Month: November 2024

The World Health Organization’s regional director-elect for Africa died while receiving medical treatment in India, Tanzania’s parliament speaker said Wednesday.

Plans to repatriate the body of Tanzania’s Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, 55, were underway, Speaker Tulia Ackson said, adding that funeral plans would be announced later. She didn’t disclose Ndugulile’s ailment.

Ndugulile served as a member of parliament for Kigamboni Constituency in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam. He was also the East African country’s health assistant minister between 2017-2020 and the information and communication minister until 2021.

He was elected as the WHO’s African director in August and was set to start his new role in February 2025, following Dr. Matshidiso Moeti who served in the role for two terms. In his acceptance speech, Ndugulile expressed a firm commitment to advancing the health and well-being of people in Africa.

Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed condolences on social media platform X, calling his death “devastating,” while WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus wrote that he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by his death.

Several Tanzanian legislators also posted on X, saying Ndugulile was “a humble man.”

Godbless Lema, a former opposition legislator, wrote: “When in parliament, Ndugulile wasn’t as harsh as his colleagues in the ruling party.”

WHO regional directors have a five-year term and are eligible for reappointment only once.

Mali’s junta arrested one of the country’s top politicians Wednesday for criticizing the military rulers of neighbouring Burkina Faso, according to his son and a judiciary source.

Issa Kaou N’Djim, who previously supported Mali’s current military leader Col. Assimi Goita before distancing himself, was arrested on charges of insulting a foreign head of state, which is a crime in Mali, an employee of the court system said. The court employee spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to reporters.

N’Djim had claimed on the Joliba TV News broadcaster on Sunday that the military rulers of Burkina Faso, a close ally of Mali, made up evidence of a foiled coup in November.

The politician was placed in custody and taken to the main prison in Mali’s capital Bamako on Wednesday, his son, Ousmane N’djim, said. “He knows he is being arrested because of his political struggle.”

The director of Joliba TV News has also been called for interrogation by the authorities.

Mali and Burkina Faso have been ruled by military regimes since coups in 2020 and 2022, capitalizing on popular discontent with previous democratically elected governments over security issues. Together with Niger, another junta-led country in the region, they form the Alliance of Sahel States or AES.

N’Djim was one of the vice presidents of the National Transitional Council (CNT), Mali’s legislative body under the junta. He later distanced himself from the military regime and said he favoured a return to electoral democracy. In 2021, he was handed a six-month prison sentence after he criticized the military regime on social media.

The security situation in the three AES countries has worsened over the past couple of years, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by Islamic extremists. Government forces have been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants while cracking down on political dissent and journalists.

In June, Malian authorities arrested eleven opposition politicians and several activists.

Amnesty International called for N’Djim’s release in a post on the social media platform X.

The governing party in Georgia on Wednesday picked a former footballer as its candidate for the country’s new president following its controversial election victory that has sparked protests and led to the opposition parties’ boycott of the parliament.

The Georgian Dream party nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former national team member and Premier League player to the job of the country’s mostly ceremonial president.

He is all but certain to win the Dec. 14 vote by the electoral college controlled by the ruling party.

Georgian Dream retained control of the parliament in the Oct. 26 election that the opposition said was rigged under the Russian influence.

European election observers said the balloting took place in a “divisive” atmosphere marked by instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence.

Georgian Dream has a majority in the college, making the approval of Kavelashvili’s candidacy all but certain.

Kavelashvili, who was a striker who played in the Premier League for Manchester City and in the Swiss Super League for several clubs, was elected to the parliament in 2016 on the Georgian Dream ticket.

In 2022, he has co-founded the People’s Power political movement, which has become known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.

“Our society is divided,” Kavelashvili said in parliament, charging that “radicalization and polarization” in the country has been fueled from abroad.

He accused Zourabichvili of violating the constitution and declared that he will “restore the presidency to its constitutional framework.”

In the Central African Republic, gunmen killed six motorcycle taxi drivers and four of their customers near the diamond-mining town of Bria, authorities said Tuesday.

The motorcycle taxi drivers and their customers were returning from a religious ceremony in the town of Ippy and were heading to Bria, the capital of the central Haute-Kotto prefecture, when they were ambushed by unidentified gunmen, Bria MP Jacques Tafogo told The Associated Press.

“They were tied up and killed with their clients and their motorcycles were set on fire ,” Tafogo told the our source by telephone. The city is in the grip of psychosis and the army is mobilized with the support of Wagner ‘s Russian mercenaries .

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the mining town of Bria has been plagued by fighting between the country’s armed forces and the Coalition of Patriots for Change , an anti-government militant group, in recent years.

Diamond exports from the city are banned under the 2003 Kimberley Process , which aims to eliminate the trade in “blood diamonds” that fuel conflict in Africa.

The Central African Republic has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-president François Bozizé from office.

The 2019 peace deal only served to dampen the fighting, and six of the 14 signatory armed groups subsequently left the deal. The Coalition of Patriots for Change was founded in 2020 following the deal.

The Central African Republic is also one of the first countries where Wagner’s Kremlin- backed mercenaries established their operations, promising to fight rebel groups and bring peace.

But instead of stabilizing the country, Wagner’s forces have been accused of gross human rights violations and of defending the military regime of Faustin-Archange Touadéra , in power since March 2016.

“The army is working on a military operation in the area where the tragedy took place with the support of our Russian allies ,” Haute Kotto military police commander Robestin Yamande told the Africanewsguru.com following the attack in Bria.

Chadian defence forces have intensified their operations to track down Boko Haram fighters.

This follows a deadly attack in late October in which the terror group targeted a garrison in the Lake Chad basin killing about 40 soldiers. In the aftermath, the president launched operation Haskanite. Authorities say they have killed about 100 fighters.

“I can confirm that there are no more Boko Haram groups on Chadian soil,” the governor of the Lake province du Lac

“Operation Haskanite has driven them out, moreover, we were able to finish them off. For instance, I can talk about our last confrontation during which a prominent leader, he was known among Boko Haram fighters, this leader was named Kanaye Djougoun. This operation has bore fruits,” Saleh Haggar said.

Chad claims no Boko Haram fighter is based on its soil and that they operate from neighbouring Niger and Nigeria. The Lake Chad basin would be their supply area.

The region has remained a flashpoint for militant attacks, with insurgent activity spilling over from Boko Haram’s origins in northeastern Nigeria since 2009.

Chad’s minister of communication considers his country has been left alone in this fight.

“Why is Chad alone on the battleground?” Boukar Michel said.

“Why haven’t these refugees, internally displaced people, received any help from the international community? Why haven’t they been taken care of by humanitarians? Nobody can accept to be the only one suffering losses when attacks occur or to be the only one having their defence forces laid to rest.”

N’Djamena has threatened to exit the regional counterterrorism security force.

Multinational Joint Task Force’s (MNJTF) was set up in 2015 with Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon, each contributing troops.

Mali’s ruling junta cut the signal of the popular news broadcaster Joliba TV News after a prominent politician criticized the military rulers of neighboring Burkina Faso during a televised debate, a journalist for the channel said Tuesday.

“This morning, the authorities cut off our TV channel signal, but we’re still hopeful that they’ll restore it soon,” Attaher Halidou, the journalist who chaired the debate, told The Associated Press.

Earlier this month, Malian authorities arrested and jailed politician Issa Kaou N’Djim after he claimed during the debate on Joliba TV that the military rulers of Burkina Faso had fabricated evidence of a foiled coup in September. The director of the broadcaster was also questioned by the authorities.

The decision to cut Joliba TV’s signal is the latest crackdown on press freedom and political dissent in Mali, which has been ruled by a military regime since 2020.

In June, the authorities arrested 11 opposition politicians and several activists. That followed the junta’s decision to ban the media from reporting on the activities of political parties and associations.

The Press House of Mali, which represents journalists and the media in the West African country, threatened on Sunday to rebroadcast the televised debate if the authorities revoked Joliba’s license.

“We are in talks with the Malian authorities to find a global solution that not only concerns the restoration of Joliba TV’s signal, but also the threat of withdrawal of its license and all other factors concerning press freedom,” Bandiougou Danté, the president of the press organization, told The Associated Press.

N’Djim was one of the vice presidents of the National Transitional Council, Mali’s legislative body under the junta. He later distanced himself from the military regime and said he favored a return to electoral democracy. In 2021, he received a six-month prison sentence after he criticized the military regime on social media.

Mali has been ruled by military regimes since a series of coups which capitalized on popular discontent with previous democratically elected governments over security issues. With Niger and Burkina Faso, it is a member of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a mutual defense pact which was created by the three states in 2023.

The security situation in the AES member countries has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by Islamic extremists. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

A brother of World Cup winner Paul Pogba went on trial Tuesday with five other men as part of an extortion case that targeted the soccer player two years ago.

The case at the Paris criminal court is taking place without the former Manchester United and Juventus player, who has decided not to attend. The trial is set to last one week.

A judge ordered the six men to stand trial following an investigation into whether Pogba was the target of extortion by his brother Mathias and childhood friends.

Mathias Pogba is on trial “for the offenses of attempted extortion and criminal conspiracy,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The five others — identified by their first names only — allegedly demanded 13 million euros ($13.6 million) from the France midfielder, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he should have supported them after he became an international soccer star.

They are accused of extortion and attempted extortion by using violence, abduction and confinement to facilitate a crime or misdemeanor, as well as criminal conspiracy.

Defense lawyers Yves Leberquier and Karim Morand-Lahouazi reportedly asked the court Tuesday to summon Pogba so they can question him.

During the investigation, Pogba said he paid 100,000 euros to the organized group including his brother. According to French media reports, the 31-year-old player also told investigators the alleged extortionists wanted to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on France teammate Kylian Mbappé. Pogba denied the allegation.

The case became public after Mathias Pogba posted threats on social media to share “explosive” revelations about his brother, Mbappé and Paul Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta. Mathias Pogba was also a soccer player who spent most of his career with lower-tier teams in Europe.

Once one of the world’s top midfielders, Pogba has made the headlines in recent years more often for his off-field problems than for his soccer brilliance.

Egyptian naval forces rescued five people Tuesday and recovered four bodies, a day after a tourist yacht carrying 44 passengers sank in the Red Sea coastal town of Marsa Alam, officials said, after facing rough weather.

This brings the total to 33 survivors while seven remain missing.

Sea Story, a live-aboard used mainly for maritime activities, sent a distress signal after a large wave crashed into the boat, causing it to capsize, according to survivors’ accounts. Some passengers were inside the cabins when the boat overturned within minutes, according to statements.

A rescue operation, still ongoing, was ordered and 28 people were rescued Monday from the vessel.

On Tuesday, the governor of the Red Sea region, Amr Hanafy, said the five survivors were two Belgians, an Egyptian, a Swiss citizen, and a Finnish national. He also said the four bodies are yet to be identified.

The boat carried 13 Egyptians, including crew members, and 31 foreign nationals from the United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, China, Slovakia, Spain, and Ireland.

The German foreign ministry said Tuesday that three Germans remain missing while three others have been rescued.

Meanwhile, Paweł Wroński, Poland’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said two Polish nationals, a man and a woman, are also missing and that their families have been notified.

Live-aboards usually depart port for multiple-day excursions. Sea Story left Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was scheduled to deck in Hurghada five days later. It sank 46 nautical miles away from Marsa Alam, according to the governor.

The boat had no technical problems, obtained all required permits prior to the trip, and was last checked for naval safety in March, officials said. According to the website of the boat operator Dive Pro Liveaboard, the Sea Story was built in 2022 and can hold 36 passengers.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority on Saturday warned of turbulence and high waves, advising against naval activity on Sunday and Monday.

Marsa Alam is renowned for its pristine beaches, a wide variety of marine life, and regular shark sightings, particularly the curious Oceanic White Tip, drawing in scuba diving enthusiasts worldwide. However, some of the dive sites are challenging, with rough currents, and require advanced certification.

The Egyptian military is also involved in coordinating the rescue operation.

Just four years after being hit by a severe drought, Cape Verde is undergoing a remarkable agricultural transformation. Once struggling to sustain crops, the archipelago is now embracing innovation, with lush greenery emerging as a symbol of progress. A key driver behind this shift is the implementation of modern infrastructure, including seawater desalination plants.

Empowering Farmers

Agronomist Edy Simão highlights the impact of these developments:

“These measures to boost production and improve water access will truly help farmers achieve better livelihoods. Many already sustain themselves through farming but often need additional income from construction or other jobs. With this support, they can fully rely on their agricultural production.”

A Revolution in Agriculture

Cape Verde is mobilizing significant resources to introduce innovative crops and expand seawater desalination. Complementing these efforts, an ambitious agricultural insurance system is being rolled out to provide further stability for farmers.

A Model for West Africa

This agricultural policy is positioning Cape Verde as a model for the region, with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). At the 16th meeting of the multidisciplinary team from the FAO’s West Africa office in Praia, social protection was a key focus.

FAO Public Policy Officer Bintia Stephen Tchicaya emphasized the importance of viewing social protection as an investment:

“In most of our countries, social protection is seen as an expense. We want governments to recognize it as an investment in human capital.”

Challenges in Social Protection

Despite these advancements, West Africa’s social protection coverage remains limited, reaching just 13% of the population with at least one service. However, Cape Verde’s progress offers hope and a blueprint for sustainable development in the region.

Namibia’s Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah could become the country’s first female president if she wins the presidential election on Wednesday.

At least 1.4 million people, or about half of the population, have registered to vote in the elections, with 15 political parties running for president and seats in the National Assembly.

Results from special early polls held for Namibia’s foreign missions, seamen and security services announced by the Electoral Commission of Namibia this month indicate Nandi-Ndaitwah and her party, the South West Africa People’s Organization, or SWAPO, are in the lead.

SWAPO has governed the southwest African country since its independence from South Africa’s apartheid minority government in 1990.

But in 2019, the party lost its two-thirds majority in the National Assembly for the first time since 1994. Its dismal electoral performance has been widely attributed to allegations of corruption and money laundering in the Namibian fishing industry. Two cabinet ministers were arrested, and businessmen connected to the ministers were also convicted and imprisoned.

Political analyst Henning Melber, a professor at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State, believes SWAPO and Nandi-Ndaitwah must take the 2019 election results as a warning even though they appear favoured to win the elections.

Melber said the party needs to attract support from younger voters who do not feel a link to the party’s history of liberation struggles — a challenge also shared by Africa’s other former liberation movements, such as South Africa’s African National Congress.

“It looks like there is no way back to regain such dominance. The process of erosion of legitimacy as a former liberation movement has advanced too much,” he said.

He added that the “born-frees” — a term for children born after their country’s liberation — will not vote based on emotions like the older generations did, but will do so based on delivery and governance.

Nandi-Ndaitwah, 72, has promised to create more jobs and tackle the 20% unemployment rate for young people and graduates. She has pledged to spend approximately 85 billion Namibian dollars ($4.7 billion) over the next five years to create more than 500,000 jobs, a goal that her critics call unrealistic.

Issues affecting women, including reproductive rights, equal pay and healthcare, are also likely to rank high for voters.

If she becomes president, Nandi-Ndaitwah would follow in the footsteps of Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who made history when she became the continent’s first elected female president in 2005, as well as Malawi’s Joyce Banda and Samba Panza of the Central African Republic.

Erika Thomas, a political science lecturer at the University of Namibia, said should Nandi-Ndaitwah be elected as president of Namibia, she must strive to be independent, transparent and accountable.

“She must also try to push for policies and legislation frameworks for women participation and to bring more women into the political structures,” Thomas said.

SWAPO will face competition from the Independent Patriots for Change, led by former dentist Panduleni Itula, and university professor Job Amupanda’s Affirmative Repositioning party.

Political parties contesting the elections wrapped up their campaigns with final rallies this weekend.

Elections in southern Africa this year have delivered ground-breaking changes to the region’s political landscape, with the ANC in South Africa losing its 30-year parliamentary majority and Botswana’s Democratic Party getting unseated after 58 years in power.

In Mauritius, considered one of the most stable democracies in Africa, the opposition won recent elections by a landslide.

Disputed election results in Mozambique, which saw the ruling Frelimo party declared the winner, have led to ongoing protests that have seen at least 30 people killed.