The Southern African Development Community (SADC) delegation, led by a former South African minister, is due to meet with King Mswati III there, after violent protests in recent days in Eswatini. According to civil society, at least seven people were killed this Wednesday, October 20, 2021 during a demonstration against …
Read More »Eswatini: nurses’ union accuses security forces of shooting its members
A nurses union in ESwatini accused security forces of shooting and injuring at least 30 of its members who were in the streets protesting for democracy on Wednesday. The Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union said nurses and other workers demonstrating in the main city, Mbabane, were met with what it called …
Read More »British MPs propose to write “smoking kills” on every cigarette
British parliamentarians have tabled amendments to a bill on health, currently under consideration, with the aim of combating smoking. Among them, writing “Smoking kills” directly on cigarettes, inside packages, reports The Guardian. “Smoking is the leading cause of premature death in England, killing 74,600 people in 2019,” wrote on Twitter …
Read More »Ethiopia: Tigray’s capital hit by new airstrike
Tigrayan forces say Mekelle, the capital of the war-torn Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, has been hit by airstrike for a second time this week, reports said. Kindeya Gebrehiwot, a member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)’s central committee, tweeted about the airstrike being carried out in the city …
Read More »Egypt: nearly 100 women sworn in as judges for the first time
Egyptian Council of State has announced that 98 women had been appointed judges in one of the country’s main judicial bodies, for the first time. The judges were sworn in before the council’s chief judge in an event in the capital Cairo on Tuesday. Their appointment comes months after President …
Read More »Tunisia: EU urged president Saied to reopen parliament
The European Union has urged the Tunisian President Kaïs Saied to restore democratic order in the country and reopen parliament. During a parliamentary session, European Union’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell told EU lawmakers that the Tunisian parliament “cannot stay closed indefinitely”. “It is crucial for the future of the …
Read More »Nigeria: Buhari offered condolences and called for patience after market attack
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has offered his condolences with the families of victims killed in an attack on a village market in the north-western state of Sokoto and called on citizens not to despair. At leat 43 people died in the Sunday evening attack after gunmen raided the open-air market …
Read More »Ethiopia: governemnt accused TPLF of killing 30 civilians
Government in Ethiopia has blamed the rebel group, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), for killing at least 30 civilians during recent attacks. In its latest statement, the government says the TPLF targeted areas in Amhara and Afar regional states, which both border Tigray, in “unwarranted attacks against innocent civilians”. Whereas …
Read More »UN envoy to assess impact of sanctions on Zimbabwe
UN Special Rapporteur Alena Douhan has arrived in Zimbabwe to assess the impact of sanctions imposed on the country by the US and European Union. The sanctions were imposed in 2002 when Robert Mugabe was president. They target companies and specific individuals both within the Zimbabwean government and those associated …
Read More »“Ethiopia needs to stop receiving food aids to avoid pressure”, PM Abiy
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has linked food aid from abroad with diplomatic pressure on the country, in a statement reported by state-owned Ethiopia Television (ETV). He said Ethiopia needs to stop receiving the assistance to avoid that pressure, ETV reported. “If we make sure that this thing called wheat …
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