Tag: Africa

WEST AFRICA : Le Drian's trip to Ouagadougou reset for mid-January

The French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is expected to travel to Ouagadougou in the first half of January. Source link

Africa: Banadir Wins Somali Inter-State Tournament

Banadir defeated Gal-Mudug 3-0 on penalties after a 2-2 stalemate in regular time to win the 2020 edition of Somali Inter-state football tournament on Thursday (31 December 2020). Early in the game, a well taken free kick by Nageeye Deeq Mahmoud gave Banadir the lead, but Sahal Abdi Farah equalized after 15 minutes. Nageeye scored

Africa: When the World Unites to End Violence Against Women

Violence against women and girls is a global human rights challenge which must be fought to a standstill, JOY YESUFU writes. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging data and reports from those on the frontlines showed that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, have escalated. The trend is described as

South Africa: Health Workers Demand Vaccine Rollout

Thousands sign letter calling for Department of Health to act urgently “We call on the Department of Health to act urgently, transparently and decisively now to obtain vaccines and to implement vaccination, so as to reduce death and illness, and bring the pandemic under control.” So reads a letter started by Professor Heather Zar, a

Africa: Kenya’s President Calls On African Leaders to Harmonise Covid Protocols

President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to prepare harmonised COVID-19 protocols that will ensure participants are safe during the African Union meetings scheduled for February next year. President Kenyatta emphasized that the protocols will determine whether the African Union (AU) meetings will be virtual or physical

Africa: The Revolutionary Promise of New Year’s Day

In 1804, enslaved Africans seized their freedom on the Caribbean island that became Haiti. It came at an unthinkable cost, but it remains an inspiring example of what popular commitment and organisation can achieve. The celebration of New Year’s Day as a moment to contemplate renewal, usually personal renewal, follows the calendar adopted by Julius

Africa: Zimbabwe Forced to Put CHAN Preparations On Hold

Zimbabwe have been forced to put their preparations for the African Nations Championship finals (CHAN) on hold after nine members of the squad tested positive for COVID-19 when the team re-grouped after Christmas on Monday. A further five members of the technical team also tested positive, Zimbabwe Football Association communications and competitions manager Xolisani Gwesela

South Africa: Stocks to Watch in 2021

Investors had high hopes for the JSE in 2020. After a lacklustre five years, ending December 2019, when the JSE managed subpar returns of 6% and barely beat inflation, it was hoped that 2020 would be the year of recovery. Instead, it’s been a year of wild rides beginning in March, when bourses around the

Africa: How to Usher in a New Year in ‘Lockdown’

Bogged down by the Coronavirus pandemic, the year 2020 brought with it lockdowns, economic insecurities, anxiety, ailment, and even deaths. So much that the world is hopeful for a new beginning in 2021. Fingers and toes crossed, the world is preparing to bid adieu to 2020 and ring in the New Year with renewed hopes

Africa: COVID-19: One year later – WHO Director-General’s new year message

Geneva — As people around the world celebrated New Year’s Eve 12 months ago, a new global threat emerged. Since that moment, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken so many lives and caused massive disruption to families, societies and economies all over the world. But it also triggered the fastest and most wide-reaching response to a

Africa Pilots Anti-Illicit Financial Flows Project

Africa has been selected to pilot a United Nations-funded project to reduce illicit financial flows. The pilot by the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) support the project, which is aimed at helping the region achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the

Africa: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of investing in systems to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. The first ever International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, being held on 27 December 2020, was called for by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership

Africa: Eight People, Processes and Political Events Set to Shape 2021

While we all wish 2021 would start with a clean slate, it won’t. Many key themes from annus horribilis 2020 will be with us well into the new year. The Covid-19 vaccine It’s clear that the global scramble for vaccines will be decided along economic rather than moral lines, and there is controversy about the

Africa: 2020 in Review – Investigations

Geneva — Our reporters uncovered sexual abuse allegations against Ebola aid workers in Congo, a data breach the UN tried to keep under wraps, and more. Sex abuse, corruption, missing aid money, data breaches, and alleged cover-ups: Our investigative reporting explored these topics and others as we looked at the multibillion-dollar aid sector in 2020.

South Africa: Yaadt Music, a People’s Expression

There is always a song, remixed by no-one-knows-who, playing in many of the Cape’s spaces. It’s music that has become a part of the culture of the communities who produce as well as consume it. The history of yaadt music, a sound born in the Cape and its surrounding towns, is shrouded in obscurity and

Africa: A Year Without Precedent – WHO’s Covid-19 Response

Taking stock of all that’s been achieved – and the partnerships working to end the pandemic. It was the scenario the public health community had feared for decades. A dangerous virus emerges. It spreads rapidly around the world. COVID-19 infects people when they come together, but coming together is also how we will beat it.

SOUTH AFRICA/UNITED STATES : Arms broker Gareth de Nysschen does battle with US State Department

The South African entrepreneur Gareth de Nysschen, the founder and main shareholder in the South African firearms distributor Dave Sheer Guns, has been embroiled in a dispute since the summer with the US State Department and Department of Commerce after they refused him an import licence. Source link

Africa: Transparency in Extractives to Tame Graft Starts January

All countries subscribing to the global extractives initiative will effective January 1, 2021, have to publicly publish new and amended contracts signed with mining firms according to transparency disclosure requirements. Tanzania and Uganda are the East African countries subscribing to the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI). EITI said Tanzania and Uganda are among 55 countries

CENTRAL AFRICA/WEST AFRICA : Jeantet opens new 'green' OHADA desk

Green energy will be the theme of the first two seminars organised by Jeantet’s brand new OHADA desk. Source link

Africa: ‘African Leaders Are Not Thinking Right’ – Thomas Mapfumo

Zimbabwean music maestro Thomas Mapfumo channeled his revolutionary rasp and talked tough about Africa at the third edition of African Crossroads. The Chimurenga music legend was the headline performer and guest of honour at the event which was screened from seven hubs on December 10 and 11. His prerecorded set included liberation-era songs while his

AFRICA/UNITED ARAB EMIRATES : How Abu Dhabi calmed African countries' protests over its visa freeze

As part of its preparations for the historic official visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahou, which is due to Source link

Africa: WFP Cuts Refugees’ Food Rations in Uganda As Funding Declines

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned it will have to further reduce monthly relief cash and food rations for 1.26 million refugees in Uganda due to a funding shortfall.  With effect from February 2021, refugees will have to make do with only 60 percent of a full ration. “COVID-19 must not be

South Africa: Vaccine Rollout – Here Is Where South Africa Stands

Johnson & Johnson is trying to get approval for a vaccine against Covid-19 that only requires one shot. Details of the vaccine’s trial are expected to be released in January. Only a massive global rollout of an effective vaccine can end the Covid-19 pandemic in the short term. The vaccine is being rolled out in

Africa: IGAD – Statement By the High Representative Josep Borrell On IGAD Summit

Statements by the HR/VP The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) leaders are meeting in Djibouti today at a time when the region has pulled together impressively to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and a desert locust invasion. And at a time, when the stability of the region is threatened by conflicts, ancient border disputes and a

South Africa: Sad Year for Football

The following are some of the leading individuals who passed away – football people and those closely related and friends of the game: – Xolani BISHOTI Former Interim President and founder member of Buffalo City Region, Former Buffalo City FC and Aces United FC (also chairman) defender – Amr FAHMY Former CAF General Secretary –

Africa: Continent Nears 60,000 Covid-19 Deaths

Cape Town — As of December 19, confirmed cases of Covid-19 from 55 African countries reached 2,469,099 . Reported deaths in Africa reached 58,311 and 2,081,060 people have recovered. South Africa has the most reported cases – 901,538 , and 24,285  people died. Other most-affected countries are Morocco ( 412,393 ), Egypt ( 124,280 ),

AFRICA : Leading wealth manager Maitland promotes offshore trusts in face of wobbly rand

Offshore trusts as the bulwark against the risks of the rand: this is the solution being touted by the leading Source link

Africa: Glimmer of Hope – Africa CDC Launches Guidelines to Make Covid-19 Tests More Affordable and Accessible

The new guidelines on the use of rapid diagnostic testing offers new hope for more equitable, accessible and affordable testing. On 14 December 2020 the Western Cape health department restricted access to Covid-19 testing for the second time in the year, excluding most of those under 45 and all of those without symptoms from access

Africa: We All Deserve Protection From Covid-19

When I contracted Ebola virus disease in August 2014 while working as a medical doctor in a well-known private hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, I was denied access to a potential cure. For 15 days, I battled for my life in a debilitated isolation ward, not knowing if I would survive. But American aid workers who

WEST AFRICA : Insurance giant Prudential's African path points towards Orabank

After the Ivorian civil servants’ pension fund took a share in the pan-African banking roup Orabank, British insurance giant Prudential may follow suit. Source link