insert_link Africa Ivory Coast President pardons dozens jailed for treason Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has pardoned and ordered the release of 51 people convicted of treason and other state security charges. The beneficiaries of the presidential clemency include military and civilian figures convicted of offenses committed during the post-electoral crisis and for endangering state security. Among those pardoned are General Dogbo Blé Brunot and Koné Kamaraté Souleymane. Souleymane was Guillaume Soro's head of protocol when he served as Prime Minister […] today24 February, 2024
insert_link Africa 700 dead from Zambia cholera outbreak as cases surge Zambia has seen a surge in cholera cases since January 2024 with fatalities reaching 700, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. The country has recorded nearly 20,000 infections since the outbreak started in October 2023. While at the beginning of the outbreak cases were restricted to Lusaka and Ndola , the two largest cities in Zambia, the disease has since spread to all provinces of the country […] today24 February, 2024
insert_link Africa ‘Time bomb’: The used cars causing pollution and accidents in Africa Every year, around four to five million used cars are shipped to Africa, mostly from Europe, North America and Japan, to be sold in countries where newer vehicles are too expensive for most. But these old cars, often in poor condition, are also bringing high levels of pollution to the continent, as well as causing accidents on the roads. Some are now campaigning for governments to take action. today23 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Thousands displaced in Mozambique due to unrest A new outbreak of unrest in northern Mozambique by jihadist insurgency has forced thousands to flee their homes, according to UN figures and sources in Cabo Delgado province. The AFP news agency reports that an alert from the UN migration agency IOM said recent attacks in the Macomia, Chiure and Mecufi districts had displaced 13 088 people - most of them children - by bus, canoe, and on foot. today22 February, 2024
insert_link Africa UN sanctions DRC rebel leaders The UN has imposed an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze against six rebel leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo amid violence in the country's east. According to the BBC, those sanctioned include the military spokesperson of the M23 rebel group, a general in the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda and two senior leaders in the Ugandan armed group Allied Democratic Forces. today22 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Climate change, extreme weather & conflict exacerbate global food crisis Global food insecurity has risen substantially since pre-pandemic times, exacerbated by extreme weather, climate change, war and conflict. What the U.N. World Food Program calls “a hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions” plays out differently around the world. In this story, three of Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellows detail the local situation in their region – from rising inflation and flooding in Nigeria to diminished local food […] today22 February, 2024
Africa Cuban speaker in Kenya over fate of abducted doctors Cuba's parliament speaker is visiting Nairobi in a bid to uncover the fate of two Cuban doctors abducted in Kenya by Somalia-based jihadists almost five years ago, its foreign ministry said. The mission by Esteban Lazo comes after Al-Shabaab claimed in a statement that the two doctors had been killed in a US air strike in Somalia last week. Lazo "has travelled to Kenya in order to engage in urgent […] today22 February, 2024
insert_link Africa This popular floating restaurant was on the rocks until Frida Njeri took over By Velma Pamela, bird story agency There are no land rates for this bar and restaurant that floats on the sea waters of the Lamu Island in Kenya. People have lived here for over 700 years. Lamu Old Town is older than Zanzibar, and other settlements in East Africa where Bantu, Arabic, Persian, Indian, and European influences fused into the Swahili culture. The town, with its relatively […] today22 February, 2024
insert_link Africa Zimbabwe’s “Biker Queen” rides full throttle against gender norms By Mike Saburi, via bird story agency Evonne Mudzingwa is in her happy place. The roar of an engine at full throttle is music to the ears of Evonne Mudzingwa and the glint in her eye is from light reflecting off brilliant chrome on powerful two-wheelers filling a parking lot in Harare. It’s a Sunday afternoon, which means the country’s highways have little traffic - every biker’s dream. […] today22 February, 2024
