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☆ From restaurants to water towers, unrest dents Senegal's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Sofia Christensen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An attack on a state-owned water plant could create shortages in Dakar, where it hasn't rained for eight months and where water cuts are common, Diome said. Bus company Dem Dikk, which is part state owned and whose beige buses are recurring targets during protests, partially resumed services this week. Attacks on its buses have cost the company over $7 million since March 2021, CEO Ousmane Sylla told Reuters. Stalled operations can cost Dem Dikk up to $80,000 in losses per day and make it tricky for thousands of commuters to get to work. "It is creating unemployment," he said, adding that it was already difficult for graduates to find jobs before the unrest.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Diome, Read, Ousmane Sylla, Dem, Sylla, . University student Mbodj, Saint Louis, Ngouda Dione, Sofia Christensen, Edward McAllister, Sharon Singleton Organizations: KFC, Sedima Group, International Labour Organization . Bus, Reuters, . University student, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Mbour, Keur Massar, Saint

☆ Nigerian parents pay school bills with recyclable waste
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Kazeem Sanni | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Fatimoh Adeosun, 48, a parent of a student of My Dream Stead, a low-cost school that accepts recyclable wastes as payment, sorts plastic waste for submission, in Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria May 19, 2023. My Dream Stead school, in the sprawling, impoverished Ajegunle neighbourhood where the Adeosuns live, is one of 40 low-cost schools in Nigeria's commercial capital that accept recyclable waste as payment. Tuition fees at My Dream Stead stand at $130 per year and the school is expanding into a second apartment block to accommodate its 120 pupils. Some mornings, Fatimoh and Fawas walk to the school together with bulging sacks of rubbish over their shoulders. The waste is weighed on school premises and its sales value added to Fawas' account.

Persons: Adeosun, Stead, Temilade Adelaja, Fawas Adeosun, Fatimoh, Alexander Akhigbe, Seun Sanni, Sofia Christensen, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Temilade, Fawas, Thomson Locations: Ajegunle, Lagos, Nigeria, Temilade Adelaja LAGOS, Nigerian, recyclables

[1/5] A view of a ransacked supermarket Auchan, after Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 3, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra BensemraDAKAR, June 3 (Reuters) - Streets filled with rubble and ransacked shops greeted residents of some Dakar neighbourhoods on Saturday - fallout from clashes between anti-government protesters and police that have gripped Senegal in recent days. Mobs smashed windows and looted at least two gas station shops overnight in Dakar's Ouakam and Ngor districts, while an Auchan supermarket in densely populated Grand Yoff was torched and ransacked. The unrest is the latest in a string of protests in Senegal, long considered one of West Africa's most stable democracies. The opposition is also concerned that President Macky Sall will try to bypass the two-term limit and run again in February elections.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Khadija, Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Edward McAllister, Bate Felix, Alessandra Prentice, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Dakar's, Ouakam, West

[1/5] People put out burning barricades that were set on fire by supporters of Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, after Sonko was sentenced to prison in Dakar, Senegal June 1, 2023. Nine people were killed in clashes between riot police and Sonko supporters on Thursday after he was sentenced to two years for corrupting youth. The opposition says the verdict, which could prevent Sonko from running in elections next year, was politically motivated. Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar was the epicentre of Thursday's violence, with protesters setting buses alight and throwing rocks at riot police, who responded by firing tear gas. One student, Alioune Ndiaye, said he planned to travel hundreds of miles to his home in eastern Senegal to escape the violence.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Abdou Karim Fofana, Cheikh, Alioune Ndiaye, Macky Sall, Sall, Mouhamad Diouf, Diouf, Adji Sarr, Cheikh Hann, Bate Felix, Cooper Inveen, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Edward McAllister, Angus MacSwan, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Army, Security, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Senegal, Dakar, DAKAR, Senegalese, West, Ouakam

Sonko, 48, was accused of raping a woman who worked in a massage parlour in 2021, when she was 20, and making death threats against her. "With this sentence Sonko cannot be a candidate," said one of his lawyers, Bamba Cisse. University law professor Ndiack Fall said Sonko could demand a retrial if he turns himself in to authorities. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Bamba Cisse, Ndiack Fall, Sonko's, Sonko, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon, Christina Fincher, Matthew Lewis Organizations: University, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Dakar, West, Dakar Senegal, Senegal

DAKAR, June 1 (Reuters) - Nine people were killed in Senegal on Thursday in clashes between riot police and supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko after a court sentenced him to two years in jail, casting serious doubt on his chances of running for president next year. The justice ministry said the opposition leader could now be taken to prison at any time. Police remained stationed around his home Dakar as unrest flared in the capital and elsewhere after the verdict. But Sall's second term has been particularly turbulent for a country usually viewed as one of West Africa's strongest democracies. Separately, Sonko is appealing against a six-month suspended prison sentence for libel - an offence he also denies.

Persons: Ousmane Sonko, Sonko, Bamba Ciss, Sonko's, Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome, Abdou Karim Fofana, Ndiack Fall, Macky Sall, Sall, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, Diadie Ba, Edward McAllister, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Matthew Lewis, Andrew Heavens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Police, REUTERS, University, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Dakar, Dakar Senegal, West, Lincoln

☆ Congo woman saves young mothers from unpaid maternity bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Paul Lorgerie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Like most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo has no universal health coverage, and most cannot afford what limited care there is. Bethesda's head doctor Emmanuel Mpumpa, whose sister died in labour a few years ago because she could not afford hospital care, said keeping patients in was regrettable but necessary. "We bought a few of the prescribed medicines but could not afford the doctors and hospital," said Annaelle's mother, Yvette Kalongo. When Umek paid, the ordeal was over. The young mothers uttered their thanks, wrapped their babies in blankets and made their way home through the neighbourhood bustle.

Persons: Grace Mbongi Umek, Read, she'd, Annaelle, Felix Tshisekedi's, Bethesda's, Emmanuel Mpumpa, Yvette Kalongo, Umek, Paul Lorgerie, Sofia Christensen, Edward McAllister, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bethesda Medical Center, Democratic, United Nations, World Bank, Bills, Thomson Locations: Ngaba, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, KINSHASA, Bethesda, Congo's, Saharan Africa

☆ Regional force tackling east Congo violence extended to September
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 31 (Reuters) - A regional force set up to tackle militia violence in east Democratic Republic of Congo has been extended to September, a minister and a spokesperson for the force said on Wednesday. The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force in April last year to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east. The force's future had been uncertain since its mandate expired in March, and EAC leaders had expressed differing views on how it should operate. An EAC spokesperson confirmed reports that the force's mandate had been extended to September during a summit in Burundi on Wednesday. Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jeff Nyagah, Jean, Pierre Bemba, Felix Tshisekedi, Tshisekedi, Sonia Rolley, Sofia Christensen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: East African Community, EAC, Congo's, Thomson Locations: Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo's, Burundi

☆ Senegal president promises fair election as tensions simmer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sporadic violent protests have broken out across Senegal since opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was detained for alleged rape in 2021. Sonko's supporters say this is a tactic to bar him from the February presidential poll, which the government denies. Sall on Wednesday welcomed members of various parties, religious leaders and civil society to a multi-day national dialogue aimed at easing tensions and fostering dialogue. As a result, neither was able to run for president in 2019. Khalifa Sall attended Wednesday's dialogue and said he hoped the president's potential third term bid was up for discussion.

Persons: Macky Sall, Ousmane Sonko, Sonko's, Sall, Sonko, Anger, Khalifa Sall, Karim Wade, Abdoulaye Wade, Sofia Christensen, Alessandra Prentice, Ngouda Dione, Bate Felix, William Maclean Organizations: Dakar, Khalifa, Thomson Locations: DAKAR, Senegal, Sonko's, Dakar, Sall

☆ Central African Republic plans referendum on scrapping presidential term limits
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGUI, May 30 (Reuters) - Central African Republic's President Faustin-Archange Touadera said on Tuesday he would hold a referendum in July on his intention to change the constitution and remove term limits. Touadera's allies proposed the change in May last year, arguing that presidential term limits were uncommon in many neighbouring countries. Critics and opposition parties held protests last year as the reform would allow Touadera to run again in 2025 for a third term. A presidential decree issued later on Tuesday said the referendum would start on July 15 and end on July 28. The proposed reform echoes constitutional and other legal changes that have allowed presidents in several other African countries - including Rwanda, Congo Republic, Ivory Coast and Guinea - to stay in office.

Persons: Faustin, Archange Touadera, Touadera, Francois Bozize, Bozize, Judicael Yongo, Sofia Christensen, Richard Chang Organizations: Constitutional, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: BANGUI, Bangui, Rwanda, Congo Republic, Ivory Coast, Guinea

☆ After fleeing conflict, displaced women face rape in east Congo
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Djaffar Sabiti | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"He raped me," she recalled two weeks later in Bulengo, one of several camps near Goma sheltering about 600,000 people that have fled conflict zones. Over half were assaulted by armed men, it said last week, noting that its figures were likely to be underestimates. Hungry mouths to feed push women outside the camp in search of food and firewood to sell, making them vulnerable to sex crimes, said MSF worker Delice Sezage Tulinabo. Most survivors reported being attacked by armed and displaced men in and around the camps. In Bulengo, women said they had to pay soldiers to enter the forest.

☆ Senegal opposition leader appeals conviction threatening his presidential bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Diadie Ba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DAKAR, May 15 (Reuters) - Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has appealed a libel conviction that could prevent him running in presidential elections next year, one of his lawyers said, as another round of protests broke out on Monday. Last week, Sonko received a suspended six-month sentence for libel stemming from his accusations that the minister of tourism had embezzled funds. The conviction casts doubt over Sonko's eligibility to run for president in an election that where President Macky Sall is widely expected to seek a third term. Sonko has denied the charges and denounced the conviction, as well as another trial he is facing on charges of rape, as politically motivated. Hundreds rallied in Dakar last week in the latest show of protest against Sall's potential bid for a third term in the upcoming February poll.

☆ Over 5,500 still missing in flood-hit east Congo: local official
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoKALEHE, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 9 (Reuters) - More than 5,500 people are still unaccounted for in an area in east Democratic of Congo where floods killed more than 400 people last week, a local official said on Tuesday, as shaken survivors waited for food aid. Kalehe administrator Thomas Bakenga Zirimwabagabo said on Tuesday that 411 bodies had been found so far and that at least 5,525 people were still missing. A government delegation arrived in the area on Monday evening and was expected to bring food and tents for the survivors. Government officials have told humanitarian workers to stop mass burials and wait for coffins to be delivered to the area. Reporting by Djaffar Sabiti Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Death toll from Congo floods rises to 401: governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 8 (Reuters) - The death toll from flooding that hit two villages in east Democratic Republic of Congo last week has risen to 401, provincial governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi said on Monday. Kasi told Reuters by message on Monday that the death toll now stood at 401. He did not provide any other details. The central government has sent a delegation to Kalehe and declared Monday a day of national mourning. Reporting by Sonia Rolley Writing by Sofia Christensen Editing by Alexander WinningOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mali sets date for delayed vote, saying it's true to its word on democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The vote, initially scheduled for March 19, is the first in a series of polls meant to restore democracy in the West African country after two military takeovers since August 2020. It was delayed days before that date to give electoral management authorities more time to set up in all of Mali's 19 administrative regions. He added that the new date showed authorities were true to their word and democratic commitments. Similar frustrations contributed to two military takeovers in neighbouring Burkina Faso last year. Military rulers in both countries have previously blamed election delays on insecurity, saying it made it difficult to organise polls.

☆ Opera singer Yende 'too excited to be nervous' at king's coronation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Matteo Witt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"It's an incredible time of my life as a young girl, as a South African, as an artist, only joy floods my heart." "This was my audition I guess," said Yende, recalling the evening at Windsor during a backstage interview at the opera house. Yende grew up singing gospel music in church in her hometown of Piet Retief in eastern South Africa. At the coronation, Yende will perform "Sacred Fire", a piece written by composer Sarah Class for the occasion. "Whether you're a king, a princess or just a girl from the tip of Africa singing for the coronation of the king."

☆ Corpses pile up after nearly 200 killed in Congo floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Crispin Kyala | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The rainfall in Kalehe territory in South Kivu province caused rivers to overflow on Thursday, inundating the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi. South Kivu governor Théo Ngwabidje Kasi put the death toll at 176 and said that others were still missing. Floods and landslides are not uncommon in South Kivu, which shares a border with Rwanda. Heavy rains also triggered flooding and landslides in Rwanda this week, killing 130 people and destroying more than 5,000 homes. The last incident of a similar scale in Congo occurred in October 2014, when heavy rainfall destroyed over 700 homes.

Authorities have recovered 101 bodies from shallow graves since April 21, while eight cult members were found alive but died later. Cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14, held alongside 14 other cult members. Children account for most of the bodies recovered so far, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Friday. Kindiki said the autopsies will look at all possibilities, including whether or not some bodies had missing organs. Oduor said the government was collecting DNA samples from those who had reported missing relatives and would do the matching in a process that would take at least a month.

Eight cult members who were found emaciated in the forest died later. Mackenzie has been in police custody since April 14 alongside 14 other suspected cult members. Two showed signs of asphyxiation, he added. Children account for most of the bodies recovered so far, Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki said on Friday. On Sunday, President William Ruto said he would appoint a judicial commission of inquiry this week to probe what happened in Shakahola.

☆ Head of regional force tackling east Congo violence resigns, Kenya denies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GOMA, April 28 (Reuters) - The Kenyan commander of a regional force set up to tackle militia violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo said he had resigned due to obstruction and threats to his safety, adding to doubts over whether the mission can be effective. The seven countries of the East African Community (EAC) set up the EACRF military force last April to try to end bloodshed linked to decades of militant activity in Congo's east. In the letter, Nyagah alleged foreign military contractors were sent to survey his residence in January, placing monitoring devices that forced him to relocate. "My security as the Force Commander is not guaranteed," Nyagah said. Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya previously acknowledged the presence of foreign military contractors in Congo as "instructors".

☆ UN paints Congo helicopters orange to protect against attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

World Food Programme/Handout via REUTERSKINSHASA, April 20 (Reuters) - The United Nations has painted bright orange its two white helicopters providing humanitarian relief in eastern Congo in an effort to protect them from militia attacks by distinguishing them from other aircraft. Last year, the U.N. recorded 293 security incidents that affected relief missions to east Congo, resulting in the death of nine humanitarian workers. The U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) unveiled the two repainted World Food Programme helicopters this week. Their colour is meant to avoid confusion with the white ones used by the U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, which have been attacked in the past. Eight peacekeepers were killed when a MONUSCO helicopter on a reconnaissance mission crashed in the midst of rebel fighting in March last year.

☆ U.N. paints Congo helicopters orange to protect against attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shops and banks closed early on Wednesday as the West African nation braced for fresh protests over a court case that has fuelled tension and violence ahead of presidential elections next year. Violence broke out on the day of Sonko's last court appearance on March 16, as police fired tear gas at supporters accompanying his motorcade to the courthouse. Sonko has called for more nationwide protests on Wednesday, Thursday and April 3. Police fired several rounds of tear gas and stun grenades forcing mostly student protesters to retreat into the campus from where they hurled rocks. He is also on trial for allegedly raping a beauty salon employee in 2021 and making death threats against her.

☆ Trapped miners in east Congo tumble out of rubble intact in viral video
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The video shows a man precariously perched on the side of a steep slope of rubble, frantically digging with a spade while a group of other men stand in a large circle around him, watching. The rescuer is then seen redoubling his efforts, forsaking the spade to dig through the rubble with his bare hands. Another miner soon appears, then another, and within two minutes a total of nine men have come out alive and well. Two miners died in a similar incident at a nearby informal digging site in early March. Reporting by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Sofia Christensen, Estelle Shirbon and Sharon SingletonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Equatorial Guinea confirms eight more Marburg cases - WHO
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DAKAR, March 23 (Reuters) - Eight new confirmed cases of Marburg disease have been reported in Equatorial Guinea, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. This brings the total of laboratory-confirmed cases to nine and probable cases to 20 since the outbreak of the deadly disease similar to Ebola was declared in February. The areas reporting cases are about 150 kilometres (93 miles) apart, suggesting a wider transmission of the virus, the WHO said. Marburg virus disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever that can have a fatality rate of up to 88%, according to the WHO. Neighbouring Cameroon also detected two suspected cases of Marburg disease last month despite restricting movement along the border to avoid contagion.

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