News
Daily news and weekly updates from Africa
- Tuesday 26 August 2014
Africa: Mediterranean Migrant Deaths Multiply in Summer Sailing Season
Witnesses described to IOM seeing the corpses of 18 African men in one craft that had to be abandoned Sunday 120 nautical miles from the Italian coastline, the same day after another 6 passengers drowned after a fishing boat capsized with some 370 migrants on board. - Monday 25 August 2014
Africa: Two Term Limits not Enough for African Leaders- Chissano
Presidential term limits, most often two terms, are a common feature of democratic constitutions adopted in Africa in the 1990s, but not all politicians adhere to a two-term presidency. - Monday 25 August 2014
DR Congo: Ebola Outbreak Confirmed As Two Deaths Reported
The outbreak of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in Boende region has already killed 70 people in recent weeks before the two cases were confirmed as Ebola, say WHO. - Monday 25 August 2014
Uganda: 10 Million People Will Be Searching For Jobs By 2020, Say Report
The World Bank report is corroborated by a 2013 study by the Labour and Education ministries that discovered that out of the nearly 400,000 graduates produced by training institutions annually, less than 100,000 land jobs with Uganda’s general population currently is estimated to be 34 million, grown to about 42 million by 2020. - Monday 25 August 2014
Kenya: Strathmore Team Wins Top Varsity Business Challenge
Africa has been urged by the international business community to invest in university students, as they have the potential to improve the nature and how business is conducted in the continent, by partnering with global companies in equipping them with hands on skills and funds for innovations. - Friday 22 August 2014
Senegal Closes Border For Fear Of Ebola Flare-Up As Hemorrhagic Like Fever Kills 13 In DRC
As Ebola death toll hits 1,350 according to the World Health Organization (WHO) latest statistics, there are growing fears that the outbreak will spread across Africa and beyond, DRC Health Minister Felix Kabange Numbi has reported a hemorrhagic like fever of unknown origin that has already killed 13 people in the country's northwest in the past two weeks. - Thursday 21 August 2014
South Africa: Campaign For ‘Mercy Killing’ Heads To Constitutional Court
Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia in April 2002 followed by Belgium in September in the same year, while Switzerland allows suicide assisted by doctors but it is not legal. - Thursday 21 August 2014
Liberia: Residents Clash With Police Over Ebola Quarantine
Liberia, with 466 deaths from 834 diagnosed cases, has seen the biggest toll among the four West African countries that have been hit by Ebola, with death toll standing at 1,229, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). - Thursday 21 August 2014
East Africa: AMISOM To Exit Somalia In 2016, Say AU
Somalia fell into a state of anarchy, after the ouster of the then dictator, president Said Barre in 1991 pitting clans against each other, leading to emergence of warlords and militia groups such as Al-Shabaab who have committed atrocities against human rights against the people of Somalia in the name of instituting Sharia Law and carrying out terrorism acts in the neighboring countries of Kenya and Uganda. - Wednesday 20 August 2014
Ethiopia Overtakes Kenya in hosting the Most Refugees in Africa
According to UNHCR, Ethiopia hosts 247,000 South Sudanese refugees, making them the largest refugee population, followed by 245,000 Somalis and 99,000 Eritreans with over 15,000 Eritreans and more than 3,000 Somalis arriving in the country in the last seven months alone. - Wednesday 20 August 2014
CAR: United Nations To Send 7 600 peacekeepers to replace African Force
Fighting erupted in CAR after an alliance of Muslim rebel groups known as the Seleka overthrew the long-time president in March 2013, looting, raping and killing civilians at random which lead to an armed Christian movement known as the anti-Balaka, supported by the ex-president's loyalists to retaliate, sparking sectarian bloodshed. - Wednesday 20 August 2014
Kenya: Homa Bay County Top In New HIV Infection Cases, Say Report
Only five counties accounted for the new HIV infection cases, with Homa Bay having the highest rate of infections with 12,940 people, followed by Kisumu 10,350, Siaya, Migori and Kisii each have 9,870, 6,790 and 4,890 respectively, says report. - Wednesday 20 August 2014
Kenya: Impending Disaster As West Africans Flood In At Busia, Malaba Border Posts
World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier last week classified Kenya as among high risk countries in the world of Ebola outbreak, with major Asian airlines threatening to stop their flights to the East African powerhouse. - Tuesday 19 August 2014
West Africa: Liberia Soldiers Ordered to shoot Border Crossers as Cameroon Closes Borders with Nigeria over Ebola
So far the virus has killed 1 145 of the more than 2 000 people in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. - Tuesday 19 August 2014
Madagascar: President Rajaonarimampianina Applauds SADC For Peace Efforts
Madagascar, joined other African countries that have experienced pre and post election violence such as Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal and Zimbabwe which claimed thousands of lives, homes, businesses and displaced of millions of people thus setting back the economic and social recovery process as they seem to reoccur with each election cycle in the various countries.