insert_link Africa DR Congo trial over thwarted ‘coup’ bid due to open Around 50 people including several Americans are due to go on trial on Friday in the Democratic Republic of Congo over what the army said was an attempted coup, military justice official said. The hearing, which is due to begin during the morning, is taking place in a military court inside the Ndolo military prison in the capital Kinshasa. Armed men attacked the home of Economy Minister […] todayJune 7, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Benin arrests five Nigeriens in escalating diplomatic standoff Benin authorities have arrested five Nigeriens at a port where Niger loads oil for export, sharply escalating a growing diplomatic dispute between the two West African nations. Five Nigerien nationals were arrested at the port of Seme-Kpodji on Wednesday evening after "entering the site without disclosing their identity", according to a statement from Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor at CRIET, Benin's court for financial crimes […] todayJune 7, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Between witchcraft and terrorism: how social fears in coastal Kenya impact religious expression By Erik Meinema, Utrecht University Kenya’s coastal region has, since about 2011, grappled with terrorist attacks carried out by the Somalia-based Islamic terrorist organisation Al-Shabaab. Muslims in coastal Kenya have long complained about their relative marginalisation versus Christians. Al-Shabaab has sought to capitalise on this sense of marginalisation to draw recruits and support from a small minority of Kenyan Muslims. Kenyan authorities have also associated […] todayJune 7, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Foreign healthcare volunteers in Africa can harm local relationships – Zambian study By James Wintrup, Chr. Michelsen Institute Thousands of global health volunteers, most from the United States, travel to Africa every year. These volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and have varying levels of experience. They include surgeons, anaesthesiologists, nurses and medical students. They arrive with the ambition to improve health outcomes in Africa and learn about “global health”. In my research I have studied the […] todayJune 6, 2024 24
insert_link Africa Africa enters into multi-country visa regime By Conrad Onyango, bird story agency Africa is moving towards a multi-country visa system, with individual countries and regional blocs working to remove their borders to promote intra-Africa tourism. Southern African countries are the latest to signal their intent to allow tourists to explore more diverse offerings across multiple destinations using a single visa. Leaders from Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, which comprise […] todayJune 6, 2024 19
insert_link Africa Russia to Boost Military Support for Burkina Faso Amid Terrorism Fight In a report by Reuters, Russia will send additional military supplies and instructors to Burkina Faso to enhance the West African country's defense capabilities and combat terrorism, Russian state media quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Wednesday. Since a 2022 coup, Burkina Faso has been under military leadership and has hosted contingents of the Wagner mercenary force, whose founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane crash last August. todayJune 6, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Kenyan President Ruto Seeks Diverse Counsel for Haiti Mission In the months preceding Kenya's deployment of police officers to Haiti, President William Ruto sought advice from political advisers, security officials, and foreign leaders regarding the prominent anti-gang mission. Additionally, Reuters reports that he consulted a group of Christian evangelical pastors close to him and his wife. These pastors provided recommendations to Ruto and acted as intermediaries between Haitian communities and the president, according to interviews with two pastors and […] todayJune 6, 2024 17
insert_link Africa Nigerian tycoon taps Zimbabwe for lithium as Africa pushes local development of its mining sector By Seth Onyango, bird tsory agency Nigerian industrialist Benedict Peters’ Bravura Holdings will start production at a Zimbabwean lithium project in 2025, boosting Africa's drive to retain more profits from the global lithium boom, according to mining.com. African Intelligence reported in March that the Nigerian billionaire had acquired an exploration license in the key mining area of Kamativi. Peters' foray into lithium mining […] todayJune 5, 2024 23
insert_link Africa Namibian and Angolan Energy Ministers Advance Baynes Hydroelectric Dam Project The Mines and Energy ministers of Namibia and Angola met at the Lauca Hydroelectric Dam to discuss the Baynes Binational Hydro Power Project. Tom Alweendo and Joao Baptista Borges, signed a resolution detailing future steps for the 881-megawatt Baynes hydroelectric dam. Progress, especially the completion of vital studies, was applauded. Remaining assessments are expected to conclude by year-end. The project, located on the Cunene River, began development in 2008, with […] todayJune 5, 2024 44