Africa

Calls for Zuma to quit at S.Africa freedom icon’s funeral

by Susan NJANJI Agence France-Presse JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – The funeral of celebrated South African anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada on Wednesday was transformed into a rally against President Jacob Zuma, who had been barred from the event. The family of the African National Congress (ANC) stalwart, one of Nelson Mandela’s closest colleagues in the struggle against white minority rule who died on Tuesday aged 87, had asked Zuma to stay away. It was however attended […]

S. African anti-apartheid icon Ahmed Kathrada dies: charity foundation

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Leading South African anti-apartheid activist Ahmed Kathrada, who was one of Nelson Mandela’s closest colleagues, died early Tuesday aged 87, Kathrada’s charity foundation said. Kathrada was among those tried and jailed alongside Mandela in the Rivonia trial in 1964, which drew worldwide attention and highlighted the brutal legal system under the apartheid regime. Kathrada spent 26 years and 3 months in prison, 18 of which were on Robben Island.  

S.Sudan’s leaders force famine on their people: analysts

by Tristan MCCONNELL Agence France-Presse NAIROBI, Kenya  – South Sudan’s famine is a disaster created by its leaders, say analysts who argue that while food may save some lives now it is only peace that can bring lasting relief. But peace is as distant as ever with an international community that appears paralysed, while the men ruling over the country’s misery are unmoved by pleas for them to lay down their weapons. There is no […]

Landslide at Ethiopia garbage dump kills at least 46

by Chris STEIN Agence France Presse ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AFP) — At least 46 people died and dozens more were hurt in a giant landslide at Ethiopia’s largest rubbish dump outside Addis Ababa, a tragedy squatters living there blamed on a biogas plant being built nearby. Saturday’s landslide flattened dozens of homes of people living in the Koshe dump when part of the largest pile of rubbish collapsed, an AFP journalist said. Dagmawit Moges, head […]

Church group vows to continue to help Zambia’s poor

(Eagle News Service, Africa Bureau) — The church organization which sent 35,000 food packs to the Zambian capital of Lusaka for distribution to the poor residents there had issued a statement condoling with the victims of the March 6 incident and vowing to continue to help the poor residents in the area. “Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives and were injured in Lusaka, as well as their loved ones. We are […]

Zambian Stampede blamed on extreme hunger; Organizers Vow to Continue Food Aid

  (Eagle News Sevice, Africa Bureau) —Zambia’s United Party for National Development leader Hakainde Hichilema said he is attributing the stampede that occurred at the Olympic Youth Development Center on Monday morning (March 6) to high levels of poverty and hunger in the country. Hichilema said that what happened at the OYDC was a clear indication of the extreme hunger suffered by the Zambian people. “It is with a heavy heart that we wish to […]

East Libya forces prepare to retake key oil ports

BENGHAZI, Libya (AFP) — Forces loyal to eastern Libya’s strongman Khalifa Haftar said Monday they were preparing a large counter-offensive to retake key oil export terminals days after losing them to rival fighters. “Libyan forces are mobilising in great numbers to chase terrorist gangs from the Oil Crescent,” said Mohamad Ghanim, a spokesman for the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army. On Friday the Islamist-led Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) seized the key oil terminals of Ras Lanuf, […]

Japan says three N. Korean missiles landed in its waters

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Three of the four missiles launched by North Korea on Monday landed in Japanese-controlled waters, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. “North Korea today fired four ballistic missiles almost simultaneously and they flew some 1,000 kilometres (620 miles),” Abe said in parliament. “Three of them landed in our country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).” © Agence France-Presse

More than 1000 South African rhinos killed for their horns in 2016

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AFP) — Poachers killed 1,054 South African rhinos for their horns in 2016, a 10 percent dip from a year earlier, the environment ministry said Monday. Black market rhino horn sells for up to $60,000 (57,000 euros) per kilo — more than gold or cocaine — with most demand from China and Vietnam where it is coveted as a traditional medicine and aphrodisiac. In the last eight years alone, roughly a quarter of […]

World donors gather in Oslo to tackle Nigeria famine

by Hugues HONORÉ Agence France Presse OSLO, Norway (AFP) — UN aid agencies and donor countries gathered in Oslo on Thursday for a two-day meeting to raise emergency aid for millions of people threatened by famine in northeastern Nigeria, a Boko Haram stronghold. The UN aims to raise up to 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in commitments throughout 2017 for the Lake Chad region, which comprises northeast Nigeria, northern Cameroon, western Chad and southeast Niger. […]

5.7-magnitude quake strikes Lake Tanganyika region: USGS

JOHANNESBERG, South Africa (AFP) — A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit near Africa’s Lake Tanganyika early Friday, the US Geological Survey said, with the epicenter in northern Zambia. The quake, which was 10 kilometres (six miles) deep, struck at 00:32 GMT about 45 kilometres from the Zambian town of Kaputa, which lies near the borders of Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In December 2005, a powerful earthquake struck the Lake Tanganyika region of East Africa. […]

Bodies of 74 migrants wash up on Libya beach

by Hamza Turkia with Rim Taher in Tripoli Agence France Presse HARCHA, Libya (AFP) — The bodies of 74 migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe have washed up on a beach west of the Libyan capital, the Red Crescent said Tuesday. Residents of the village of Harcha, outside Zawiya, 45 kilometres (30 miles) from Tripoli, alerted the emergency services after finding a wrecked boat on the beach with bodies inside, the […]