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ECOWAS seeks return of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to regional bloc

Africa /

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is working to reintegrate Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger into the regional bloc. According to the Nigerian News Agency (NAN), the ECOWAS Parliamentary Joint Committee Meeting was held in Abidjan, the former capital of Côte d’Ivoire. Benjamin Kalu, Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives and chair of the meeting, stated that the departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS would exacerbate security issues in the region. Kalu noted that ECOWAS Parliament is using diplomacy to resolve the issues with these three countries, saying, “We will keep the doors open for them to return to this family. We need them.” He also mentioned that committee members from the ECOWAS Parliament will soon visit Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s Departure Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS in February, forming the Sahel States Alliance (AES) and held their first summit in Niamey, Niger, on July 6. At the summit, a joint declaration was signed to establish the “Confederation of Sahel States” consisting of the three countries, and Malian President Assimi Goita was elected as the rotating president of AES for one year.

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Algerian president pledges to build 3 hospitals in Gaza if borders reopen

Africa /

 The Algerian president has announced that his country is ready to build three hospitals in the Gaza Strip if the land border crossing between Egypt and the enclave is reopened. Abdelmadjid Tebboune made his statement on Sunday while campaigning for the presidential election scheduled for Sept. 7, according to an Anadolu reporter. In his presidential bid, Tebboune faces two other candidates: Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, the leader of the Movement for a Society of Peace (the largest Islamist party), and Youcef Aouchiche, the first secretary of the Socialist Forces Front (a leftist and the oldest opposition party). “In case the border between Egypt and Gaza is opened, we will build three hospitals within 20 days,” Tebboune said, referring to field hospitals that the Algerian military is capable of constructing. Previously, Tebboune had enquired about the military’s capacity to build such hospitals and the feasibility of sending them to Gaza under suitable conditions during the opening of the Algeria International Fair in June. Addressing his supporters, Tebboune also expressed readiness to send hundreds of doctors to Gaza and assist in rebuilding what has been destroyed. He condemned the current situation in Gaza as “not a war, but massacres perpetrated by the Zionist occupation,” asserting that the resolution of the Palestinian issue through the “extermination of Palestinians” is unacceptable. Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack last year by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. The Israeli onslaught has since killed nearly 40,100 people, mostly women and children, and injured over 92,500, according to local health authorities. More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

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Kenya: revised eco-levy tax to be reviewed in parliament

Africa /

Kenya will soon present a revised eco-levy tax in Parliament. Treasury Secretary John Mbadi announced that “about 49 measures” are under consideration as part of the tax amendment bill. The new eco-levy aims to address pollution and waste management at both the office and household levels, but will exclude sanitary towels—a change from the initial proposal. Companies will still face scrutiny, including a 10 percent levy on locally manufactured plastics, despite opposition from Coca-Cola. Mbadi defended the tax, emphasizing that environmental harm should be compensated. The government is also extending the tax amnesty period by six months. This revision follows the cancellation of Kenya’s Finance Bill 2024 in June due to protests, which led President William Ruto to explore alternative revenue sources. Opposition leaders are now urging the Judiciary to resist any attempt to reintroduce the rejected bill.

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A ransom is demanded for 20 students kidnapped in Benue State, Nigeria

Africa /

In Nigeria’s Benue State, a ransom has been demanded for 20 medical students kidnapped on April 15. Adeniran Adebanjo, spokesperson for the Student Union Government (SUG) at Jos University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, revealed that the armed kidnappers have reached out to the families of the abducted students. The kidnappers are demanding 50 million Naira (around 30 thousand USD) for the students’ release. The students were abducted in the Otukpo area of Benue State. Benue State Police spokesperson Catherine Anene confirmed that efforts are underway to rescue the kidnapped students. The armed assailants targeted a bus carrying medical students traveling from Benue State to Enugu State on April 15, resulting in the kidnapping. Despite the death penalty for kidnapping in Nigeria, ransom abductions remain common. Armed groups frequently target northern villages, schools, and travelers to demand ransoms.

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Unprecedented number of aid workers killed in conflicts worldwide

Discover /

Marking World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Monday that aid workers on the frontlines of the world’s conflicts are being killed in unprecedented numbers. With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community, with Gaza exacting a heavy toll. “This outrageously high number represents a 137 percent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed,” said OCHA in a statement. And the agency warned that 2024 may be on track for an even deadlier outcome. “The normalization of violence against aid workers and the lack of accountability are unacceptable, unconscionable, and enormously harmful for aid operations everywhere,” said Joyce Msuya, the acting under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. “Today, we reiterate our demand that people in power act to end violations against civilians and the impunity with which these heinous attacks are committed.” As of Aug. 7, at least 172 aid workers have been killed, according to the provisional count from the UN Aid Worker Security Database. In 2023, more than half of the fatalities were recorded in the three months of the hostilities in Gaza — October to December — mainly due to airstrikes. Since October last year, more than 280 aid workers – the majority of them staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) – have been killed in Gaza alone. Extreme levels of violence in Sudan and South Sudan have contributed to the tragic death toll, both in 2023 and in 2024, said the UN. In all these conflicts, most of the casualties have been among national staff. Many humanitarian workers also continue to be detained in Yemen. The UN said that on this World Humanitarian Day, aid workers and those supporting their efforts worldwide have organized solidarity events to spotlight the horrifying toll of armed conflicts, including on humanitarian staff. Also, a joint letter from leaders of humanitarian organizations will be sent to the member states of the UN General Assembly, asking the international community to end attacks on civilians, protect all aid workers, and hold perpetrators to account.

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15 rescued, 7 missing after yacht sinks off Italian coast

Africa /

 Seven people went missing after a yacht sank on Monday due to a storm 20 kilometers east of Palermo in southern Italy, while 15 others were rescued, according to media reports. The incident took place around 5 a.m. local time (0300GMT) when the 56-meters-long (184 feet) boat sank due to heavy rains and stormy weather off the coast of Porticello, 20 kilometers (over 12.4 miles) east of Palermo, media outlets reported. Coastguards and the fire department have rescued 15 people, and a search for the remaining seven is underway, the Italian fire department said in a statement. The British-flagged boat sank to a depth of 49 meters (nearly 161 feet), and a helicopter is also assisting with the operations, it said. The people on the yacht were from the UK, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, France, Ireland, US and Canada. A one-year-old child was among those rescued and taken to a children’s hospital in Palermo for medical care.

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EU urged to issue travel warnings as mpox risk in Africa grows

Africa /

European health authorities have recommended that EU countries issue travel warnings for regions affected by mpox following its designation as a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). On Friday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) cautioned that Europe may see more imported cases due to the virus’s spread in several African nations. However, the ECDC noted that the risk of ongoing transmission within Europe remains low, as long as imported cases are quickly identified and controlled. This advisory comes after Sweden detected a new mpox variant, marking the first case of this strain outside Africa. Bruno Ciancio, ECDC’s head of surveillance, expressed concern over the worsening situation in Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries, where case numbers may be underreported. To curb the spread in Europe, the ECDC stressed the importance of rapid case identification and containment. They have advised EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries to issue travel advisories for regions impacted by mpox. Since last year, mpox has spread in the DRC and other African countries, resulting in over 500 deaths, primarily in the DRC. The WHO’s global emergency declaration underscores the need for coordinated international efforts to address the crisis. The ECDC highlighted that EU/EEA travelers with close contact to affected communities face a higher risk, while close contacts of imported cases in Europe have a moderate risk. There are two subtypes of the mpox virus: Clade I, more severe and endemic to central Africa, and Clade II, responsible for the 2022 global outbreak. Currently, several African countries are dealing with Clade I and a new strain, Clade Ib. Sweden’s report of the first European case of Clade Ib has led the ECDC to increase the risk level for EU/EEA travelers and the general population. Although the impact in Europe is expected to be low, the ECDC recommends high preparedness, including effective surveillance, testing, and contact tracing. Travelers to mpox-affected areas are advised to consider vaccination, and European clinicians are urged to remain vigilant for potential cases, despite mpox not being endemic to Europe. Ciancio emphasized that while the risk should be taken seriously, it should not be overstated, given the availability of effective and safe vaccines.

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Israeli army orders evacuation in central Gaza Strip

World /

The Israeli army issued fresh evacuation orders on Saturday for residents in several areas of the central Gaza Strip. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee announced that residents of Blocks 2232-2240 in the Maghazi area and the neighborhoods of Salah El-Din, El-Farouk and El-Amal in central Gaza Strip are required to evacuate. The army claims that these areas are “dangerous combat zones” due to alleged “Hamas operations.” On Friday, the Israeli army issued new evacuation orders for residents in several areas of central and southern Gaza Strip, which have been previously designated as “humanitarian safe zones.” Previously, some of these areas, such as Al-Mawasi, had been designated as “humanitarian safe zones” for displaced Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza. According to the international humanitarian organization Oxfam, over 1.7 million displaced Palestinians are currently residing in the Al-Mawasi area and its surroundings, which constitutes less than one-fifth of Gaza’s territory. On Tuesday, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported that approximately 84% of Gaza’s territory has been under evacuation orders since Oct. 7. Israel’s continued onslaught on Gaza has drawn international condemnation for violating a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire. The ongoing war has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins, exacerbated by a severe blockade of food, clean water, and medicine. Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

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Death toll in Kampala landslide rises to 34

Africa /

In Uganda, the death toll from the landfill collapse in Kampala has risen to 34, with many homes and residents in the Kiteezi neighborhood buried under a massive pile of waste following heavy rains. The landslide occurred on Saturday, August 9, and rescue operations are ongoing, with 35 people still missing. The collapse is thought to have been triggered by the intense rainfall. The Kiteezi landfill, situated on a steep slope in a poor part of the city, has long been a hazardous area. Women and children often scavenge plastic waste there for income, and some homes are built nearby. Kampala authorities have been considering closing the landfill and moving waste disposal to a larger site outside the city, but the plan has not been implemented since 2016. President Yoweri Museveni has ordered an investigation into the incident.

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Mpox crisis escalates in Goma with rising cases and new variant

Africa /

Goma, long plagued by conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is now at the center of a severe mpox outbreak, formerly known as monkeypox. The Nyiragongo General Hospital, located on the outskirts of Goma, is seeing a surge in mpox cases. The current variant is particularly concerning, with increased severity compared to earlier strains. Patient Nyota Mukobelwa recounted her experience after being transported to the hospital by a Doctors Without Borders vehicle. She initially experienced headaches, fever, muscle pain, and groin discomfort, which were followed by lesions, leading her to suspect an infection. Doctors and nurses report that most patients are children. Dr. Pierre Olivier Ngadjole from MEDAIR DRC, which operates the mpox treatment site, noted that 75% of the patients are children under ten, with 70% coming from internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Nurse Trésor Basubi expressed concern over the rising number of admissions. The ongoing conflict around Goma has led to an influx of displaced people seeking refuge in the city’s camps. In 2022, mpox outbreaks were reported in over 70 countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global emergency. While vaccines and treatments helped control the outbreaks in wealthy nations, access remained limited in Africa. This year, a new, potentially more infectious form of mpox has been identified in a mining town about 270 kilometers south of Goma. At least 13 African countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, have reported new cases, often linked to the outbreak in Congo. Furaha Elisabeth visited the clinic for her child’s treatment, expressing her fear and anxiety after seeing distressing images of the disease. “I am scared and so worried,” she said.

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