NEWS - The African Mirror

Mar

29

2024

Senegal’s youth want jobs from Faye, investors wary of radical ideas

NEWS

SENEGAL'S President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye rode to victory in Sunday's poll on a wave of protest votes against the West African country's current leader, fuelled by discontent that infrastructure-fuelled growth has failed to benefit all. While the young people who formed the backbone of Faye's support base want jobs and more even wealth distribution, investors expressed hope that pledges to create a new currency and renegotiate energy contracts won't be followed through. During outgoing President Macky Sall's 12 years in power, economic growth averaged almost 5%, boosted by spending on roads, railways, ports and airports, while Senegal had a reputation for being…

Mar

28

2024

By TAREK AMARA

Tunisia sentences four people to death for 2013 assassination of politician

NEWS

A Tunisian court sentenced four people to death and two to life in prison on charges of participating in the murder of prominent political leader Chokri Belaid 11 years ago, which sparked mass protests against the then-ruling Islamists. Belaid, a leftist politician, had been a fierce critic of the Islamist Ennahda party which led the government at the time, accusing it of turning a blind eye to violence by extremists against secularists. He was shot dead in his car by gunmen on February 6, 2013, in what was viewed as the first political assassination in Tunisia in decades. Belaid's assassination…

Mar

28

2024

By EDWIN WAITA

Kenyan families weep for starvation cult victims as first bodies released

NEWS

BEREAVED relatives emerged weeping from a hospital mortuary in Kenya after recovering the remains of loved ones whose doomsday cult leader induced them to starve themselves, according to the authorities. The bodies of more than 400 followers of the Good News International Church have been exhumed from the Shakahola forest in southeastern Kenya since April 2023 in one of the world's worst cult-related tragedies of recent decades. Cult leader Paul Mackenzie handed himself over to police last April and is facing murder charges along with 29 others. All have pleaded not guilty. Mackenzie stands accused of telling his followers the end of the…

Mar

28

2024

By AHMAD GHADDAR and ROBERT HARVEY

Nigeria’s Dangote oil refinery could accelerate European sector’s decline

NEWS

NIGERIA'S giant Dangote oil refinery could bring to an end a decades-long gasoline trade from Europe to Africa worth $17 billion a year, heaping pressure on European refineries already at risk of closure from heightened competition, analysts and traders said. The refinery started production in January and cost $20 billion to build. It can refine up to 650,000 barrels per day (bpd) and will be the largest in Africa and Europe when it reaches full capacity this or next year. It has long been touted as the turning point for Nigeria's quest for energy independence. Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation and…

Mar

30

2024

By The African Mirror

Year-long war dims Sudan’s Ramadan festivities

NEWS

THE feasts and festivities of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have been muted in Sudan this year with millions of people displaced from their homes and struggling with hunger as a war between the army and paramilitaries nears the one-year mark. "All what we were accustomed to, how we eat, drink, meet people in Ramadan, ... all of that is no longer available," said Mohamed Ali, who broke his fast in a displacement centre in Port Sudan on the Red Sea, to which many have fled from the capital Khartoum and other active war zones. In the past, Ramadan in Sudan…

Mar

27

2024

By GARBA MUHAMMAD

More than 100 kidnapped Nigerian students arrive back in Kaduna

NEWS

WRAPPED in orange headscarves and blue school uniforms, over 100 Nigerian students and staff who were kidnapped this month arrived at the local government building in the country's north, a day after they were freed by the army. "There are 131 students, six others are currently being hospitalized and will be eventually discharged when they get better," said Major General MLD Saraso of the Nigerian army. He said one of the 138 people abducted, a school staff member, had died in captivity. The army announced on Sunday it had rescued 137 hostages - 76 female and 61 male - in…

Mar

27

2024

By PORTIA CROWE and DIADIE BA

Senegal’s president-elect Faye vows to govern with humility

NEWS

SENEGAL opposition presidential candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a political newcomer popular among disaffected youth, promised to govern with humility and transparency. Faye, set to be declared the next president after his main rival called him to concede defeat, thanked President Macky Sall and other candidates for respecting Senegal's democratic tradition by recognising his victory well before the official results. "In electing me, the Senegalese people have decided on a break with a past," Faye told journalists in his first public appearance since the election. "I promise to govern with humility and transparency." Provisional results showed Faye with about 53.7% and…

Mar

27

2024

By CONRAD ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Congo and Togo record Africa’s highest increase in happiness levels

NEWS

THE Republic of Congo and Togo are among the countries that have seen happiness levels amongst their citizens increase the most over the past 12 years. The two African countries are listed among seventeen countries globally that recorded increases in average life evaluations of a full point or more. The World Happiness Report 2024 ranks the Republic of Congo in fourth place globally (with 1.40 points) for the biggest increase in happiness levels, after Serbia (1.84 points), Bulgaria (1.57 points) and Latvia (1.47 points ), mostly thanks to increases among their youth populations. Togo closed the world’s top 10 most…

Mar

27

2024

By ESTHER MUSEMBI, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Ten influential women in African politics

NEWS

WITH more than a third of African countries headed to the polls in 2024, African women are showing increasing interest in holding leadership positions, including the presidency. Their stories inspire resilience, determination, and visionary leadership, serving as beacons for future generations of female leaders across the continent. The following is a selected list of some influential women in African politics: 1. Sahle-Work Zewde, President of EthiopiaA distinguished Ethiopian diplomat, Zewde made history in 2018 by becoming the first female Ethiopian president. Before her presidency, she held prominent roles within the United Nations, including serving as Special Representative of the Secretary-General…

Mar

26

2024

By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Cultural wealth can drive economic growth in African cities

NEWS

WITH the right policies, African cities hold immense potential to drive significant economic growth by capitalizing on their rich cultural heritage and harnessing the creativity of their youthful populations, according to a new report. “Africa’s urban landscapes are not just repositories of heritage and tradition; they are dynamic centres of innovation, awaiting the right policies to support unlocking their full potential,” the report finds. Titled 'African Alternatives: The Future of Creative Cities,' the report is published by the World Cities Culture Forum, a network comprising local governments and cultural sector leaders from 44 global cities. Through interviews with over 150…