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Dec
04
2020
By The African Mirror
No-confidence vote against South Africa’s Ramaphosa postponed to 2021

No-confidence vote against South Africa’s Ramaphosa postponed to 2021

NEWS
A proposed no-confidence motion against South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday was postponed to next year, a senior parliamentary official said, after the small opposition party seeking Ramaphosa's removal asked a court for a secret ballot. The African Transformation Movement (ATM), which holds two seats in the 400-member lower house dominated by the ruling African National Congress, went to court on Wednesday to try and reverse an earlier decision declining a secret ballot and opting for an open vote during the no-confidence debate. The high court review of the matter will be heard on Feb.4, parliament said in a…
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Dec
04
2020
By The African Mirror
U.N. panel says South Sudan blocking its missions to violence-hit areas

U.N. panel says South Sudan blocking its missions to violence-hit areas

NEWS
DENIS DUMO IMPLEMENTATION of South Sudan's 2018 peace accord has stalled and authorities have blocked humanitarian access to areas where conflict has restarted, the U.N. panel of experts said in a report seen by Reuters on Thursday. They also said there was a lack of transparency in how the government collected and spent oil and other revenues. The government disputed the findings, saying agencies had access to all areas and it was working to fix the economy. Oil-rich South Sudan erupted into civil war soon after securing independence from Sudan in 2011, leading to an estimated 400,000 deaths and one…
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Dec
04
2020
By The African Mirror
The main contenders in Ghana’s presidential election

The main contenders in Ghana’s presidential election

NEWS
GHANA holds a presidential election on December  7 in what is expected to be a two-horse race between the incumbent, President Nana Akufo-Addo, and the leader of the main opposition party, former president John Mahama. Below are details about the two main candidates: NANA AKUFO-ADDO, NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY The 76-year-old is running against Mahama for the third time, after defeating him in the 2016 race for the presidency. Critics say Akufo-Addo, whose late father was also president before being ousted in a 1972 coup, has failed to make good on campaign promises such as a pledge to bring a factory…
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Dec
04
2020
By The African Mirror
Liberian rebel commander shouts out at start of Swiss trial for cannibalism, rape

Liberian rebel commander shouts out at start of Swiss trial for cannibalism, rape

NEWS
EMMA FARGE A former rebel commander accused of involvement in killing civilians, rape and eating pieces of a school teacher's heart during Liberia's civil war decried his long pre-trial detention in an outburst as proceedings began in Switzerland. The trial is just one of a handful of cases brought to international courts in connection with the West African country's 1989-2003 civil war, which became a byword for savagery and killed hundreds of thousands of people. The defendant, 45-year-old Alieu Kosiah, denies the charges. His lawyer said Kosiah, who was arrested in Switzerland in 2014, was not present in the area…
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Dec
04
2020
By The African Mirror
Ethiopia’s war still churns, but relief aid coming

Ethiopia’s war still churns, but relief aid coming

NEWS
RELIEF agencies in Ethiopia have prepared convoys to truck aid into the Tigray region, where clashes were still reported in a month of war that may have killed thousands and has sent refugees fleeing to Sudan along corpse-strewn roads. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared victory over the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after federal forces captured the regional capital Mekelle at the weekend. However, TPLF leaders have dug into surrounding mountains in what appears to be an emerging guerrilla strategy. One aid worker in touch with Tigray told Reuters that fighting continued to the north, south and west of the…
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Dec
03
2020
By The African Mirror
South African reintroduces tough anti-COVID-19 measures in response to second wave

South African reintroduces tough anti-COVID-19 measures in response to second wave

COVID-19
AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE resurgence of a COVID-19 second wave has forced South Africa to reintroduce tough measures in the Nelson Mandela Bay in Eastern Cape, an area which has seen new high infection rates which has led to overwhelmed hospitals. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the measures, in a special address to the nation, which will apply to the Nelson Mandela Bay, which has been declared a COVID-19 hotspot. He said the government would assess the Sarah Baartman region in the Eastern Cape and the Garden Route region in the Western Cape, which have also shown signs of…
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Dec
03
2020
By The African Mirror
OPINION: Somali women’s inclusion in politics is long overdue

OPINION: Somali women’s inclusion in politics is long overdue

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
HODAN S. ISSE and SAGAL B.H. MUSA THERE is little doubt that women in Somalia have played a significant role in keeping the country afloat through decades of conflict and disaster. They are productive contributors to the economy through their petty trades and small businesses. They are often the sole providers for their families, peace builders in communities and caretakers of both the youth and the elderly. And yet while they have played a prominent role in revitalizing the economy and bringing a sense of stability in their communities, they have also paid a heavy price. Many have been forced…
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Dec
03
2020
By The African Mirror
Suited avatars and digital offices: traders and bankers embrace VR

Suited avatars and digital offices: traders and bankers embrace VR

SCIENCE, TECH AND INNOVATION
ELIZABETH HOWCROFT and SAIKAT CHATTERJEE ONCE the preserve of gamers, virtual reality (VR) has been seized on by the financial sector as a way of enlivening home working for lonely traders or isolated executives and replicating real-world sales, networking or training events. With 90% of employees at some of the world's biggest financial firms now working at home due to a resurgence in coronavirus infections, more and more companies are experimenting with VR. Some practices could stick beyond the pandemic, particularly as home working becomes more widespread. At investment manager Fidelity International, executives experimented with a VR auditorium, taking questions…
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Dec
03
2020
By The African Mirror
The perils of mixing music and politics in Nigeria

The perils of mixing music and politics in Nigeria

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
MUSICIANS play a prominent role in Nigeria’s dynamic political landscape, especially since the country became a democracy. Politics and music have always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship, even during austere military regimes. For example, in 1995, the late dictator, General Sani Abacha (1993-1998) commissioned highlife maestro, King Oliver de Coque to record an album titled Democracy. The project was designed to launder his image, and position him as an aspiring democratic president. GARHE OSIEBE, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Rhodes University Popular musicians endorsing politicians and their parties are common in Nigeria during elections. One particular episode stands for its post-electoral significance. Local…
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Dec
03
2020
By The African Mirror
Children head to diamond mines in pandemic-hit Central African Republic

Children head to diamond mines in pandemic-hit Central African Republic

HUMAN RIGHTS
ANTOINE ROLLAND SINCE the coronavirus forced his school to close in March, Papin has been working six days a week at a diamond mine in the Central African Republic (CAR) - hauling sacks of mud and rubble under a hot sun. He is among a dozen children working at the open-pit mine near the southern town of Ngoto, where about 100 miners use shovels and sieves to scour the red earth for diamonds. It is back-breaking work and Papin longs to return to the classroom. "I came here to help my big brother," Papin, who said he was 16 but…
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