Africa

Some 1,000 Ukrainian tourists are stranded in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar after the Ukrainian airspace was closed to civilian flights following Russia’s military action in the country. Zanzibar’s government says it is liaising with the Ukrainian embassy in neighbouring Kenya to evacuate the tourists to Poland. Tourism Minister Leila …

Armed men have kidnapped five people working for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the north of Cameroon, local officials say. Those abducted are three aid workers of Chadian, Senegalese and French-Ivorian nationality, as well as two Cameroonian security guards. The abduction took place during an attack in Cameroon’s Far North …

The World Food Program (WFP) on Thursday held a meeting with local officials in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province over food aid recipients who accused community leaders involved in the relief distribution of demanding sexual favors . The head of the UN agency in Mozambique, Maurício Bortee, expressed concern about the …

A Kenyan girl has been sentenced to five years in jail for manslaughter over a school dormitory fire that killed nine of her colleagues. The 18-year-old committed the offence in 2017 while aged 14 in her first year of secondary school at the Moi Girls School in the capital, Nairobi. …

Somali authorities have once again extended the deadline for the completion of the elections scheduled for February 25, privately owned Radio Risala reported Somalis will go to the polls on March 15, according to reports. Somali leaders cited drought reasons, security concerns and financial challenges for the extension of the …

The Nigerian government has announced that it will evacuate its citizens wishing to leave Ukraine as soon as airports reopen in the country. The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign affairs says the country “has received with surprise” the reports of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ministry’s spokeswoman, Francisca Omayuli says it …

Sudan has released most of those detained for protesting last year’s military coup, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for Sudan, Adama Dieng, has said. According to the UN official, at least 115 people had been released and 24 others are still in detention. Mr Dieng has urged Sudanese …

Kenyan Education Minister George Magoha has called on teachers to call off a planned strike ahead of national exams and encouraged the government commission that hires teachers to engage them in talks to avert the strike. The national union issued a strike notice after pay talks with the government failed. …

The African Union (AU) has expressed concern over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calls for an “immediate ceasefire” to avoid a “planetary conflict”. The institution’s chairman, Senegalese President Macky Sall, and AU Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said in a statement that they were “extremely concerned” about the invasion. “They …

At least 11 people have died and almost 2,700 have been left homeless due to flooding in the past week in Mozambique, relief authorities have said. The floods were caused by intense rains across the country due to Tropical Storm Dumako between February 15 and 22. The provinces worsely hit …