insert_link Africa Former Banyana Banyana captain scores major first at AFCON 2023 By Joel Omotto, bird story agency At the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), there has been a distinct female voice in the commentary box. For those who don't know, it's the voice of Amanda Dlamini, the former South African football national team captain and the first woman to commentate a game at the men’s AFCON. In yet another major score for women at this tournament, Dlamini’s […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 7
Africa Ghana: Kumasi city’s unplanned boom is destroying two rivers – sewage, heavy metals and chemical pollution detected By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Owusu Amponsah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ghana’s urban population has more than tripled in the past three decades, from 4 million to nearly 14 million people. Competition for land in cities has increased among various land uses. These trends have led to encroachment in ecologically sensitive areas such as wetlands. Kumasi, […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 14
insert_link Africa Somaliland-Ethiopia port deal: international opposition flags complex Red Sea politics By Jutta Bakonyi, Durham University The memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland announced on 1 January 2024 set off diplomatic rows in the Horn of Africa – and beyond. Details of the agreement are not publicly known, but both state leaders have touched on its content. Among the main elements: Ethiopia gets a 50-year lease on a strip of land on Somaliland’s Red Sea coast for naval […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 16
insert_link Africa Nigerian set up AFCON final against hosts Ivory Coast Substitute forward Kelechi Iheanacho and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali played key roles as Nigeria beat South Africa 4-2 on penalties on Wednesday in an Africa Cup of Nations semi-final thriller. The three-time champions will face hosts Ivory Coast, who dominated the Democratic Republic of Congo but had to settle for a 1-0 win in Abidjan, in the final on Sunday. Nigeria triumphed after a 1-1 draw following extra time in Bouake […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 5
insert_link Africa Uganda record increase in Covi-19 cases Uganda's Health Ministry has issued a warning following a recent surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The government has re-introduced preventive measures in some of the worst affected areas, adding the disease remains a threat. Isabel Nakirya reports. todayFebruary 7, 2024 17
insert_link Africa Cholera vaccine push underway in southern Africa The World Health Organization has warned that cholera cases are increasing globally, and there’s been an unprecedented spike in Africa. Dr. Fiona Braka from WHO’s regional office in Brazzaville, Congo, said that eastern and southern Africa have been badly affected. In just the first four weeks of the year, 10 African countries reported more than 26,000 cases and 700 deaths. todayFebruary 7, 2024 30
insert_link Africa Tensions rise over safety of Nigerians in South Africa An advisory issued by the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Pretoria has raised concerns about the safety of Nigerians in South Africa. South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, says the advisory is regrettable. todayFebruary 7, 2024 4
insert_link Africa Are African leaders holding on to power? Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling, and oldest heads of state, including Namibia. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2022 Democracy Index linked entrenched leadership in the region to developmental and security challenges, including conflict or instability, stagnant or declining economies, and democratic backsliding. Here’s SA-based political analyst Professor Ntsikelelo Breakfast. todayFebruary 7, 2024 23
insert_link Africa Livelihoods at stake as Lake Victoria’s papyrus swamps come under pressure: Photos By Patrick Newcombe, via MongaBay The papyrus swamps at the edges of Lake Victoria in East Africa have for generations provided a livelihood to communities living here. While some harvest reeds to make into mats, baskets, and handicrafts, others catch the plentiful fish that nurse in the shelter of the reedbeds. The swamps are also home to birds that have become specialized to live amidst the papyrus reeds in a […] todayFebruary 7, 2024 22
