LIMBE (Cameroon) — Droves of armoured vehicles are patrolling the streets of Limbe in Cameroon’s conflict-torn South West Region ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer finals starting on Jan 9 that separatist militants have vowed to disrupt. Cameroon is hosting the tournament in six cities, but security is potentially most at threat in Limbe, a city on the tropical Atlantic coast whose surrounding region has been rocked by armed attacks since war broke out in 2017. The conflict, in which armed groups are trying to form a breakaway state called Ambazonia, has killed at least…
Author: Web Desk
CAPE TOWN— A massive fire in South Africa’s houses of parliament in Cape Town has “burned down” the entire National Assembly where elected parliamentarians sit, a spokesperson said. “The entire chamber where the members sit… has burned down,” Moloto Mothapo said, adding that the blaze had still not been extinguished. The historic building houses a collection of rare books and the original copy of the former Afrikaans national anthem used during the apartheid era, “Die Stem Suid-Afrika” (“The Voice of South Africa”), which was already damaged. The cause of the fire is unknown, but an investigation has…
NAIROBI— Kenyan police arrested a Dutch national wanted by Interpol for allegedly smuggling dozens of men, women and children to Europe. John Habeta, 53, was allegedly involved in at least four different operations to smuggle groups of Eritrean nationals into Europe using routes from Asia. The fugitive was arrested on Dec 16, in the outskirts of Nairobi after an Interpol Red Notice (international fugitive alert) was published earlier last month for people smuggling and use of fake identity documents to carry out transcontinental smuggling operations. According to Interpol, the suspect was wanted by The Netherlands since 2017…
KHARTOUM— Sudan’s civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned Sunday, more than two months after a coup and following another deadly crackdown on protesters, with the military now firmly in control. Sudan had been undergoing a fragile journey toward civilian rule since the 2019 ouster of autocrat Omar al-Bashir, but was plunged into turmoil when military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan launched his coup on October 25 and detained Hamdok. Hamdok was reinstated on Nov 21 under a deal promising elections for July 2023, but local media had reported he had been absent from his office for days, with…
A community health service in Africa’s largest urban slum is helping poor people get affordable emergency services during the COVID pandemic. The Kibera community emergency response team in Nairobi is offering a $1 monthly fee for access to emergency services, including an ambulance. Poor people — like those living in Nairobi’s Kibera slum — find it difficult to access emergency health care. Even where public services such as clinics and hospitals are provided within slums, the high cost effectively bars most Kibera residents from calling an ambulance. It’s a challenge Moses Omondi — who was born and brought up in…
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has charged politicians on quality and efficient representation, urging them to ensure effective service delivery to their constituents. Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, urged politicians to represent and speak for the people who voted them into power, rather than any godfather. The governor, while warning against the politics of stomach infrastructure, urged residents to leverage the opportunities created by the state government through its programmes and reforms to better their lives and contribute effectively to the development of the state. According to him, “Our politics has changed,…
The transitional authorities in Guinea-Conakry have allowed former president Alpha Condé to leave the country to seek medical help. The condition is that the former president cannot stay away for more than one month unless advised otherwise by the medical professionals. The announcement came in response to a request sent by ECOWAS to the new leader of the country, colonel Mamadi Doumbouya, on the Dec 23. The news of Alpha Condé imminent release was greeted by the former president’s supporters. Alpha Condé came to power in December 2010 and was re-elected in 2015 before seeking a…
Nigerian police rescued 21 children abducted on Friday night by bandits while being taken to an Almajiri school in Zamfara State. The bandits were said to have blocked the Gusau-Funtua federal highway in Tsafe Local Government Area in the state and abducted several people in five vehicles. Most of the affected vehicles were commercial. In a statement police spokesperson in the state, Mohammed Shehu, said some of those abducted have been rescued. He said the police acting on information that bandits had blocked the road, sent a team to dislodge the gunmen. “The police operatives…
The Presidency says henceforth, visitors to the State House will be required to undergo a rapid COVID-19 test at the entrance before gaining access to the seat of power. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu made the disclosure in Abuja. He said the aim is to check the recent increase in positive cases within the seat of power. He said: “Yes, a new regime of Covid-19 regulation has been put in place for all visitors to the Villa, not for Governors alone. “Every visitor to the Villa, not just those…
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has mourned the passing of former Edo State Sports Commissioner, Brown Ebelewe. Mr. Ebewele, whose death was reported at the weekend was an Olympian and former National Champion, and was part of the Edo delegation to the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival, which held in Benin. Obaseki, who bemoaned the tragic loss, said Ebewele’s passing was painful, as he still had a lot to offer Edo State and the country in general. According to Obaseki, “I am saddened by the news of the passing of seasoned sportsman and sports administrator, who…