Africa News and Discussions

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A good website for Africa-related news:

https://allafrica.com/

[wjfox]

Africa: Continent Nears 5 Million Confirmed Cases of Covid-19

11 June 2021

As of June 11, confirmed cases of Covid-19 from 55 African countries reached 4,983,779 while over 28,179,798 vaccinations have been administered across the continent.

Reported deaths in Africa reached 133,678 and 4,484,147 people have recovered. South Africa has the most reported cases - 1,722,086 - and 57,410 people died. Other most-affected countries are Morocco (522,765), Tunisia (362,658), Ethiopia (273,678), Egypt (271,047), Libya (188,386) and Kenya (174,285).

For the latest totals, see the AllAfrica interactive map with per-country numbers. The numbers are compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (world map) using statistics from the World Health Organization and other international institutions as well as national and regional public health departments.

https://allafrica.com/stories/202106110289.html

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President Macron Acknowledges France’s Role in Genocide Against Tutsi

https://www.amjamboafrica.com/president ... nst-tutsi/

Introduction:

President Emmanuel Macron of France has visited Rwanda and formally recognized the role of France in the genocide against the Tutsi. In so doing he has broken with his predecessors. The genocide claimed an estimated 800K- 1 million lives and was organized by a government backed by France. President François Mitterrand was in power in France at the time of the genocide.

While in Rwanda, Macron visited Kigali Genocide Memorial, where more than 250K people are buried in mass graves. There he embraced the president of the Women’s Association of Genocide Survivors, in what was seen by many as a sign of reconciliation with those affected by the genocide.

Jean Damascene Bizimana, the executive secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide, said the visit reflects hope for the future. “It’s the symbol of new relations and respect for historic facts of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. In the right place, and in a televised speech at the memorial, President Macron recognized the role of France in the Genocide against Tutsi.”

In his televised address, Macron said, “France has a role, a history, and a political responsibility in Rwanda. And she has a duty: to face history and recognize the amount of suffering it has inflicted on the Rwandan people by making silence prevail over the examination of the truth for too long.” Macron added that by wanting to prevent a regional conflict or a civil war, France in effect stood alongside a genocidal regime. “By ignoring the warnings of the most lucid observers, France took on an overwhelming responsibility in a spiral that ended in the worst, even as it sought precisely to avoid it,” he said.

Rwandans and many international analysts had expected an apology from Macron, and a request for forgiveness. Instead, he said, “As I stand with humility and respect by your side today, I come to recognize the extent of our responsibilities … This journey of recognition, through our debts, our donations, offers us hope to come out of this night and walk together again. On this path, only those who have been through the night can perhaps forgive, give us the gift of forgiving ourselves.”

[Time_Traveller]

Time to bring back the Africa News and Discussions thread from the previous forum, please put all African related News within it.

World’s third largest diamond discovered in Botswana

Wed 16 Jun 2021



The diamond firm Debswana has announced the discovery in Botswana of a 1,098-carat stone that it described as the third largest of its kind in the world.

The company showed the stone, which was found on 1 June, to the country’s president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, in the capital Gaborone.

“It is believed to be the third largest gem-quality find in the world,” said Debswana’s managing director, Lynette Armstrong.

The “rare and extraordinary stone ... means so much in the context of diamonds and Botswana,” she said. “It brings hope to a nation that is struggling.”

It is also the biggest stone of gem quality to be discovered in the history of the company, a joint venture between the government and the global diamond giant De Beers.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... n-botswana

[wjfox]

Gabon is first African country paid to protect its rainforest

23 hours ago

Gabon has become the first African country to receive payment for reducing carbon emissions by protecting its rainforest.

The UN-backed Central African Forest Initiative (Cafi) has handed over $17m (£12m) - the first tranche of a $150m deal struck in 2019.

Nearly 90% of Gabon is covered by forest, which captures more carbon than the country emits.

Rainforests are vital for absorbing the globe's climate-heating emissions.

Gabon has been able to show that it managed to reduce deforestation and so lower its carbon emissions in 2016 and 2017 compared to the previous decade, Cafi says.

As a result Norway, through Cafi, has paid Gabon $17m based on a formula relating to the number of tonnes of carbon that would otherwise have been released. The rest of the $150m should be handed over in the coming years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-57567829

[Time_Traveller]

South African Court Orders Arrest of Ex-President Jacob Zuma for Contempt

June 29, 2021

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s highest court on Tuesday ordered the imprisonment of Jacob Zuma, the country’s former president, for 15 months on contempt charges, after he defied an order to appear before a corruption inquiry examining the breathtaking financial scandals that tainted his tenure as the country’s leader from 2009 to 2018.

The move to detain Mr. Zuma, a comrade of Nelson Mandela and one of the dominant figures in the governing African National Congress party since apartheid ended in 1994, was a notable development in the legacy of corruption that shadowed his years in power.

Many across the country hailed the ruling as a victory for this young democracy — a message that no one, not even a former head of state, is above the law. It could even have implications across the continent, where courts often take a back seat to powerful heads of state, said William Gumede, who leads the Democracy Works Foundation, a nonprofit focused on developing democracy in Africa.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/29/worl ... rison.html

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Aid Groups Warn Time Running Out In Conflict-hit Tigray
By Hamza Mohamed
July 1, 2021

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/1 ... y-ethiopia

Introduction:

(Al Jazeera) Aid groups have renewed calls for unimpeded humanitarian access to reach hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region, days after the federal government in Addis Ababa declared a unilateral ceasefire in the eight-month conflict as rebel forces retook the regional capital, Mekelle.

The government in Addis Ababa described its “withdrawal” as a strategic move and said it was taken partly on humanitarian grounds, aimed at facilitating agricultural production in the mountainous region. It said the ceasefire announced on Monday would remain in place until the farming season concludes in September.

But Getachew Reda, a spokesman for Tigrayan forces, rejected the government’s ceasefire declaration as a “sick joke” and said they would not stop until they fully regain the region. Getachew further said the federal forces were forced out of Mekelle but were still fighting to recapture territory, adding that their Eritrean allies still control a “significant part” of Tigray.

Eritrea, whose troops have been accused of carrying out some of the worst abuses during the conflict, has not commented since the Ethiopian government’s announcement.

Electricity and telecommunications remain largely cut off across Tigray, making the work of humanitarian groups more challenging just as the region of some six million people faces the worst famine crisis globally in a decade.

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Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi and U.S. National Security Adviser Discuss Tigray
July 1, 2021

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/2 ... ss-tigray/

Introduction:

(The National) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, spoke by phone with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday to discuss the crisis in Ethiopia’s Tigray region.

Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Sullivan discussed ways of bolstering friendship and co-operation ties between the UAE and US in order to serve their mutual interests and maintain security and stability in the region, the Emirates News Agency reported.

Mr Sullivan expressed “appreciation for the United Arab Emirates’ work to promote a ceasefire and political solution” to the conflict, White House spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a statement.

She said: “Mr Sullivan and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed discussed the urgency to provide life-saving assistance to populations in Tigray suffering from famine and acute food insecurity.”

Ethiopia declared a unilateral truce and withdrew its forces from Tigray earlier this week after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front took control of Mekelle, the region’s capital. (See also preceding article from Al Jazeera in this thread concerning the Ethiopian "withdrawal").

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Egypt Angry as it Says Ethiopia Has Resumed filling Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
July 6, 2021

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/6 ... lling-gerd

Introduction:

(Al Jazeera) Egypt has said it received an official notice from Ethiopia that it had started the next phase of filling a controversial huge dam on the Nile River’s main tributary, raising tensions days before an upcoming meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the issue.

In a statement late on Monday, the Egyptian irrigation ministry expressed its “firm rejection of this unilateral measure” and said the move was “a violation of international laws and norms that regulate projects built on the shared basins of international rivers”.

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is set to be Africa’s largest hydroelectric project when completed, is the source of an almost decade-long diplomatic standoff between Ethiopia and downstream nations Egypt and Sudan.

Addis Ababa says the project is essential to development, but the governments in Cairo and Khartoum fear it could restrict their citizens’ water access.

There was no immediate comment by Ethiopian government officials confirming that second-phase filling had begun. But a senior water ministry official told AFP news agency it would be in line with the calendar Ethiopia has long said it would follow.

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South African Court Orders Arrest of Ex-President Jacob Zuma for Contempt

Here is more on that development, including a biographical summary of Zuma's political life and involvement in past scandals:

https://theconversation.com/jacob-zuma- ... way-163872

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Ethiopia’s Ruling Party Wins National Election in Landslide
July 10, 2021

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/1 ... -landslide

Introduction:

(Al Jazeera) Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party has been declared the winner of last month’s national election in a landslide, assuring a second five-year term for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

The June 21 election marked the first time Abiy faced voters since being appointed prime minister in 2018 following several years of anti-government protests.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Saturday, Abiy described it as a historically inclusive election, adding: “Our party is also happy that it has been chosen by the will of the people to administer the country.”

But the poll was held in the midst of the gruelling conflict in Tigray region that has battered Abiy’s global reputation and raised fears of widespread famine.

The National Election Board of Ethiopia announced on Saturday that the ruling party won 410 seats in the federal parliament out of 436 where elections were held. Some seats will remain vacant as no voting took place in some areas due to unrest or logistical reasons.

Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed votes in June's elections
[File: Screenshot/Reuters]

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Violence Erupts Over Jailing of Former South Africa Leader Zuma
July 10, 2021

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/1 ... jacob-zuma

Introduction:

(Al Jazeera) South African police have arrested 28 people and one of the country’s biggest highways remained closed over violent protests against the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma.

Protests erupted this week in parts of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Zuma’s home province, after the ex-leader handed himself over to police to serve a 15-month jail term for contempt of court.

On Friday, the high court dismissed Zuma’s application to have his arrest overturned in a case that has been seen as a test of the rule of law in the post-apartheid nation.

Zuma’s imprisonment has laid bare deep divisions in the governing African National Congress (ANC), as a party faction remains loyal to the former president and has been a potent source of opposition to his successor, Cyril Ramaphosa.

KZN police spokesman Jay Naicker said the 28 arrests had happened since Friday on charges including public violence, burglary, malicious damage to property, and contravention of COVID-19 lockdown regulations

Supporters of former South African President Jacob Zuma block the highway with burning tyres during a protest in Peacevale, South Africa.
[Rogan Ward/Reuters]

[wjfox]

[Time_Traveller]

South Africa violence: Troop numbers on streets increase to 25,000 amid looting - and more could be deployed

Thursday 15 July 2021

The number of soldiers deployed on the streets of South Africa has increased to 25,000 as the army and police struggle to quell days of looting and violence.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is considering boosting troop numbers even more, as at least 72 people have been killed in the worst unrest in the country for years.

And some citizens are arming themselves to protect their property and businesses from the rampage, which has hit two of South Africa's nine provinces - KwaZulu-Natal, where Durban is located, and Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg.

In the Mobeni area of Durban, several food warehouses and a rice depot have been "invaded" and "ransacked", according to Sky News correspondent John Sparks.

https://news.sky.com/story/south-africa ... d-12355785

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Egypt Frees Activists Amid Criticism Of Rights Record
by Mona Salem
July 18, 2021

https://www.barrons.com/news/egypt-free ... 1626630607

Introduction:

(AFP Via Barron's) Egypt on Sunday freed six activists including journalist Esraa Abdel-Fattah, a symbol of the 2011 revolution, just days after Washington warned Cairo over a crackdown on rights activists.

Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took power in 2014, the former army chief has overseen a sweeping crackdown on dissent.

On Wednesday the United States warned Egypt not to target rights campaigners, saying the issue would be a factor in arms sales to its Arab ally.

Analysts said the latest releases were aimed at easing international pressure over Egypt's human rights record.

The prosecution ordered Abdel-Fattah's release after nearly 22 months in pre-trial detention, lawyer Khaled Ali said, posting photographs of her leaving prison.

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Knife Attack Against Mali Interim President Assimi Goita
July 20, 2021

(Al Jazeera) Mali’s interim President Assimi Goita has been targeted in an attempted stabbing attack after Eid al-Adha prayers at the Grand Mosque in the capital, Bamako, his office said.

“The attacker was immediately overpowered by security. Investigations are ongoing,” the presidency said in a Twitter post on Tuesday.

Goita was whisked away, according to an AFP news agency journalist, who also said he saw blood at the scene, though it was not clear who had been wounded.

An official at the presidency later told AFP that Goita was “safe and sound”. The president arrived at the military camp of Kati, outside Bamako, “where security has been reinforced”, the official said.

Two military sources also told Reuters news agency that Goita was unharmed following the attack.

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Jacob Zuma corruption trial postponed to August
by Thabo Baloyi
July 20, 2021

https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/national ... ar-AAMlW9A

Introduction:

(The South African Via MSN) Is it a victory for former president Jacob Zuma? The High court in Pietermaritzburg has moved to have his corruption trial postponed to 10 August 2021. This is to allow for the adjudication of issues raised in a special plea.

Delivering judgement on Tuesday morning, 20 July 2021, presiding Judge Piet Kroen said the matter would however continue being heard virtually.

Zuma’s legal counsel, headed by advocate Dali Mpofu, had argued that he should be allowed to testify in person.

The former president is currently serving his 15-month prison sentence for contempt after being convicted by the Constitutional Court earlier in July.

A recap: His corruption trial emanates from the arms deal, which was clinched in the late 1990s, when he was still KwaZulu-Zatal’s Economic Development MEC. Zuma is accused of having pocketed bribes from French arms manufacturer Thales – in exchange for using his political influence to secure them the military defence procurement contract.

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Violence in South Africa: an Uprising of Elites, Not of the People
July 22, 2021

https://theconversation.com/violence-in ... ple-164968

Extract:

(The Conversation) From time to time, South Africa is rudely reminded that its past continues to make its present and future difficult. It does not always recognise this reality when it sees it.

The latest – and most shocking – reminder is the violence which followed the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma. The mayhem devastated KwaZulu-Natal, the home of Zuma and his faction of the governing African National Congress (ANC), and damaged Gauteng, the economic heartland which also houses hostels in which working migrants from KwaZulu-Natal live.
…
Destructive violence is frightening. In South Africa, it is even more alarming because its middle class, which monopolises the debate, assumes that it is only a matter of time before the country is engulfed in conflict. This makes it important to point out that, as severe as the violence was, it does not mean that the country’s democracy is in deep danger.
…
The violence has been widely seen as an expression of anger and frustration by people living in poverty, which has been much worsened in South Africa by the impact of COVID-19. But there was no revolt of the poor – it was an assault on democracy by elites.

Nor was the violence a popular uprising. There were no large public demonstrations. The scale of the KwaZulu-Natal violence was huge but you don’t need many people to set fire to electricity installations or factories. The damage could have been done with minimal public support and almost certainly was. This was an uprising of elites, not of the people, although some joined the looting as we would expect people in poverty to do.

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Tunisian President Dismisses Prime Minister, Freezes Parliament
by Caroline Vakil
July 26, 2021

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... uxbndlbing

Introduction:

(The Hill) Tunisia's president froze parliament and fired the prime minister on Sunday, saying he would assume executive control along with a new prime minister, Reuters reported.

The announcement follows protests that occurred last week over Tunisia's economic situation and the pandemic's effects on the country. President Kais Saied said that a new prime minister would be chosen within hours and parliament members' immunity would be lifted in an effort to placate the country, The Associated Press reported.

"We have taken these decisions ... until social peace returns to Tunisia and until we save the state," Saied said in a speech on Sunday, following an emergency security meeting he attended regarding the demonstrations, according to the AP.

Though many protesters erupted in cheers and took to the streets to celebrate, Saied made it clear during his speech that the country would respond if the protesters became violent on Sunday night.

"I warn any who think of resorting to weapons ... and whoever shoots a bullet, the armed forces will respond with bullets," Saied said, according to Reuters.

[caltrek]

It is so sad to see that Tunisia may be backsliding away from being a democracy (or for you purists a democratic republic).

Tunisia: Turmoil Continues as President Sacks More Officials
July 29, 2021

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/2 ... -officials

Introduction:

(Al Jazeera) Tunisia has lurched further into political uncertainty after President Kais Saied dismissed more officials, just days after he sacked the prime minister, froze Parliament and assumed executive powers.

After suspending Parliament and sacking Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on Sunday, and firing the defence and justice ministers a day later, Saied ordered the dismissal of several top officials late on Tuesday.

The 63-year-old president, a former law lecturer and political newcomer who won a landslide 2019 presidential election victory, issued decrees sacking a long list of senior government officials, including the army’s chief prosecutor.

On Wednesday, he dismissed the CEO of national television channel Wataniya.

In addition, he has lifted the parliamentary immunity of lawmakers and assumed judicial powers. He has also ordered an investigation into three political parties suspected of receiving foreign funds before the elections in 2019.

Tunisia is also beset by a crippling economic crisis and surging COVID infections
Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters