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AfDB to resume Ethiopia work after assurance on security, probe into funds

AfDB to resume Ethiopia work after assurance on security, probe into funds

The African Development Bank (AfDB) said that all its international staff would return to Ethiopia a month after it withdrew the employees following an assault on staff members by government security forces. The bank will resume normal operations in the country after receiving an assurance of security from the authorities, an AfDB statement said. In a meeting between AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed late last month Abiy issued an apology to AfDB and assured the bank and its staff of safety and security, the statement said. It added that the Ethiopian government had committed to cooperate on investigations…
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Top US diplomat Blinken to discuss security challenges during West Africa trip next week

Top US diplomat Blinken to discuss security challenges during West Africa trip next week

SECURITY challenges in West Africa following the coup in Niger last year will be among key topics U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss with African leaders next week during his trip to the region, the State Department's top Africa diplomat said. Blinken will travel to Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Angola from January 21 through January 26, the department said in a statement, where he will discuss U.S.-African partnerships over trade, climate, infrastructure, health and other issues. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee told reporters the U.S. has a known record and hopes the…
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Nigeria slaps 14 new criminal charges against ex-central bank chief

Nigeria slaps 14 new criminal charges against ex-central bank chief

NIGERIAN prosecutors added 14 new criminal charges, including forgery, against former central bank governor Godwin Emefiele in the most high-profile corruption case under President Bola Tinubu. Emefiele, who presided over the affairs of the central bank for nine years, resigned last year after he was arrested and spent five months in detention. Prosecutors told a judge in Abuja that the new charges against Emefiele were linked to forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery and felony, procurement fraud and criminal breach of trust. Emefiele was being tried on six charges of procurement fraud after he was freed on $300,000 bail in November. He denied…
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Kenya cult leader charged with terrorism-related crimes in starvation deaths

Kenya cult leader charged with terrorism-related crimes in starvation deaths

KENYAN cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 94 others were charged with terrorism-related crimes related to the deaths of 429 of his followers whose bodies have been exhumed from the Shakahola forest. The charges, announced during an appearance before a court in the southeastern city of Mombasa, are the first to be brought against Mackenzie, who was arrested last April after the bodies started to be discovered. Mackenzie and his co-defendants denied the charges during their appearance before the judge, Joe Omido. They are due back in court on February 8 for a bond hearing. Authorities say Mackenzie, the head of…
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Congo opposition leaders call for protest on inauguration day

Congo opposition leaders call for protest on inauguration day

TWO of the main opposition candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo's December presidential election have called for a protest this Saturday when President Felix Tshisekedi is due to be sworn in for a second term. Tshisekedi and his party won the December 20-24 general election by a landslide, but the vote was marred by widespread allegations of fraud, logistical shortcomings and disruptions. The fallout threatens to further destabilise Congo, the world's third-largest copper producer and the top producer of cobalt, a key component in electric car batteries. The two opposition leaders, Martin Fayulu and Moise Katumbi, as well as others, have…
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Excitement mounts for the sixth Jo’burg Film Festival

Excitement mounts for the sixth Jo’burg Film Festival

THE vibrant city of Johannesburg is gearing up to welcome film lovers to the Jo'burg Film Festival, set to take place from Tuesday, February 27th, to Sunday, March 3rd. One of Africa's most popular film screening events, this much-anticipated annual celebration of cinema brings together a diverse community of filmmakers, industry professionals, and cinema enthusiasts for a week-long extravaganza dedicated to the art of storytelling through film. https://twitter.com/JoburgFilmFest/status/1740038632218730953?s=20 One of the highlights of this year's festival is the Youth and Audience Development Programme, which has just unveiled its schedule and venues.  As part of the festival's commitment to nurturing young…
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Kush: what is this dangerous new West African drug that supposedly contains human bones?

Kush: what is this dangerous new West African drug that supposedly contains human bones?

A new drug called kush is wreaking havoc in West Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone where it is estimated to kill around a dozen people each week and hospitalise thousands. The drug, taken mostly by men aged 18 to 25, causes people to fall asleep while walking, to fall over, to bang their heads against hard surfaces and to walk into moving traffic. MICHAEL COLE, Professor of Forensic Science, Anglia Ruskin University Kush should not be confused with the drug of the same name found in the US, which is a mixture of “an ever-changing host of chemicals” sprayed on…
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Meet the trailblazing women officiating at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

Meet the trailblazing women officiating at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

WITH the introduction of the first African woman referee at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2021 and three more women referees at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the expansion of women into football decision-making continues in the Ivory Coast where a total of six women are officiating at the 2023 AFCON tournament. The six are among 68 match officials appointed for the delayed 2023 tournament, each of whom brings a wealth of experience. This marks a significant milestone almost unthinkable just five years ago. So, who are the six female referees officiating at the AFCON 2023? Salima Mukansanga…
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One dead, at least 25 injured in Comoros protests over president’s re-election

One dead, at least 25 injured in Comoros protests over president’s re-election

ONE person has been killed and at least 25 injured in violent protests that erupted after Comoros President Azali Assoumani's re-election on Sunday, a health official said. Demonstrations erupted on Wednesday, a day after the electoral body declared Assoumani winner, giving him a fourth five-year term. A seven-year-old child was among the wounded, Djabir Ibrahim, head of the emergency department at Moroni's El-Maarouf Hospital, told Reuters. One of the injured was in intensive care with serious chest trauma, he added. Assoumani beat five other candidates in the election. His opponents have said the election was tainted by voter fraud, alleging…
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Sierra Leone allows ex-president Koroma to leave country on medical grounds

Sierra Leone allows ex-president Koroma to leave country on medical grounds

A Sierra Leone high court allowed ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma, charged this month with treason, to travel abroad on medical grounds. Koroma, 70, was charged with four offences for his alleged role in a failed military attempt to topple the West African country's government in November. There are concerns Koroma's indictment could stoke tension brought by a contentious election in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term in June 2023. The main opposition candidate rejected the results and international partners questioned the vote. Months later, on November 26, gunmen attacked military barracks, a prison and other locations in…
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