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☆ Kenyan Court Says Police Cannot Deploy to Haiti Mission
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan court on Friday blocked the government from sending police officers to Haiti to lead a U.N.-approved mission aimed at helping the Caribbean nation tackle gang violence. An opposition party in October challenged the government's decision to send 1,000 officers to address a deepening crisis in Haiti, where gangs have forced around 200,000 people to flee their homes. High Court Judge Chacha Mwita said Kenya could only deploy officers abroad if a "reciprocal arrangement" was in place with the host government. "Any further action or steps taken by any state organ or state officer in furtherance of such a decision, contravene the Constitution and the law and is therefore an unconstitutional, illegal and invalid," Mwita said. (Reporting by George Obulutsa and Humphrey Malalo; Editing by Aaron Ross)

Persons: Chacha Mwita, Mwita, George Obulutsa, Humphrey Malalo, Aaron Ross Organizations: Kenyan Locations: NAIROBI, Haiti, Caribbean, Kenya

☆ U.N. plastic treaty talks grapple with re-use, recycle, reduce debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Some said the number of submissions represented progress, while campaign group Greenpeace said it was "chaos". Greenpeace said a successful deal would require the United States and the European Union to show greater leadership than they have so far. The International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), a global network of non-governmental organisations, however, said the proposals reflected the robustness of the Nairobi talks. Less than 10% of the plastic waste is recycled, the U.N. Members of the Saudi delegation at the talks declined to talk to Reuters, while Russian delegates could not immediately be reached for comment.

Persons: INC3, Graham Forbes, IPEN, Duncan Miriri, George Obulutsa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Greenpeace, Plastics, United Nations, Kenyan, European Union, International Union for Conservation, Nature, European, Saudi, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Nairobi, Switzerland, Uruguay, Canada, Kenya, European Union

☆ U.N. Plastic Treaty Talks Grapple With Re-Use, Recycle, Reduce Debate
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Duncan Miriri, INC3, Graham Forbes, IPEN, George Obulutsa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: United Nations, Greenpeace, Kenyan, European Union, International Union for Conservation, Nature, European, Saudi Locations: Duncan Miriri NAIROBI, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United States, Nairobi, Switzerland, Uruguay, Canada, Kenya, European Union

☆ Kenya's rail operator says floods, landslide disrupting its services from port city
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] People wade through flood waters along a street following heavy rains in Kisauni district of Mombasa, Kenya November 17, 2023. Heavy rains followed by flash floods have submerged towns across East Africa, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. In Kenya, the death toll from the floods stands at at least 46, and is expected to rise. Floods and a landslide on the railway route between the capital Nairobi and Mombasa has forced Kenya Railways to close all cargo services, it said in a statement. Kenya Railways said limited passenger services would continue.

Persons: Stringer, George Obulutsa, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Kenya Railways, Kenya National Bureau, Statistics, Thomson Locations: Kisauni district, Mombasa, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI, East Africa, Nairobi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan

☆ Kenya's Rail Operator Says Floods, Landslide Disrupting Its Services From Port City
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Flooding and landslides in Kenya's coastal region has resulted in delays in delivering cargo to and from the port city of Mombasa, the state-owned rail operator said on Saturday. Heavy rains followed by flash floods have submerged towns across East Africa, rendering hundreds of thousands of people homeless. In Kenya, the death toll from the floods stands at at least 46, and is expected to rise. Floods and a landslide on the railway route between the capital Nairobi and Mombasa has forced Kenya Railways to close all cargo services, it said in a statement. Kenya Railways said limited passenger services would continue.

Persons: George Obulutsa, Alex Richardson Organizations: Kenya Railways, Kenya National Bureau, Statistics Locations: NAIROBI, Mombasa, East Africa, Kenya, Nairobi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan

☆ IMF reaches deal with Kenya to raise current financing by $938 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows the Nairobi Expressway undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, in Nairobi, Kenya May 8, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Kenya for immediate access of $682.3 million and an increase in its current program's funding by $938 million, the fund said on Thursday. That will include a new augmentation to Kenya's access under the financing program by an equivalent amount of $938 million. The facility was bumped up in May by an extra $1 billion, including $544 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), and a new arrangement under the same RSF. Writing by George Obulutsa; Additional reporting by Bangalore Newsroom; Editing by Duncan Miriri and Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, George Obulutsa, Duncan Miriri Organizations: China, Bridge Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, East, Fund, Resilience, Sustainability, Bangalore, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI

☆ American Couple in Uganda Accused of Torturing Boy Plead Guilty to Lesser Charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The charge of aggravated child trafficking carries the death penalty in Uganda while aggravated child torture draws a maximum sentence of life in prison. Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer pleaded guilty to inflicting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for which she was sentenced to a fine of 3.36 million shillings or two years in prison. Nicholas Spencer admitted one count of child neglect for which he was fined 1.5 million shillings or six months in jail. The couple also pleaded guilty to staying illegally in the east African country and working without permits. Both were also ordered to compensate the child with 50 million shillings each.

Persons: Nicholas Spencer, Mackenzie Leigh Mathias Spencer, Alice Kyomuhangi, David Mpanga, Kyomuhangi, Mpanga, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Mark Heinrich Organizations: Reuters Locations: KAMPALA, U.S, Uganda, South Carolina, Kampala

☆ Uganda police say suspected rebels kill three in national park
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing RightsKAMPALA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A Ugandan national and two foreign tourists have been killed in an attack by suspected Islamist rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in a national park, the police said on Tuesday. The ADF began as an uprising in Uganda but has been based in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the late 1990s. "We have registered a cowardly terrorist attack on two foreign tourists and a Ugandan in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The national park's western boundary is the shore of Lake Edward, which separates Uganda from Congo. Last week, ADF fighters killed at least one man and injured another when it ambushed a truck in western Uganda.

Persons: Stringer, Fred Enanga, Enanga, Lake Edward, Bashir Hangi, Yoweri Museveni, Meddie Nkalubo, Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Estelle Shirbon, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Secondary, Allied Democratic Forces, REUTERS, Rights, Ugandan, ADF, Democratic, Islamic State, Park, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Rebels, Thomson Locations: Mpondwe, Uganda, Rights KAMPALA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Queen Elizabeth, Lake, Congo, Kampala

☆ Mediation collapses between Meta and Kenyan moderators, rights group says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of Meta Platforms' business group is seen in Brussels, Belgium December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Settlement talks have collapsed between Facebook's parent company Meta (META.O) and Kenyan content moderators over a lawsuit alleging unfair dismissal, a tech rights group working with the moderators said on Monday. British tech rights group Foxglove said in a statement on Monday that the negotiations had broken down, accusing Meta and Sama of making "very little attempt to address core issues raised by the petitioners". The moderators also allege that Meta is trying to terminate their contracts in defiance of an earlier court order. A hearing on their petition to find Meta and Sama in contempt of court is scheduled for Oct. 31, Foxglove said.

Persons: Yves Herman, Meta, Foxglove, Mercy Mutemi, Sama, Majorel, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Meta, Facebook, Kenyan, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights NAIROBI, British, Sama, Kenya, Ethiopia

☆ Kenyan Court Throws Out Challenge Seeking to Block GM Crops
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan court threw out on Thursday a case challenging the importation and cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops, saying the government had taken appropriate measures to regulate their use. In October 2022, Kenya lifted a 10-year ban on GM crops in response to the East African region's worst drought in 40 years. Kenya's decision to lift the ban of GM crops prompted farmers' groups to say it was rushed and failed to address health concerns. Farmers were also concerned that reliance on GM crops would lead to dependence on seeds from big foreign companies that own patents to them. In its ruling, the Environment and Land Court said the Law Society had not proven Kenya's laws about GM crops violated its constitution.

Persons: Humphrey Malalo, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Rod Nickel Organizations: Kenyan, Law Society of Kenya, Farmers, Environment, Land, Law Society Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, United States

☆ Madagascar presidential candidate shows injury after opposition rally teargassed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Madagascar Presidential candidate Marc Ravalomanana addresses supporters, during a campaign rally at the at the Mahamasina stadium in Antananarivo, Madagascar November 3, 2018. The Reuters witness said another former president Hery Rajaonarimampianina was also present among their supporters who had gathered to march before the teargas was fired. Marchers were demanding changes to the officials running the election commission and for the formation of a special court to hear election disputes. The Indian Ocean island is hoping for its third peaceful election since an upheaval of 2009, when Rajoelina ousted Ravalomanana in a coup. Reporting by Lovasoa Rabary; Writing by George Obulutsa in Nairobi; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marc Ravalomanana, Ravalomanana, Andry Rajoelina, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, Rajoelina, Lovasoa Rabary, George Obulutsa, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Facebook, Police, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Madagascar, Antananarivo, ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar's, Nairobi

☆ Madagascar Presidential Candidate Shows Injury After Opposition Rally Teargassed
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

It was not immediately clear what specifically caused the injury. A Reuters witness at the scene in the centre of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo confirmed police firing teargas at the supporters, who numbered in the hundreds. The Reuters witness said another former president Hery Rajaonarimampianina was also present among their supporters who had gathered to march before the teargas was fired. Marchers were demanding changes to the officials running the election commission and for the formation of a special court to hear election disputes. The Indian Ocean island is hoping for its third peaceful election since an upheaval of 2009, when Rajoelina ousted Ravalomanana in a coup.

Persons: Marc Ravalomanana, Ravalomanana, Andry Rajoelina, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, Rajoelina, Lovasoa Rabary, George Obulutsa, David Holmes Organizations: Facebook, Police, Reuters Locations: ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar, Madagascar's, Antananarivo, Nairobi

☆ Kenya to ask China for $1 bln loan to complete road projects, longer debt repayments
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A view shows the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport toll station on the Nairobi Expressway undertaken by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, along Mombasa road in Embakasi district of Nairobi, Kenya May 7, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto will ask China for a $1 billion loan to complete stalled road construction projects when he travels to Beijing later this month, his deputy said on Friday. "At the moment we are paying debt and people are not using roads because many of them are half finished," Gachagua said. Kenya owes China more than $8 billion in loans for infrastructure projects such as railways and roads. Reporting by Duncan Miriri and George Obulutsa; Editing by Mark Potter and Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, William Ruto, Ruto, Rigathi Gachagua, Gachagua, Duncan Miriri, George Obulutsa, Mark Potter, Kim Coghill Organizations: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, China, Bridge Corporation, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Mombasa, Embakasi district, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI, Beijing, East, China

☆ UN approves Haiti security mission to fight gangs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council on Monday authorized a foreign security mission to Haiti, a year after the Caribbean country asked for help to fight violent gangs that have largely overrun its capital Port-au-Prince. The Security Council also expanded a U.N. arms embargo to include all gangs - a measure China wanted. The response to Haiti's request for help was delayed due to a struggle to find a country willing to lead a security assistance mission. The Security Council stressed an "urgent need" for Haiti to make progress toward "transparent, inclusive, and credible electoral processes and free and fair elections." The security assistance mission, while approved by the U.N. Security Council, is not a United Nations operation.

Persons: Jean Victor Geneus, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Zhang Jun, Alfred Mutua, William Ruto, Ruto, Ariel Henry, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Jean, Bertrand Aristide, Michelle Nichols, Sarah Morland, George Obulutsa, Cynthia Osterman, Andrew Heavens, Alison Williams Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security, Security, Foreign Affairs, Kenyan, U.S, Security Council, . Security, United, Peacekeeping, Monday, Thomson Locations: Haiti, Caribbean, Port, United States, Ecuador, China, Russia, U.S, Kenya, Bahamas, Jamaica, Antigua, Barbuda, East, United Nations, Caracas, Nairobi

"The public in West African countries has become increasingly wary of hosting a Western military presence," said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at London-based risk firm Verisk Maplecroft. "The French exit from Niger will push Western troops further away from the central Sahel." The U.S. has refused to call the Niger takeover a coup, meaning it can avoid severing ties for now. Unlike France, American forces do not actively engage with Niger forces against Islamist militants and could be open to working within a transition to civilian rule. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the French military base in the capital calling for the troops' departure.

Persons: Mahamadou, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk, Emmanuel Macron, Russia's, Washington's, Defence Lloyd Austin, Washington, Nathaniel Powell, Joe Biden, Macron, Aissami Tchiroma, It's, Oxford Analytica, Paris, Jalel Harchaoui, John Irish, Edward McAllister, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Andrew Gray, George Obulutsa, Andrew Heavens Organizations: French Army, REUTERS, London, Russia's Wagner, Defence, Oxford, Protesters, France, Military, Royal United Services Institute, Thomson Locations: France, Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger PARIS, DAKAR, West Africa, West, Russia, United States, Libya, The U.S, Nairobi, American, West African, Afghanistan, AFRICA, French, Africa, It's, CHAD, GUINEA France, Chad, Paris, Sahel, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, London, Brussels

☆ Fighting in Ethiopia's Amhara kills at least 183, UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Fighting between Ethiopia's military and militiamen in the Amhara region has killed at least 183 people, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday, providing the most comprehensive independent death toll to date of the month-long conflict. The conflict has been fuelled by accusations among many in Amhara, Ethiopia's second most populous region, that the government is trying to undermine its security. At least four people were killed in fresh fighting that erupted in the town of Debre Tabor on Sunday, two doctors said. The clashes broke out about a week after Ethiopia's military entered the town, one of the doctors said. The other doctor said at least seven people had died - three civilians and four police officers, who were fighting in support of the military.

Persons: Emma Farge, Dawit, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Nick Macfie Organizations: UN, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Amhara, Ethiopia's, Fano, Debre Tabor, Geneva, Addis Ababa

☆ Kenyan court orders mediation in Meta labour dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Aug 23 (Reuters) - A Kenyan court has given Facebook's parent company Meta (META.O) and content moderators suing it for unfair dismissal 21 days to resolve their dispute out of court, a court order showed on Wednesday. The 184 content moderators are suing Meta and two subcontractors after they say they lost their jobs with one of the firms, Sama, for organising a union. "The parties shall pursue an out of court settlement of this petition through mediation," said the order by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, which was signed by lawyers for the plaintiffs, Meta, Sama and Majorel. Meta, Sama and Majorel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The case could have implications for how Meta works with content moderators globally.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Meta, Kenya's, Willy Mutunga, Hellen Apiyo, Majorel, George Obulutsa, Mark Potter Organizations: Meta, REUTERS, Rights, Kenyan, Sama, Facebook, Employment, Labour Relations Court, Thomson Locations: Rights NAIROBI, Luxembourg, Kenya, U.S, Sama, Ethiopia

☆ Somalia bans TikTok, Telegram and 1XBet over 'horrific' content, misinformation
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Residents gather outside the Pearl Beach Restaurant following an attack by Al Shabaab militants at the Liido beach in Mogadishu, Somalia June 10, 2023. REUTERS/Feisal Omar/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOGADISHU, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Somalia has banned TikTok, messaging app Telegram and online-betting website 1XBet to limit the spread of indecent content and propaganda, its communications minister said. Members of insurgent group al Shabaab often post about their activities on TikTok and Telegram. The decision comes days after Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said a military offensive against al Shabaab aims to eliminate the al Qaeda-linked group in the next five months. TikTok, Telegram and 1XBet did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Persons: Al Shabaab, Feisal Omar, Jama Hassan Khalif, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, 1XBet, TikTok, Abdi Sheikh, George Obulutsa, Devika Organizations: Pearl, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Mogadishu, Somalia, Rights MOGADISHU, Shabaab, TikTok, United States, Montana

☆ Ethiopian Airlines to manufacture parts in venture with Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An Ethiopia’s Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 plane to take off on a demonstration trip to resume flights from the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 1, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Ethiopian Airlines will start manufacturing aircraft parts in a venture with Boeing (BA.N) at an initial cost of $15 million, the government's investment agency said on Friday. The state-owned carrier, which is the biggest in Africa, has already signed the deal that also involves the local state Industrial Parks Development Corporation, the Ethiopian Investment Commission said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The venture will make "aerospace parts, including aircraft thermo-acoustic insulation blankets, electrical wire harnesses, and other parts," the commission said. It was not immediately clear if Ethiopian Airlines has also suffered from similar lack of parts.

Persons: George Obulutsa, Duncan Miriri, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Ethiopia’s Airlines Boeing, Max, REUTERS, Tiksa, Acquire, Rights, Ethiopian Airlines, Boeing, Industrial Parks Development Corporation, Ethiopian Investment Commission, Twitter, Kenya Airways, Thomson Locations: Bole, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Rights NAIROBI, Africa, Ukraine

☆ Uganda president defiant after World Bank funding suspended over LGBT law
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. The World Bank has an existing portfolio of $5.2 billion in Uganda, although these projects will not be affected. "It is, therefore, unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money. He added he hoped the World Bank would reconsider its decision. In June, the United States imposed visa restrictions on some Ugandan officials in response to the law.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Museveni, Joe Biden, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, KAMPALA, Uganda, Western, United States

☆ Uganda president defiant after World Bank suspends funding over LGBT law
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. The World Bank said on Tuesday that the law, which imposes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts, contradicted its values and that it would pause new funding until it could test measures to prevent discrimination in projects it finances. The World Bank has an existing portfolio of $5.2 billion in Uganda, although these projects will not be affected. "It is, therefore, unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money. He added he hoped the World Bank would reconsider its decision.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Museveni, Henry Musasizi, Musasizi, Joe Biden, Elias Biryabarema, Hereward Holland, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Bernadette Baum, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, KAMPALA, Uganda, Western, United States

☆ Ethiopia accuses Amhara militia of trying to overthrow government
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File PhotoADDIS ABABA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A senior Ethiopian official accused militiamen in the Amhara region of seeking to overthrow the regional and federal governments following days of fighting that led the authorities to declare a state of emergency. Clashes between Fano militiamen and the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) continued over the weekend. The conflict has quickly become Ethiopia's most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in Tigray region, which neighbours Amhara, ended in November. Fano is a part-time militia that draws volunteers from the local population and was an ally of the ENDF during the Tigray war. Violent protests erupted across Amhara in April after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered that security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions be disbanded and integrated into the police or national army.

Persons: Abi Adi, Amhara's, Temesgen Tiruneh, Temesgen, Legesse Tulu, Abiy Ahmed, Dawit Endeshaw, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Nick Macfie Organizations: Ethiopian National Defence Force, Amhara Special Forces, REUTERS, Tiksa, Ethiopian, Fana Broadcasting, Protesters, Thomson Locations: Tigray, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, ADDIS ABABA, Amhara, Fano, Gondar, Ethiopia's

☆ Uganda to reopen century-old rail link after China fails to fund new line
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The line, which has been out of use for roughly 40 years, is part of the East Africa rail network that stretches from Kenya's Indian Ocean seaport of Mombasa. It was built by Kenya and Uganda's former colonial ruler Britain around the beginning of the 20th-century. Uganda decided to revamp the old network after plans to build a separate modern standard gauge railway (SGR) failed to secure financing from China. The European Union funded construction of the Gulu hub, completed in late 2021, as part of the effort to revamp Uganda's railway network, which fell into disrepair during the country's economic collapse in 1970s and early 80s. Ugandan officials hope once the link is restored, rail will replace trucks in shipping transit goods to South Sudan and northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, John Linnon Sengendo, Sengendo, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic, Uganda Railways Corporation, Reuters, China Harbour, Engineering Company, Bridge Corporation, European Union, Thomson Locations: Kenya, Uganda, Kibera, Nairobi, South Sudan, DRC Kenya, KAMPALA, Democratic Republic of Congo, East Africa, Mombasa, Britain, China, Ugandan, Tororo, Uganda's, Gulu, Kampala

☆ Kenya ready to lead multinational force to Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, July 29 (Reuters) - Kenya is ready to lead a multinational force into Haiti, which is experiencing a surge in violence between police and gangs, its foreign minister said on Saturday. Earlier this month, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed to the Security Council and major potential contribution countries to act fast to create the conditions for the deployment of multinational force to Haiti. "At the request of Friends of Haiti Group of Nations, Kenya has accepted to positively consider leading a Multi-National Force to Haiti," Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua said in a statement. Mutua said the planned deployment from Kenya is still subject to getting a U.N. Security Council mandate and Kenyan authorisations. "An Assessment Mission by a Task Team of the Kenya Police is scheduled within the next few weeks," he said.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Alfred Mutua, Mutua, George Obulutsa, Valentine Hilaire, Giles Elgood Organizations: Security, Haiti Group, Nations, National Force, Kenyan, Kenya Police, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Kenya, Haiti, Mexico City

☆ MTN launches first 5G network in Uganda
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KAMPALA, July 28 (Reuters) - Telecom firm MTN Uganda (MTNU.UG), a unit of South Africa's MTN Group (MTNJ.J), on Friday launched the first 5G network in the east African country. MTN has Uganda's largest subscriber base at around 15 million. 5G offers faster data speeds and lower latency or response time. Sylvia Mulinge, MTN Uganda's chief executive officer, said the company planned to roll out full 5G coverage in the capital Kampala by the end of 2024 and that over the next two years all its base sites in major cities would also be converted to 5G. Writing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by George Obulutsa and Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sylvia Mulinge, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Alexander Organizations: Telecom, MTN Uganda, South Africa's MTN, MTN, Bharti Airtel, 5G, MTN Uganda's, Thomson Locations: KAMPALA, South, Kampala

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