Former sport minister, Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde, is the new prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before being appointed he was the Director-General of Gecanine, DR Congo’s biggest parastatal mining company. The 43-year-old has a month to form a government that will lead the so-called Sacred Union, the new …
Read More »Opposition candidates call for protests in Somalia
Somalia’s opposition presidential candidates have called for protests on Friday over what they call “illegal stay in power by the president”. Former President Sheikh Shariff Sheikh Ahmed said, while making the announcement on behalf of other candidates, that the government had failed to organise both parliamentary and presidential elections. President …
Read More »Liberia on heightened alert after Guinea Ebola virus deaths
Liberia’s President George Weah has ordered health authorities to heighten surveillance in the wake of an Ebola resurgence in neighbouring Guinea. Three people have died in Guinea and four others reportedly have symptoms. The Guinean region affected by the latest outbreak is near the border with Liberia. President Weah is …
Read More »Suspected Islamists torch church and kill 16 people
The army in the Democratic Republic of Congo says suspected Islamists have killed 16 people and burned down a church in the north-eastern province of Ituri. They attacked people as they were worshipping in the village of Ndalya. The Allied Democratic Forces, which originated in Uganda, is active in the …
Read More »President Lazarus Chakwera fires head of Covid taskforce
The co-chair of a taskforce overseeing government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been fired by President Lazarus Chakwera, amid allegations over misuse of 6 billion Malawi Kwacha ($7.7m ). The co-chair of the taskforce, John Phuka, and the head of disaster management, James Chiusiwa, were sacked “for showing a …
Read More »Zimbabwe receives first batch of Sinopharm vaccine
Zimbabwe has received its first 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine, donated by China. The consignment arrived on Monday morning in a Air Zimbabwe flight and was handed over to the government by the Chinese ambassador to the country. An additional 600,000 doses ordered by the Zimbabwean government are …
Read More »South Africa reopens land border to facilitate crossings
South Africa on Monday reopened 20 land border crossings that were closed over a month ago to limit the spread of Covid-19. The land border points with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, eSwatini, Botswana and Lesotho will now have normal travel. They were closed following congestion by people who sought to enter …
Read More »Nigeria: president Buhari urges calm after ethnic clashes
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed for calm after at least 10 people were killed in ethnic violence in the southern city of Ibadan. Mr Buhari called on religious and traditional leaders not to allow ethnic or religious groups to stoke up hatred and violence against other groups. “I appeal …
Read More »WHO concerned about Ebola resurgence in West Africa
The World Health Organization (WHO) through its regional Director in Africa has expressed concern over the resurgence of Ebola in West Africa and activated response efforts. WHO’s Regional Director Matshidiso Moeti said the agency was “ramping up readiness”. Very concerned by reports of 4 suspected Ebola deaths in Guinea. @WHO …
Read More »Rwanda: the vaccination program start with healths workers
In a statetement said on Sunday, the Rwandan health ministry said the country has started immunising its healthcare workers against the cornavirus pandemic. An official in the ministry said immunisation with the Pfizer vaccine started last week in a few hospitals in the capital, Kigali. In a tweet, the ministry …
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