‘We are taking appropriate action,’ health minister says as East African nation reports 8 deaths

The protests come in response to policies introduced by President Bola Tinubu, who, on his first day in office, removed a long-standing fuel subsidy and devalued the currency twice

The watermelon has roots that stretch back thousands of years to the Kalahari Desert

Over 60,000 tons of aid sent to East African country since 2016, says Turkish official

During his address to the UN General Assembly, Egypt’s Foreign Minister emphasized the need for permanent seats for Africa and Arab nations on the UN Security Council. “We cannot accept that Africa and Arab states currently lack permanent representation on the Security Council and the associated privileges,” Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty stated. He reaffirmed support for the Sirte Declaration and the Ezulwini Consensus, aiming to rectify the historical injustices faced by Africa. Abdelatty also called for a ceasefire in Gaza, as the conflict approaches its 12th month, asserting that ending the fighting is a top priority for his government. He urged for the urgent provision of medical and humanitarian aid to civilians in the region, as the humanitarian situation continues to worsen.

During the UN General Assembly, foreign ministers from Indonesia, Denmark, and Trinidad and Tobago urged an end to hostilities in the Middle East. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen emphasized the dire situation, stating, “Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and there is a very real risk of an all-out regional war that would impact us all. This must end, and it must end now.” The Trinidad and Tobago foreign minister echoed his concerns, expressing distress over the escalating conflict and the ongoing war in Gaza, describing the situation as deeply troubling. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently called for an end to the violence, warning that Lebanon must not become “another Gaza.” These calls for peace come amid a sharp increase in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, with recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon resulting in hundreds of casualties. An airstrike in Beirut reportedly killed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, prompting Iran’s Supreme Leader to vow retaliation.

A group of Ethiopian athletes shone at this year’s Berlin Marathon on Sunday, led by Milkesa Mengesha, who won the men’s race with a personal best time of just over 2 hours and 3 minutes. Ethiopia’s Haymanot Alew also performed well, finishing just shy of second place, which went to Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut. In the women’s category, Tigist Ketema emerged victorious with a time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 42 seconds, while her compatriots Mestawut Fikir and Bosena Mulatie secured second and third places, respectively. This edition marked the first time since 2014 that the marathon took place without prominent runners Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya or Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele. Over 58,000 runners from 161 nations participated, setting a new record for the event.

Schools in eastern Sudan’s Kassala have resumed operations following a decline in cholera cases.

South Africa stands out on the world stage for its distinctive approach to governance

Rwanda has reported six deaths and 20 confirmed cases of Marburg disease, according to Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana, who made the announcement in a video statement on Saturday. Most of the victims are healthcare workers from the intensive care unit, Nsanzimana said. “We have 20 infected individuals and six fatalities due to this virus, primarily among health workers,” he noted. Marburg disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that can lead to death, with symptoms including severe headaches, vomiting, and muscle and stomach aches. The health ministry is coordinating efforts to trace those who may have come into contact with infected individuals. With a fatality rate as high as 88%, Marburg is in the same virus family as Ebola and is transmitted from fruit bats to humans, spreading through contact with bodily fluids. Neighboring Tanzania reported Marburg cases in 2023, while Uganda experienced similar outbreaks in 2017.

Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah applauded the South African government Saturday for taking Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Tanzanian-born British novelist and academic who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2021, spoke at the 2024 Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg and said South Africa’s case has invited greater condemnation of the tragic events perpetrated by Israel in Gaza. “The court’s ruling and its warrants will only be more words, in the end, and words will not end this or other injustices, will not rebuild schools or hospitals, or end detentions and the destruction of cities,” he said. Gurnah, 75, however, expressed opportunism. “There are times when words is all we have — words and sympathy — and an understanding of our comparable experiences, our shared humanity,” he said. “Having a sense of shared humanity means being committed to championing justice … and to demand profound care for the environment and for other species. In an international context, our sense of shared humanity should guide our understanding of justice and inspire us to pursue justice beyond the borders of our respective communities and countries.” South Africa filed the case at the tribunal based in The Hague in late 2023, accusing Israel, which has bombed Gaza since last October, of failing to uphold its commitments under the 1948 Genocide Convention. The top UN court ordered Israel in May to halt its offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. It was the third time the 15-judge panel issued preliminary orders seeking to rein in the death toll and alleviate humanitarian suffering in the blockaded enclave, where casualties have surpassed 41,000. Several countries have joined the genocide case against Israel including, Türkiye, Nicaragua, Palestine, Spain, Mexico, Libya and Colombia. The case began public hearings in January. -Colonialism Gurnah noted his experience during colonialism in Zanzibar in 1960, when he was a 12-year-old school boy. He said it was a time of unprecedented excitement as the politics of decolonization were approaching a climax. He said he came to know about South Africa, where the white minority ruled, because of the sense of solidarity that arose out of the decolonization activities that led to boycotts of South African products. “I think, actually, that was the first awareness of South Africa for me,” he said.

On Friday, Tunisia’s parliament amended a law that limits the judiciary’s authority over decisions made by the election authority, which is appointed by President Kais Saied. This change comes just nine days before the presidential election and amid tensions between the election authority and the courts regarding the exclusion of three candidates from the ballot. The amendment sparked protests from opposition and civil society groups, who accuse the election authority of colluding with Saied to minimize competition for his re-election bid. Demonstrators gathered outside parliament to express their discontent. Since the Arab Spring, Tunisia has seen two presidential elections deemed democratic, but this year’s election cycle has been marred by disputes between the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) and the judiciary. ISIE recently dismissed a court ruling that ordered the reinstatement of three candidates—Monther Zenaidi, Abdellatif Mekki, and Imed Daimi—claiming their campaign filings were incomplete. Parliament members criticized the judiciary’s neutrality, suggesting that judges were acting under foreign influence, reflecting Saied’s longstanding rhetoric against opponents. Zina Jiballah, an independent MP, accused some parties of receiving instructions from abroad. Saied, who won his first term in 2019, will face two relatively unknown candidates, Ayachi Zammel and Zouhair Maghzaoui, next weekend, as prominent opposition figures remain imprisoned. Zammel is currently incarcerated on election fraud charges.

South Africa has joined the international community in condemning Israel’s indiscriminate attacks on Lebanese civilians.

Two mass shootings occurred in a rural South African town, resulting in the deaths of 17 people, including 15 women.

The U.S. government has granted Sierra Leone $480 million to expand electricity access to 4.6 million people.

No group has claimed responsibility, though the Islamist militant group al Shabaab, known for orchestrating frequent bombings across Somalia, is suspected

Lemurs have captivated visitors with their quirky and adorable movements

African Leaders Warn of Funding Crisis in Malaria Fight Amid Global Challenges African leaders have highlighted significant funding gaps in the fight against malaria, exacerbated by the ongoing global financial crisis and climate change impacts. Meeting this week in New York alongside the United Nations General Assembly, they emphasized the urgent need for coordinated efforts to prevent a funding crisis that could reverse decades of progress. The African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), which hosted the meeting, warned that continued reductions in malaria funding could lead to an additional 112 million cases and approximately 280,000 deaths by 2029. Currently, Africa accounts for about 236 million malaria cases—95% of the global total—and 97% of deaths, with Nigeria bearing nearly a third of this burden. Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, chair of ALMA, stated, “We must act urgently to protect lifesaving malaria interventions. Our target is to eliminate malaria in Africa.” Experts estimate that the continent needs up to $6.3 billion annually to eradicate the disease, urging sustained global support for malaria financing. ALMA also pointed to climate change and increasing resistance to insecticides and antimalarials as major hurdles in combating malaria. Ngashi Ngongo, head of the Executive Office at the African Union, noted that eliminating malaria alongside addressing other endemic diseases like HIV and tuberculosis is vital for reducing Africa’s overall disease burden and achieving universal health coverage. Following the World Health Organization’s approval last year, malaria vaccines are now being integrated into routine immunization schedules for children across Africa. Additionally, on Thursday, Nigerian health authorities signed an agreement with U.S.-based drone company Zipline to utilize AI-powered drones for distributing medical supplies, including blood and vaccines. Abdu Muktar, Nigeria’s national coordinator for the Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain Initiative, praised the initiative’s ambition to produce healthcare products locally, emphasizing the importance of effective delivery systems. “What Zipline is doing is using technology to ensure delivery, reduce waste, and enhance accountability,” he said. In 2022, governments of malaria-endemic countries contributed approximately $1.5 billion to combat the disease.

Ethiopian Orthodox Christians Celebrate Meskel Festival in Addis Ababa Thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians gathered at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa on Thursday (Sep. 26) to celebrate the religious festival of Meskel, which honors the cross on which Jesus was crucified and its recovery by Saint Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. The festival, recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, features bonfires burned across the country. In a grand ceremony, the patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church lit a large bonfire, surrounded by thousands of faithful in white garments. Celebrations will continue until Friday (Sep. 27), a national holiday marked by church services and family gatherings. People throughout Ethiopia are lighting bonfires made from logs, dry leaves, and grass in public squares and near churches as part of the festivities. Amidst this celebration, Ethiopia faces ongoing tensions, including disputes over access to the sea via Somaliland and conflicts with Egypt regarding the Nile River dam, alongside insurgencies in the Amhara region.

Human Rights Watch has accused the Rwandan army and the M23 rebel group of attacking civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In a report released on Thursday, the organization stated that throughout 2024, both entities have indiscriminately shelled displacement camps and densely populated areas near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The United Nations has indicated that the Rwandan army and M23 are operating together in Congo, a claim that Kigali denies. Human Rights Watch documented five attacks since January 2024, where Rwandan and M23 artillery struck displacement camps and population centers. The group also criticized the Congolese army and its allies for positioning artillery near these camps, putting civilians at risk, and called for stronger measures to protect them. The ongoing violence has displaced over half a million people, who now reside in camps around Goma.

South Africa’s foreign policy will be guided by human rights and the peaceful resolution of conflicts, its top diplomat Ronald Lamola told his US counterpart Antony Blinken. Calling for stronger bilateral relations with the US, Foreign Minister Lamola told Secretary of State Blinken on Thursday that South Africa is celebrating 30 years of democracy as well as “shared values” with the US. South Africa is a “constitutional democracy, (with) free and fair elections, and we have just emerged from them with about 10 political parties that have agreed to form a government of national unity with the priority to resolve the triple challenges of South Africa: unemployment, inequality, and poverty,” said Lamola. It was Lamola’s first face-to-face meeting with his US counterpart since being appointed in July. They met on the sidelines of the 79 UN General Assembly in New York, according to a US State Department readout of the meeting. “And our foreign policy will continue to be guided by human rights, constitutional principles, the national interest, solidarity and peaceful resolution of conflicts,” Lamola told Blinken ahead of their closed-door talk. The meeting came amid reports that Israeli diplomats are lobbying US lawmakers to pressure South Africa into dropping its genocide case against Tel Aviv at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). After Lamola’s appointment, Blinken called him to offer congratulations, and they also discussed Russia’s war on Ukraine as well as Israel’s war on Gaza. South Africa last December took Israel to the ICJ over its indiscriminate bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 41,500 people since last October. In his opening remarks, Blinken said his meeting with Lamola was to take stock of the “extraordinary and important partnership between South Africa and the United States, a partnership that works on a bilateral basis, a regional basis, and indeed a global basis. After their meeting, Lamola said he and Blinken had a “constructive engagement.” “Our relationship is dynamic and constantly evolving,” he added.

About two million people are still displaced days after devastating floods struck Nigeria’s northeast Maiduguri city, an official said on Friday.  Babagana Zulum, governor of northeastern Borno State, said victims of the Sept.10-11 massive floods are still in displaced persons camps established by the government in the wake of the disaster. “Most of our people are still displaced and many infrastructure damaged by the flood,” Zulum told officials at a Nigerian bank, which donated N1 billion (about $600 million) to help rehabilitate infrastructure destroyed by the floods and resettle victims. Zulum promised all the donations into the relief basket account would be used for affected persons and not diverted by officials. Thousands of people have been taking refuge in open places, religious centers, and 32 displaced persons camps, including public schools, since the severe floods killed at least 40 people. Local authorities have commenced distribution of money, food, and nonfood items to displaced persons in camps and a few people taking refuge in safer areas. Bulana Abiso, head of the coalition for civil society organizations, told Anadolu that economic activities are yet to return to the city days after the incident. Abiso said most victims are still in shock and struggling to overcome the trauma of their losses and displacement caused by the disaster. Institutions and individuals, including Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, donated money to support victims.

The move is seen as a signal of the government’s determination to strengthen its ties with Russia and other non-Western powers.

Protests erupt in Tunisia as parliament passes law limiting top court’s power to rule on election disputes before the presidential election.