Kenya’s high court on Friday convicted three police officers in the 2016 slayings of a human rights lawyer, his client and a driver.

Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet and Sylvia Wanjiku, and police informant Peter Ngugi, were found guilty on three counts of first-degree murder.

The officers were charged with killing human rights lawyer Willie Kimani, his client, Josephat Mwenda, and the driver, Joseph Muiruri.

Abducted after court filing

The three were abducted in June 2016 as they left a court, where Kimani had filed a complaint alleging that his client was shot and wounded by police. Their bodies were later found in a river, wrapped in burlap sacks.

In her judgment, Justice Jessie Lesiit said she had analyzed exhibits and evidence given by 46 prosecution witnesses and 34 defense witnesses and had concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants were guilty.

The justice found that Kimani had been harassed before his murder. The 32-year-old lawyer had been working with the International Justice Mission, a global legal rights group.

Lesiit found that the officers contemplated for three hours whether to kill the victims, which indicated malicious motive.

“I have carefully considered the evidence produced in this case by both sides and I have considered the submission by counsel of the authorities established against the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th, the accused persons, justifying the drawing of an imprint of guilt,” the judge said.

A fourth person accused in the case, Leonard Mwangi, was acquitted because of a lack of sufficient evidence against him.

Rights groups in Kenya frequently accuse police of brutality and extrajudicial killings, but officers are rarely charged, and even more rarely convicted.

The three police officers face the possibility of life in prison.
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U.S. aid officials are calling on countries in the Horn of Africa to speak out against the Russian government’s blockade of Ukrainian ports, which have held back grain exports needed to feed millions of hungry people in the region. Officials also are pleading with armed groups in Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan to allow free passage of foodstuff in areas under their control.

The U.S. government’s top aid officials are on a three-day visit to East Africa, where nearly 20 million people are in a state of severe hunger and food insecurity aggravated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and cutoff of Ukrainian food exports.

In her first stop in the region, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, speaking in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, said a concerted effort is needed to overcome the regional humanitarian crisis.

Earlier in the week, Power announced $1.2 billion in new money for Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya and spoke Friday of how the money will be dedicated to meeting the food crisis in Kenya.

“That’s an enormous sum of money and it speaks to the amount of need here, but again we need other donors to step as well,” Power said. “At the same time we try to mobilize those resources we need to be pushing for access to hard-to-reach areas, and no party to the conflict should be impeding the safe passage of humanitarian relief.”

Kenya will receive about $255 million of the latest U.S. contribution. Some 4.1 million people are food insecure in Kenya, up from 3.5 million in March this year.

Kenya’s minister for public service and gender Margaret Kobia said the government has been able to provide humanitarian assistance in the arid and semi-arid areas of the country.

“The government has been giving cash transfers since September last year,” Kobia said. “We feel that even for those who are moving from one location to another, cash transfer remains a mode that can reach them wherever they are so long as they have a telephone.”

The Horn is experiencing a drought that is leaving millions on the brink of starvation.

Humanitarian agencies operating in Ethiopia and Somalia are finding it challenging to access some parts of both countries because of conflict and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to move to safer areas to get access to food, water and medicine.

The United Nations and Turkey have mediated a deal to free Ukrainian grain exports. But Power said African countries need to pressure Russia to make sure the exports reach their intended destinations.

“This is going to be a challenging period for this region even if the grains can be unlocked, but every voice on the continent and around the world should be crying out in unison to Vladimir Putin, ‘Let the grains go, let the grains go Mr. Putin,’” Power said. “This is a humanitarian catastrophe in the making and anything any one of us can do to alleviate that must be done.”

Somalia gets 90 percent of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and even those with money are finding it difficult to afford the food in the markets.

Aid agencies warn eight areas in Somalia are at risk of famine and more than 7 million people are affected by drought, which has wiped out pastures and livestock.
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Al-Shabab militants from Somalia launched a cross-border attack into Ethiopia’s Somali region Thursday, triggering gunbattles with Ethiopia’s paramilitary Liyu police that caused an unknown number of casualties. This is believed to be the first time al-Shabab has launched an attack in Ethiopia.

Somali military sources and an official from the Liyu police tell VOA that dozens of al-Shabab fighters crossed into the Afdher zone of Ethiopia’s Somali region late Thursday.

The Liyu police official said al-Shabab attacked and took control of several of their positions. He said all positions have since been recaptured, with police suffering heavy casualties.

The official refused to give a number for al-Shabab casualties but Somali military officials in Bakool, a region that borders Ethiopia, tell VOA at least 87 al-Shabab militants were killed in the fighting.

Al-Shabab has not commented on Thursday’s fighting. The group acknowledged attacking the Somali border towns of Washaaqom, Aato and Yeet on Wednesday, where Liyu police are known to be present. It said it captured Aato and Yeet.

Why the Islamist militant group launched the attacks is not clear. But, security experts believe the group may be trying to show it is still dangerous, and may also believe that Ethiopian forces have been weakened by the Tigray conflict.

The Ethiopian National Defense Forces have nearly 4,000 soldiers serving as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.

An official in the town of Hudur, the capital of Bakol, told VOA via phone that there were still sporadic firefights going on Friday near Ethiopian border with Somalia.

Al-Shabab has been fighting Somali governments and African Union peacekeepers since 2007 and has previously carried out many deadly attacks in Kenya, plus one in Uganda.

After Thursday’s fighting, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre ordered security agencies to respond the al-Shabab attack “quickly.”
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Nearly half of Nigerian households rely on high-polluting generators due to the country’s poor infrastructure and soaring fuel prices, according to a joint report by research firm Stears and Nigeria’s Sterling Bank. A new group called Solar Sister is helping women and girls access solar power and become more financially independent. Timothy Obiezu has more from Abuja, Nigeria. Camera: Emeka Gibson and Timothy Obiezu
…

Exactly a year after Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, fired his government, suspended parliament and seized sweeping powers, its citizens vote Monday, July 25, on a draft constitution that critics fear could pull the fledgling Arab Spring democracy back to authoritarian rule. For VOA, Lisa Bryant has more from Tunis.
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Police in Malawi said about 76 protesters are expected to appear in court Friday to face charges of unlawful assembly and inciting violence. This follows their arrest Wednesday when protests against the high cost of living led to clashes with police and the looting of shops in the capital, Lilongwe.

The clashes started after the High Court of Malawi granted an injunction to business owners who wanted to block the protesters, fearing property damage.

“So we understand they did not agree with that and they wanted to proceed despite the injunction,” said Harry Namwaza, the deputy spokesperson for the Malawi Police Service. “Now, you will understand that where there is an injunction as law enforcers, we cannot allow an action to proceed. That is contempt of court. So we reasoned with them, but it seems they did not want to listen.”

Namwaza also said the protesters started marching anyway, resulting in clashes with police who tried to stop them.

“They now started blocking the road, they started damaging other people’s shops, stoning cars and causing all sorts of damages in other areas,” he said. “And we fired tear gas and in the course we arrested 76 people who were perpetrating the violence.”

Those arrested include four leaders of the Human Rights Ambassadors group, which organized the demonstrations.

Some rights campaigners accused the police of using excessive force in trying to stop the protest.

“Actually, the mandate of Malawi Police Service is to ensure that they protect the rights and property of Malawians, not to fight them,” said Sylvester Namiwa, executive director of the Center for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives. “Police should have been there just to provide that necessary security. A lot of those things could have been avoided. So it’s the careless approach in the way we handle the issue, nothing else.”

Namwaza said tear gas was the best weapon available to stop the violence.

“We have rifles, we have tear gas, and we have rubber bullets,” he said. “We assessed each and every situation. So people may give all sorts of comments but what we are saying is that before we start firing tear gas, we assess situations.”

Government spokesperson Gospel Kazako said as much as the government respects people’s rights to hold peaceful demonstrations, it is unfortunate that organizers of Wednesday’s protests defied a court order to stop the planned protests.

“If a court issued an injunction, I think it was very important for those that had organized these demonstrations to comply,” he said. “You cannot be above the law, regardless of who you are.”

Police spokesperson Namwaza said those arrested Wednesday have been charged with inciting violence, unlawful assembly and contempt of court.

Rights campaigner Namiwa said similar nationwide demonstrations are planned for next week Thursday.
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Preparations are underway for the mass rollout of the world’s first malaria vaccine to protect millions of children in Africa.

The rollout is being funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for nearly $160 million.

The World Health Organization said Gavi’s multimillion-dollar funding marks a key advance in the fight against one of Africa’s most severe public health threats. It noted that countries in sub-Saharan Africa bear the brunt of the yearly toll of more than 240 million global cases of malaria, including more than 600,000 reported deaths. The main victims are children under age 5.

WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said one child dies every minute in Africa, with catastrophic consequences for families, communities and national development.

The vaccine was introduced in Africa in 2019. Since then, more than 1.3 million children have benefited from the lifesaving inoculations in three pilot countries — Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. Moeti said those countries have reported a 30 percent drop in hospitalizations of children with severe malaria and a 9% reduction in child deaths.

“If delivered at scale, millions of new cases could be averted, and tens of thousands of lives saved every year,” Moeti said. “We were encouraged to see that demand for the vaccine is high, even in the context of COVID-19, with the first dose reaching between 73% to over 90% coverage.”

Thabani Maphosa, managing director of country programs at Gavi, called the vaccine the most effective tool in the fight against malaria, one that will save children’s lives. However, he said, demand for the lifesaving product will outstrip supply.

“Our challenge during this critical phase is to ensure the doses we have available are used as effectively and equitably as possible,” Maphosa said. “With this is mind, Gavi today is opening an application window for malaria support.”

He said the three pilot countries, which already have experience in rolling out the vaccine, will get first crack at applying for and receiving funding. So, practically speaking, Maphosa said, they will require little help in setting up their systems to get the operation underway.

Maphosa said a second round of funding will take place at the end of the year. At that time, he said other countries with moderate to high cases of severe malaria can submit applications for support.
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Online sales boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, including those in some parts of Africa, where industry analysts say online trade is expected to grow by over half in the next three years. The continent’s online market potential faces numerous challenges, though. For VOA, Linda Givetash reports from Johannesburg.
Videographer: Zaheer Cassim
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Heavy fighting was reported Wednesday after al-Shabab militants attacked two Somali towns along the border with Ethiopia.

Regional officials who confirmed the attack with VOA Somali said militants clashed with Liyu police, members of Ethiopia’s controversial paramilitary forces that have long been present in Somalia’s southwestern Bakool region towns of Yeed and Aato.

Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) operating in Somalia as part of a bilateral security deal between Ethiopia and Somalia rely on Liyu police for border protection and supply route safety and logistics.

A security official who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak with media told VOA’s Somali Service that al-Shabab first attacked a Liyu police camp in Aato town; a local Bakool region official confirmed the al-Shabab then carried out a second attack on Yeed, where militants again entered a Liyu police encampment.

Militants later attacked Washaaqo village with mortars, possibly to disrupt Liyu police reinforcements from arriving on the scene. Yeed and Aato are within 80 kilometers of each other, while Washaaqo is slightly further inside Somalia.

Casualties are not yet known. Telephone networks in the area had been down most of Wednesday.

Al-Shabab spokesperson Abdulaziz Abu Mus’ab claimed the group’s fighters captured both Yeed and Aato.

All three Somali towns have hosted a large presence of Liyu police that hail from Ethiopia’s eastern Somali Region for many years.

ENDF has nearly 4,000 soldiers serving as part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. Ethiopia is also thought to have several thousand additional special police that operate in Somalia based on an agreement with the Somali government.

This latest al-Shabab attack comes as Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Wednesday said the government is determined to launch a “forceful and comprehensive” fight to counter al-Shabab and Islamic State militants through “military and non-military means” in order to reopen the main supply routes for humanitarian efforts, commercial activities and free movement of people.

Barre did not give a timeline of the operations against al-Shabab. Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who assumed office in May, recently announced a new strategy to fight al-Shabab comprising military, ideological and economic components.

Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, al-Shabab’s leader, vowed in a new audio recording to fight the new government, asserting the group will “never allow a government that is not founded upon Islam and an administration that doesn’t fully implement Sharia [law].” 
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Just weeks before Kenya holds a presidential election, analysts say the unexpected, growing popularity of one candidate could deliver some unpredictability to the outcome.

George Wajackoyah ranks a distant third behind front-runners Raila Odinga and William Ruto. But according to one poll, his platform to legalize marijuana is winning support.

Wajackoyah and another candidate, David Mwaure, are political newcomers in Kenya.

Opinion surveys indicate that Wajackoyah is highly unlikely to win the August 9 election. But his approval among Kenyans is rising. One recent survey by Trends for Insights Africa showed he had an approval rating of 7%, which would translate to about 150,000 votes on election day.

The leading candidates, former Prime Minister Odinga and current Deputy President Ruto, are far ahead at 50 percent and 25 percent respectively.

But Wajackoyah’s seemingly small number of votes could affect the outcome, possibly by denying Odinga a majority or Ruto the votes to force a runoff.

Mark Bichache, a political analyst in Kenya, said he sees potential impact in Wajackoyah’s candidacy.

“In terms of affecting the election, I don’t think he will affect it to the extent where he will cause a runoff,” Bichache said, “but he might cost William Ruto some votes because he is targeting the same people’s audience as William Ruto does.”

Wajackoyah’s unexpected popularity, analysts say, comes from his campaign pledge to legalize outlawed cannabis in Kenya.

In a telephone interview with VOA, the professor of law-turned-politician said he wishes to position Kenya as a dominant player in the antivenom market and said he would encourage snake farming to help pay off Chinese debt.

Despite his polling numbers, Wajackoyah said he was confident of winning the election outright.

“I’m not going to cause a runoff because I’m the one winning this election,” he said, “so the issue of a runoff does not make sense to me.”

Wajackoyah’s agenda is attractive to many voters, especially young ones. Policy and governance analyst Gabriel Muthuma said Wajackoyah’s message has found an appeal with some voters.

“He has introduced us to his narrative of marijuana, snakes, snails and hyenas and to a certain level has been able to have a crowd who kind of think the same as him and believe he has something to offer,” Muthuma said.

Kenya’s election law requires that a presidential candidate win more than 50 percent of the national vote to be declared the winner.

The August election will be Kenya’s third under the constitution established in 2010.
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The Media Alliance of Zimbabwe has condemned the Chinese embassy in Harare for threatening a weekly newspaper after it published articles on violations by Chinese mining companies.

The group says the embassy threatened to take unspecified “strong countermeasures” against The Standard newspaper, which the alliance called an attack on press freedom.

“Firstly, the Chinese embassy did not specify what counteractions they would take against the newspaper in question, and it is something of a concern — particularly coming from a global powerhouse in the mold of China,” said Nigel Nyamutumbu, head of the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe. “And this, in our view, such unspecified threats would amount to an attack on press freedom,” he said.

Officials at the Chinese embassy on Wednesday said they would not comment on the statement by the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe.

Nyamutumbu said, “The Chinese embassy did not also seek any redress with the professional mechanisms that exist, whether through the ombudsman of the Alpha Media Holdings, which houses the newspaper that they had issues with, or approaching the self-regulatory mechanism that is available to seek redress and to seek accountability, and to get areas they wanted threshed out to be handled.

“They could also have used the Zimbabwe Media Commission or the diplomatic channels so that their issues could have been handled amicably outside of issuing statements that have a chilling effect on press freedom,” he added.

Zimbabwean officials could not be reached Wednesday for comments. In an interview, former Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Ashton Masunda, a member of the Alpha Media Holdings editorial advisory board, said journalists would not relent, despite the threats by the Chinese embassy.

“The allegation that really stung me into action was the allegation by the Chinese embassy that the Alpha Media Holdings journalists were paid by foreign-linked nongovernment organizations as well as an embassy,” Masunda said. “Alpha Media Holdings is an independent media house, which is free from any political ties. It is an anathema for any Alpha Media Holdings journalists to receive any payment outside remuneration which he or she receives from [the] company.”

Masunda added that his organization would continue to report accurately and fairly in Zimbabwe.
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A new study shines a light on the health risks, challenges, and barriers faced daily by millions of refugees and migrants who suffer from poor health because they lack access to the health care available to others in their host countries.

The World Health Organization has just published its first world report on the health of refugees and migrants. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called it a landmark report and an alarm bell.

He said the report reveals the wide disparities between the health of refugees and migrants and the wider populations in their host countries.  

“For example, many migrant workers are engaged in the so-called 3-D jobs—dirty, dangerous, and demanding—without adequate social and health protection or sufficient occupational health measures,” he said. “Refugees and migrants are virtually absent from global surveys and health data, making these vulnerable groups almost invisible in the design of health systems and services.”   

Tedros noted that one billion people or one in every eight people on Earth is a refugee or migrant. He said the numbers were growing. Tedros added that more and more people will be on the move in response to burgeoning conflicts, climate change, rising inequality, and global emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the health needs of refugees and migrants often are neglected or unaddressed in the countries they pass through or settle in.

“They face multiple barriers, including out of pocket costs, discrimination and fear of detention and deportation,” Tedros said. “Many countries do have health policies that include health services for refugees and migrants. But too many are either ineffective or are yet to be implemented effectively.”

Waheed Arian, an Afghan refugee and a medical doctor in Britain, recalls the conditions under which he and his family lived in a refugee camp in Pakistan during the late 1980s. He said they were exposed to many diseases, including malaria and tuberculosis. 

“The conditions that we see in refugee camps now in various parts of the world – they are not too dissimilar to the conditions that I experienced firsthand,” he said. “Although we were safe from bombs, we were not physically safe. We were not socially safe, and we were not mentally safe.”   

WHO chief Tedros is calling on governments and organizations that work with refugees and migrants to come together to protect and promote the health of people on the move. He said the report sets forth strategies for achieving more equitable, inclusive health systems that prioritize the well-being of all people.
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A Catholic priest in Malawi who was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with the murder of an albino man has died. 

Prison authorities say 50-year-old Thomas Muhosha died July 19, a week after being taken to a public hospital in Zomba district for depression that led to mental illness. 

“We may not know on the exact cause of death, but the reason for his admission was depression and psychosis, that is according to preliminary diagnosis,” said Chimwemwe Shawa, spokesperson for the Malawi Prison Service.  

Shawa said Muhosha’s illness grew so severe that he could not carry out basic functions.  

“He reached a point where he could not eat, he became so weak and he couldn’t even talk,” Shawa said. 

Muhosha was among 12 people the High Court in Malawi sentenced in June 2022 in connection with the 2018 murder of 24-year-old MacDonald Masambuka, a man with albinism.  

Masambuka disappeared from his village on March 9, 2018. 

Less than a month later, his limbless body was found buried in the garden at a home where one of the assailants lived, in the Machinga district in the south of Malawi. 

Malawi is one of several African countries where albinos face attacks, usually prompted by witch doctors who use their body parts in so-called magic potions. 

Muhosha was among five people sentenced to 30-year jail terms on charges of transacting in human tissue extracted from the body of Masambuka. 

Young Mahamba, president of the Association of People with Albinism, said the death of Muhosha is a blow to efforts to stop attacks on albinos. 

“If we see prisoners dying it becomes difficult,” Mahamba said. “We believe that some of the information which those prisoners have may not be revealed again. So this is a bad development for us as people with albinism.” 

The Catholic Church had been in the process of removing Muhosha from the priesthood. 

Earlier this month, Malawi’s government ordered police to investigate former president Peter Mutharika and his former aide, Heatherwick Ntaba, in connection with the murder of Masambuka. 

Both Mutharika and Ntaba deny any connection. 

 
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Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, has unveiled a revamped national oil company that he called commercially driven and not relying on government funding. Buhari says the Nigerian National Petroleum Company would improve energy security amid shortages and high prices. But energy experts in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, question if needed reforms will accompany the re-branding.

The transition of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into a limited liability company took place Wednesday at a high-level state event in Abuja.

During the meeting, President Muhammadu Buhari and other top government officials unveiled the new company’s logo and said its asset base will be declared soon.

Buhari said it’s a landmark moment for Nigeria’s oil industry and that it would guarantee energy security in the country.

The president also said the new oil company will operate independently, without relying on government funding and rules.

Buhari says it will position Nigeria to earn bigger income from oil and address local energy needs.

“Our country places high premium in creating the right atmosphere that support investments and growth to boost our economy and continue to play an important role in sustaining global energy requirements. We’re transforming our petroleum industry to strengthen its capacity and market relevance for the present and future energy priorities,” he said.

The transition was triggered by Buhari’s signing of a petroleum industry bill into law last August.

Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer and also has huge natural gas reserves. But the country lacks refineries and a reliable electrical grid, leaving millions to grapple with regular power cuts, fuel scarcity and high energy prices.

Some experts like Emmanuel Afimia, founder of Abuja energy consulting company Enermics Consulting Limited, say oil company leaders need to move past business as usual.

“One of the problem we’ve always had in Nigeria is the problem of implementation. If NNPC can actually do the right thing, if the regulatory authorities can also do the right thing, then I believe that NNPC will be able to achieve its objectives of maximizing the opportunities, maximizing output and also maximizing the profit in the industry,” he said.

Afimia says if properly run, the company will attract more investment.

“With this, funding issues will be resolved because NNPC can simply go into its purse to bring out funds to for funding new oil and gas projects without having to wait for the president or house of assembly to approve anything, it would ensure that the country is able to move fast, and then investors will be confident enough to invest in NNPC,” he said.

Authorities say the company could be ready to list its shares on the stock exchange by the middle of next year.

Many will be watching to see how — and if — the rebranding changes the status quo.
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Ghana’s Health Service says more than a third of the people quarantined after an outbreak of the Marburg virus, a relative of Ebola, have been cleared to leave isolation. Authorities quarantined 98 people this week following two deadly cases of the virus in Ghana.

It is the first time ever the disease has been confirmed in the West African country, although nearby Guinea recorded a single case last year.

The director-general of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kumah-Aboagye, told VOA that 39 out of the 98 contacts have completed their quarantine.

He said there is no cause for alarm.

“We’ve had 98 contacts; health workers, mortuary workers, family members,” he said. “We’ve randomly tested 13 of them and they have all been negative so far. There is nothing to worry (about) except to know what to look out for and what to avoid.”

Kumah-Aboagye said Ghana’s surveillance mechanism has been on red alert to catch suspected cases of Marburg.

“We have general surveillance for all conditions including Marburg,” he said. “That’s why the system was able to pick it that early. If we didn’t pick it early, it would have spread to other places and it becomes difficult to contain it.

“We have a response team in the regions who are responsible for all these. We also have community volunteers who have been trained to identify any strange disease and report it for immediate response.”

The World Health Organizations said fatality rates for past Marburg outbreaks have ranged from 24 to 88 percent, and there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments.

The WHO, in a statement to VOA, commended local health officials for being proactive in detecting the disease and said it is mobilizing resources to help Ghana control the virus.

“Health authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head start preparing for a possible outbreak,” the country’s WHO representative, Dr. Francis Kasolo, said. “This is good because, without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand.”

Anita Asamoah, an independent public health advocate, said more must be done to educate the public about the symptoms of Marburg and safety measures.

“Awareness should be more in the rural communities,” she said, adding that strictly following precautionary measures will be the best approach against Marburg until there is a vaccine, as well as reporting suspected cases.

Symptoms, Asamoah said, include fever, bleeding, coughing blood and blood in the urine.

Apart from Guinea and Ghana, Marburg has also appeared in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.
…

The breakaway region of Somaliland has announced a ban on broadcasts by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Somaliland Information Minister Saleban Yusuf Ali Koore told reporters Tuesday that BBC broadcasts have reduced the identity and dignity of the self-declared independent nation not recognized by Somalia or any other country.  

The minister, speaking in the Somaliland capital of Hargeisa, said that after long discussions, authorities decided to ban the BBC on the grounds that the network has lost its neutrality and is acting against the independence of Somaliland. 

He said the ban would go into effect immediately.  

Koore said the BBC fails to recognize that Somaliland is a democratic country that has stood on its feet for the last 31 years, with multiple presidential and parliamentary elections. 

Somaliland is a former British protectorate and breakaway region of northern Somalia that declared independence in 1991 after Somalia descended into a civil war.  

Attack on journalists

In Somalia, meanwhile, journalists and media houses are facing new challenges to their daily activities. 

On July 18, a reporter and a cameraman working for Arlaadi media, a Mogadishu radio and TV station, were arrested by security forces, according to station director Ahmed Ali Nuur. 

Nuur said the journalist and photographer were attacked, fired at with live bullets, beaten and arrested. Their equipment was taken, and some of it destroyed. Nuur said no information has been provided as to why the men were attacked, but the journalists deserve justice. 

Abshir Mohamed Nur Farasa, one of the journalists who was assaulted, said he was reporting on street damage caused by recent rains in Mogadishu when he was beaten at gunpoint by security officers. He said he was not told why he and the photographer were being attacked. After they were beaten, Farasa said, the officers took the cameraman to the police station and destroyed his equipment. 

Somali police spokesman Abdifatah Adan Hassan told VOA that the police took immediate action after the incident and arrested one of the people who assaulted the journalists. Another is still on the loose. 

Hassan said it is possible that individuals dressed in security forces uniforms are creating problems in Wadajir district. He said that after the attack, he spoke with Arlaadi media and the police commissioner, and an individual involved was jailed in Wadajir.

Somalia is one of deadliest countries for journalists in the world, with more than 50 media workers killed since 2010. Reporters Without Borders ranks Somalia as the most dangerous country for journalists in Africa. 
…

South African authorities investigating the mysterious deaths of 21 youths last month at a bar in the Eastern Cape have detected methanol, a toxic industrial alcohol, in the systems of the deceased. Medical experts have yet to conclude if the amount of methanol was lethal but say initial reports rule out poisoning from carbon monoxide or ethanol, the alcohol found in drinks.

Due to a backlog at the toxicology lab in Cape Town, officials are not able to say when the final report will be available.

Some of the 21 teenagers, the youngest being just 13 years old, were out celebrating the end of mid-year exams. Seventeen of them died on the scene while the other four  died later in hospitals.

Dr. Litha Matiwane, the deputy director general of the Eastern Cape Health Department, says the division has received the initial results from bloodwork.

“We are looking for other activities that might come through, for example, folic acid, which is a by-product of methanol, and may actually tell us more about the concentrations and the levels actually found and whether there is toxicity,” said Matiwane.

Matiwane says investigators are also testing gastric samples.

“That will also tell us what they’d been drinking and so forth. So, there are other activities and other toxicological processes that are going on in the lab in Cape Town,” said Matiwane.

Speaking of the backlog of cases at the lab, the premier of the Eastern Cape Province, Oscar Mabuyane, says he understands that the families of the deceased young people want answers. But he has appealed for patience and understanding.

“Because all cases are sensitive, all people are looking for their results, whether it’s gender-based violence, or rapes and other things that are taking place out there,” said Mabuyane.

Meanwhile, National Police Minister Bheki Cele was also at Tuesday’s media briefing, He says police have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests.

The bar owner and two employees have been charged in connection with contravening the Liquor Act with regards to selling alcohol to minors. The 52-year-old owner will appear in court on August 19. 

The two employees were fined just 2,000 rand or $117 each, prompting outrage on social media.

Cele again reassured the community that all is being done to get to the bottom of what happened.

“The police are here. A special investigation team from both the provincial and head office since we take the matter very, very seriously and we hope we will find out as the case continues what really happened on that particular day,” said Bheki. “We are not ruling out any form of finding other people that will be able to answer and give accountability of what happened.”

Officials say they will be doing more to help the families, some of whom have lost their only child.
…

Cybercrime police have arrested a man suspected of making death threats on social media against one of Burkina Faso’s leading journalists, authorities said.

Last month, a 35-year-old trader issued “defamatory threats, inciting violence against the person of Mr. Newton Ahmed Barry, as well as the destruction of his private goods,” the cybercrime brigade said in a statement Monday.

“Go and burn his house, raze his home completely, gather up the sand that’s left and leave the land empty,” a voice says in the recording first aired on WhatsApp.

The journalist is called a “terrorist” “who does not deserve to live.”

The police statement said the suspect had admitted to making the recording.

It was unclear why the death threats were made against Barry, a star state television reporter in the 1980s and former editor-in-chief of an investigative publication.

However, he risked the wrath of pro-Russian forces last May when he criticized on a private television channel the government’s deal to bring in Russian mercenaries to help tackle the jihadist insurgency.

Barry quit as a television presenter after the 1998 murder of investigative journalist Norbert Zongo and three of his colleagues, found riddled with bullets in a burned-out car.

Barry had heavily criticized the regime of President Blaise Compaore.

He was appointed to head Burkina’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) after the president’s downfall in 2014 but resigned last year. He turned his critical eye back on the country and government, enjoying a strong following on social media.
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The U.S. aid chief is urging nations to do more to avert a food crisis in East Africa and singled out China for not doing enough.

Samantha Power, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the food crisis in the Horn of Africa, and that nations must increase their efforts to avert a famine there.

In remarks Monday at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, Power said that China “in particular stands out for its absence” in humanitarian efforts in East Africa.

She said if China exported more food and fertilizer to the global market or to the World Food Program, it would “significantly relieve pressure on food and fertilizer prices and powerfully demonstrate the country’s desire to be a global leader and a friend to the world’s least developed economies.”

China did not immediately respond to Power’s comments.

Power also criticized nations that have refused to condemn Russia’s war in Ukraine and the effects it is having on the global food market.

“Countries that have sat out this war must not sit out this global food crisis,” she said.

Power praised Indonesia for lifting restrictions on palm oil, saying such actions should be followed by other nations.

“We encourage other nations to make similar moves, especially since several of the countries instituting such bans have been unwilling to criticize the Russian government’s belligerence,” she said.

Global food prices have risen sharply as a result of the war in Ukraine, which has traditionally been a leading global exporter of wheat.

Power said that at least 1,103 children recently died from hunger in the Horn of Africa and that 7 million other children in the region are severely malnourished.

“Now we need others to do more, before a famine strikes, before millions more children find themselves on the knife’s edge,” she said.

The aid chief, who will visit the Horn of Africa this weekend, announced $1.18 billion in U.S. aid to the region, including sorghum — a local grain — as well as supplements for malnourished children and veterinary help for dying livestock.

Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse.
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Despite an ongoing civil war and a record drought, Ethiopia’s wheat production is expected to jump 70% this year as it seeks to reduce reliance on food imports. While the boost in wheat provides a glimmer of hope, millions of displaced Ethiopians still need food aid, which has been disrupted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Henry Wilkins reports from Semera, Ethiopia.
Videographer: Henry Wilkins
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The Democratic Republic of Congo’s intelligence service has detained U.S. journalist Stavros Nicolas Niarchos after he allegedly approached armed groups in the country’s southeast, a senior government official said Sunday.

Local civil-society groups such as RECN quoted in local media said that Niarchos and a Congolese journalist were arrested in the southeastern city of Lubumbashi on Wednesday and taken to the capital Kinshasa.  

A senior government official who requested anonymity confirmed to AFP on Sunday that the Congolese intelligence agency ANR is holding Niarchos in Kinshasa.

The 33-year-old journalist, who writes for U.S. magazines The Nation and The New Yorker, had made contact with armed groups including the Bakata Katanga militia, the official said.

“He made movements that were never previously reported to the authorities,” the official explained, noting that the government “must be vigilant” after the murder of two United Nations experts in 2017.

The U.N. had hired experts American Michael Sharp and Swedish-Chilean Zaida Catalan to probe violence in the Kasai region of central DRC, where they were kidnapped and killed.

“The Congolese authorities have no interest in keeping an American journalist,” the senior government official said, adding that he may be released on Tuesday.

Niarchos traveled to the DRC to report on nature conservation, the economy and culture for The Nation magazine, according to the journalist’s official accreditation seen by AFP.  

Neither The Nation nor the United States embassy in Kinshasa were immediately available for comment.
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Aid group Refugees International has expressed concern about the reported relocation of more than 100 Eritrean refugees from areas near Addis Ababa to camps on the unstable border between Ethiopia’s Amhara and Tigray regions.

Ethiopian authorities are accused of targeting Eritrean refugees by arresting them in the capital and sending them back to the country’s restive north.

Abdullahi Halakhe is the Refugees International senior advocate for East and Southern Africa.

“For the last few days, Eritrean refugees who have been living in Ethiopia for some time now and so the government rounded up these refugees who are in Addis Ababa and (put them) in several buses and took them back to Amhara region. The Amhara region and the Tigray region border each other and there is tension,” said Halakhe.

Amhara and Tigrayan forces have been fighting over land and other long-standing disputes.

About 20,000 Eritrean refugees lived in two refugee camps in the Tigray region before the war between Ethiopia’s government and Tigrayan rebels broke out in November 2020.

After Eritrean and Tigrayan forces allegedly attacked the camps, many of the refugees fled to the Amhara and Afar regions, with others moving to the capital Addis Ababa.

In late 2020, Ethiopian authorities carried out a similar operation targeting Eritrean refugees in the capital, sending them to Adi Harush and Mai Ani in the Tigray region at the height of the war.

Halakhe said in many ways, Eritrean refugees are the most vulnerable group in Ethiopia.

“They are caught between the Eritrean government tracking them because it paints a bad image about their country and the warring parties inside Ethiopia also targeting them, as such they are probably most difficult position, so death, sexual violence, and so many other egregious human rights and humanitarian violations have been visited upon them,” said Halakhe.

Last year Human Rights Watch said Eritrean forces and Tigray militias committed killings, rape and other abuses against Eritrean refugees.

Ethiopia hosts at least 140,000 Eritreans who fled hardship and persecution in their home country.

Refugees International, an organization which promotes human rights and the protection of refugees, is calling on Ethiopian authorities to respect its laws and protect Eritrean refugees from those who wish to harm them.
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Ghana has announced its first outbreak of the Marburg virus disease.

Marburg is a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever in the same family as the Ebola virus disease.  The symptoms of Marburg include diarrhea, fever, nausea and vomiting.

The World Health Organization has confirmed the test results taken from two unrelated people in Ghana’s southern Ashanti region who have since died.

WHO says it is monitoring more than 90 people who had been in touch with the two.

“Health authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head start preparing for a possible outbreak. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand. WHO is on the ground supporting health authorities and now that the outbreak is declared, we are marshalling more resources for the response,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

This is the second time Marburg has made a West African appearance.  The first outbreak was in Guinea last year in September. 

Marburg has also appeared in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda.

There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments for Marburg, but WHO says “supportive care – rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids – and treatment of specific symptoms, improves survival.”
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A history-making team of Zimbabwean high school students that became world and European moot court competition champions has been widely praised in a country where the education system is beset by poor funding, lack of materials and teachers’ strikes.

The 11-member Zimbabwean team of nine girls and two boys aged between 14 and 18 and drawn from different schools was crowned world champions last month after winning the International High School Moot Court competition held online at the end of May. A team from New York City came second in the competition where participants used fictional cases to simulate proceedings in the International Criminal Court pre-trial chambers.

Zimbabwe now has also been crowned champions of Europe after beating The Netherlands in the finals of the European Moot Competition for high school students on July 3. It was Zimbabwe’s first time competing in both prestigious events.

Organizers of the European competition were so impressed with Zimbabwe’s performance at the International High School Moot Court competition that they invited the team to be the first-ever African country to enter their competition, said team captain Ruvimbo Simbi.

“It is surreal and extraordinary,” said Simbi after returning from Romania, where the European competition was held.

“When we were at the European Moot Court, many people didn’t even know Zimbabwe. We put Zimbabwe on the map, letting the world know of the amazing talent found in this country,” said Simbi.

The southern African country’s president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, in June invited the team to his official residence and presented them with $30,000 in cash following their victory in the high school competition. He described the latest win as “another victory for the pride of Zimbabwe.”

The European Union delegation in Zimbabwe has also congratulated the team.

The winning team received a rousing reception by hordes of schoolchildren, parents and supporters when they returned last week. The usually subdued airport was filled with cheers, song and dance when the team arrived displaying their awards. The team was treated to a welcome with a red carpet, flowers and balloons. Some held placards reading “Welcome back champions.” Others played drums and marimba, a traditional instrument of wooden bars played using mallets.

When Zimbabwe achieved independence and majority rule in 1980, the new government vigorously expanded the country’s education system so that all Black children could attend primary and secondary school. Previously the education system had catered mainly for the country’s white minority. Zimbabwe achieved one of Africa’s highest literacy rates.

But in recent years, the country’s debilitating economic problems have seen its education system deteriorate and become characterized by dilapidated infrastructure, shortages of key learning materials such as books and frequent pay strikes by teachers.

Despite these problems, Zimbabwe’s education system is still rated highly in Africa.

The victories at the international moot court events “mean a lot to us Zimbabwean educators,” said Kudzai Mutsure, head of Dominican Convent, a girls-only Catholic school in Harare where some of the team members are enrolled.

“We take academic, sport and cultural activities very seriously,” said Mutsure. “A student can flourish in one of those areas.”
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