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Egypt’s cratering economy drives many to risky migrant route

Egypt’s cratering economy drives many to risky migrant route

WALEED el-Degwy found his plumbing skills no longer earned enough for his family in Egypt's northern Nile Delta region, so he crossed the border to Libya where he boarded an old, overcrowded trawler bound for Europe. In June, a few miles off the Greek coast, the trawler sank, drowning hundreds of those on board, among them Egyptians who have made the crossing in growing numbers as Egypt's economy has cratered. A few people survived but Degwy was among the many on board who had disappeared without a trace. "He wasn't able to provide for his children, he was in debt," the…
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UK’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda heads to top court

UK’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda heads to top court

THE British government will try next week to persuade judges at the country's top court to overturn a ruling which declared unlawful its divisive plan to deport to Rwanda asylum seekers who arrive in small boats across the Channel. In a blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government and his pledge to "stop the boats", London's Court of Appeal concluded in June the scheme to send tens of thousands of migrants more than 4,000 miles (6,400 km) to East Africa was not lawful, saying Rwanda could not be treated as a safe third country. On Monday, government lawyers will argue at the Supreme Court…
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Kenya President reshuffles cabinet, swaps foreign affairs minister

Kenya President reshuffles cabinet, swaps foreign affairs minister

KENYA'S President William Ruto reshuffled eight members of his cabinet and folded the foreign affairs ministry into the office of the chief minister. The changes were necessary, Ruto said, to "optimise performance and enhance delivery as set out in the administration's manifesto". Ruto has faced a series of nationwide protests over the high cost of living and tax hikes since he took power in August 2022. Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua was transferred to the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, while Trade Minister Moses Kiarie Kuria was moved to the Ministry of Public Service. The foreign ministry was brought under the…
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Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger students in French visa limbo as relations sour

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger students in French visa limbo as relations sour

BURKINA Faso medical student Alphonse Nikiema lit up as he read an email from his university allowing him to resume visa paperwork for training at a French hospital next year - a move that has been in limbo since France suspended consular services in his country. Hundreds of students, researchers and artists with upcoming professional trips to France that can take months of planning have been uncertain about getting their visas due to deteriorating relations with France following coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger over the past three years. The juntas that seized power have turned against former colonial…
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Cameroon separatists publicly execute two civilians accused of spying

Cameroon separatists publicly execute two civilians accused of spying

ARMED separatists in Cameroon's troubled northwest publicly executed two kidnapped civilians they accused of spying for the government, a local administrator and the separatists said. Footage of the killing widely shared online showed the two middle-aged men sitting on a paved road as gun-wielding separatists warned onlookers against betrayal. They then open fire on the men. The video was shot in the village of Guzang, in Cameroon's English-speaking North West region, where separatists have been fighting since 2017 to protest at alleged marginalisation by the majority French-speaking government. Their aim is to carve out an independent state called Ambazonia. Reuters…
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A fresh produce market becomes a night-time destination for busy Ugandans, thanks to the installation of a solar lighting array

A fresh produce market becomes a night-time destination for busy Ugandans, thanks to the installation of a solar lighting array

IN St. Balikuddembe Market, Kampala, while the day winds down, Ssemwogerere Andrew digs into a bale of rubber shoes, determined to secure a last-minute sale. The market's history hasn't always been this forgiving for vendors like Ssemwogerere, who have often faced early closures. “These lights are very important. Before they were installed, we used to have limited time to work but from the time the government provided the lights, we started making reasonable revenue,” Andrew explains. Popularly known as Owino Market, this is the biggest market in Uganda and among the 16 public markets that the Kampala Capital City Authority…
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How a “miracle” birth triggered a rural movement and delivered a school road

How a “miracle” birth triggered a rural movement and delivered a school road

WHEN 42-year-old Mary Chirwa experienced the sudden onset of overdue labour pains associated with the birth of a third child, her location in Dilika Ward, a stunning area of rolling hills and savannah landscapes, suddenly seemed extremely remote. The area had for years suffered the blight of poorly maintained roads and a glaring absence of essential infrastructure, leaving the community to get along on determination alone. Schoolchildren in the area navigated the remains of the broken main road daily, in order to get to and from school, an impossible task in heavy rain. When intensifying labour pains that night prompted…
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Uganda opposition says leader detained at airport, police dispute claim

Uganda opposition says leader detained at airport, police dispute claim

UGANDA'S main opposition party said its leader Bobi Wine had been detained at the airport as he returned from a trip abroad, but police said they had accompanied him to his residence. In recent years Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, has emerged as the strongest challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, 79, who has been in power in the East African country since 1986. Wine finished runner-up to Museveni in a 2021 election that he said was marred by fraud. Museveni's government has faced criticism from opponents and human rights activists for stifling the opposition, a charge Museveni denies.…
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Precious artefacts looted in 1868 war with Britain returned to Ethiopia

Precious artefacts looted in 1868 war with Britain returned to Ethiopia

THE British government's return of Ethiopian artefacts looted in the war of Magdala in 1868, announced in September has drawn attention once again to the looting of artefacts from Africa and elsewhere, in Europe's many colonial wars. Among the returned artefacts was a lock of hair belonging to Prince Alemayehu, son of the first modern ruler of Ethiopia, Emperor Tewodros II. “The secular items including jorn cups and a shield and the Prince's hair were handed over to the Ethiopian Ambassador and delivered to the Embassy in London. The Holy Tabot will be repatriated by the priests assigned by the…
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Congo colonel found guilty of murder for role in Goma massacre in August

Congo colonel found guilty of murder for role in Goma massacre in August

A Congolese colonel has been found guilty of murder and other crimes related to the August killing of 56 people during an army crackdown on anti-U.N. demonstrations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local court said. Colonel Mike Mikombe, who was head of the Republican Guard unit in the city of Goma, where the incident took place, was one of six soldiers on trial. He was sentenced to death, but the death penalty is no longer applied in Congo and is generally commuted to life imprisonment. His lawyer, Serge Lukanga, said he would appeal the decision. Three other…
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