News That Matters To Africa©️
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“No one likes it when the rabbit…has the gun.”
HIGHLIGHTS
IMF approves ‘landmark’ Ethiopia bailout
Wagner admits losses in Mali combat
Major oil spill hits South Africa’s west coast
France backs Morocco on Western Sahara
US’s high rejections of African student visas.
TOP NEWS
Eastern Africa
DRC: 25 death sentences requested for defendants accused of rebel ties
Eviction of Congo’s Batwa people for national park condemned 50 yrs later
IMF approves ‘landmark’ Ethiopia bailout
Ethiopia devalues Birr for external funding
Deputy President staff allegedy behind ‘goons’ at protests
Kenya charges ex-state firm head over edible oil import graft
D-Day for five CS nominees as they face vetting team
MPs probe procurement of Digital Health Superhighway System
African governments brace for Kenya-style protests
Kenya submits Raila AUC chair application
UK/Rwanda seek to continue Migrant partnership
Sudan’s healthcare hanging by ‘a thread’ says UN
Rain and floods add to misery of Sudanese displaced by war
Tanzania agrees to pay $90m in mining row
Tanzania/US talks on Mozambique threats
Ugandan court charges 36 opposition supporters with terrorism
West Africa
Guinea’s new draft constitution reduces presidential terms
Arrest warrant issued for Libera’s ex-finance minister
Wagner says it took losses in Mali combat
Ukraine claims role in Russian losses in Mali
Rights in Niger in ‘free-fall’ says HRW
Nigeria offers Dangote refinery olive branch
Demonstrators in Nigeria gather days early for anti-government protests
Senegal PM takes issue with France over 1944 massacre recognition
Southern Africa
Mozambique wins lawsuit over ‘tuna bond’ scandal
Major oil spill hits South Africa’s west coast
ANC ranked 16th most corrupt organisation worldwide
Zimbabwe: Accusations of police brutality after arrest of 44 students
North Africa
Libyans arrested in SAfr were Haftar’s men
France backs Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara
Morocco King pardons 3 imprisoned journalists
Central Africa
Chad’s largest online news platform has been suspended
AFRICA GENERAL
VIDEO OF THE DAY
EASTERN AFRICA
DR CONGO
25 death sentences requested for defendants accused of rebel ties
A Congolese prosecutor Monday requested death sentences against 25 defendants accused of belonging to the M23 rebel group in a high-profile trial in Kinshasa. The prosecution called for a 20-year jail term against a 26th defendant…Only five of the accused are present for the trial in a military court, with the rest being tried in absentia. They face charges of war crimes, participation in an insurrection and treason…The trial opened last week with 25 defendants, of whom 20 were on the run, but a former M23 spokesperson has also been charged. The defense is expected to make their case on Tuesday.
Eviction of Batwa people for national park condemned 50 yrs later
The Congolese government violated the rights of the Indigenous Batwa community by evicting them about 50 years ago from their ancestral lands to expand one of the country’s biggest national parks, according to the African Union’s commission on human rights. The decision, made public on Monday, is the first of its kind to recognize the central role that native populations play in protecting biodiversity. Batwa people lived as hunters and gatherers in the forested areas of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. In 1970, a Belgian photographer and conservationist founded the now-famous Kahuzi-Biega National Park near the western bank of Lake Kivu on a territory, traditionally used by the Batwa people. Following the park’s expansion iin 1975, around 13,000 Batwa people were evicted from their homes in the name of protecting biodiversity. Most still live on its fringes in makeshift villages, struggling to access land and healthcare. The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights called on the Congolese government to allow for the safe return of Batwa people, to grant them ownership of their ancestral lands located within the national park, issue a public apology acknowledging their abuses and pay the Indigenous people compensation after recognizing them as citizens.
ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia has become the latest African country to embrace Western economic orthodoxy by allowing its currency to float. The move has been rewarded with a new support package from the International Monetary Fund. But, depending on how the shakeup is managed, it could push up the cost of living in Ethiopia and cause resentment towards the IMF.
IMF approves ‘landmark’ Ethiopia bailout
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a bailout of $3.4bn (£2.6bn) for Ethiopia to support its economic reforms over the next four years. The Horn of Africa nation has been struggling with chronic foreign currency shortages and high inflation – largely blamed on the brutal two-year civil war in Tigray, which ended in 2022. “This is a landmark moment for Ethiopia,” said Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, adding that it was “a testament to Ethiopia’s strong commitment to transformative reform”. News of the deal came after Ethiopia floated its currency – which analysts say was a key step in securing the loan. Monday’s announcement saw Ethiopia’s currency, the birr, lose nearly a third of its value against the dollar. The IMF said it would immediately release about $1bn to help Ethiopia’s “balance of payments needs and provide support to the budget”. Ethiopia – Africa’s second most-populous country – has also been in talks with its international creditors to restructure its debt. In December it became the third African country in three years to default on its sovereign bond.
Birr to be devalued to seek external funding
The National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) has decided to allow market forces to determine the value of its currency, the birr, and eased restrictions on the amount of foreign currency held by commercial banks and exporters as part of a raft of measures to increase the supply of dollars and boost economic activity in a country plagued by rising inflation and severe hard currency shortages. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government is under increasing pressure from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to float the country’s currency and implement critical reforms in the foreign exchange market as a condition for unlocking more than $10 billion in fresh funding. In a statement on Monday, the NBE announced the reforms, which include opening up the proposed stock market to foreign investors, introducing non-bank foreign exchange bureaus to buy and sell foreign currency, and removing restrictions on the amount of dollars travellers can take in and out of the country.
KENYA
Fallout from GenZ protests:
Deputy President staff allegedy behind ‘goons’ at protests
Senior government officials attached to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were on Tuesday grilled by officers from the Serious Crimes Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over their alleged links to sponsoring of goons during the anti-government protests…and it also emerged that some Members of Parliament have been lined for questioning over the same matter. Those who recorded statements included former Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, who now works as a political advisor in the office of the DP. Also questioned was former Embakasi West lawmaker Eric Theuri who now works as the youth advisor in the office of the deputy president. Munene wa Mumbi, who is the private secretary of the DP, also recorded a statement in a widened probe to unearth what President William Ruto said were acts of anarchy and treason. The Serious Crimes Unit (SCU) have also summoned allies of DP Gachagua for grilling. They include Embakasi North lawmaker James Gakuya, and his Embakasi Central counterpart Mejja Donk. The two are suspected to have been part of a ring of individuals who directly or indirectly had a hand in the infiltration of goons during the Gen-Z protests.
Ex-state firm head charged over edible oil import graft
A former head of Kenya’s main state-owned trading company was charged in court on Tuesday with abuse of office and other offences over a 2022 scheme to import edible oil that local media said cost more than $120 million. The arraignment of Pamela Mutua is the first notable attempt by President William Ruto’s government to rein in Kenya’s rampant corruption, after more than 50 people were killed in deadly protests against tax hikes and the graft. Mutua, who was managing director of the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC), was accused of flouting procurement laws in the award of a contract to a company called Purma Holdings Limited at an anti-corruption court in the capital. She and KNTC both deny the charges. The imports were worth 16 billion shillings ($123.55 million), according to domestic media outlets. Mutua faces six charges and she was freed on bail until Aug. 12 when she will appear before the court again. She was charged alongside another official of the company. The cooking oil import scheme was put in place by Ruto’s government after he got into office in late 2022, to lower the price of the commodity, but it has been criticised by the public and local media for only benefiting well-connected importers.
D-Day for five CS nominees as they face vetting team
The vetting of President William Ruto’s Cabinet Secretaries nominees is set to commence Thursday. Interior Cabinet Secretary nominee Prof Kithure Kindiki will be the first to appear at 8am before the Vetting Committee chaired by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula…When Kindiki faces the panel, he will be confronted with issues arising from the conduct of security personnel during the Gen Z protests which resulted in the killing of over 50 youths, forced disappearance and abduction and maiming of protestors whose whereabouts are not known to date. Health Cabinet Secretary nominee Dr Debra Barasa, Alice Wahome (Lands), Julius Ogamba (Education) and Soipan Tuya (Defence) will also face the Vetting Committee on Thursday.
MPs probe procurement of Digital Health Superhighway System
Members of Parliament (MPs) are scrutinizing the procurement process for the Digital Health Superhighway system, an initiative designed to automate Kenya’s entire healthcare ecosystem under the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program. Legislators voiced concerns over the lack of transparency surrounding the procurement process, particularly regarding the system’s actual cost, despite the procurement being in advanced stages. During a session with the National Assembly Committee on Health, Principal Secretary for Health Harry Kimutai was directed to provide tender documents, as MPs found his responses unsatisfactory. MPs sought clarity on whether the tender was advertised, who won the tender, and the total cost involved. Kitutu Masaba MP Anthony Kibagendi emphasized the need for transparency, especially concerning the system’s details, including registration, healthcare empanelment, drug logistics, and claims management. “The system you’re talking about is shrouded in secrecy. How are you doing the registration of members? What is the cost of the system, and where are the advertisements for this?” Kibagendi questioned.
African governments brace for Kenya-style protests
Governments in African countries including Nigeria and Uganda are facing growing discontent, with planned protests by youthful demonstrators calling attention to long-standing issues including high unemployment, corruption and economic stagnation. It comes against the backdrop of massive youth-led protests in Kenya over the past month in opposition to proposed tax hikes and corruption. In Nigeria, planned nationwide protests against corruption and economic hardship are set to begin on Aug. 1. While asserting that Nigerians had the right to peacefully demonstrate, the military on July 25 promised to intervene to “prevent any violence.” The recent relaunching of a $70 million youth investment fund and the announcement of vacancies in the state-owned oil firm NNPC have been seen as moves to forestall the demonstrations. President Bola Tinubu also met various local leaders and clerics ahead of the planned protests. Uganda witnessed a heavy police crackdown last week as youth-led campaigners attempted to march to the country’s parliament to protest alleged corruption in government. Over 100 people were arrested even as President Yoweri Museveni claimed the protests were financed by foreign entities. “It’s a wake up call” to African governments, exclaimed Dr. Xavier Ichani, an international relations researcher at Kenyatta University, in Nairobi. “Governments need to move with speed and address the grievances of the people,” he said, adding that a failure to do so will see the masses “rise up.”
Raila AU chair application submitted
Kenya on Monday formally submitted Raila Odinga’s application for the top job at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The application was lodged by Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Singo’ei to the Office of the Legal Counsel of the African Union through the Dean of Eastern Region Dharmraj Busgeeth, who is also the Ambassador of Mauritius. In his application, Mr Odinga has outlined his vision for the AUC which is hinged in various focal areas — including African integration and infrastructure development, economic transformation of the continent, enhancing intra-African trade, financial independence and gender equity and equality.
RWANDA
UK/Rwanda seek to continue Migrants partnership
Rwandan President Paul Kagame and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met on the sidelines of the Paris Olympics…While it cancelled the Rwanda-UK Migration and Economic Development Partnership Initiative, which would effectively pay Rwanda to accept migrants flown in from the UK, the new UK government said it would still strengthen border security. It has also promised to smash criminal smuggling gangs making fortunes out of arranging small boat crossings. It was unclear how Rwanda can help the UK on this, other than serving as a home for undocumented migrants, but Starmer said he believed there was a role for Rwanda.
SUDAN
Healthcare hanging by ‘a thread’ says UN
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday strongly denounced the increasing attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan, reporting over 20 such incidents in the last two months…WHO has documented 88 attacks on healthcare since the outbreak of the war last April between rival militaries – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The UN agency underscored the obligations of parties to the conflict, under international humanitarian law, to ensure that healthcare, as well as health and medical supplies and personnel are protected from any harm…The agency further reported that said less than 25 per cent of health facilities in provinces affected by the fighting are functional, while and only 45 per cent are functional in other regions.
Rain and floods add to misery of Sudanese displaced by war
Thousands of people are stranded on the streets of the eastern Sudanese city of Kassala as a deluge of rain compounds the suffering of more than a million Sudanese who sought refuge in the region from a 15-month-old war. The rainy season that began earlier this month has already damaged shelters, made roads unusable, and will put millions at risk of water-borne diseases across large areas of the country…Some 765,000 people are sheltering in Gedaref state, and more than 255,000 people are in Kassala state, which saw the worst of the rains over the weekend, according to the United Nations. The most recent wave of 165,000 people is from Sennar state, many arriving on foot in the rain in recent weeks. More than 10,000 who arrived in Kassala city were packed in the few remaining empty buildings, including a school courtyard and an empty hangar, which quickly flooded with water. “We endured the sun beating down on us, but we can’t handle the rain,” said Nada Omer. They now wait under store awnings or tarps in the street, with heavier than usual rains expected to continue until September. Some have rejected a plan to move them outside the city, a government official and aid workers said, where there would be few income opportunities.
TANZANIA
Tanzania agrees to pay $90m to aggrieved Australian investor in mining row
Tanzania has reached an out-of-court settlement with Australian mining company Indiana Resources, agreeing to pay $90 million to end arbitration proceedings at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). This potentially ends the long-running dispute, although the settlement amount is less than the $109 million award that ICSID had ordered Tanzania to pay Indiana in July 2023, after ruling that it had unlawfully expropriated the company’s licence to conduct nickel mining operations in the country. This was the second such settlement between Tanzania and international firms that filed for ICSID arbitration after their mining licences were controversially revoked by the John Magufuli government in 2018.
Tanzania/US talks on ‘qashing’ Mozambique threats
The United States this week began talks with Tanzania on potential support interventions to quash insurgency threats from neighbouring Mozambique just as Chinese troops arrived in Dar es Salaam for joint military drills for the same purpose. “We think there are opportunities to strengthen our security partnership to help deal with the terrorist challenges on Tanzania’s southern border,” said US State Department’s acting under-secretary for political affairs John Bass in Dar on Wednesday while winding up an African trip that included Chad. Mr Bass’s statement coincided with the arrival of three Chinese warships at the port of Dar es Salaam, also on Wednesday, carrying troops to conduct joint counter-terrorism exercises with both Tanzania and Mozambique on land and at sea…The insurgency has claimed more than 4,000 lives and displaced 946,000 people since 2017, and Mozambique deployed Southern African Development Community forces and Rwandan troops to help rein in the militants and stop them from wreaking further havoc.
UGANDA
Court charges 36 opposition supporters with terrorism
A Ugandan court charged 36 opposition supporters on Monday with terrorism-related offences after they were deported from neighbouring Kenya where they had travelled to attend a training course, court papers showed. The 36 people, who are members of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), one of Uganda’s biggest opposition parties, deny the charges. Their lawyer, Erias Lukwago, told reporters outside the magistrates’ court in Kampala the charges were “ridiculous”. The case comes amid protests by young people in both Uganda and Kenya against corruption, high taxes and other grievances. Kenyan authorities detained and then deported the 36 people after they had travelled to the western Kenyan city of Kisumu on July 23 to take part in a leadership and governance training course, their lawyer and party officials said…Opposition critics and human rights campaigners have long accused Museveni’s government of using fabricated charges to clamp down on his opponents.
WEST AFRICA
GUINEA
New draft constitution reduces presidential term
Guinea’s transitional authorities have presented a draft of a new constitution which will reduce and set presidential term limits, and potentially allow current military leader Mamady Doumbouya to participate in the next presidential election. The junta that took power in a coup in 2021 proposed a two-year transition to elections in 2022 after negotiating with the Economic Community of West African States regional bloc, but has shown little sign of moving to organise a vote. The new draft constitution, expected to be voted in a yet to be decided referendum, could pave the way for the bauxite and iron ore-producing West African nation to return to constitutional rule. The new text, presented on Monday at the National Transitional Council, which acts as parliament under the interim regime, did not forbid members of the ruling junta from participating in the electoral process. If the draft of the new constitution gets approval, the president will be elected for a five-year term renewable once, reducing the presidential term from six years in the constitution that was approved in 2020.
LIBERIA
Arrest warrant issued for Libera’s ex-finance minister
An arrest warrant has been issued for Liberia’s former finance minister following allegations he was involved in a $500m (£389m) corruption scam. Samuel Tweh, along with four other senior officials in former President George Weah’s administration, have been indicted for allegedly stealing from the government when they were in office. Mr Tweh, who was previously sanctioned by the US for corruption, called the indictment a “politically motivated witch-hunt” against him and other former officials. The Weah adminstration, whose six years in power ended in January, was plagued with allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement. When President Joseph Boakai took over, he pledged to crack down on corruption. On Monday, the five former officials were indicted for economic sabotage, illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money, criminal conspiracy and other charges. Three of the men – former national security adviser Jefferson Karmoh, state prosecutor Nyenati Tuan and accountancy boss at the Finance Intelligence Agency (FIA), Moses Cooper – were unable to pay bail and have therefore been detained in Liberia’s central prison. Mr Tweh and former FIA chief Stanley Ford are yet to be arrested – the police are unsure of their exact whereabouts.
MALI
Wagner says it took losses in Mali combat
Russia’s Wagner mercenary group said on Monday that its fighters and Malian soldiers took losses in heavy fighting against Tuareg rebels near Mali’s border with Algeria. Mali, where military authorities seized power in coups in 2020 and 2021, is battling a years-long Islamist insurgency. It has said Russian forces there are not Wagner mercenaries but trainers helping local troops with equipment bought from Russia. The rebel movement, the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), said on Saturday that it had seized armoured vehicles, trucks and tankers in the fighting at the border town of Tinzaouaten. Wagner, in a rare statement, said its forces had fought alongside Mali soldiers from July 22-27 and that Wagner fighters were commanded by Sergei Shevchenko, whose callsign was “Pond”, near Tinzaouaten…Wagner said Shevchenko was killed.
Ukraine claims role in Russian losses in Mali
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency has claimed it was involved in an ambush that killed fighters from Russia’s Wagner group in the west African nation of Mali, thousands of miles away from the frontline in Ukraine…Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency, said on Monday that “the rebels received necessary information, and not just information, which enabled a successful military operation against Russian war criminals”. Yusov did not say whether Ukrainian military personnel were involved in the fighting or were present in the country. He said the agency “won’t discuss the details at the moment, but there will be more to come”
NIGER
Rights in ‘free-fall’ says HRW
“The military authorities in Niger have cracked down on the opposition, media, and peaceful dissent since taking power in a coup one year ago,” Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said in their joint report…According to the rights groups, the military regime had “arbitrarily arrested at least 30 officials from the ousted government, including former ministers, members of the presidential cabinet and people close to the deposed president, failing to grant them due process and fair trial rights”. Among those arrested, some “were detained in secret by the intelligence services, before being transferred to high-security prisons on trumped-up charges”, lawyers cited in the NGOs’ statement said. Meanwhile, “media freedom has been severely restricted in the country”, with journalists being threatened and “arbitrarily” arrested, leading to self-censorship for fear of reprisals, the NGOs said.
NIGERIA
Government offers Dangote refinery olive branch
The Nigerian government proposed selling crude oil to Dangote Refinery in the local naira currency, a step towards allaying threats to the $20 billion facility’s full operational capacity and easing the pressure of dollar demand on the economy.
The plan, approved by the Nigerian president’s cabinet, would see state-owned oil company NNPC sell 445,000 barrels per day of crude oil to the refinery at a fixed dollar-to-naira exchange rate. NNPC would sell four of the 15 monthly cargoes of oil the refinery requires, while the refinery would source the rest from foreign markets. The proposal was outlined on Monday by Zacch Adedeji, who heads Nigeria’s federal tax agency. The move follows weeks of finger-pointingbetween Dangote and oil producers, as well as with regulators who accuse the company of seeking to monopolize the local market for fuel. Dangote alleged that it had to buy locally produced oil at above market prices from the international arms of oil companies operating in Nigeria. But those dollar-denominated transactions were “significantly straining Nigeria’s foreign-currency liquidity,” the government said in recommending transactions with NNPC in naira. A spokesperson for Dangote Refinery did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the government’s proposal.
Demonstrators gather days early for anti-government protests
Hundreds of protesters have gathered in central Nigeria days before planned national demonstrations over economic hardship and record inflation. The protesters, many of them young people, converged in the town of Suleja, 3o miles outside the federal capital, Abuja, with placards criticising the government’s policies. Week-long nationwide protests had been due to begin on Wednesday. A cost-of-living crisis that was already hitting Africa’s most populous country at the time the president, Bola Tinubu, took office in May last year has intensified after he removed a controversial fuel subsidy and announced other reforms. The prices of everyday commodities have astronomically increased, uninterrupted electricity is a distant dream and fuel queues remain a common feature of life in the country, despite Nigeria’s status as one of the world’s top oil and gas producers. Nigeria has also become the world’s malnutrition capital with more than 31.8 million children affected, according to NGO data… Analysts said the government was attempting to prevent a repeat of the protests in Kenya, where young people in the east African nation held the state to a standstill for weeks, forcing the government to repeal new taxes.
SENEGAL
PM Sonko takes issue with France over 1944 massacre recognition
France has posthumously honored six African soldiers who were massacred by French soldiers in Senegal in World War II. It comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of an unknown number of West African soldiers being gunned down at Thiaroye military camp, in Senegal, by French troops whom they had fought alongside. But the move prompted a sharp response from Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The honorees, who are now described as having “died for France,” include four Senegalese nationals, one Côte d’Ivoire national, and one person from Burkina Faso. Paris is attempting to ease tensions with its former colonies. But Sonko, in a post on X, said the “tragic story” was not France’s to tell alone, adding that it was not up to Paris to determine how many Africans were “betrayed and murdered” after fighting to save France. Sonko went further and added “Why this sudden “awareness” when Senegal is preparing to give new meaning to this painful memory, with the celebration of the 80th anniversary this year? I would like to remind France that it will no longer be able to make or tell this piece of tragic history alone…Thiaroye 44, like everything else, will be remembered differently from now on.”
SOUTHERN AFRICA
MOZAMBIQUE
Mozambique wins UK lawsuit against Privinvest over ‘tuna bond’ scandal
Mozambique has substantially won its $3.1-billion lawsuit at London’s High Court against Emirati-Lebanese shipbuilder Privinvest for allegedly paying bribes in relation to the decade-old “tuna bond” scandal. The southeast African country sued Privinvest and its now late owner Iskandar Safa, alleging they paid bribes to Mozambican officials and Credit Suisse bankers to secure favourable terms on three projects in 2013 and 2014, including one designed to exploit Mozambique’s tuna-rich coastal waters. Judge Robin Knowles on Monday ruled “substantially in favour” of Mozambique, which he said had been exploited by highly developed institutions and corporations that should have known better. In his written ruling, the judge said Mozambique is entitled to payment of just over $825 million from Safa and companies in the Privinvest group, plus an indemnity in relation to $1.5 billion it is liable to pay lenders and bondholders, less around $420 million already recovered by the country. The trial centred on deals struck by state-owned companies with Privinvest for loans and bonds from banks including Credit Suisse for fishing boats and maritime security, projects backed by undisclosed state guarantees. But hundreds of millions of dollars went missing and, when the government debt came to light in 2016, donors such as the International Monetary Fund temporarily halted support, triggering a currency collapse, defaults and financial turmoil.
SOUTH AFRICA
Major oil spill hits west coast
An oil spill has caused a major emergency on South Africa’s west coast after the MV Ultra Galaxy, a Panama-registered cargo ship, broke apart over the weekend. The cargo vessel, which had run aground on 9 July while en route to Dar es Salaam with a load of fertiliser, was heavily damaged by powerful waves from a cold front that hit the Western and Northern Cape regions over the weekend. This led to an immediate response under South Africa’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported that the ship broke into four sections and one fuel tank ruptured, causing the oil spill…The oil spill has affected approximately one kilometre of beach south of the wreck. SAMSA reported that “clean-up teams, comprising of salvors and 125 local community members, have been diligently working to remove the oil that washed up onto the beach, covering an area of approximately one kilometre south of the wreck. Continuous monitoring is being carried out through aerial and surface surveys to assess the spill’s extent and environmental impact.
ANC ranked 16th most corrupt organisation worldwide
Corruption indexes around the world aim to measure the most corrupt businesses, non-profit organisations, and even political parties. South Africa’s own African National Congress (ANC) has found itself among the ranks of untrustworthy organisations. According to the MyStick Corruption Index, the ANC ranks as one of the most corrupt organisations, placed at number 16 out of a total of 7,000. A content creator who goes by coolstorybru_za shared the story on his social media channels. “MyStick makes use of an in-depth algorithm to assess the corruption level of various organisations, the ANC has been ranked the 13th (now 16th) most corrupt organisation in the world. “The algorithm makes uses of various formulas and variables to calculate a corruption score for each organisation. Over 7,000 organisations across the world have been assessed using this algorithm,” he said. He went on to say that it is insane that the ANC nearly cracked the top 10. South Africans did not hold back on their response to the video.
ZIMBABWE
Accusations of police brutality after arrest of 44 students
Zimbabwean police arrested 44 students after breaking up their meeting at which they discussed education policies, leaving some with injuries after alleged severe beatings. President Emmerson Mnangagwa has recently warned opposition parties and the country’s citizens that any protests ahead of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Harare in August will not be tolerated. The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) president, Emmanuel Sitima, spent a night in police custody and appeared in court the next day, while others were fined following the events of 24 July at the Zesa Training Centre in Harare where the students were meeting. Sitima was granted US$100 bail by Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi on 25 July. The magistrate also ordered him to report at a police station once a week as part of his bail conditions and return to court on July 31.
NORTH AFRICA
LIBYA/SOUTH AFRICA
Libyans arrested in SAfr were Haftar’s men
The 95 Libyan nationals arrested in a raid on what appeared to be a security training site converted into an illegal military training base on a farm near White River, Mpumalanga, are reportedly on the payroll of eastern Libyan military strongman General Khalifa Haftar, who has also been a close ally of the private Russian military company Wagner and of the Russian government more generally. Russia, and in particular, Wagner, have been highly active in Libya since 2018, fighting on the side of the Libyan alternative government based at Benghazi and Tobruk in the east of the country, which once tried to topple the United Nations-backed government in the west of the country with its capital in Tripoli. The Libyan nationals will appear in the White River Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 29 July. They will face charges relating to the contravention of the Immigration Act after they entered South Africa with visas that were acquired through misrepresentation in Tunis, Tunisia, according to the Department of Home Affairs. They are being held in custody.
MOROCCO
France backs Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara
France recognises a plan for autonomy for the Western Sahara region under Moroccan sovereignty as the only way of resolving a long-running dispute over the territory, President Emmanuel Macron said in a letter on Tuesday to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI. The dispute, dating back to 1975, pits Morocco, which considers Western Sahara its own territory, against the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state there. Most of France’s Western allies already back Morocco’s plan. The decision angered Algeria, which decided to withdraw its ambassador to France. Algeria has recognised the Polisario’s self-proclaimed Sahrawi republic and backed a 1991 United Nations plan for a referendum with independence as an option. That referendum never took place due to disagreements over who should vote and how it should be conducted and recent U.N. Security Council resolutions have not mentioned the option, urging the parties to work together for a realistic solution based on compromise. Spain, the former colonial power in Western Sahara, said in 2022 it backs Morocco’s autonomy plan. The U.S., Israel and Arab monarchies also back Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory?
King pardons 3 imprisoned journalists
Three journalists who were sentenced to years in prison after writing about corruption and abuse of power in Morocco were released Monday after receiving pardons from King Mohammed VI. Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine and Soulaimane Raissouni were among 2,278 people pardoned this week, according to Morocco’s Ministry of Justice. The pardons were announced as Morocco prepared to celebrate its national holiday marking the 25th anniversary of when Mohammed VI ascended to the throne. The journalists were freed from prison in Tifelt, a town east of Rabat, to a group of ecstatic supporters. Human rights activists applauded the pardons, but said the move didn’t exonerate what they have called the politically motivated manner in which Moroccan authorities pursued and prosecuted the journalists…Each of the three journalists was found guilty of sex-related crimes that they vehemently denied as politically motivated and connected to their work…They were thrust into an international spotlight when Amnesty International and the Paris-based journalism consortium Forbidden Stories published leaked documents suggesting the three journalists were among people spied on by Moroccan officials using malware installed on their smartphones.
CENTRAL AFRICA
CHAD
Chad’s largest online news platform suspended
Access to Chad’s largest online news platform has been suspended since Friday, an organization for Chadian online media reported on Sunday. The group said the website for Tchadinfos.com, the leading news organization in the Sahel country, had been taken offline after it refused to comply with a request from former adviser to the Chadian President Abakar Manany. “A few weeks ago, M. Manany demanded via his lawyers that Tchadinfos remove all articles written about him — we refused to take them down because these are factual articles,” the website’s general manager Mamadou Djimtebaye told AFP. “He then reached out to our U.S.-based host via his lawyers in South Africa to suspend us,” Djimtebaye added. The Organization for Online Media in Chad in a statement denounced “serious attacks on press freedom and the freedom to inform,” asking that an independent probe be launched into Manany and his “potential accomplices”…Tchadinfos runs a website as well as a radio station and a television channel in Chad.
AFRICA- GENERAL NEWS
New Atmis Commander finally takes over
Ugandan military officer Lt-Gen Sam Kavuma finally took office as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis) Force Commander on July 28, more than three months after he was named to the post in April to replace his compatriot Lt-Gen Sam Okiding, who was appointed Deputy Chief of Defence Forces of Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). UPDF Spokesperson Brig-Gen Felix Kulayigye blamed the long wait for Lt-Gen Kavuma to go to Somalia on a long approval process by the African Union Peace and Security Council for high level appointments to the peacekeeping force. “There is a process at the AU headquarters that must be done,” he explained. The long approval process means the tenure of Gen Kavuma at the top of Atmis command is cut to five months, as the force’s mandate in the Horn of Africa nation expires at the end of this year, as per UN Security Council resolutions
US high rejections of African student visas “steadily rising”
Nearly 60% of all students from African countries who applied to study at universities in the United States last year were denied the requisite F-1 visa by the State Department, according to a new report. The denial rate for students from Africa was the highest among all regions but the US State Department insists it has in fact granted more visas in aggregate to African students than ever before. Countries that saw denial rates rise by 10 percentage points or more in 2023 were all located in Africa and Asia. Southern Africa notably recorded a much lower denial rate of 19%, compared to the continent’s overall 57% denial rate. With the exception of South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Lesotho, denial rates for students from Africa have been increasing steadily since 2015, when the overall rate stood at 43%. The State Department said last November that it issued nearly 40,000 student visas to African students in the fiscal year, of which more than 9,700 visas were to Nigerian applicants. Comparatively the U.S. issued “an all-time record” of more than 140,000 student visas to applicants from India. Nearly a third of Africans applying for a visa to Europe’s Schengen Area are rejected — the highest refusal rate of any region, according to a report by migration consultancy firm Henley & Partners. That’s despite the continent submitting the lowest number of applications per capita. Africa’s applicants had a 30% visa refusal rate. European states primarily cited “reasonable doubts about the visa applicants’ intention to return home” in their rejections, the report found.
China ‘escalates’ political party trainings
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has escalated its training of African party and government officials as part of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping’s “new model of party-to-party relations,” particularly in the Global South. An indication of this renewed emphasis is the Mwalimu Julius Nyerere Leadership School. Launched in 2022, the Nyerere School trains ruling party members from the Former Liberation Movements of Southern Africa (FLMSA) coalition—Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe…Despite its economic growth, China’s political model has not been something to which many African citizens aspire. Nearly 80 percent reject one-party rule. Yet, as many African scholars argue, China’s party and governance training has the potential to entrench single, dominant party models in Africa…This escalation in CCP party training is happening against the backdrop of major democratic setbacks in Africa in recent years.
Deadly shipwrecks underscore migrant desperation
News of another deadly shipwreck tragedy off the coast of Mauritania is a clear indication of the desperation people on the move continue to face as they attempt to escape strife, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday…According to the UN migration agency, IOM, approximately 300 people including women and children boarded a wooden “pirogue” boat in The Gambia, spending seven days at sea before the tragedy happened. Ms. Mantoo noted that this was the second deadly shipwreck in the region reported this month, after one at the start of July. The so-called “West Atlantic route” off the coast of West Africa “is one of the deadliest routes in the world, with thousands of migrants and refugees drowning in recent years”, the UNHCR official told journalists in Geneva. Since June last year, more than 76 boats with approximately 6,130 survivors have disembarked in Mauritania, while around 190 perished at sea before the two latest tragedies…According to the UN migration agency, from 1 January to 15 July 2024 alone, more than 19,700 migrants arrived irregularly in the Canary Islands using this route compared to the same period in 2023, when 7,590 migrants were recorded – an increase of 160 per cent. IOM’s Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 4,500 deaths and disappearances on this route since 2014, including over 950 deaths last year, the second deadliest on record.
Urgency required to curb drug-resistant malaria
Millions of lives could be put at risk unless urgent action is taken to curb the spread of driug-resistant malaria in Africa, according to a new paper published in the journal Science. The paper says the parasite that causes malaria is showing signs of resistance to artemisinin, the main drug used to fight the disease, in several east African countries…Before artemisinin therapies were developed, chloroquine was the medicine most used to treat malaria. The report authors say that in the 1990s and early 2000s, signs that the malaria parasite was developing resistance to chloroquine were widely ignored…[The report’s authors’] recommendations include combining artemisinin drugs with other medicines…The authors also call for the rollout of new, more effective insecticides and mosquito nets; better training of community health workers; the rapid deployment of new malaria vaccines; and better monitoring of parasite mutations.
Elon Musk’s Starlink struggles with regulations in Africa
Starlink, a unit of Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, has faced numerous regulatory obstacles in Africa. The company has been blocked from approval in seven countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, South Africa, and Senegal. But some bans have been reversed — particularly after the company got in touch with top government officials… In South Africa, Starlink still needs to meet a licensing requirement that mandates a 30% ownership of a telecom company from historically disadvantaged groups. This has prompted the communications regulator, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), to ban Starlink services, pending it satisfying licensing requirements. Regulators across the continent are worried about Starlink because they want control over the content being shared, industry analysts say. With the right incentives, African governments are granting approvals. President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe granted Starlink a license after it agreed to an exclusive partnership with a telco owned by his controversial friend Wicknell Chivayo. In Kenya, a 30% local ownership requirement for telcos was waived after reaching a deal with President William Ruto to boost high-speed internet in the country. Veteran Zimbabwean journalist Tendai Mbofana criticized Mnangagwa for approving Starlink’s application without going through the proper channels.
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