Somalia’s prime minister has suspended his foreign affairs minister over allegations that he authorized an illegal shipment of charcoal to Oman. The Somali government banned charcoal exports a decade ago to prevent deforestation and the funding of conflicts.  However, analysts say the shipment was not the real reason for the suspension. 

The suspension of Foreign Affairs Minister Abdisaid Muse is equivalent to a dismissal and came after he authorized a ship to leave Somalia carrying a load of charcoal.  The shipment violates Somalia’s laws preventing charcoal exports.

However, Muse’s suspension was long expected because Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble is expected to be replaced by incoming Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. 

Isak Farhan, deputy director of Somali Public Agenda, a research group based in Mogadishu, notes that Muse was close to outgoing Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, and had ignored letters from the prime minister, including one that fired African Union Special Envoy to Somalia Francisco Maidera.  

Isak says the suspension could be seen as a result of poor cooperation between the minister of foreign affairs and the prime minister. He says, we know that minister was the national security adviser to the outgoing president, and with the confidence of the president, he was later appointed foreign minister. Apparently, he says, the minister did not report to the prime minister and did not listen to his suggestions.   

Isak says the export of charcoal is a highly sensitive issue in Somalia because makers of charcoal cut down trees and cause damage to the environment.

He says, it is illegal to export and log coal in Somalia because it contributes to land degradation, drought, and famine. Somalia is semi-arid, he says, so logging forests will exacerbate desertification.

Hassan Sheikh, a professor who teaches at Somalia’s universities, says Muse’s action sends a bad signal.  

He says, I find it particularly regrettable that some people are still involved with logging trees in Somalia, let alone a government official, such as the foreign minister, to permit a ship to carry charcoal to Oman.  He says that will certainly encourage those who were discouraged to continue logging the trees. 

The professor noted that charcoal exports were banned by both the Somalia government and the United Nations Security Council in 2012, and that U.N. monitors are particularly vigilant about enforcing the ban.  

He says, among the U.N. monitoring group’s work is the ban on charcoal, which threatens Somalia’s environment as it continues to become a desert, because Somalia is progressing towards desert.  

It is still a mystery why the foreign affairs minister authorized an illegal charcoal export, but it is no secret that many Somali politicians take advantage of transitions between administrations, by putting their own interests ahead of the general public’s.
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Flood victims in South Africa’s port city of Durban had yet to recover from last months’ historic rain when another storm hit this weekend. Victims and experts say it is a signal that better urban planning is needed to protect residents and their livelihoods from future extreme weather. Linda Givetash reports from Durban, South Africa.
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South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Tuesday that “bystander countries” were suffering due to sanctions against Russia and called for talks as the African Union (AU) prepared a mission to foster dialog between Moscow and Kyiv.   

Ramaphosa spoke as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited South Africa on the final leg of a trip to the continent that aimed in part to rally diplomatic support for Ukraine. 

South Africa has close historical ties to Moscow due to the Soviet Union’s support for the anti-apartheid struggle. It abstained from a United Nations vote denouncing the invasion of Ukraine and has resisted calls to condemn Russia.    

The European Union has aggressively pursued sanctions and a severing of economic ties in a bid to punish Moscow for its military operations in Ukraine, a strategy which Ramaphosa said was causing collateral damage.   

“Even those countries that are either bystanders or not part of the conflict are also going to suffer from the sanctions that have been imposed against Russia,” he said during a news conference in Pretoria.   

Africa, which has already seen millions pushed into extreme poverty by the pandemic, has been hit hard by rising food costs caused in part by disruptions linked to the war.   

Russia and Ukraine account for nearly a third of global wheat and barley, and two-thirds of the world’s exports of sunflower oil used for cooking. The conflict has damaged Ukraine’s ports and agricultural infrastructure and that is likely to limit its agricultural production for years.    

In an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle earlier on Tuesday, Scholz called on countries to increase oil and gas supply to curb global energy price increases.  

Standing beside Ramaphosa, Scholz said he was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss South Africa’s position on the war but underlined that what he called an attempt by Russia to alter international borders by force was unacceptable.   

“Mr. President, I think it is important that we continue these discussions intensively,” he said. “We are very concerned about the outcome of the war for Africa.” 

Senegal’s President Macky Sall — the current chairman of Africa’s top political bloc, the AU — said on Sunday he was preparing to visit Kyiv and Moscow to foster peace. 

Ramaphosa, who has been invited to attend the G-7 summit being hosted by Germany next month, said the only way to resolve the war is through dialog and Africa “does have a role to play because it has access to both leaders (of Ukraine and Russia). 
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The rising cost of fuel in Kenya is not only affecting motorists but also tens of thousands of fishermen, whose incomes depend on their boats. To reduce fuel needs, the Dutch company Asobo has been renting electric motors for boats on Kenya’s side of Lake Victoria and says it cannot keep up with demand. Juma Majanga reports from Rusinga Island, Kenya.
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A Ugandan official says a new influx of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo is stretching the country’s resources to the breaking point.

On May 22, 2022, a joint operation by Congolese government soldiers and the U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO against M23 rebels prompted hundreds of people to flee into Uganda. Hillary Onek, Uganda’s Minister for Refugees, said the fresh influx is taxing resources.

The refugees flocked toward the Bunagana border crossing with little or no belongings. The country already is home to close to 1.5 million refugees from across the region.  

“It is actually affecting even our population who are at the border,” Onek said. “Because, when people shoot, sometimes they shoot across the border. Frankly speaking, it’s overwhelming and we cannot satisfy the needs of those large influx of people and we are enabling what is feasible with respect to our meager resources.”  

The latest fighting took place around Rutshuru in North Kivu province. After clashes in the province last November, fresh fighting broke out late in March. It is estimated that about 17,000 Congolese refugees have since crossed into Uganda.  

Manishimwe Bernard, a Red Cross official in charge of aiding refugees in Uganda’s western Kisoro district, said most people arrive in desperate circumstances.  

“When war broke out, people started running without anything,” Bernard said. “You find a person has nothing, has no clothes, children are nearly hungry. So, emotionally, people run in stress. And of course, the panic and fear is still at large. Because fighting for now, from their stories, hasn’t stopped.”  

On Sunday, the special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in the DRC, Bintou Keita, issued a statement condemning attacks by the M23 movement against the peacekeepers in Rutshuru.  

In the statement, Keita accused the rebels of deliberately attacking peacekeepers in eastern Congo, where fighting had resumed between the rebels and the Congolese army.   

Bintou stated that in response to the attack, the army and peacekeepers mounted a joint operation to clear the area of M23 fighters. He said the attack was in accordance with MONUSCO’s mandate.  

Speaking to VOA by phone, M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma denied the rebel group attacked the U.N. base. He said it was MONUSCO who attacked first, and those who were caught up in the fighting with the army got confused and started running. After just 12 minutes, he said, MONUSCO sent two Cobra attack helicopters in the area of Runyoni, which targeted the M23 bases.  

The U.N. statement called on both the M23 rebels and the Congolese army to immediately cease all hostilities, in accordance with the commitments made in the Nairobi process.  

The Nairobi process is an effort to negotiate peace between the Democratic Republic of Congo government and about 30 rebels based across the mineral-rich African country.  

The M23 said that while they respect the Nairobi process, they are being attacked from various forces.  

 
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Malawi has rolled out a vaccination campaign to help stop an outbreak of cholera.  Authorities report more than 350 cases and 17 deaths from cholera across eight districts of southern Malawi.

Malawi’s Ministry of Health declared the cholera outbreak in early March after the first case was confirmed in the Machinga district in southern Malawi.

The disease has so far spread to eight districts including Nsanje, Chikwawa and Blantyre.

In its latest report on Monday, the ministry said the country had recorded 367 cholera cases in all with 17 deaths and 19 hospital admissions.

Dr. Gertrude Chapotera represented the World Health Organization at the launch of the vaccination campaign Monday in Blantyre.

She said the campaign is running with support from various global partners, including the Gavi Vaccine Alliance and the Global Task for Cholera Control.

“We are supporting the Ministry of Health with up to 3.9 million doses that will be administered in two rounds,” she said. “So this actually is the beginning of the first round with the campaign starting from today the 23rd of May running up Friday this week the 27th of May.”

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease affects both children and adults and, if untreated, can kill within hours.

Dr. Gift Kawalazila is director of Health and Social Services in Blantyre.  He says the district has so far seen nearly 100 cases of cholera, with five deaths but only three hospital admissions as of Monday.

“This means that cholera is a disease that can easily be reversed and we have treatment options with us,” said Kawalazila. “So, the general message to the general population is that they should quickly present themselves to our health workers in our different health facilities whenever they notice the signs and symptoms of cholera which is profuse diarrhea and vomiting in some cases.”

Health authorities say many people are turning up for vaccination, with some districts running short of the doses.

Alinafe Longwe is among those who received the cholera vaccine in Blantyre.  Longwe says she did not get the COVID-19 vaccine, citing fears of blood clotting and other health issues.  

“But with this one, I haven’t heard any issues, so I am okay with it and I have received it and I am fine,” said Longwe.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health says it has intensified public education preventing cholera infections. These include the use of clean water for domestic purposes and observing personal hygiene.
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Rwanda said on Monday that it had requested a regional body to investigate shelling of its territory by the military of neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and that the attack had injured several people and damaged property. 

The alleged incident could further inflame relations between the two countries, which have long traded accusations about support for militant groups.   

Congolese authorities could not be immediately reached for comment. 

In a statement, Rwanda’s Ministry of Defense said it had asked the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM) to investigate an attack on its territory. The EJVM is a group of military experts from the region that monitors and investigates security incidents.  

The attack targeted Musanze district in Rwanda’s north, “injuring several civilians and damaging property,” the ministry said.   

“Those injured are receiving treatment and officials are assessing the extent of the damage. The RDF (Rwanda Defense Forces) has requested for urgent investigation by the regional EJVM, and Rwandan authorities are also engaging DRC counterparts over the incident,” it added in the statement. 

Tensions have been heightened since March, when Congo’s M23 rebel group attacked two Congolese army positions near the borders with Uganda and Rwanda and advanced on nearby towns.   

The group seized swaths of territory in eastern Congo during an insurrection in 2012 and 2013, before its fighters were driven out by Congolese and United Nations forces. They have since returned from neighboring countries to stage attacks.   

Congo and U.N. investigators have previously accused Rwanda of supporting M23, but Kigali denies the accusations. 
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For the past six months Ugandans have been forced to spend twice as much to afford necessities like fuel and food, among other commodities. Addressing the country Sunday night on how to survive the high cost of living, President Yoweri Museveni noted that Europeans have caused what he called an artificial problem leading to the higher cost of produce.

To this regard, Museveni said it was time to stop depending on who he called “mistake makers” in Europe, the United States and Russia — who have caused the high prices.

“The Russians have blockaded the Ukrainian ports,” Museveni said. “And I hear within the ports there are 25 million tons of wheat, the petroleum, and even the fertilizers. Remember, the fertilizers are also a problem because they are produced by Russia, I hear. If these people, if they are a bit humble. … We need to advise our friends, the bazungu (whites) to please, find other ways of how to solve these problems.”

Museveni argues that cutting taxes on commodities such as fuel, which has a ripple effect on the economy, will only cripple the economy.

Ziana Aigaru, an agriculturalist, disagrees. She said for nearly two years now, sales have been so low and have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. She hopes Museveni will announce a tax cut to help businesses.

“Not only fertilizers by the way, even the herbicides — all have hiked in terms of prices,” Aigaru said. “For example, Bukoola (local agricultural produce manufacturer) is hiking the prices because of the tax that he incurs in importing the chemicals. So, if the taxes are reduced, that means the cost price will reduce.”

As a solution, Museveni asked Ugandans to be frugal in their purchases of imported goods, stop depending on “rainfall agriculture,” increase production and use locally made materials.

However, economist Madina Guloba said the president needs to show by example his own frugality through government expenditures that are not proportionate to government income.

“These industries need produce to continue functioning, especially agro-processing industries,” Guloba said. “So, the moment we increase production but for home, it doesn’t help. Then definitely commodity prices will also still stay high even if global patterns improve. You know, we need to think also (about) jobs. The moment you do all these things, the jobs are going to be lost. So, who are you going to tax in this time?”

Currently, fuel is selling at $1.56 per liter, and the cost is expected to increase.

Museveni said Ugandans will need to be patient until Uganda starts its own oil production in 2025 for prices to go down, which may also decrease the cost of living.
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The violence may have stopped in most parts of Ethiopia’s Afar region, but Afaris forced to leave their homes after Tigrayan forces occupied the region say they cannot return — and it’s not just Tigrayan civilians who are affected by the conflict. Displaced people from the neighboring Afar region say attacks on their towns have left homes and livelihoods utterly destroyed. Linda Givetash reports from Semera, Ethiopia. Camera: Michele Spatari
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One of the most prominent events in the world of contemporary African art is kicking off in the Senegalese capital after a four-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 14th edition of the Dakar Biennale features the work of hundreds of artists from around the world, ranging from immersive installations to costumed performances.

About 100 spectators gathered on Dakar’s ocean walkway as dancers outfitted in traditional West African costumes gyrated to the sound of djembes. One dancer, dressed as a broomstick, twirled about, while another, donning a mythical lion costume, approached those filming on cellphones to offer a roar. Behind them, a young woman covered in mud held still as an artist covers her in powdered pigments.

The event is one of hundreds set to take place in Dakar over the next month.

The official 2022 biennale selection includes 59 artists from some 30 countries, but hundreds of other spaces, both in Dakar and throughout Senegal, are showcasing art. Even restaurants and hotels have converted their walls into miniature museums.

“The Dakar biennale is unique because it brings together the great majority of audio-visual creators from around the African continent and its diaspora,” said Khalifa Dieng, a scenographer for the National Gallery exhibit. The gallery is hosting works by Senegalese painter El Hadji Sy for the event.

Nigerian painter Tyna Adebowale traveled from her home base in the Netherlands to show her work. She completed an artist residency in Dakar and said she was inspired by the sense of community she found.

“I love the creative vibe of Senegal as a whole,” Adebowale said. “There’s no ego, it’s towards one goal, which is art and culture for the sake of the whole country, the community, the people. I love the collective support that I see. It’s a very beautiful spirit, very vibrant. I really admire it.”

The energy at the festival is perhaps more amplified this year as the 2020 event was postponed due to COVID19, making this the first biennale in four years.

This year’s theme is “Ndaffa,” which means to forge out of the fire in Serer, one of the languages spoken in Senegal.

It refers both to the need to recalibrate as we emerge from the pandemic into a new world, as well as to the history of African creation and its influence on contemporary African art.

Lou Mo is one of four official international curators. Her exhibit, “Havana: Forge of the South,” seeks to link Havana with Dakar via shared themes of migration, race and creolization. Dakar, she said, has become one of Africa’s leading art hubs.

“Both with the biennale that’s now 32 years old, to different institutions, different artists,” she said. “And I think there’s definitely an international trend of raising the importance of African art. So, I think there’s many possibilities for Dakar in the future.”

The event will continue through June 21.
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In the struggle to reduce climate change emissions, hydroelectric power has the potential to fill some of the space currently occupied by oil and gas. In Cameroon, a giant hydroelectric project in Nachtigal could increase the country’s energy production by about 30 percent. Emmanuel Jules Ntap visited the site and filed this report, narrated by Carol Guensburg.
Videographer: Emmanuel Jules Ntap
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Survivors say they were ostracized by communities after sexual assault by soldiers on a shocking scale
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country is interested in a major gas exploitation project in Senegal as he began a three-nation visit to Africa on Sunday that also is focused on the geopolitical consequences of the war in Ukraine.

Senegal is believed to have significant deposits of natural gas along its border with Mauritania at a time when Germany and other European countries are trying to reduce their dependence on importing Russian gas.

“We have begun exchanges and we will continue our efforts at the level of experts because it is our wish to achieve progress,” Scholz said at a joint news briefing with Senegalese President Macky Sall.

The gas project off the coast of Senegal is being led by BP, and the first barrels are not expected until next year.

This week’s trip marks Scholz’s first to Africa since becoming chancellor nearly six months ago. Two of the countries he is visiting — Senegal and South Africa — have been invited to attend the Group of 7 summit in Germany at the end of June.

Participants there will try to find a common position toward Russia, which was kicked out of the then-Group of Eight following its 2014 seizure of Crimea from Ukraine.

Leaders at the G-7 summit also will be addressing the threat of climate change. Several G-7 countries, including Germany and the United States, signed a ‘just energy transition partnership’ with South Africa last year to help the country wean itself off heavily polluting coal.

A similar agreement is in the works with Senegal, where Germany has supported the construction of a solar farm.

German officials also said Scholz will make a stop in Niger, a country that like its neighbors has long been battling Islamic extremists.

Earlier this month, the German government backed a plan to move hundreds of its soldiers to Niger from neighboring Mali. The development comes amid a deepening political crisis in Mali that prompted former colonial power France to announce it was withdrawing its troops after nine years of helping Mali battle insurgents.

Germany officials say their decision also was motivated by concerns that Malian forces receiving EU training could cooperate with Russian mercenaries now operating in the country.

Germany, though, will increase its participation in a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, providing up to 1,400 soldiers. The Cabinet’s decisions still need to be approved by parliament.

Niger is also a major transit hub for illegal migration to Europe. People from across West Africa connect with smugglers there to make the journey northward to attempt the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean Sea.
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Malawi is facing acute shortages of foreign exchange currency, forcing two international airlines to suspend some of their services in the country. The situation has negatively affected the operations of many more local and international cross-border businesses.

The latest monetary policy report by the Reserve Bank of Malawi indicates the county’s official gross foreign exchange reserves in the first quarter of this year stood at $374.48 million, a drop from $429.17 million in the fourth quarter of last year.

The report also says private sector foreign exchange reserves also declined from $425.52 million last year to $391.49 million this year.  

The situation has led to an acute shortage of foreign currency on the market, forcing foreign traders to halt or suspend some of their operations in Malawi.  

Muhammad Gaffar, the owner of Gaffar Travels, a ticketing agency, and Gaffar Airlines, which operates flights from Johannesburg to Europe, said the shortage has seriously impacted his business.

“We are unable to issue tickets from Malawi to other countries, but we are only issuing tickets from Malawi from our other offices like, we have our head office in the U.K., we have an office in India, Pakistan and Turkey where we are issuing tickets for people traveling from Malawi,” he said. “Until this forex issue is sorted, we are losing a lot of business in Malawi.”

Last week, Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways suspended their ticketing system for local travel agents in Malawi largely because of the shortage of foreign currency.

Ethiopian Airlines said in a statement that the move was because the Reserve Bank of Malawi has been unable to remit money to their accounts due to dwindling forex reserves.

So, passengers traveling from Malawi on these airlines now must buy their tickets from agents in other countries.

Authorities say public hospitals are facing drug shortages because the government cannot procure essential medications.

Victoria Mwafulirwa, the general secretary for the Cross Border Traders Association of Malawi. told a local radio station that the situation has inconvenienced their businesses.

“For example, as you may be aware, Malawi does not manufacture packaging material. It has to be imported,” she said. For it to be imported, it has to be paid up front; for it to be paid up front, the forex must be readily available, which is not the case at the moment. And so, you will see that it hinders the progress and processes in every step of operations of different sectors.”  

Betchani Tchereni, a lecturer in economics at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, said the problem is largely because of the country’s failure to produce more products for exports.

“This is owing to our low export base, Number 1, and Number 2, the absence of donor assistance,” Tchereni said. “You might recall that development partners, many of them, decided to pull out of the country and when that happened, it reduced the amount that is normally made available to the economy in terms of foreign exchange.”

The foreign currency problem comes at a time when Malawi’s major export, tobacco, provides more than 60% of the foreign exchange earnings.

Tchereni said this year’s tobacco exports give little hope of making up for the shortfall.

“By the way, we are at the very beginning of the tobacco selling season, but the volumes are not that good; not many people went into cultivation of tobacco this year,” Tchereni said. “And also you might recall that the storms that came destroyed a lot of our tobacco and many other farms’ produce. So, that meant that we cannot realize as much.”

Figures released this month from Auction Holdings Limited Group in Malawi show that tobacco sales for the past five weeks have dropped by 78% compared to the same period last year.

Winford Masanjala, the principal secretary for the Department of Economic Planning in Malawi, said the government is making an effort to address the foreign exchange shortages.

“A country needs to produce goods and services that it can sell to other countries,” he said. “At the moment Malawi’s desire and appetite for imports exceeds its capacity to export. That’s why the government is saying in the next year to three years, we need to have some mines restarted in Malawi so that we can have alternative sources of foreign exchange.”

The government says it hopes the foreign exchange reserve will start to increase once the International Monetary Fund resumes providing Malawi with what is called the Extended Credit Facility. The ECF provides financial assistance to countries with protracted payment problems. Negotiations for the ECF are expected to begin this Wednesday.  
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Nigerian Christians on Sunday held a national remembrance for a student who was killed in northern Sokoto state this month over allegations of blasphemy. The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, said Sunday’s protest for Deborah Yakubu was a reminder of the many threats to religious freedom in the country. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja.

The decision to hold a quiet march and prayer sessions for Deborah Yakubu in various parishes was announced by the Christian Association of Nigeria late Saturday. Officials also explained the planned protest had received pushback from some state authorities who restricted protests.

The association was also worried about safety after it said some Muslim groups threatened to hold a counter protest as well.

Many churches across the country, however, complied with the CAN’s directive. Only a few members of some churches marched on the streets close to their parishes.

“Every local church had that program today in honor of Deborah and they prayed for the nation, prayed for the church in Nigeria,” said Bayo Oladeji, the spokesperson for the Christian Association of Nigeria. “We don’t want to clash with the government. Some Muslim fundamentalists issued a statement saying they too wanted to protest today and we don’t want a situation whereby they’ll be targeting our people and attacking them

Deborah Yakubu was a student of the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto state. She was beaten, stoned and her body burned May 12 by students who accused her of making blasphemous comments against the Prophet Mohammed in an online classroom group.

Yakubu had allegedly cautioned her Muslim counterparts to stop making religious posts on the WhatsApp group chat.

Nigerian authorities, including President Mohammadu Buhari, a Muslim, condemned the student’s killing.

Oladeji says Nigerian Christians are often targeted and attacked on the basis of religion.

“We believe that the church in Nigeria is under a siege; we believe that the church in Nigeria is being persecuted, those who were purportedly arrested because of Deborah’s gruesome murder, they were merely arraigned for causing public disturbance,” Oladeji said. “It’s not that they’re arraigning them for the murder of this young girl.”

Last week, two suspects arrested in Yakubu’s death were arraigned in court.

Sokoto state authorities Friday lifted a curfew imposed last week after protests broke out in the state, calling for the release of the two suspects.

Blasphemy is punishable under Nigeria’s secular law and well as Islamic law, known as Sharia. Human rights groups have launched a petition demanding authorities expunge blasphemy from the constitution.

Human rights lawyer Martin Obono started the petition.

“We need to get to the point where Nigeria needs to decide whether we’re a secular state or we’re a religious state because you do not now declare under Section 10 of the constitution that people have the rights and freedom of thoughts and religion,” Obono said. “If I express my thoughts about a particular religion, I shouldn’t be criminalized for that.”

Last November, the United States removed Nigeria from its list of countries of particular concern over religious freedom violations.
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Senegalese President Macky Sall said Sunday he would travel to Russia and Ukraine soon on behalf of the African Union, whose presidency he currently holds.

The trip had been due to take place on May 18 but didn’t go ahead due to scheduling issues and new dates have been put forward, Sall said at a joint press conference with visiting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

He had received a mandate from the African Union to undertake the trip, for which Russia had extended an invitation, he added.

“As soon as it’s set, I will go of course to Moscow and also to Kyiv and we have also accepted to get together all the heads of state of the African Union who want to with (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky, who had expressed the need to communicate with the African heads of state,” he said. “That too will be done in the coming weeks.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has hit African economies hard due to rising cereal prices and fuel shortages, has met with a divided African response.

In early March, Senegal abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution — overwhelmingly adopted — that called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine. 

However, a few weeks later it voted in favor of another resolution demanding Russia halt the war.

Nearly half of African nations abstained or did not vote in the two resolution votes.
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Somalia’s new president is starting his four-year term facing familiar top issues such as the country’s political divide and rising attacks by al-Qaida-linked insurgent group al-Shabab.

As he settles into office, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud faces a politically divided nation, high public expectations and the specter of al-Shabab, which has remained a potent threat since it emerged in 2007. 

Fawzia Yusuf, a former deputy prime minister who ran for president in the just concluded elections, said the new president has the uphill task of constituting a competent government given the many competing interests. 

“Since our system is currently based on tribal 4.5, people are expecting him to choose people from different tribes,” she said. “So, one of the challenges is putting together a very strong Cabinet, which are technocrats which are not based on tribal but on meritocracy.” 

The distribution of power in Somalia is on a clan-based system locally known as the 4.5 system, where majority clans are allocated majority seats in parliament while the smaller clans, grouped together, get the remainder. 

In the coming days, the president is expected to name a new prime minister who will need parliamentary approval before proceeding to name a Cabinet.

Besides tackling the political question, Mohamud must contend with the security threats posed by militant group al-Shabab. 

According to Abdurahman Sheikh Azhari, the director of the Mogadishu-based Center for Analysis and Strategic Studies, the new president, like his predecessor, doesn’t have much leeway in dealing with al-Shabab.

“Of course, al-Shabab’s fighting, and attacks will continue as long as they are able or capable of carrying out attacks,” he said. Azhari added he thinks the opportunities for the president are slim because al-Shabab is a terrorist organization, an international organization, and a regional organization, and this means they will not surrender easily.

Azhari argued that despite the lack of incentive from al-Shabab to negotiate due to its successful attacks in recent months, dialogue is still a possible option.

“I think the government, with the help of international and regional partners, can negotiate indirectly with sections of the al-Shabab leadership who may want to surrender or oppose the organization,” he said.

Yusuf, too, shares a similar view that the new president may need to consider taking a different approach by opening lines of communication with the militant group.

“Another challenge, as I said, is the security,” he said. “The security is a major problem. Al-Shabab is a major problem, and their demand is to get rid of the foreign forces, in other words, the ATMIS or troops coming from the contributing countries. So, dealing with them is not an easy matter. Never in the world has a rebellion or terrorist groups won, but they still weaken any administration. So, I think the best thing he can do is to start negotiating with them and deal with the hard-core groups.”

By ATMIS, Yusuf was referring to the U.N.-authorized African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. Its mandate includes reducing the threat posed by al-Shabab and conducting a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somalia. ATMIS is expected to end its mission in 2024.

Having had the backing of most opposition candidates during the May 15 vote, Mohamud now has to avoid a fallout while ensuring he puts in place a competent team to deliver his election promises.

Analysts say the new leader could take advantage of the planned return of U.S. forces to the country to bolster the war against al-Shabab and strengthen the national army. For now, the country is waiting to see who Mohamud will pick as prime minister.

Harun Maruf and Hussein Hassan Dhaqane contributed to this report.
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A Nigerian high court has sentenced a Danish national, Peter Nielsen, to death by hanging. Nielsen was convicted and sentenced Friday for the murder of his Nigerian wife and their young daughter in 2018. Rights activists, who have protested the murder, praised the court’s ruling.

Justice Bolanle Okikiolu-Ighile of the Lagos high court announced the verdict and the sentence for 54-year-old Peter Nielsen Friday at a hearing that lasted more than five hours.

The justice said evidence from an autopsy revealed that Nielsen’s wife, Zainab, and their three-year-old daughter died of head injuries and suffocation. He said analysis of Zainab’s fingertips showed she had struggled to free herself from her killer’s grip, and that traces of DNA found on her skin were consistent with Nielsen’s.

Nielsen has been standing trial since June 2018 after he was arrested on charges of murdering his Nigerian wife, Zainab and their daughter in their home in Lagos. Nielsen pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The killing triggered criticism from women rights groups and they have been monitoring the progress of the trial since then.

Activist Josephine Okei-Odumakin, president of Women Arise Initiative, attended Friday’s session.

“This will serve as a reference point, it’s also going to protect women the more and as much as possible reduce gender-based violence which is on the rise and I’m sure that with this landmark judgement, a lot of people will have a rethink,” she said.

Okei-Odumakin noted the bodies of Nielsen’s wife and daughter have remained in the mortuary since their death four years ago.

Nigerian courts continue to issue death sentences in cases such as killings, kidnappings, or armed robbery, despite a growing debate on whether or not to abolish the measure.

Earlier this year, some advocates urged Nigerian authorities to annul the death penalty.

Human rights lawyer Martin Obono says strict measures like the death penalty are helpful in deterring crimes.

“In terms of deterrent, I think a lot of people would’ve killed people if they knew that they’d get away with it and just have life imprisonment and maybe one day the governor or president will come and pardon you,” he said.

Fifty-four countries around the world, including Nigeria, allow the death penalty.

Nigerian authorities say there are more than 3,000 prisoners awaiting execution, the highest number in Africa. But the last time an execution was carried out in Nigeria was in 2016.
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A petition to stop the revival of the 118-year-old Jonglei Canal project in South Sudan, started by one of the country’s top academics, is gaining traction in the country, with the waterway touted as a catastrophic environmental and social disaster for the country’s Sudd wetlands. 

It follows a series of calls within South Sudan’s government to restart the project in order to prevent flooding and improve the region’s infrastructure. The country’s vice president has already announced plans to conduct a feasibility study in the hopes of getting the defunct canal operational. 

The vice chancellor of the University of Juba, Professor John Akec, launched the “Save the Sudd” social media petition with the intention to submit it to the country’s president once completed. Akec’s petition has already gained tens of thousands of signatures out of the required 100,000. 

Previous research has shown that the canal would have serious repercussions on the delicate ecosystem of the Sudd region, including negative effects on the aquatic, wild and domestic plants and animals, as well as interfere with the farming activities of the people in the region, potentially displacing them.

“We will not have enough water and it will dry up and if it dries up, all the livelihoods that connected to that area, including fishing, resettlement and grazing lands will be lost,” Akec told The Associated Press. 

“Water is more valuable than oil, diamonds and gold,” said Akec. “Let’s wake up from our sleep and stop the theft of water and destruction of our ecosystems and economic future by Egypt.” 

The canal, first proposed by a British engineer in Cairo back in 1904, would divert water away from the Sudd wetlands to deliver 10 billion cubic meters (2.6 trillion gallons) from the Nile to downstream Sudan and Egypt. Plans started to take shape in 1954 but the project was halted 30 years later and is now at a stalemate. About 270 kilometers (168 miles) of a total of 340 km (150 miles) of the canal has already been excavated.

 Earlier this year, one of South Sudan’s vice presidents, Taban Deng Gai, called for the resumption of the canal project in order to prevent flood disasters in Jonglei and Unity state. 

The floods have led to a widespread collapse of livelihoods, severely hindering the ability of households to maintain their livestock. Traditional coping strategies and sources of income are no longer viable for many communities.

“We never lacked food as farmers, but now the floods have destroyed our farms. There is water everywhere,” said Martha Achol, a farmer and mother of six, who recounted the struggles inflicted by the floods in Jonglei state. 

Another local farmer, 60-year-old Mayak Deng, agreed. “We had enough food then but today we don’t have enough,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Nile basin countries are experiencing water scarcity due to the impacts of rapid population growth and climate change, creating renewed interest in the canal project. 

South Sudan’s minister of water resources and irrigation, Manawa Peter Gatkuoth, said that the project would also create avenues for infrastructural development, agriculture, river transport and tourism. Gatkuoth has requested an approval and a budget from the office of vice president Riek Machar to kickstart the canal. 

But environmentalists worry about disrupting the Sudd’s delicate balance and life cycle. Deng Majok Chol, a Ph.D. candidate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, argues that the ongoing increase in flooding events is only a small fluctuation within the longer millennial cycle of the Sudd. 

Rainfall caused by the evaporation of water in the Sudd will be largely reduced if the canal project comes to fruition, with green areas at risk of becoming dry and arid. There are concerns that even those living beyond the Sudd region, as well as in downstream Sudan and Egypt, will be negatively impacted. 

An environmental and social impact assessment warned that the canal project would “irreversibly or partially destroy downstream ecosystems.”

“The current calls for the resumption of the Jonglei Canal project demonstrate a failure to observe and learn from the global trend of water management challenges compounded by global warming,” said Majok. “It does not take a rocket scientist to see these moves as baits, strategically calculated toward a more than a century goal of exclusive control over how Nile water is utilized.” 

Economic and climate concerns have also stirred opposition to the canal. 

“The economic value of the Sudd wetlands is estimated at a billion dollars annually and this will be lost if the wetlands are drained, ” Nhial Tiitmamer, director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Program at the Sudd Institute, warned. 

Tiitmamer added that the Sudd wetlands are a migratory transition points and corridors for bird species that migrate between Europe and Africa every year and some of these birds are classified both in South Sudan and internationally as endangered species. 

He cautioned that the project will lead to an “exacerbation of climate change through reduction of carbon sinks as well as through release of carbon dioxide from the wetlands destruction.”
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Sudanese security forces killed one protester Saturday during renewed demonstrations against a military take over that derailed a transition to civilian rule last year, medics said.

The victim, who was not identified, died from “a bullet to the chest” in the capital’s twin city of Omdurman, the pro-democracy Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said in a statement.

The latest death brings the toll to 96 from a crackdown on anti-coup protests which have taken place regularly since the October 25 military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the committee said.

Saturday’s protests came after thousands took to the streets Thursday to oppose the power grab, mainly in Khartoum but also elsewhere, renewing demands for civilian rule.

About 100 people were injured during Thursday’s demonstrations, according to the doctors’ committee.

At the same time two leading anti-coup figures from Sudan’s Communist Party were arrested. They were released Friday.

The United Nations, along with the African Union and regional bloc IGAD, have been pushing to facilitate Sudanese-led talks to resolve the crisis after the latest coup in the northeast African country, one of the world’s poorest.

But civilian forces have refused to enter negotiations involving the military, while Burhan has repeatedly threatened to expel U.N. envoy Volker Perthes, accusing him of “interference” in the country’s affairs.

In late March Perthes said Sudan was heading toward “an economic and security collapse” unless its civilian-led transition was restored.
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Armed men have kidnapped an Italian couple and their child as well as a Togolese national in southeastern Mali, a local official and a Malian security source told AFP on Friday.

They said the abductions occurred late Thursday about 100 kilometers from the border with Burkina Faso, part of a west African region hit by turmoil, kidnappings as well as conflict blamed on armed jihadists.

“Armed men in a vehicle kidnapped three Italians and a Togolese about 10 kilometers from Koutiala,” late Thursday, an official from the Koutiala region who asked not to be named said.

He said the victims were two Italian adults and their child as well as a Togolese, adding they were all Jehovah’s Witnesses.

A Malian security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said two Italian adults and their child, along with a Togolese, were kidnapped.

He described the abductees as “religious people.”

He said the abductions took place in the southeastern town of Sincina, around 100 kilometers from the Burkina Faso border.

“We are doing everything to obtain their release,” the person said, adding that diplomatic lines of communication were open.

The Italian foreign ministry later confirmed in a short statement “the kidnapping of three compatriots in Mali.”

It said it was making “every effort” to secure a positive outcome to the case, while emphasizing, “in agreement with family members, the need to maintain the utmost discretion.”

Earlier, it said that Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio was personally following the case.

Frequent kidnappings

Several foreigners have been kidnapped across the border in Burkina Faso in recent years.

Kidnappings are frequent in Mali, though motives span from criminal to political reasons.

In most cases, the conditions or circumstances of the release of kidnap victims is never clearly established.

Mali has since 2012 been wracked by a jihadist insurgency by groups linked to al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State. Vast swathes of the country are in thrall to myriad rebel groups and militias.

Thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed and hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes amid violence that began in the north of the country and spread to the center, and then to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Olivier Dubois, a 47-year-old French freelance journalist who has been living and working in Mali since 2015, was kidnapped more than a year ago.

He announced his abduction himself in a video posted on social networks on May 5, 2021. In it, he said he had been kidnapped in the northern city of Gao by the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), the main jihadist alliance in the Sahel, which is linked to al-Qaida.

On March 13, a video circulated on social networks showing a man who appears to be the French journalist addressing his relatives and the French government. 
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Authorities in Nigeria’s Kaduna state are raising concerns jihadist insurgents have infiltrated their region and are calling on the federal government to intervene.

State governor Nasir El-Rufai made the announcement during a quarterly security assessment.

During the meeting, El-Rufai said Ansaru and Boko Haram fighters have been detected in two local government areas and said the terror groups have been making attempts to recruit residents of those areas.

Authorities also said more than 360 people, including 45 females, were killed in the state between January and March by armed groups. They said more than 1,300 people were kidnapped.

“The first great concern is the emergency of Boko Haram enclave as well as the activities of Ansaru, particularly in Birnin Gwari and Chikun local governments,” El-Rufai said. “The terrorists were making comments like the forests in Kaduna are even better that the ones on Sambisa and so they should all relocate here.”

The Sambisa forest in Borno state has been a hideout for Boko Haram fighters for years.

Kaduna state near Nigeria’s capital has seen a wave of attacks in recent months including a March 28 train attack, during which nine people were killed and more than 60 others kidnapped.

El-Rufai said the attack was masterminded by terrorists now roving parts of the state.

Authorities also said they’re considering relocating three communities — Rijana, Kateri and Akilibu — over concerns that they may be harboring informants working for gangs.

Security analyst Patrick Agbambu says the success of Nigeria’s military operations in the northeast where Boko Haram has been active for over a decade is the reason terrorists are spreading to other regions.

“There’s a shifting of activities of the terrorist acts towards the northwest and north-central. Terrorist groups want to use places they can make statements, places where it will attract attention,” Agbambu said. “Security agencies and Nigeria must be very careful in those areas.”

Nigerian defense authorities this week said more than 53,000 Boko Haram members and their families have surrendered to the military so far this year.

Also, this week, Nigerian police announced they had arrested 31 kidnappers and criminals who took part in a school kidnapping last year.
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Mozambique’s parliament Thursday approved a tough new anti-terror law that imposes stiff prison sentences for convicted jihadis, but also for anyone spreading misinformation about the country’s insurgency. 

The measure, which calls for up to 24 years in prison for those found guilty of “terrorism” offenses had broad support, but the opposition fears the clauses on misinformation could be used to crack down on media. 

“Mozambique is experiencing cruel, direct impacts from terrorist attacks in the north,” government spokesman Nyeleti Mondlane told parliament. 

“We want to strengthen the law to combat terrorism,” he said. 

Some 3,900 people have been killed and 820,000 displaced from their homes since jihadi unrest erupted in northern Mozambique in October 2017. 

More than 3,100 troops from several African countries moved into the troubled Cabo Delgado province in July last year and have retaken much of the territory. 

The violence forced a halt to work on Mozambique’s gas fields, including a $20-billion project from TotalEnergies. 

The new bill is Mozambique’s latest effort to tame the violence. 

It also contains provisions calling for up to eight years behind bars for “anyone who intentionally disseminates information according to which a terrorist act was or is likely to be committed, knowing that the information is false.” 

Arnaldo Chalawa, from the opposition RENAMO party, said: “The anti-terrorism law must not put at risk the right of the press or expression.” 

The ruling party, FRELIMO, had enough votes to pass the law without opposition support. 

President Felipe Nyusi has already indicated that he will sign it. 

 
…

Elmar Brok, the head of the EU electoral mission, told reporters Friday that as Zimbabwe prepares for next year’s elections, it must amend its electoral laws so that all parties have a fair chance of winning at the polls.

Brok and his team were assigned to Zimbabwe by Brussels to share their findings after their first visit to Zimbabwe during the July 2018 elections.

In an interview with VOA, Brok, a German national, said the mission gave Zimbabwean officials 23 recommendations for “genuine” electoral reforms. 

“It has to do with even playing field, the impartiality of the [state] media, equal treatment of the parties, a proper voters’ registration, there is a multipart liaison committee, there will be proper conducting of elections, the conduct on election day – the transparency – and then counting and the collection of the counting to the final results. If that is transparently clear, no loopholes, then it’s the best way to have peace in the country, because nobody says there was something wrong with the elections, to get the credibility of elections.”

Zimbabwe officials would not comment Friday on Brok’s statement.

Earlier, though, Raphael Faranisi, the acting permanent secretary in Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, said the government is looking forward to June 7, when Harare and Brussels officials meet.

“This will be yet another opportunity to candidly assess progress to date and plan for the future, based on realistic expectations. I have heard concerns expressed with respect to development in Zimbabwe. But I just want to put it on record that, in terms of the reforms that we have carried out, the challenge is: I just want you to give me three, four countries on our continent that have really done better than us. For those that have been following closely development in Zimbabwe, we are on that reform trajectory and it’s not reversable.” 

For years, Zimbabwe’s elections have been marred by violence, voter intimidation and allegations of rigging, leading to disputed results.

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeded Robert Mugabe in 2017, Mnangagwa promised to improve how elections are held but the opposition continues to accuse the ruling Zanu-PF party and the government of manipulating the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission. 
…