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☆ Kenya police, crowds clash in third wave of price rise protests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands joined marches called by opposition leader Raila Odinga against high living costs and alleged fraud in last year's vote. The government has said the vote was fair, defended its economic record and called for the protests to stop. "We are telling our elder Raila Odinga, the only way to get into government is through the ballot." Odinga's spokesperson Dennis Onyango accused Malala of "ethnic profiling", saying he had assumed the attackers were Odinga supporters because they were from his ethnic group. Odinga, who has run for president five times, challenged Ruto's victory in August's election, but the Supreme Court upheld the result unanimously.

☆ Corporate giants say anti-LGBT law would hurt Uganda's economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, March 29 (Reuters) - A coalition of international companies, including Google (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O), on Wednesday denounced anti-LGBTQ legislation passed by Uganda's parliament last week, warning it would damage the East Africa country's economy. The Open for Business coalition said the legislation, which criminalises identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, would curb investment flows and deter tourists. Open for Business said in a statement the new law would undermine companies' ability to recruit a diverse and talented workforce. "Either they violate the law in Uganda or they are going against international standards of corporate responsibility as well as human rights laws of the countries in which they are headquartered," she said. Among the coalition's members, Google, Mastercard (MA.N) Unilever (ULVR.L), Standard Chartered (STAN.L), PwC and Deloitte (DLTE.UL) have operations in Uganda.

☆ Freed 'Hotel Rwanda' hero Rusesabagina leaves Rwanda, reaches Qatar - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Imad Creidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, March 28 (Reuters) - Paul Rusesabagina, who was portrayed as a hero in the film "Hotel Rwanda" about the 1994 genocide, has arrived in Qatar after being released from prison in Rwanda last week, a source with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday. Rwanda has said that Rusesabagina's release is the result of a shared desire to reset the U.S.-Rwanda relationship. The 68-year-old former hotelier landed in Doha on Monday, a source with knowledge of the matter said. "Hotel Rwanda" portrays Rusesabagina's success in saving more than 1,000 refugees, including his family, during the genocide in 1994 by sheltering them in the besieged hotel that he managed in Kigali. Reporting by Imad Creidi; Writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Aaron Ross and Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The U.S. has said Rusesabagina was unlawfully detained, while Rwanda has bristled at the criticism, saying it would not be intimidated. The U.S. allocated more than $147 million in foreign assistance to Rwanda in 2021, making it Rwanda's largest bilateral donor. Blinken met Kagame during a visit to Rwanda in August, where U.S. officials said the case was discussed extensively. Yet Kigali continued to take a hard line, with Kagame suggesting on the sidelines of the December summit that only an invasion of Rwanda could force Rusesabagina's release. He will remain in Rwanda for a couple of days before travelling to Doha and then to the United States, U.S. officials said.

☆ Kenyan judge temporarily blocks mass layoff of Facebook moderators
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, March 21 (Reuters) - A Kenyan judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the mass redundancy of some 260 Facebook content moderators working for an outsourcing company contracted by the social media site's parent company Meta (META.O), court documents show. Last week 43 moderators at Facebook's Nairobi moderation hub filed a lawsuit against the social media company and Sama for unlawful redundancy. Nduma also temporarily barred Meta from subcontracting the roles of the workers who moderate Facebook content for eastern and southern Africa. The court cases could have implications for how Meta works with content moderators globally. The U.S. company works with thousands of moderators around the world, tasked with reviewing graphic content posted on its platform.

☆ Uganda passes bill banning identifying as LGBTQ
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The new law appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), according to rights group Human Rights Watch. In addition to same-sex intercourse, the law bans promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as conspiracy to engage in homosexuality. Violations under the law draw steep penalties including death for so called aggravated homosexuality and life in prison for gay sex. I support the bill to protect the future of our children," said lawmaker David Bahati during debate on the bill. In recent weeks Uganda authorities have cracked down on LGBTQ individuals after religious leaders and politicians alleged students were being recruited into homosexuality in schools.

☆ Uganda passes a law making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KAMPALA, March 21 (Reuters) - Uganda's parliament passed a law on Tuesday making it a crime to identify as LGBTQ, handing authorities broad powers to target gay Ugandans who already face legal discrimination and mob violence. The new law appears to be the first to outlaw merely identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ), according to rights group Human Rights Watch. In addition to same-sex intercourse, the law bans promoting and abetting homosexuality as well as conspiracy to engage in homosexuality. Violations under the law draw severe penalties, including death for so-called aggravated homosexuality and life in prison for gay sex. In recent weeks, Uganda authorities have cracked down on LGBTQ people after religious leaders and politicians alleged students were being recruited into homosexuality in schools.

REUTERS/Monicah MwangiNAIROBI, March 20 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired tear gas and arrested several senior opposition politicians as hundreds of people protested against President William Ruto, the high cost of living and claims of cheating in last year's election. Raila Odinga, who lost to Ruto in August's poll, has urged nationwide protests as he attempts to harness dissatisfaction with the president. Police officers in riot gear fired tear gas at hundreds of rock-throwing protesters in the capital Nairobi's vast Kibera slum, who chanted: "Ruto must go." They also used tear gas to disperse demonstrators trying to gather in the Central Business District, from where Odinga has called for a march toward the president's State House residence, Reuters reporters said. In the western city of Kisumu, an Odinga stronghold, police fired barrages of tear gas in the direction of protesters who had started fires in the road, footage on Citizen TV showed.

☆ Content moderators sue Meta over alleged 'union-busting' in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, March 20 (Reuters) - Facebook content moderators in Kenya are suing the social media site's parent company Meta (META.O) and two outsourcing companies for unlawful redundancy, a rights group said on Monday. The 43 applicants say they lost their jobs with Sama, a Kenya-based firm contracted to moderate Facebook content, for organising a union. They also say they were blacklisted from applying for the same roles at another outsourcing firm, Majorel, after Facebook switched contractors. The court cases could have implications for how Meta works with content moderators globally. The moderators accuse Meta of instructing Majorel not to hire any moderators previously employed by Sama, according to the court petition.

☆ Ethiopia's Tigray region appoints new interim leader - Tigrai TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fought Ethiopian forces and their allies in a war that killed tens of thousands of people. If Getachew's nomination, which was reported by the TPLF-controlled Tigrai TV, is approved by the federal government, he would replace TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael, who has led Tigray since 2018. It is not clear when the federal government might weigh in on Getachew's nomination or when the interim administration will be set up. The lack of an interim government has been hampering the humanitarian response across Tigray, where millions are in dire need of assistance, according to aid workers. During that visit, Blinken discussed with Getachew and Ethiopian officials the importance of setting up the interim administration.

☆ Kenyan traders protest against Chinese competitor's cheap prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Duncan Miriri | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Feb 28 (Reuters) - More than a thousand Kenyan traders protested in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday against a new Chinese-owned retail shop they accuse of undercutting them with ultra-low prices. Traders in Kenya and other rapidly growing economies in Africa have protested periodically against their Chinese competitors. China is Africa's top trading partner and more than 1 million Chinese are estimated to reside on the continent. Kenya's relationship with China was in focus during last year's presidential election, won by William Ruto. The Kenyan traders have been angered by a newly opened China Square retail shop on the outskirts of Nairobi, whose prices for everyday goods like curtains imported from China are on average 50% cheaper than those brought in by local traders.

☆ Fleeing drought, Somalis face malnutrition and cholera in Kenya
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Ayenat Mersie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In a ward for severely malnourished children, Ismael said her baby's condition had not improved since arriving at Dadaab. Severe malnourishment had made the baby's head swell with liquid - a common effect of malnutrition in children. In the past two years, the drought has displaced one million Somalis and about 100,000 have fled to Kenya, according to the United Nations. In the past year, 32 children have died of malnutrition in the section of the camp run by the IRC, Ngao said. "This was the worst drought I have ever seen," he said.

☆ Social media restricted in Ethiopia after church rift turns violent
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Access to social media platforms has been restricted in Ethiopia, Internet watchdog NetBlocks said, following violent protests sparked by a rift within the country's Orthodox Church. The protests broke out in the Oromiya region when three church officials declared themselves archbishops last month and set up their own governing body. At least 30 people have been killed in protests since Feb. 4, the church said in a statement on Thursday. The Ethiopian state has traditionally maintained close ties to the Orthodox Church, to which more than 40% of the population adheres. The Orthodox Church vowed in its statement that Sunday's protest would go ahead.

REUTERS/Antony NjugunaJUBA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will lead prayers at the mausoleum of South Sudanese liberation hero John Garang on Saturday, an acknowledgement of the importance for the world's youngest nation of perhaps the one leader who could ensure unity. The mostly Christian and animist south voted in a referendum six years later to secede from the mostly Muslim north. When South Sudan became independent on July 9, 2011, tens of thousands flocked to Garang's mausoleum in the new capital of Juba to celebrate. Garang rallied South Sudan's disparate ethnic groups behind a common cause. Garang's widow, Rebecca, is one of South Sudan's five vice presidents, along with Machar, in a unity government formed after the 2018 peace deal.

[1/2] South Sudanese soldiers stand in line on the streets of Juba in a "show of force" ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the country this week in Juba, South Sudan February 2, 2023. War broke out in South Sudan in December 2013 two year after the country gained its independence from Sudan. The conflict was triggered by infighting within the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) following Kiir's decision that July to sack Machar as vice president. There are 2.2 million internally displaced people in South Sudan and another 2.3 million have fled the country as refugees, according to the United Nations. Famine was briefly declared in parts of South Sudan in 2017.

☆ Eritrean troops seen leaving Ethiopian town of Shire
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Tigray war is believed to have resulted in tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of deaths and forced millions to flee their homes. Witnesses and an Ethiopian official reported last month that Eritrean soldiers were leaving Shire and two other major towns, but many ended up staying behind. A Shire resident said the Eritrean convoys were seen leaving the town from early in the morning until about 5 p.m. on Friday. All Eritrean troops in the town seemed to have left by Friday evening, he said. A second aid worker said hundreds of Eritrean vehicles had left Shire but that some soldiers remained in the town.

☆ Africa should not be arena for international competition, says Chinese foreign minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang addresses delegates at the inauguration of the new Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters, which China is building and equipping in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 11, 2023. REUTERS/Tiksa NegeriADDIS ABABA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Africa should not be an arena for competition between world powers, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Wednesday, opening a new headquarters for a pan-African health body at the start of five-country Africa tour. "Africa should be a big stage for the international cooperation, not an arena for major countries competition," Qin said at a news conference with AU Commission chair Moussa Faki. A trusted aide of President Xi Jinping and former ambassador to the United States, Qin was appointed foreign minister last month. Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said the choice of countries reflected China's diversity of interests in Africa.

☆ Uganda declares over Ebola outbreak that killed 55
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Motorists and cyclists are seen at a traffic light intersection in Kabuusu area of the Lubaga division amid the Ebola outbreak in Kampala, Uganda November 16, 2022. "We have successfully controlled the spread of Ebola in Uganda," Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said during a ceremony to mark the outbreak's end. The outbreak killed 55 of the 143 people infected since September, according to health ministry figures. Unlike the more common strain of the virus, Ebola Zaire, which has been behind several recent epidemics in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the strain behind Uganda's outbreak, Ebola Sudan, has no proven vaccine. Even so, experts said Uganda's experience battling previous outbreaks of Ebola and its viral cousin Marburg helped its response.

☆ Uganda declares itself Ebola-free after swiftly turning tide on outbreak
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Motorists and cyclists are seen at a traffic light intersection in Kabuusu area of the Lubaga division amid the Ebola outbreak in Kampala, Uganda November 16, 2022. "We have successfully controlled the spread of Ebola in Uganda," Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said during a ceremony to mark the outbreak's end. Aceng said this was Uganda's eighth Ebola outbreak since 2000, when the country recorded its first and most deadly one that killed more than half of the 425 people it infected. In the early weeks of the outbreak, cases spread beyond the epicentre of Mubende, 150 km (90 miles) west of the capital Kampala, to several other districts, including Kampala. Unlike the more common strain of the virus, Ebola Zaire, which has been behind several recent epidemics in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the strain behind Uganda's outbreak, Ebola Sudan, has no proven vaccine.

☆ Tigray forces begin handing over heavy weapons to Ethiopian army
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Abandoned ammunition boxes lie on the ground following a battle between the Ethiopian military and Tigray forces along the road between the village of Sheweate Hugum and Yechila town in south-central Tigray, Ethiopia, July 10, 2021. REUTERS/Giulia ParaviciniADDIS ABABA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Tigray forces, who fought a two-year war against Ethiopia's federal government, began handing over heavy weaponry to the national army as part of an African Union-led peace process on Tuesday. The demobilisation of Tigray forces is seen as central to the Nov. 2 ceasefire agreement, alongside the restoration of services, resumption of humanitarian aid and withdrawal of Eritrean troops, who fought alongside Ethiopia's army but were not party to the truce. The conflict created famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands of Tigray's population, killed thousands and displaced millions across northern Ethiopia. At the ceremony, Tigray Defence Forces (TDF) representative Mulugeta Gebrechristos said the start of the disarmament would play a major role in restoring peace.

☆ Eritrean soldiers leave major towns in northern Ethiopia - witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Eritrean soldiers, who fought in support of Ethiopia's federal government during its two-year civil war in the northern Tigray region, have pulled out of the major towns of Shire and Axum and headed toward the border, three witnesses told Reuters. It was not immediately clear if the Eritrean troops were leaving Tigray entirely or just pulling back from certain towns. Getachew Reda, a spokesperson for the Tigrayan forces, and Ethiopian national security advisor Redwan Hussien did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday. Aid workers in Axum and Shire said they saw several trucks and dozens of cars packed with Eritrean soldiers on Thursday leaving toward the border town of Sheraro. Eritrea and Ethiopia fought a border war between 1998 and 2000, when the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which now leads the Tigrayan forces, dominated the federal government.

☆ Uganda says 9 more Ebola cases confirmed in Kampala, urges vigilance
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/James Akena/File PhotoOct 24 (Reuters) - Uganda has reported nine more Ebola cases in the capital Kampala, bringing the total number of known infections to 14 in the last two days, the health minister said on Monday. The outbreak began in September in a rural part of central Uganda. Report yourself if you have had contact or know of a person who has had contact," Aceng said in her tweet. Ebola spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person. There have been more than 90 confirmed and probable cases in Uganda since the start of the outbreak, including at least 44 deaths, according to statements by the health ministry and the World Health Organization.

The United Nations warned at the beginning of September that two districts were projected to face famine between October and December, with more than half a million children in Somalia at risk of dying from malnutrition. A previous screening in June and July found 28.6% of children in the camps were suffering from acute malnutrition, including 10.2% with severe cases. The last four rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa region have failed, making this the worst drought in 40 years. An IPC Famine Review Committee of four to six independent experts is responsible for approving any famine declaration. In Somalia's last famine in 2011, half of the more than 250,000 victims were later determined to have died before the famine was officially declared.

☆ Satellite images show military build-ups in Ethiopia, Eritrea - Maxar
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NAIROBI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Satellite images show the mobilisation this month of military forces in towns on either side of Ethiopia's northern border with Eritrea, a private U.S. company said on Wednesday. Tigray forces have battled Ethiopia's federal army and its allies, including Eritrean troops and fighters from neighbouring Ethiopian regions, over the course of a nearly two-year war. 1/2 A satellite image shows the mobilization of military forces in the town of Shiraro, Tigray region, Ethiopia, September 26, 2022. Eritrean troops supported the Ethiopean military in earlier phases of the war. Ethiopian government spokesperson Legesse Tulu, military spokesperson Colonel Getnet Adane and the prime minister's spokesperson Billene Seyoum did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the images on Wednesday.

☆ U.S. says it's aware of Eritrean troops in northern Ethiopia
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNAIROBI, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. special envoy for the Horn of Africa said on Tuesday the United States was aware of Eritrean troops crossing into Ethiopia's Tigray region and condemned it. "We have been tracking Eritrean troops' movement across the border ... and we condemn it," Mike Hammer told reporters in a briefing after a trip to Ethiopia to help facilitate African Union-led peace talks between the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces. "All external foreign actors should respect Ethiopia's territorial integrity and avoid fuelling the conflict," he said. Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Aaron Ross and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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