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☆ Kenya Doomsday Cult Leader Jailed for Unlicensed Film Production
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The leader of a Kenyan doomsday cult, in which authorities believe more than 400 members may have died, was jailed on Friday for 12 months for producing and distributing films without a licence. Police have exhumed hundreds of bodies from mass graves in Shakahola forest in the country's southeast. Mackenzie handed himself in to police in April and has repeatedly been denied bail while investigations continue into the mass deaths. He has not yet been charged for his alleged role in the deaths or entered a plea. On Friday Magistrate Olga Onalo found the self-styled pastor guilty of operating a film studio, producing films and showing them to members of the public without a valid licence.

Persons: Paul Mackenzie, Mackenzie, Olga Onalo, James Mouko, Humphrey Malalo, Hereward Holland, William Maclean Organizations: Good News International Church, . Police, Local Locations: NAIROBI, Kenyan

☆ Uganda to borrow $150 mln from China's Exim after World Bank halts funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A worker is seen near a sign of the Export-Import Bank of China at the venue for the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, China October 31, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKAMPALA, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Uganda is preparing to borrow $150 million from China's Export Import Bank (Exim) to help expand its internet infrastructure, the finance ministry on Monday. A junior finance minister and the minister for information asked lawmakers on Monday to authorise the debt, the finance ministry wrote on X, the social media platform. Uganda is in negotiations with Chinese export credit agency SINOSURE and Exim Bank for a loan to finance the construction of a pipeline to help Uganda export its crude oil to international markets. The World Bank, traditionally Uganda's biggest development lender, halted loans to Uganda after President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act which hands out tough sentences including death for a range homosexual activities.

Persons: Stringer, SINOSURE, Yoweri Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, Hereward Holland, William Maclean Organizations: Export, Import Bank of China, China, REUTERS, Rights, China's Export Import Bank, World Bank, Exim Bank, Bank, Thomson Locations: Shanghai, China, Rights KAMPALA, Uganda

☆ Somalia joins east Africa trade bloc as it eyes new opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Abdi Sheikh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOGADISHU, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The East African Community trade bloc admitted Somalia as its eighth member on Friday, a move Somali authorities and businesses hope will boost the country's war-ravaged economy. "Somalia officially joins the East African Community, reinforcing ties and opening new doors for progress and partnership," Daud Aweis, Somalia's minister for information, culture and tourism said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. In turn the bloc's large population and existing customs union and common market are a draw for investors that Somalia can now tap into. Somali businesses said the country's vibrant private sector, which has overcome long odds to stay afloat, would bring a fresh injection of risk-tolerant entrepreneurs into the trade bloc and boost exchanges across the large Somali Diaspora. "It will be simpler for the large Somali Diaspora living across East Africa to access financial services and products," said Shuayb Haji Nur Mohamed, managing director of Salaam Somali Bank, one of Somalia's major banks.

Persons: Daud Aweis, al, Shuayb Haji Nur Mohamed, Hereward Holland, Elias Biryabarema, William Maclean Organizations: East African Community, EAC, Democratic, East African, Salaam Somali Bank, Thomson Locations: MOGADISHU, Somalia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Al Qaeda, Shabaab, Mogadishu, al Shabaab, Somali, East Africa

☆ Mali signs agreement with Russia to build gold refinery
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Tiemoko Diallo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAMAKO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Mali's military government said it has signed an agreement with Russia to build a gold refinery in the capital Bamako, one of a slew of deals between the two countries as Russia seeks to extend its regional influence. The deal is the latest sign of Russia's deepening interests in Mali, one of Africa's largest gold producers, just as Western influence there wanes. Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom signed an deal with Mali in October to explore for minerals and produce nuclear energy. Sanou said he had also signed a deal with a Russian firm to build a 200- to 300-megawatt solar power plant by mid-2025. Industrial gold production in Mali totalled 66.2 tonnes last year, mostly from mines owned by Barrick Gold (ABX.TO), B2Gold (BTO.TO), Resolute Mining (RSG.AX), Allied Gold (AAUC.TO) and Endeavour Mining .

Persons: Alousséni Sanou, Sanou, Rosatom, Wagner, Tiemoko Diallo, Hereward Holland, Edward McAllister, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Wagner Group, Islamic, Barrick Gold, Resolute Mining, Allied, Endeavour Mining, Thomson Locations: BAMAKO, Russia, Bamako, Mali, Russian, France, Africa, al Qaeda, Islamic State

☆ Once-in-a-century flooding swamps Somalia after historic drought -UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOGADISHU, Nov 10 (Reuters) - The United Nations has described floods that uprooted hundreds of thousands of people in Somalia and neighbouring countries in East Africa following a historic drought as a once-in-a-century event. Large-scale displacement, increased humanitarian needs and further destruction of property remain likely, OCHA said, with some 1.5 million hectares (3.70 million acres)of farmland potentially being destroyed. "Extreme weather linked to the ongoing El Niño risks further driving up humanitarian needs in already-vulnerable communities in Somalia and many other places," said Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General, the UN's Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "We know what the risks are, and we need to get ahead of these looming crises," he said. Reporting by Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu and Hereward Holland in Nairobi; Writing by Hereward Holland Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: El Niño, Camps, OCHA, Martin Griffiths, Abdi Sheikh, Hereward, Hereward Holland, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: United Nations, UN Office, Humanitarian Affairs, UN's Humanitarian Affairs, Emergency, Thomson Locations: MOGADISHU, Somalia, East Africa, Kenya, Mogadishu, Hereward Holland, Nairobi

☆ Britain's King Charles visits Kenya with colonialism's scars in focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Britain's King Charles inspects the honour guards as he is hosted by Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya October 31, 2023. Accompanied by Queen Camilla on his first visit as monarch to a former colony, Charles arrived in the capital Nairobi overnight. Charles' visit comes at a time when former colonies are demanding that Britain do more to recognise the abuses of its colonial past. Nandi King Koitalel Arap Samoei led a decade-long rebellion until he was assassinated by a British colonel in 1905. Charles also plans to meet entrepreneurs from Kenya's bustling tech scene, tour wildlife facilities and travel to the southeastern port city of Mombasa.

Persons: King Charles, William Ruto, Arthur Edwards, Queen Camilla, Charles, Kenya's Nandi, Buckingham, Kenya's, Nandi King Koitalel Arap Samoei, Samoei's, Kipchoge araap Chomu, Aaron Ross, Hereward, Hereward Holland, Michael Perry, John Stonestreet Organizations: Kenya's, State House, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kenyan, Commonwealth, Kenya Human Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI, Uhuru Gardens, Barbados, Jamaica, British, Mombasa, Hereward Holland

☆ Britain's King Charles begins Kenya visit steeped in 'painful' colonial history
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] Britain's King Charles is hosted by Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya October 31, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles begins a four-day state visit to Kenya on Tuesday, his first to a former colony, during which he plans to acknowledge "painful aspects" of a shared history that included almost seven decades of colonial rule. Accompanied by Queen Camilla, Charles arrived in the East African country overnight and will be received by Kenyan President William Ruto in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday morning. Buckingham Palace says the visit is a reflection of the two countries' close cooperation on economic development, climate change and security issues. The most notorious period of British rule came near the end, during the 1952-1960 Mau Mau revolt in central Kenya.

Persons: King Charles, William Ruto, Thomas Mukoya, Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla, Charles, Buckingham, Camilla, Queen Elizabeth, Nandi, Koitalel Arap Samoie, Samoie's, Kipchoge araap Chomu, Aaron Ross, Hereward, Hereward Holland, Michael Perry Organizations: Kenya's, State House, REUTERS, Rights, Kenyan, Kenya Human Rights, Commonwealth, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Nairobi, Kenya, Rights NAIROBI, East, Mombassa, Barbados, Jamaica, British, Hereward Holland

☆ Ethiopia PM Abiy Seeks to Quell Neighbours' Concerns Over Invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"Ethiopia has never invaded any country and now Ethiopia has no intention to invade any country," Abiy told thousands of soldiers gathered in the capital Addis Ababa to celebrate the national army on Thursday. Abiy said Ethiopia would not pursue its interests "through force", and that "it wouldn't pull the trigger on its fellow brothers." Abiy won a Nobel peace prize in 2019 for his peacemaking efforts which ended two decades of hostility with Eritrea. "There are major concerns around the region that the relationship could deteriorate further and risk outright hostility." (Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw and Giulia Paravicini, writing by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Hereward Holland and Christina Fincher)

Persons: Dawit Endeshaw, Giulia, Abiy Ahmed, Abiy, Alan Boswell, Horn, Alexis Mohamed, Somalia's, Giulia Paravicini, Hereward Holland, Christina Fincher Organizations: Ethiopian, Crisis Locations: ADDIS ABABA, NAIROBI, Ethiopia, Horn of Africa, Coastal Eritrea, Addis Ababa, Eritrea, Bure, Tigray, Asmara, Djibouti, United States, China

☆ Airtel Uganda doubles bonus shares ahead of IPO close
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KAMPALA, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Airtel Uganda said it has doubled the amount of bonus shares for potential investors, to boost participation in its initial public offering (IPO) set to close on Friday. The firm launched its share sale on Aug. 29 and set the share price at 100 Ugandan shillings. Airtel is selling 20% of its equity in a move aimed at raising 800 billion Ugandan shillings ($213 million). Results of the IPO are expected on Oct. 30, while shares will be listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange on Oct. 31, according to a prospectus. When the listing completes, Airtel Uganda will be the second listed telecoms company on Uganda's stock exchange after MTN Uganda (MTNU.UG), majority owned by South Africa's MTN Group (MTNJ.J), which listed in December 2021.

Persons: Elias Biryabarema, Giulia Paravicini, Hereward Holland, David Evans Organizations: Airtel, Uganda Securities Exchange, MTN Uganda, South Africa's MTN, Thomson Locations: KAMPALA, Airtel Uganda

☆ French Troops Begin Withdrawal From Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

NIAMEY (Reuters) - French military convoys have begun withdrawing from bases in southwest Niger, marking the start of a departure demanded by Niger's junta that has dealt a further blow to France's influence in West Africa's conflict-hit Sahel region. Pickup trucks and armoured personnel carriers laden with French troops drove through the dusty outskirts of the capital Niamey on Tuesday, a Reuters reporter said, after the junta late on Monday said the withdrawal would kick off the following day. A few dozen French servicemen flew out of Niger on a military plane on Monday, an airport worker and two other sources familiar with the flight said. A joint France-Niger withdrawal plan, seen by Reuters, said Niger's military would provide security back-up to the French convoys withdrawing by land. (Reporting by Abdel-Kader Mazou and Boureima Balima; Additional reporting and writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Alessandra Prentice and Jonathan Oatis)

Persons: Monday, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Hereward Holland, Alessandra Prentice, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Niger's, Reuters Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, West, Niamey, Chad, France, Mali, Burkina Faso, Africa

☆ Kenya President Reshuffles Cabinet, Swaps Foreign Affairs Minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto on Wednesday reshuffled eight members of his cabinet, and folded the foreign affairs ministry into the office of the chief minister. The changes were necessary, Ruto said, to "optimise performance and enhance delivery as set out in the administration's manifesto". Ruto has faced a series of nationwide protests over the high cost of living and tax hikes since he took power in August 2022. Foreign minister Alfred Mutua was transferred to the ministry of tourism and wildlife, while trade minister Moses Kiarie Kuria was moved to the ministry of public service. The foreign ministry was brought under the portfolio of the prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Alfred Mutua, Moses Kiarie Kuria, Musalia Mudavadi, Mutua, Hereward Holland Organizations: United Nations Locations: NAIROBI, Haiti, Caribbean

☆ Amazon Web Services to open development centre in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A logo for Amazon Web Services (AWS) is displayed at the Collision conference in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Amazon Web Services (AWS), the company's cloud-computing division, said on Wednesday it would open a development centre in Kenya's capital Nairobi, creating jobs in software development, cloud support, and software engineering. Sometimes dubbed the "Silicon Savannah", Kenya is one of Africa's biggest technology hubs, hosting offices of some of the world's tech giants alongside thriving startups. "This centre will enable the local market to tap into an incredible pool of technical talent," said Uwem Ukpong, vice president of global services at AWS. "The Kenyan technology sector continues to be a source of growth and job creation at a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world," said Kenya's President William Ruto.

Persons: Chris Helgren, Uwem Ukpong, William Ruto, Hereward Holland, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Amazon Web Services, REUTERS, Rights, Web Services, Netflix, General Electric, Sony, Thomson Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, Rights NAIROBI, Kenya's, Nairobi, Kenya, Kenyan

☆ Kenya President reshuffles cabinet, swaps foreign affairs minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kenya's President William Ruto attends the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNAIROBI, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Kenya's President William Ruto on Wednesday reshuffled eight members of his cabinet, and folded the foreign affairs ministry into the office of the chief minister. The changes were necessary, Ruto said, to "optimise performance and enhance delivery as set out in the administration's manifesto". Foreign minister Alfred Mutua was transferred to the ministry of tourism and wildlife, while trade minister Moses Kiarie Kuria was moved to the ministry of public service. The foreign ministry was brought under the portfolio of the prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi.

Persons: William Ruto, Caitlin Ochs, Ruto, Alfred Mutua, Moses Kiarie Kuria, Musalia Mudavadi, Mutua, Hereward Organizations: Sustainable, United Nations, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Rights NAIROBI, Haiti, Caribbean

☆ Kenyan police recover unlicensed firearm from home of banned New Zealand runner
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Kenyan police have recovered an unlicensed AK-47 rifle and more than 20 rounds of ammunition at the home of banned New Zealand runner Zane Robertson, who was detained on Wednesday on suspicion of sexual assault. In March this year the middle and long-distance runner, who competed at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, was banned for eight years for doping and interfering with the testing process. "Zane Robertson was arrested on Wednesday over allegations of sexual assault," said Tom Makori, Keiyo sub-county police commandant. "We recovered an unlicensed firearm and 23 rounds of ammunition." Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Hereward Holland Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Zane Robertson, Robertson, Tom Makori, Humphrey Malalo, Hereward Holland, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Kenyan, New Zealand, Tokyo Olympics, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, Rio, Iten, Kenya

☆ Somalia's first all-women newsroom spotlights female taboos
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Abdi Sheikh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MOGADISHU, Sept 20 (Reuters) - People often laugh when Fathi Mohamed Ahmed tells them she runs the first and only all-female newsroom in Somalia, one of the most dangerous places on the planet to be a reporter. "Sometimes my soul tells me I cannot continue the work because of insecurity and societal pressure. However, it is a career that I loved since my childhood and a dream which still lives in me," Ahmed said. With more than 50 journalists killed since 2010, Somalia is the most dangerous country for journalists in Africa, according to Reporters Without Borders. Bilan has revolutionised the news agenda in Somalia, said Abdallah Al Dardari, director of the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Arab States.

Persons: Fathi Mohamed Ahmed, Ahmed, Maria Abdullahi Jama, Sheikh Abdi Hayi, Omar Ibnu Khadab, Abdallah Al Dardari, Al Dardari, Abdi Sheikh, Abdirahman Hussein, Hereward Holland, Richard Chang Organizations: United Nations Development Programme, Protect Journalists, Somalia, Facebook, Bondhere School, Ministry, Women, United Nations, Programme, Bureau, Arab, Bilan Media, Thomson Locations: MOGADISHU, Somalia, Africa, Mogadishu

☆ Somalia's First All-Women Newsroom Spotlights Female Taboos
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"Sometimes my soul tells me I cannot continue the work because of insecurity and societal pressure. However, it is a career that I loved since my childhood and a dream which still lives in me," Ahmed said. Although it is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), success has not come easy or risk-free for Ahmed and her team. With more than 50 journalists killed since 2010, Somalia is the most dangerous country for journalists in Africa, according to Reporters Without Borders. Bilan has revolutionised the news agenda in Somalia, said Abdallah Al Dardari, director of the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Arab States.

Persons: Abdi Sheikh, Fathi Mohamed Ahmed, Ahmed, Maria Abdullahi Jama, Sheikh Abdi Hayi, Omar Ibnu Khadab, Abdallah Al Dardari, Al Dardari, Abdirahman Hussein, Hereward Holland, Richard Chang Organizations: Reuters, United Nations Development Programme, Protect Journalists, Somalia, Facebook, Bondhere School, Ministry, Women, United Nations, Programme, Bureau, Arab, Bilan Media Locations: Abdi Sheikh MOGADISHU, Somalia, Africa, Mogadishu

☆ UN experts say war crimes committed in Ethiopia despite formal end to conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

GENEVA, Sept 18 (Reuters) - War crimes and crimes against humanity are still being committed in Ethiopia nearly a year after government and regional forces from Tigray agreed to end fighting, U.N. experts said in a report published on Monday. Thousands died in the two-year conflict, which formally came to an end in November last year. "I must admit the worst of this was that perpetrated by Eritrean forces in Tigray. Though, of course, Ethiopian forces were also responsible," she said, adding that Tigrayan forces had also perpetrated sexual violence in Amhara. Authorities from the Ethiopian region of Amhara have also denied that their forces committed atrocities in neighbouring Tigray.

Persons: Thousands, Mohamed Chande Othman, Yemane Ghebremeskel, spokespeople, Radhika Coomaraswamy, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Andrew Heavens, William Maclean Organizations: International Commission of Human, Eritrean Defence Forces, EDF, Ethiopian, Reuters, Eritrean, Ethiopian National Defence Forces, Hereward, Thomson Locations: GENEVA, Ethiopia, Tigray, Eritrea, Amhara, Ethiopian, Geneva, Hereward Holland, Nairobi

☆ Ethiopian forces clash with al Shabaab in western Somalia, residents say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MOGADISHU, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Ethiopian forces engaged in fierce clashes with al Shabaab fighters near the town of Rab Dhuure in western Somalia on Sunday morning, local residents said. At around 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) local residents heard large explosions followed by a heavy near the town of Rab Dhuure in Bakool region, around 20 km (12 miles) from the Ethiopia border. Al Shabaab claimed to have ambushed a large convoy of Ethiopian troops, who are operating in the area as part of regional efforts to wipe out the al Qaeda-affiliated group. "We heard about three huge explosions and then an exchange of heavy guns followed," said local resident Hassan Abdulle. In February Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya agreed to begin what they described as "search and destroy" operations against al Shabaab, in addition to the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force, which is expected to leave Somalia by the end of next year.

Persons: al, Rab Dhuure, Al Shabaab, Hassan Abdulle, Fatuma Ali, Abdi Sheikh, Hereward Holland, Susan Fenton Organizations: African Union, Thomson Locations: MOGADISHU, al Shabaab, Rab, Somalia, Bakool, Ethiopia, Al, Qaeda, Djibouti, Kenya

☆ Hundreds of millions pledged for African carbon credits at inaugural climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Companies Climate FollowVitol SA FollowNAIROBI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - An initiative to boost Africa's carbon credit production 19-fold by 2030 drew hundreds of millions of dollars of pledges on Monday as Kenyan President William Ruto opened the continent's first climate summit. In one of the most anticipated deals, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed to buying $450 million of carbon credits from the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI). "There hasn't been any success for an African country in attracting climate finance," said Bogolo Kenewendo, a United Nations climate adviser and former trade minister in Botswana. Many African campaigners have opposed the summit's approach to climate finance, and about 500 people marched in downtown Nairobi on Monday to protest. They say carbon credits are a pretext for continued pollution by wealthier countries and corporations, who should instead pay their "climate debt" through direct compensation and debt relief.

Persons: William Ruto, Ruto, Bogolo Kenewendo, Bogolo, Kevin Kariuki, Patricia Scotland, Esa Alexander, we've, Hassan Ghazali, Britain, Sultan Al Jaber, COP28, Duncan Miriri, Simon Jessop, Jefferson Kahinju, Aaron Ross, Hereward Holland, Angus MacSwan, Susan Fenton Organizations: United Arab Emirates, Africa Carbon Markets, United, African Development Bank, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Climate Asset Management, HSBC Asset Management, Debt, Green, Thomson Locations: NAIROBI, UAE, Nairobi, Africa, United Nations, Botswana, Muloza, Mozambique, Blantyre, Malawi, Liberia, Tanzania, Germany, Kenya

☆ Recent coups in West and Central Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BURKINA FASOIn January 2022, Burkina Faso's army ousted President Roch Kabore, blaming him for failing to contain violence by Islamist militants. Doumbouya became interim president and promised a transition to democratic elections within three years. CHADIn April 2021, Chad's army took power after President Idriss Deby was killed on the battlefield while visiting troops fighting rebels in the north. Deby's son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, was named interim president and tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition to elections. But the coup leaders clashed with the interim president, retired colonel Bah Ndaw, and engineered a second coup in May 2021.

Persons: Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, Ali Bongo, Mohamed Bazoum, Abdourahamane Tiani, Burkina Faso's, Roch Kabore, Colonel Paul, Henri Damiba, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Mamady Doumbouya, Alpha Conde, Conde, Doumbouya, Idriss Deby, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, Assimi Goita, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Bah Ndaw, Goita, Hereward Organizations: REUTERS, Islamic, West, ECOWAS, Chadian, Mali's West, Thomson Locations: Libreville, Gabon, West, Central Africa, NIGER, Niger, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Mali, Burkina, BURKINA FASO, GUINEA, CHAD, N'Djamena, MALI

☆ Uganda bans imports of used clothing from 'dead people'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Like most African countries, Uganda has traditionally imported large quantities of used clothing, which some consumers prefer because it is low-cost. At least 70% of garments donated to charity in Europe and the United States end up in Africa, according to Oxfam, a British charity. The East African Community, a regional economic grouping of which Uganda is a member, agreed in 2016 to a complete ban on used clothing imports by 2019, but Rwanda was the only country to enact it. As a result, the United States in 2018 suspended Rwanda's right to export clothing duty-free to the United States, one of the benefits of the United States' tariff and quota-free African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Museveni said the ban would also extend to electricity meters and electric cables, saying they should be bought from factories in Uganda.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Abubaker, Museveni, Elias Biryabarema, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Oxfam, Reuters, East African Community, Thomson Locations: Kisozi, Gomba, Central Region, Uganda, Rights KAMPALA, Africa, Europe, United States, British, Sino, Mbale city, Rwanda, U.S, Kampala, Hereward Holland

☆ Stampede at Madagascar's national stadium kills 12, injures around 80, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lova Rabary | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANTANANARIVO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A stampede of sports fans trying to enter Madagascar's national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games has killed 12 and injured around 80, the prime minister said on Friday. Videos shared on social media showed Red Cross workers caring for dozens of injured people next to the athletics track. Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said 11 of the injured were in a critical condition. It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede, but at least 15 people were killed in a similar incident at the Mahamasina stadium in 2019. The Indian Ocean Island Games were created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977, and include athletes from Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion and the Maldives.

Persons: Christian Ntsay, Andry Rajoelina, Lova, Hereward Holland, Chris Reese, Alistair Bell, Sandra Maler Organizations: Madagascar's, Games, Red Cross, International Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: ANTANANARIVO, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion, Maldives, Antananarivo

☆ Ethiopia cracks down on gay sex in hotels, other venues
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Security forces in Ethiopia are cracking down on hotels, bars and restaurants in the capital Addis Ababa where gay sexual activity is alleged to take place, the city administration said on Thursday. Rights groups say the LGBT community in Ethiopia remains underground because LGBT people face high levels of discrimination and fear violence and ostracism if their identities are discovered. The Addis Ababa Peace and Security Administration Bureau, a government body, said it was taking action "against institutions where homosexual acts are carried out" following tip-offs from the public, and had already raided a guest house in the city. Gay sex is prohibited by law in Ethiopia, but there are no recent reports of people being convicted for engaging in consensual same-sex sexual activity. (This story has been corrected to change sourcing from Ethiopia News Agency to Addis Ababa Peace and Security Administration Bureau in paragraphs 1, 4 and 5)Reporting by Tiksa Negeri, Writing by Hereward Holland, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Guramayle, Hereward Holland, William Maclean Organizations: Security, Rights, Addis Ababa Peace, Security Administration Bureau, Facebook, Ethiopia News Agency, Security Administration, Tiksa Negeri, Thomson Locations: ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ghana, Uganda

☆ 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

☆ Somalia says Russia grants relief on debt worth $684 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOGADISHU, July 27 (Reuters) - Russia has granted debt relief on over $684 million owed by Somalia in a deal finalised on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg, officials from the Horn of Africa nation said. Emerging from decades of civil war, Somalia is seeking to secure sweeping external debt relief under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank's Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. The agreement signed on Wednesday between Egeh and Russian deputy finance minister Timur Maksimov concerned Paris Club loans, Somali Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. Somalia owed Moscow nearly $695 million in 2019, according to the IMF. Reporting by Hereward Holland, Abdi Sheikh and Rachel Savage; editing by Joe Bavier and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bihi Egeh, Timur Maksimov, Salah Ahmed Jama, Jama, Vladimir Putin, Putin, pare, Hereward Holland, Abdi Sheikh, Rachel Savage, Joe Bavier, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: International Monetary Fund, Somali Finance, Moscow, Paris Club, RIA Novosti, African, IMF, Thomson Locations: MOGADISHU, Russia, Somalia, Africa, St Petersburg, Horn of Africa, Egeh, Paris, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine

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