigray forces and allied militias also have committed gross violations against civilians in the Amhara and Afar regions, “including killings, widespread rape and sexual violence, destruction of property and looting, also amounting to war crimes.”

The commission notes grave violations have spread beyond the north of the country to Oromia, where it uncovered “ongoing patterns by government forces of arrest, detention and torture of civilians.”

Othman said, “These atrocities — past and ongoing, regardless of the affected region or community — are having severe and ongoing impacts on survivors, victims and their families and have seriously eroded the fabric of society.”

He added: “The need for a credible and inclusive process of truth, justice, reconciliation and healing has never been more urgent.”

Justice process criticized

The report notes the government of Ethiopia has failed to effectively prevent or investigate violations and has instead initiated a flawed transitional justice consultation process in which victims remain overlooked.

The commission urged the Human Rights Council to ensure continued robust international investigations and public reporting of the situation in Ethiopia.

This advice did not sit well with Ethiopia’s permanent representative at the U.N. in Geneva, Tsegab Kebebew. He said the commission’s report and findings were based on highly questionable methodological approaches and from very remote locations, which “have grossly mischaracterized the positive and widely acclaimed political developments in Ethiopia.”

He called the report substandard, professionally deficient and conspicuously political, noting that since the signing of the Pretoria Peace Agreement, Ethiopia has redoubled its efforts to consolidate peace in the country.

“However, we noted with profound regret that the commission has not shown any inclination to recognize the tremendous progress registered in Ethiopia in the silencing of guns — following the African Union-led and Ethiopian-owned peace process,” he said.

African Group backing

Ethiopia received support from the African Group at the U.N., which told the council that Ethiopia’s Transitional Justice Policy “will make significant contributions to restoring peace and security, dispensing justice and ensuring compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.”

The African Group said it welcomed the measures taken by Ethiopia and “in light of these developments, the group welcomes the decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to terminate the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Ethiopia.”

It added that the African Group understands that with the submission of its final report, the mandate of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia “henceforth stands terminated by the council.”

The African Group found welcome backing from the Eritrean government, which called on the Human Rights Council to engage constructively with the government of Ethiopia and “requests the council not to extend the mandate of the commission.”

The council will vote next month on whether to renew the commission’s mandate after its scheduled expiration in December.
…

your ad here

US Contractor Arrested on Espionage Charges

Posted on by SeeAF

A contractor for the U.S. government has been arrested on espionage charges, accused of providing a foreign country classified information that he downloaded and printed from his work computer system, the Justice Department said Thursday.

Abraham Teklu Lemma, who is originally from Ethiopia, had a top secret security clearance and access to classified information through contracting positions with the departments of State and Justice.

He is accused of using an encrypted messaging application to transmit maps, photographs and satellite imagery to the foreign government, according to court documents.

Court papers do not identify the country Lemma is accused of spying for, and a Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. But the documents do refer to travel back and forth over the past year and a half to a country where he has family ties.

The New York Times, which first reported the arrest, identified Ethiopia as the country for which Lemma is alleged to have spied.

Prosecutors say he accessed dozens of intelligence reports, copying information from them and downloading it to CDs and DVDs.

Lemma faces charges of delivering national defense information to aid a foreign government and conspiring to do so, as well as the willful retention of national defense information. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Lemma, 50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is a naturalized U.S. citizen, the Justice Department said.

Besides the material that prosecutors say Lemma provided, he also communicated with a foreign official who tasked him with supplying information on certain subjects of interest to the country. They discussed military issues, such as command centers and the activities of rebels who were fighting against the government, according to an FBI agent’s affidavit.

When the official told Lemma last September that it was time for him to continue his support, the affidavit says, Lemma responded, “Roger that!”

The State Department said in a statement that it learned that Lemma may have improperly removed classified information from its systems during an internal 60-day security review prompted by the April arrest of a Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking highly classified military documents on a social media platform.

The department said it would continue to implement recommendations from that review to improve its protection of classified information.
…

your ad here

Residents of Libya’s Derna Blame Government for Flood Disaster

Posted on by SeeAF

When protests whirled by his home early this week, Khalid Alkowash, 42, a local government worker in Derna, Libya was concerned but not surprised.

Thousands of people were dead and thousands more missing because dams that were known to need repair burst. People were angry. And now, with most journalists barred from working in Derna, locals have increasingly few outlets to express this anger publicly.

“They were out of their minds,” Alkowash said outside his home near the city mayor’s house, charred from fires set by protesters. “They were breaking things, shouting, chanting.”

The massive floods in eastern Libya hit Derna Sept. 11, sweeping entire neighborhoods into the sea, and devastating the region. The International Organization for Migration says more than 43,000 people were displaced. Divers pulled 125 bodies from the sea on Wednesday, and rescue workers are searching for thousands more.

On Monday, Derna’s main square was crowded with thousands of protesters, who started the day, chanting, “God is Great!” and “Libya is One Nation!” As the day dragged on, they began calling for the fall of the government and the resignation of the city’s mayor.

By phone from Derna on Wednesday, Safwat Elgiathi, a 24-year-old middle school teacher, said residents are angry at every level of government that could have prevented the infrastructure failure that led to the floods.

“We have every kind of aid,” he said. “[We need] responsibility.”

Journalists ordered out

Oversight from outsiders moving forward, however, appears to be unlikely, according to locals.

In the days following Monday’s protest, many international journalists were ordered to leave the city. Others attempting to travel to Derna were turned back. Prior to the protest, regional authorities refused entrance to multiple international news teams.

Some officials said journalists were disrupting the work of the rescue and recovery missions and others warned of potential breakouts of diseases, which is one of many calamities that can befall cities after major floods.

For residents, the departure of the media was worrying because “the world has to see what happens here,” said Elgiathi. But as they struggle with trauma and the daily toil of searching for bodies, he said reporters are not the first concern.

Many people have left Derna, he added, but he and others remaining plan to stay to locate and bury the missing. On the night of the floods, his aunt, her family, other cousins and many of his friends all disappeared.

“It was a terrifying and painful night,” said Elgiathi. “People’s screams that night still echo in my ears to this day.”
…

your ad here

Kenya Marks 10 Years Since Westgate Mall Attack, Reflecting on Security Progress

Posted on by SeeAF

Kenya is marking 10 years since a group of Somali al-Shabab militants attacked a major shopping mall in Nairobi, killing more than 60 people. While terror threats in the capital have since decreased, the group continues to perpetrate attacks along Kenya’s coast and in the country’s northeastern region.

One Saturday in 2013, four armed men from the al-Shabab terror group stormed Westgate Mall, attacking shoppers and killing anyone on sight.

The attack was followed by a siege, wherein the attackers engaged security forces in a gun battle for days. In the end, 67 people were killed and more than 150 were injured.

Thirty-six-year-old John Wangombe worked as an IT expert and was among the hundreds trapped in the mall that day. The father of three said he is happy to be alive.

“Now things have changed. At that time, I was single and now I am married. I would say thank God he gave me another chance to live. I would say the country is a bit secure. We don’t have an al-Shabab attack at the moment in our city. The security is now better compared to that time,” he said.

Kenyan security forces were criticized for how they handled the attack and for lack of coordination in dealing with the militants.

Richard Tuta, a Nairobi-based security analyst, said the mall attack has changed how Kenyan security forces deal with terror threats and attacks.

“It has even shaped how our security agencies are structured currently. If you look at how our security agencies were structured before and after, a lot has changed. Secondly, now we have a well-trained, well-equipped, well-structured anti-terror police unit that is fused with the intelligence component within it, unlike before,” he said.

In October 2020, a Kenyan court found two men guilty for their roles in the deadly 2013 mall attack. Convicted of conspiring with and aiding the attackers, the men were sentenced to prison.

But the security improvements and some courtroom convictions have yet to heal the hundreds who survived and lost family and friends.

In 2015, the mall reopened for shopping. Wangombe has since visited the mall, but bad memories prevent him from returning.

“I would say the security was a bit better. You could see the security guys looked experienced. But even with that security, there is that fear that you have: It can happen again. I remember where we were hiding. I remember that building where I used to work. If I go there, it will bring bad memories,” he said.

A heightened security presence in the capital has reduced the number of attacks, but al-Shabab continues to carry out frequent attacks in northeastern and coastal regions.

Tuta said eradicating terrorism is no easy task.

“Terrorism is something that is there to stay. It’s there to stay. It’s not something that one country can boast of that it has done away with it. Actually, what it can do is to transform itself in terms of operations and in terms of selections of targets and in terms of how they undertake it. But it will be there for a while — because, remember, this is an ideology,” he said. 

Al-Shabab has vowed to wage war against Kenya until Kenyan troops are withdrawn from the country, where they were deployed in 2011.
…

your ad here

Somali PM Optimistic About Winning Stronger International Support Against Al-Shabab

Posted on by SeeAF

Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said Thursday that his government is appealing for more international support in its long-running war against al-Shahab militants.

In an exclusive interview with VOA, Barre says he will appeal to the U.N. General Assembly this weekend about removing an international arms embargo so Somalia is capable of eliminating al-Shabab, a U.N. and U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has fought the Somali government for 16 years.

Barre said Somalia’s first priority is security, which he said cannot be fully achieved without a well-trained and well-equipped Somali national army.

“We need and would implore the world community for a complete lifting of the arms embargo that has been imposed on Somalia since 1992,” he said. “By doing so, our security forces would be able to take full control and responsibility of the country’s security.”

The embargo was imposed during Somalia’s early 1990s civil war.

Barre’s appeal comes as the African Union Transition Mission, or ATMIS, in Somalia, announced the start of the second round of a planned troop withdrawal. AU forces have been stationed in Somalia since 2007.

Barre, who is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, said he would give a comprehensive overview of Somalia’s progress.

The prime minister said he aimed to shed light on the nation’s achievements in diverse areas like poverty reduction, health care, education, economic growth, human rights, peace, security, and climate change.

Somalia’s army is in the middle of a military offensive against al-Shabab. Since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared a “total war” against the militants in August 2022, al-Shabab fighters have withdrawn from some of the group’s central Somalia strongholds under pressure from the army and allied local militias.

According to government military officials, the role of international partners in the ongoing operations has been limited to airstrikes against al-Shabab fighters and vehicles, which Barre says is not enough.

“In fact, many countries support us in different ways in the fight against al-Shabab, primarily the United States, European Union, Turkey, and the African Union troops. The question is, though, is if their support is at the level we would like to be. I would say it is not enough,” he told VOA.

Barre said there are grounds for optimism that the current battle against al-Shabab will successfully eradicate the terror organization.

“If we were talking about al-Shabab militants threatening Mogadishu security, now, we are talking about fighting with them in their remote strongholds, and that is a sign of optimism, and that peace and stability is on the horizon,” Barre said.

Barre said there was a need for concerted international efforts to protect gains made over the years and ensure sustained pressure against al-Shabab.
…

your ad here

Haiti, Kenya Set up Diplomatic Ties

Posted on by SeeAF

Haiti and Kenya established diplomatic relations on Wednesday.

The move comes amid international discussions over the possibility of Kenya leading a United Nations-backed multinational security force to help police fight escalating gang warfare in Haiti.

The United Nations Security Council could vote on the multinational force for Haiti in about a week, Brian Nichols, U.S. assistant secretary for western hemisphere affairs, said in an interview with Voice of America this week.

Henry’s government first sought international assistance last October, but despite repeated calls from the United Nations, the request went unanswered until Kenya said it was prepared to lead such a group in July.

With scarce resources, Haiti’s police have been battling powerful gangs now estimated to control large parts of the country.

Kenyan President William Ruto and Henry witnessed the signing of the pact establishing ties at the Kenyan mission in New York.

“As the leading nation in the U.N.-backed security mission in Haiti, we are committed to deploying a specialized team,” Ruto said in a statement issued by his office.

The team would assess the situation and prepare strategies to ensure long-term solutions, he added.
…

your ad here

Morocco to Spend $11.7B on 5-Year Post-Quake Reconstruction

Posted on by SeeAF

Morocco plans to spend at least $11.7 billion in a post-earthquake reconstruction plan over the next five years, the royal palace said Wednesday.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Sept 8, killing more than 2,900 people, mostly in the hard-to-reach villages of the High Atlas mountains.

The plan would target 4.2 million people in the worst-hit provinces of Al Haouz, Chichaoua, Taroudant, Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Azizlal, the royal palace said, following a meeting of King Mohammed VI with government and army officials.

The plan covers rehousing and the upgrade of infrastructure in a way that is conducive to social and economic development in the quake-hit areas, it said in the statement.

The quake-stricken areas are among Morocco’s poorest, with many remote villages lacking proper roads and public services.

The royal palace said the plan would be funded by the government’s budget, international aid and by a fund set up in response to the quake.

The fund has so far received some $700 million in donations.

Last week, the palace said that 50,000 houses were known to have been damaged and that authorities would provide shelter and $3,000 to affected households.

It also pledged to offer reconstruction aid of $14,000 for collapsed homes and $8,000 for damaged ones.
…

your ad here

Report: Africa Steering Geopolitical Challenges with Resilience, Economic Opportunities

Posted on by SeeAF

A leading global risk consultancy says that despite the impacts of the war in Ukraine, global inflation, climate and security challenges, Africa continues to find resilience. A new report by Control Risks and its economics consulting partner, Oxford Economics Africa, finds that as global tensions create disruptions, they are also providing many African governments significant political, economic, and security opportunities.

The research, released on Tuesday, examines how African countries, governments, and corporations navigate a world marked by global tension and competition for resources and alliances, particularly among China, Russia, and the United States.

Given the continent’s security measures and developing financial sector, the researchers focused on African states’ efforts to retain neutrality while under pressure to join with global geopolitical corporations.

Patricia Rodrigues, a Senior Analyst at Control Risks, a firm specializing in political, security, and integrity risks, said Africa is attracting investment from various countries vying for support and access to the continent’s economic opportunities.

“What we’ve seen from major geopolitical actors, be that the U.S., China, Russia, or the EU as a bloc, everybody’s increasingly viewing Africa as a place where they can entice to either align with them on key geopolitical or global affairs. And in doing so, there’s a lot of at least pledged investment that is being directed towards the continent. In addition to this, African governments are attempting to, I guess, play all sides, attempting to secure pledges of investment,” she said.

During the U.S.-Africa Summit in December, Washington committed to allocate $55 billion to Africa over the next three years, focusing on healthcare, trade, climate change, and women’s issues.

Recent reduced U.S. involvement in Africa has created opportunities for China, which has invested $10 billion in the continent from 2017 to 2022, and has also led to increased trade between Africa and Russia, growing from $9.9 billion in 2013 to $17.7 billion in 2021.

These three major global powers compete to secure access to Africa’s mineral resources, which are critical in advancing new technologies. Africa holds almost one-third of the world’s mineral reserves and eight and twelve percent of global gas and oil reserves.

Vincent Rouget is the head of Control Risks. He said the demand for African mineral wealth has also created the urge to industrialize in the continent.

“What we have seen in the last few months is more assertive moves by various countries to try to make sure that this surge in interest also benefits their economies. And we’re seeing what you could call a critical resource nationalism coming back in some economies, where we see an insistence on local processing, more stringent local content requirements and generally an attempt to integrate these critical mineral supply chains with a broader drive for industrialization,” he said.

In most African countries, natural capital accounts for between 30% to 50% of their overall wealth.

The continent loses $195 billion yearly of its natural capital due to illicit financial flows, illegal mining, logging, the illegal trade in wildlife, unregulated fishing and environmental damage.

Researchers say North African countries are positioning themselves as manufacturing destinations as Western countries are looking to disengage from China.

The head of Africa Macro at Oxford Economics Africa, Jacque Nel, said African economies will face challenges in an increasingly competitive global environment.

“We continue to see progress. It wasn’t a short-term boost to access to financial services that we’ve seen. We continue to see the expansion and access to financial services improve across the continent, which is really important because, secondly, this is a catalyst for broader economic growth. Access to financial services is required and supports economic growth in most, if not all, other sectors of the economy,” said Nel.

According to researchers, wars on the continent are receiving little attention from the international community, although it is affecting the continent and attracting external actors, such as Wagner and terror organizations. 
…

your ad here

EU Withdrawing Funds for Zimbabwe Elections Body Over Lack of Transparency

Posted on by SeeAF

The European Union says it is withdrawing $5 million in financial support to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission because of what it calls a lack of independence and transparency in the country’s disputed August polls.

In a statement late Tuesday, the EU embassy in Harare said Brussels is pulling out its $5 million financial support to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission because of the way the commission ran the country’s August general election.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa defeated Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change in the hotly contested August 23 election.

“We did not set institutions that underpin our democracy in chapter 12 of our constitution so that they can be funded by foreigners,” said Nick Mangwana, the government spokesman. “As government, we always provide for ZEC’s needs through the fiscus. So as far as we are concerned, this is a non-event. We did not apply for this funding. And it’s withdrawal, does not mean anything. ZEC will fulfill its mandate through the funding that it gets from the people of Zimbabwe.”

Promise Mkwananzi is the spokesman for the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change, which disputes the president’s victory.

“ZEC is improperly composed, it is not independent, it is not professional. We saw it in the previous elections, we’ve seen it even more glaringly in this election,” said Mkwananzi. “So we were quite surprised that the EU entrusted the taxpayer’s money of Europeans to such a group. The way forward really, like we’ve already articulated, is the disbandment of ZEC, totally, and the firing of all the individuals we involved both at commission and secretary level, and re-commissioning and re-composing ZEC based on individuals of integrity, of honor and independence, who then reconstitute ZEC in accordance with the constitution and the laws of our country in preparation for a fresh free and free election.”

The EU’s observer mission to Zimbabwe’s elections was among other missions which condemned the way Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ran the August polls.

The Southern Africa Development Community mission said the elections fell far short of the regional body’s electoral guidelines and infringed on the country’s constitution and electoral laws.

Linda Masarira, is the founder of the opposition Labor, Economists and African Democrats party. She says African countries need to run elections without EU help.

“They’ve always wanted to meddle with how we do elections in this country,” said Masarira. “And it should be a wake-up call to the government of this country to start funding its own elections, its own processes, its own government programs. We cannot continue running with begging bowls to the West and the East.”

Gibson Nyikadzino, Harare-based independent political analyst, agrees with Masarira.

“It only shows us that the European Union or the Western order has a way it wants to construct some truths in the knowledge regarding the issues to do with elections, the issues to do with democratic processes in the nations of the South,” said Nyikadzino. “And this explains why they are failing to come to terms with the reality that the Zanu-PF was officially declared the winner.”

But Brighton Mutebuka, a lawyer and political commentator, says the EU was justified in withdrawing the money.

“It is not just the EU who here on the ground versus with their electoral observer mission,” said Mutebuka. “But we have the regional bodies SADC and the AU as well. And they concluded that the election that ZEC delivered fell far short of those standards and quite brazenly saw in many respects in what we saw. So the ball is in ZEC’s court.”

On Wednesday, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission refused to comment on the EU’s announcement.
…

your ad here

Nigerian Authorities Pledge Cleaner Energy Transition after Climate Change Summit

Posted on by SeeAF

At the recent Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, Nigerian officials said they hope to create millions of jobs and much cleaner air through the country’s Energy Transition Plan. The initiative envisions Nigeria moving from the use of firewood and coal to natural gas and other environmentally friendly sources of energy. Timothy Obiezu reports from the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
…

your ad here

Students Another Casualty of Morocco’s Earthquake

Posted on by SeeAF

Children are returning to class in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains less than two weeks after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake killed and injured thousands of people there and razed whole villages. With about 600 area schools destroyed, many students will be studying in tents for now, or in the nearest city of Marrakesh. Lisa Bryant reports from the town of Amizmiz
…

your ad here

EU Executive Says Aid Payments for Somalia ‘Temporarily Suspended’

Posted on by SeeAF

The European Union’s executive said on Tuesday that disbursements of humanitarian aid in Somalia were “temporarily suspended” after a United Nations probe found widespread theft and misuse of support meant to avert famine.

Quoting senior EU officials, Reuters reported exclusively on Monday that the European Commission had temporarily suspended funding for the World Food Program (WFP) in Somalia because of the U.N. findings.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the European Commission, Balazs Ujvari, confirmed the temporary suspension.

“The commission has not asked for the suspension of humanitarian operations in Somalia. As per standard procedures, the ongoing operations have received a pre-financing of 80% and can still be implemented through this initial funding,” he said.

“Nevertheless, in view of the issues communicated by the report concerned, the commission had to take some precautionary measures to safeguard the EU funds, and therefore further disbursements are temporarily suspended until clarifications and reassurance are provided as regards to the resolution of the identified issues.”

The U.N. investigation concluded that landowners, local authorities, members of the security forces and humanitarian workers were all involved in stealing aid intended for vulnerable people.

Two Somalis who reached the Muri camp in the capital, Mogadishu, after fleeing hunger and conflict in the countryside told Reuters that local officials stripped them of the aid.

Donors boosted funding to Somalia last year as humanitarian officials warned of a looming famine due to the Horn of Africa’s worst drought in decades. As many as 43,000 people died last year as a result of the drought, researchers estimate.

The U.N. humanitarian aid budget for Somalia is envisaged at $77 million, of which $10.68 million is earmarked for the WFP.

The United States is by far Somalia’s biggest humanitarian donor. Last year, it contributed more than half of the $2.2 billion of funding that went to the humanitarian response there.

Three months ago, the WFP and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) suspended food aid to neighboring Ethiopia in response to a widespread diversion of donations.

A USAID official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday the situations in Ethiopia and Somalia were different, and the agency was not planning to pause food assistance in the latter.
…

your ad here

Nigeria, South Africa Leaders Look to Advance Economic Cooperation

Posted on by SeeAF

The leaders of Nigeria and South Africa held talks Monday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, with the goal of increasing cooperation, especially in mining and telecommunications.

Experts say more cooperation between Africa’s two largest economies in line with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement would boost growth and development across the continent.

A spokesperson for Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said Tinubu’s discussion with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the first meeting the Nigerian leader is expected to hold with counterparts from around the world this week at the 78th U.N. General Assembly. His intent is to attract investments that will strengthen Nigeria’s economy.

On Monday, Tinubu and Ramaphosa discussed cooperation in the mining and telecom sectors — specifically about easing stringent business policies that discourage investment.

Tinubu said improving economic ties would create more jobs and benefit both countries. 

Nigerian economist Isaac Botti agreed, saying, “It’s expected that having a strong alliance with South Africa will also enhance our economic growth, particularly recognizing that South Africa is the second-largest economy in Africa.”

Botti also said that an agreement between the two nations would “enhance, within the U.N. system, opportunities for expanding investments, opportunities for improving sources of revenue.”

“For example,” he said, “if they could get into a concrete agreement on mining, it means that as a nation we will be able to diversify our economy.”

Political affairs analyst Rotimi Olawale said African nations need to work together if they are to improve health and living standards for the millions stuck in poverty.

“It’s high time to begin to see deeper collaborations between players on the continent,” Olawale said. “When push comes to shove, like we saw during Covid, every continent looked inward. European Union began to negotiate as a bloc for the purchase of vaccines. So it’s much more important for especially the big countries to lead the way in seeking closer ties and collaborations.”

During his campaign this year, Tinubu promised to boost Nigeria’s economy if elected president. Since assuming office in May, the president has embarked on the country’s boldest economic reforms in decades, including scrapping a popular but highly expensive fuel subsidy.

This week, Tinubu is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and executives from Microsoft, Meta and Exxon Mobil.

Olawale said the president is likely to hold other such meetings designed to pave the way for foreign investment.

“I expect that we’d see many more of such meetings,” Olawale said. “Nigeria is in dire need of investments in many sectors — construction, telecoms, innovation, science and technology. I expect that many of these things will be at the top of the president’s agenda as he begins to discuss with many of these countries.”

Last week, Tinubu visited the United Arab Emirates and met with the country’s president. The visit led to the UAE lifting a visa ban on Nigerian travelers. Tinubu’s office said the UAE also promised to invest several billion dollars in the Nigerian economy across multiple sectors, including defense and agriculture.
…

your ad here

11 Somali Soldiers Killed as AU Forces Start Second Round of Troop Drawdown

Posted on by SeeAF

Eleven Somali government soldiers were killed and three others injured in a roadside explosion Monday in the southwestern Gedo region, officials said, as the African Union peacekeeping force began a second round of troop withdrawals.

The explosion targeted a convoy of military vehicles between the towns of Luuq and Doolow, deputy governor of security and policy for the region, Osman Nuh Haji, told VOA Somali.

“The technical vehicle they were riding in has been hit by an explosion,” Haji said.

He said the vehicle was burnt and destroyed.

The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the roadside explosion. 

Haji initially insisted only two soldiers were killed and two others were injured. But VOA Somali spoke to multiple sources including a senior regional official who said 11 soldiers were killed in the attack, and three others injured. 

Among the wounded is a commander with the 10th brigade of the 43rd Division of the Somali National Army, Rashid Bohol. “He was injured but his injury is light, he is walking and working,” Haji said. 

Meanwhile, Somali government officials and parliamentarians arrived in the town of Amaara in the central Galmudug state on Tuesday, hours after federal troops supported by local fighters seized it from al-Shabab.

Before Amaara, troops captured a series of nearby towns and villages, including Ba’adweyne, Qay’ad, Shabelow and Qodqod.

Government troops and local forces recently resumed seizing territories from al-Shabab, after a pause triggered by an August 26 attack in the village of Cowsweyne that killed dozens of government troops.

The ongoing military offensive comes as the African Union Transmission Mission, or ATMIS, in Somalia announced the start of the second round of a planned troop withdrawal. 

WATCH: AU Transition Mission Begins Gradual Withdrawal from Somalia

Burundian troops this week handed over their base in the town of Biyo Adde in the Middle Shabelle region to government forces, the first of 10 forward operating bases to be transferred. 

The new drawdown will see the reduction of the AU peacekeeping force to 13,586 soldiers by the end of September. The first round of the drawdown was concluded in June, and 2,000 troops left the country. 

Conditions should be attached to the continuation of the drawdown, said Brigadier General Abdirahman Mohamed Turyare, the former director of the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency, or NISA. 

He said resources such as the military equipment and funds allocated for the AU troops should be made available to the Somali army to strengthen military operations against al-Shabab. 

“If they cannot transfer all, at least some of it,” Turyare said. 

Turyare said the impact of the drawdown on Somalia’s security will depend on the success of the ongoing military operations. 

“If the government makes good progress [on] the liberation campaign in the next months it can cope with the reduction of AU troops,” he said. 

“If it doesn’t succeed, it will impact because the [AU] troops are holding areas; people living in those areas and [Somali] troops have them as a company. It will impact if the operation prolongs.”  
…

your ad here

‘Moms in Digital’ Helps Togolese Women Learn Valuable Skills

Posted on by SeeAF

A center in Lome, Togo, is offering free training to young unemployed mothers looking for a way to support their families. It’s called the “Moms in Digital” program, and the goal is to get more women into digital careers. Amen Assignon has the story, narrated by Salem Solomon.
…

your ad here

WHO: Hundreds of Children Die in Sudan Health Crisis

Posted on by SeeAF

Measles, diarrhea and malnutrition, among other preventable diseases, kill about 100 children every month in Sudan where armed conflicts have uprooted more than five million people from their homes, according to the United Nations.

Between May 15 and September 14, at least 1,200 children under the age of five died from a deadly combination of a suspected measles outbreak and high malnutrition in nine camps for internally displaced people in Sudan’s White Nile state.

There have also been reports of cholera, dengue, and malaria cases emerging in various parts of the country, sparking concerns about the looming threat of epidemics.

“Children younger than five are worst impacted, accounting for nearly 70% of all cases and 76% of all deaths,” the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

The U.N. warning comes as Sudan’s health sector is teetering on the brink of collapse, crippled by a severe lack of funding and essential resources.

“Health facilities are at breaking point, due to shortages of staff, life-saving medicine and critical equipment, exacerbating current outbreaks and causing unnecessary deaths,” the WHO said.

Ongoing-armed hostilities between Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which started in April, have generated and exacerbated humanitarian crises in the African country.

The conflict has taken an immense toll on Sudan’s civilian population, with the Health Ministry acknowledging over 1,500 civilian deaths since the conflict started.

However, aid agencies contend that the actual death toll far exceeds the officially reported figures.

Both warring factions, the SAF and RSF, have faced accusations of committing egregious acts of violence against civilians, including arbitrary detentions and killings.  

“The conflict has paralyzed the economy, pushing millions to the brink of poverty,” Volker Türk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said last week.

“More than 7.4 million children are without safe drinking water and at least 700,000 are at risk of severe acute malnutrition,” he said.

Humanitarian appeal 

In May, the U.N. appealed for $2.57 billion in humanitarian assistance for 18 million people in Sudan.

However, the situation remains dire, with aid agencies estimating that more than 24 million Sudanese are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.

As of September 19, the appeal has garnered $788 million, approximately 30% of the required funds, with the United States leading the list of donors with a contribution of $472.5 million.

“The world has the means and the money to prevent every one of these deaths from measles or malnutrition,” Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said in a statement on Tuesday.

“And yet dozens of children are dying every day — a result of this devastating conflict and a lack of global attention. We can prevent more deaths, but need money for the response, access to those in need, and above all, an end to the fighting,” he said, according to the statement. 
…

your ad here

African Union Transition Mission Begins Gradual Withdrawal from Somalia

Posted on by SeeAF

The African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia has begun gradually withdrawing from the country in anticipation of Somali forces taking over security duties by the end of 2024. AU forces have been deployed since 2007 to help the Somali government fight the al-Shabab militant group, but the fight is far from over, as Mohamed Sheikh Nor reports from Mogadishu.
…

your ad here

Italy Toughens Asylum Laws Amid Surge in Migrant Arrivals

Posted on by SeeAF

Italy’s government passed toughened asylum laws Monday as the country faces a surge in migrant arrivals on its southern shores.

The new measures will allow for the extended detention of migrants awaiting asylum decisions, from the current three months to an initial six months — with the possibility of an extension up to 18 months.

“That will be all the time needed not only to make the necessary assessments, but also to proceed with the repatriation of those who do not qualify for international protection,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said at the start of the meeting, according to Reuters. The Cabinet also approved the creation of more detention centers in remote areas.

In the past week, almost 10,000 migrants have landed on the small Italian island of Lampedusa, which has a population of 6,000 people. Most have crossed the Mediterranean Sea on small boats from Tunisia, a journey of just over 100 kilometers. Italian authorities say a further 180 migrants arrived on Monday. Conditions are dire, with migrants sleeping on the streets because the reception centers are full.

Claudine Nsoe, a 29-year-old mother of two young children from Cameroon, arrived on Lampedusa on a small boat last week, after an arduous two-day journey.

“I hope that the situation improves and that they let us leave from here, because the living conditions are not easy. We sleep in the open air, in the sun and in the cold. There is no food … and there are children,” Nsoe told Reuters.

EU plan

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen joined Meloni on a visit to Lampedusa on Sunday and promised a tough response.

“We have an obligation as part of the international community. We have fulfilled it in the past, and we will do so today and in the future. But we will decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances, and not the smugglers and traffickers,” von der Leyen told reporters.

The EU commission president outlined a 10-point plan to try to ease the pressure on Italy, including a bigger role for the bloc’s border agency Frontex in identifying and repatriating migrants who don’t qualify for asylum.

The plan is unlikely to have a big effect, said Camino Mortera-Martinez of the Brussels-based policy group the Center for European Reform.

“When it comes to substantive points and content of things that the Commission can do — or the European Union even can do — about this problem, there is absolutely nothing new. We see von der Leyen’s 10-point plan that she offered Italy, and we see the same things that we’ve been seeing for the past 10 years,” Mortera-Martinez told VOA.

Naval mission

Italy’s prime minister said the migrants must be stopped at the source “with a European mission, including a naval one if necessary, in agreement with the North African authorities to stop the departure of the boats.”

“Assess in Africa who is or is not entitled to asylum and accept in Europe only those who actually have the right according to international conventions,” Meloni said in a televised statement on Sunday.

The European Union signed a strategic partnership with Tunisia in July worth $1.1 billion in return for a crackdown on human traffickers and tightened border controls.

Human rights concerns

Human rights groups have expressed concerns over Tunisia’s treatment of refugees and say Europe must offer a more humane response. In 2023, alone, more than 2,000 people have died attempting the crossing between North Africa and Europe, according to the United Nations.

Andrea Costa, manager of the Baobab Experience charity, which offers support to migrants in Italy, said the tightened laws will only force migrants to make riskier journeys.

“The key is to invest in reception rather than rejection. These people have set off on a very difficult and harsh journey with a high mortality rate. You don’t stop them by putting up walls. You don’t stop them by closing borders or with naval blockades. Welcoming them is the best answer you can give,” Costa told Reuters.

EU disunity

EU member states are struggling to agree on a New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which the bloc says would create a “fairer, efficient and more sustainable migration and asylum process.”

Under current EU laws, migrants must apply for asylum in the country where they first arrive, adding to the pressure on front-line states. Several Eastern European countries, such as Hungary and Poland, are refusing to accept refugee quotas to share the burden of countries like Italy.

“We are a continent united in many things. Migration is not one of them. Or if it is, it’s basically on the consensus that we have to protect the borders,” said Mortera-Martinez.

“But if we don’t agree on something beyond that, then we will basically damage our own [European Union] project and that’s going to be, in my view, particularly visible after the elections in 2024,” she said.

With those European elections scheduled for June, analysts say right-wing populist parties are looking to capitalize on voter discontent over Europe’s handling of migration.
…

your ad here

Buffalo From Zimbabwe Expose Botswana Cattle to Possible Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Posted on by SeeAF

Botswana has put restrictions on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals in the northeast of the country after an incursion of buffalo from Zimbabwe put cattle at risk of contracting possible foot-and-mouth disease.

Zimbabwe National Parks reports that more than 500 buffalo recently crossed into Botswana from the Hwange National Park in search of water and food.

Botswana authorities fear the buffalo could spread foot-and-mouth disease to the country’s cows, sheep and goats.

Botswana’s director of veterinary services, Kefentse Motshegwa, says movement restrictions have been imposed on cattle in the affected areas in an effort to stop the possible spread of the ailment. 

Veterinarians are testing cattle for foot-and-mouth disease, and farmers will be informed within 30 days of the outcome.

Last year, following an outbreak of the disease, the government culled more than 10,000 cattle to stop its spread.

Botswana’s acting agriculture minister, Karabo Gare, says it is important to fight the spread of the disease, but there is also a need to safeguard humans from the buffalo, which are dangerous animals. 

Wildlife management expert Erik Verreynne says buffalo are able to enter Botswana because of another large beast, elephants.

“We see more and more animals coming in as the government is battling to maintain the fences as elephants keep breaking them,” Verreynne said.

Local veterinarian and farmer Mbatshi Mazwinduma says there is a need to take quick steps to avoid the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. 

“The implications are that in these times of drought and in this time of lack of water resources, the buffaloes were hungry and thin; there is a risk that they may be shedding more virus and the government is doing all it can to round them up humanely, offer them water, and the ones that are depilated, to dispose of them humanely while also concurrently doing the necessary measures to make sure that the possibility of foot and mouth does not spread,” Mazwinduma said.

Buffalo are often linked with the sporadic outbreaks of foot and mouth in Botswana, affecting beef exports.

Botswana, one of Africa’s top beef producers, exports about 10,000 tons of beef annually to the European Union, where the country enjoys duty- and quota-free access. 
…

your ad here