https://www.voanews.com/z/612 The latest news and analysis from Africa. https://www.voanews.com/Content/responsive/VOA/en-US/img/logo.png https://www.voanews.com/z/612 en 2026 - VOA 60 Sun, 05 Apr 2026 18:40:23 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Friday that South Africa's ambassador to Washington had been declared persona non grata, signaling worsening relations between the two countries. In a post on X, Rubio said South Africa's ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, was "no longer welcome in our great country." "Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS [President of the United States]." There has been no immediate response from South Africa's embassy in Washington. Rubio's move came amid tense relations between the U.S. and South Africa. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order suspending aid to South Africa over a controversial land expropriation act that Trump said would lead to the takeover of white-owned farms. Trump also said that South African farmers were welcome to settle in the United States. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a post on X, defended his government's measure. "We are guided by the Constitution, which places a responsibility on the state to take measures to redress the effects of past racial discrimination," he said. "We have expressed concern about the mischaracterisation of the situation in South Africa and certain of our laws and our foreign policy positions," Ramaphosa said after Trump signed the executive order in early February. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-to-expel-south-africa-ambassador-as-relations-deteriorate/8011493.html https://www.voanews.com/a/us-to-expel-south-africa-ambassador-as-relations-deteriorate/8011493.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 22:05:55 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (VOA News) Kansala, Guinea-Bissau — For centuries, the history of the West African kingdom of Kaabu has been told mainly by word of mouth. Kaabu existed from the mid-1500s to the 1800s. At its peak, it encompassed Guinea-Bissau and reached into what are now Senegal and Gambia. Sometimes Kaabu's story passed from father to son. Often it was passed by griots — or West African oral historians — who sang about the kingdom’s rulers. “The griots have already sung it, but now we know it’s real," is what Nino Galissa recounts in a recent song commissioned by archaeologists from their recent dig in Kansala — a site that was once the wealthy capital of the West African kingdom. Galissa is a direct descendent of the griots who sang for the last emperor of Kaabu. The song performed by Galissa is being shared along with a report of the archaeological findings, Sirio Canos-Donnay from the Spanish National Research Council, which was a lead institution of the dig, told VOA. “He’s combined all of the ways and methods and phrases that are the trade of the griot with the archaeological information and, hence, using that we’ll be able to transmit what we’ve done to the local population in a much more effective manner.” In Kansala, griots have long been the way history lessons were passed between generations. They often sing the history accompanied by the kora, a string instrument that resembles both a harp and a guitar. 'The puzzle you cannot miss' Antonio Queba Banjai, a descendant of the last emperors of Kaabu, remembers listening as a young boy to the griots sing about his ancestors. “Griots are not just important," he said. "They are the puzzle you cannot miss in African history, because to know what we know now is because of griots. I am from the tree of the last emperor of Kaabu. We were educated by the music of kora. The storytellers tell us where we come from.” Banjai is also president of Guinea-Lanta, an NGO that worked with the archaeologists. When team members began the project, they knew they wanted griots and oral history to play an important role in what is the biggest archaeological dig to ever take place in Guinea-Bissau. Canos-Donnay said she hoped that including oral storytelling in this report would show the academic world that things can be done differently and more inclusively. “We should pay and need to pay respect to local ways of producing and consuming history. And the collaboration and the knowledge that can come from that dialogue from these two disciplines is something that is quite extraordinary.” Canos-Donnay and others worked closely to verify that many events griots had sung about for generations actually occurred. One such event was the explosive ending of the kingdom. “Kansala had a fairly spectacular end in the 1860s, when the town was sieged by an enemy kingdom, and the local king realized he was going to lose the battle," she said. "The legend is he set fire to the gunpowder house and blew the whole site up. So, this particular point of the site is where the elders said it happened. And one of the fun things is we proved that’s where it properly did.” The dig also produced evidence of residents’ extensive trading with Europeans – Venetian beads, Dutch gin and more. Joao Paulo Pinto is the former director of Guinea-Bissau's National Institute of Study and Research. He says West African ways of recording history should be taken as seriously as European techniques. “In our system, when you talk about the ritual of passage - everything has a process, everything has a code of conduct," he said. "All our oral history systems have a commitment to the truth. I have a commitment to the truth as I speak, just the same as a book has a commitment to the truth.” As for Banjai, he hopes the project will allow others to learn about the histories and kingdoms of West Africa that he says are too often neglected in school. https://www.voanews.com/a/archaeologists-use-song-to-herald-findings-in-guinea-bissau-dig-/8011218.html https://www.voanews.com/a/archaeologists-use-song-to-herald-findings-in-guinea-bissau-dig-/8011218.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:39:48 -0400 AfricaArts & Culturewebdesk@voanews.com (Ricci Shryock) JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — Researchers warn that type 2 diabetes could affect millions more people in the coming decades after a study published this month revealed the disease is rising far faster among people in sub-Saharan Africa than previously thought. Take 51-year-old security guard Sibusiso Sithole, for example. Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes came as a shock, he said, because he walked six miles to and from work every day and never thought his weight was a problem. Then his wife noticed changes in his health. Since his diagnosis 13 years ago, Sithole has been on a rigorous treatment for diabetes and high blood pressure. “I have to take six ... medications every day,” he said. Diabetes is a condition in which the body struggles to turn food into energy due to insufficient insulin. Without insulin, sugar stays in the blood instead of entering cells, leading to high blood-sugar levels. Long-term complications include heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. The International Diabetes Federation estimated in 2021 that 24 million adults in sub-Saharan Africa were living with the condition. Researchers had projected that by 2045, about 6% of sub-Saharan Africans — over 50 million — would have diabetes. The new study, published this month in the medical journal The Lancet, suggested the actual percentage could be nearly double that. By tracking more than 10,000 participants in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Burkina Faso over seven years, researchers found that poor eating habits, lack of health care access, obesity and physical inactivity are key drivers of diabetes in Africa. Dr. Raylton Chikwati, a study co-author from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, said another risk factor is living in or moving to the outskirts of cities, or “peri-urban areas.” “Access to health care, you know, in the rural areas is a bit less than in the urban areas,” Chikwati said, adding that increased use of processed foods in the peri-urban areas was a problem. Palwende Boua, a research associate at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro in Burkina Faso, said long-term studies are rare in Africa but essential to understanding diseases. “Being able to have a repeated measure and following up [with] the same people ... is providing much more information and much valuable information,” Boua said, “rather than having to see people once and trying to understand a phenomenon.” Boua is preparing a policy brief for Burkina Faso’s government to assist in the fight against diabetes. For Sithole, managing his diabetes has been a long journey. But with treatment and lifestyle changes, he has regained control over his health. “What I can tell people is that they must go and check — check the way they eat — because that time I was having too much weight in my body,” he said. “I was wearing size 40 that time. Now I'm wearing size 34.” Experts stressed that Africans should get their blood-sugar level tested and seek treatment when diabetes is diagnosed. https://www.voanews.com/a/africa-faces-diabetes-crisis-study-finds/8010779.html https://www.voanews.com/a/africa-faces-diabetes-crisis-study-finds/8010779.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 12:06:35 -0400 AfricaScience & Healthwebdesk@voanews.com (Zaheer Cassim) Gaborone, Botswana       — Botswana has made $4 million from the sale of licenses to hunt wild animals, the highest figure since lifting a hunting ban in 2019. The hunting season, which ended in November, was held amid growing opposition from some European countries that want a ban on the importation of African wildlife trophies. Botswana issues around 400 elephant licenses annually, with most purchased by overseas hunters. Wynter Mmolotsi, minister of environment and tourism, told Parliament Thursday that millions of dollars were generated through the sale of mostly elephant licenses in villages in wildlife areas. "In order to manage the wildlife population, the country is implementing a combination of both consumptive and nonconsumptive utilization of our wildlife resources to derive optimum economic benefit, particularly for our communities," he said. "For the 2024 hunting season, the community quotas generated the sum of 42,863,423 pulas. Further, a total of 15,633,950 pulas was realized from the sale of special elephant quotas to support elephant conservation and community-led projects within the elephant range." In 2023, Botswana earned $2.7 million from hunting licenses. Mmolotsi, however, says the hunts face increasing Western opposition. Canada and Belgium are among countries that have recently banned importation of wildlife trophies. "The country is facing opposition from animal rights organizations to our policy of sustainable wildlife utilization of using hunting as a tool and empowerment to our local communities. The ministry, working with the hunting industry and affected community trusts stepped up efforts to counter this growing opposition to sustainable hunting through engagements carried out in the U.K. and Germany," he said. Siyoka Simasiku, director at the conservation coalition, Ngamiland Council of Non-Governmental Organisations says communities will be the hardest hit if the U.K. imposes restrictions. He has been to Europe to campaign against trophy import bans. "The U.K. ban is going to be bad on community benefits as the U.K. is an economic superpower and might influence other countries to actually follow suit and then communities might lose the market that already exists as more hunters will not be coming to Botswana to hunt in community concessions due to the trophy bans," he said. Oaitse Nawa of the Elephant Protection Society is among those who want the hunts to be stopped. He also argues, revenue accrued from hunting does not significantly benefit Botswanans. "They are giving us figures of the money that they made from hunting, but also let us look at the compensation that they give the people. And also the result of hunting, what does hunting bring to the local people because the animals that experience hunting, they tend to change their behavior and they kill people. That is why we are saying there should be proper research in that regard,” said Nawa. Botswana, with the world’s largest elephant herd at more than 130,000 elephants has recorded an increase in human fatalities, while crops are damaged. https://www.voanews.com/a/botswana-hunting-revenues-almost-double-amid-uk-opposition-/8010588.html https://www.voanews.com/a/botswana-hunting-revenues-almost-double-amid-uk-opposition-/8010588.html Fri, 14 Mar 2025 08:21:32 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Mqondisi Dube) UNITED NATIONS — The head of the U.N. children’s program, UNICEF, said Thursday that 16 million children in Sudan are suffering horribly from the country’s civil war, with many facing daily threats of violence, starvation, disease and sexual assault. "The fighting is happening right at their doorsteps, around their homes, their schools and hospitals, and across many of Sudan’s cities, towns, and villages,” Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s executive director, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. She said children under the age of five are particularly at risk, with more than 1.3 million living in five famine hotspots in the country, and another 3 million at risk of diseases including cholera, malaria and dengue due to the failing health system. At least 16.5 million young people are out of school. Russell said there were 221 cases of rape against children reported in nine of Sudan’s 18 states last year. She said two-thirds were girls. "In 16 of the recorded cases, the children were under the age of five. Four were babies under the age of one,” she said. While she demanded an end to the hostilities, she said it would not erase the pain those children have endured. "The trauma these children experience and the deep scars it leaves behind do not end with the signing of a ceasefire or a peace agreement,” she said. “They will need ongoing care and support to heal and rebuild their lives.” The head of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) told the council that his teams in Sudan have also seen evidence of sexual violence, having treated 385 survivors last year. “The vast majority — including some younger than five — had been raped, often by armed men,” said Secretary General Christopher Lockyear. “Nearly half were assaulted while working in the fields. Women and girls are not merely unprotected, they are being brutally targeted.” The children are caught up in a power struggle between two rival generals that began in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023, but has since spread to large parts of the country, including the Darfur region. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has been fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces, and the United Nations says both sides have committed grave human rights abuses. The head of MSF told the council that he was in Sudan six weeks ago and witnessed a scene of “utter carnage” at one of their partner hospitals in Omdurman, near the capital. “I witnessed the lives of men, women, and children being torn apart in front of me,” Lockyear said. He told the 15-nation Security Council that their repeated calls on the parties to end the war have gone unanswered. “While statements are made in this chamber, civilians remain unseen, unprotected, bombed, besieged, raped, displaced, deprived of food, of medical care, of dignity,” Lockyear said. He later told reporters that the situation in Sudan “is so catastrophic for millions of people, it should be something that is on all of our consciences on a daily basis.” The UNICEF director said the agency needs a billion dollars this year to provide critical support to 8.7 million children in Sudan, including nutrition, water and sanitation, protection, health, and education. She and Lockyear both urged the council to press the warring parties to remove obstacles to the delivery of aid. https://www.voanews.com/a/children-being-brutalized-in-sudan-s-civil-war-say-unicef-and-msf/8009853.html https://www.voanews.com/a/children-being-brutalized-in-sudan-s-civil-war-say-unicef-and-msf/8009853.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:25:26 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Margaret Besheer) BLANTYRE, MALAWI — Tropical Cyclone Jude slammed into parts of southern Africa this week, causing no deaths but leaving widespread damage, especially in Malawi and Mozambique. Officials in the two countries said thousands of people were homeless and some areas were without power. Aid agencies distributed relief where they could, but washed-away roads made the task difficult. The storm made landfall in northern Mozambique early Sunday and moved over southern Malawi, resulting in heavy rains affecting 13 districts from Monday to Wednesday. A preliminary assessment from Malawi’s Department of Disaster Management Affairs released Thursday showed that the cyclone had so far affected more than 11,000 people. This means their crops were washed away or their houses and property were either destroyed or submerged by floods. The assessment said the cyclone displaced more than 3,000 people, who are now sheltered in six evacuation camps. No deaths were recorded, but the disaster management department said collapsing buildings injured 15 people, including 5- and 8-year-old boys. “The 5-year-old is receiving medical attention at Queen Elizabeth Central, and the 8-year-old is admitted as well and is at Mwanza District Hospital following the collapsing of a wall of a house,” said disaster management department spokesperson Chipiliro Khamula. He said rescuers were still looking for three people who went missing Tuesday in Nsanje and Phalombe districts after their boat capsized on a flooded river. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that in Mozambique, relief operations were severely hampered by lack of access to thousands of people in Nampula province, where main roads, bridges and culverts were washed away. The United Nations agency said moving relief items and personnel from Cabo Delgado province to Nampula was also difficult because the storm cut off the N1 national highway. In Malawi, international aid agencies and the government were able to start relief operations in accessible areas. For example, the World Food Program on Thursday distributed some relief items to affected people in Mulanje district. Simon Denhere, WFP’s acting country director in Malawi, said, “With support from the UK government, WFP and the Department of Management Affairs have prepositioned food supplies, emergency kits and operational equipment, including search and rescue boats, to enable rapid response.” Lucy Mtilatila, director of Malawi’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services, told VOA that Cyclone Jude had moved from Malawi to Mozambique, where it was expected to dissipate. “Right now, the threat of the cyclone is almost over.” she said, adding that floods were still a concern, although "the impact that could come with rains that we are getting now will be very minimal.” Jude is the third cyclone to affect Mozambique in the past three months, following Cyclones Chido in December and Dikeledi in January. Malawi avoided a hit from Dikeledi but was struck by Chido in December. https://www.voanews.com/a/cyclone-jude-batters-malawi-mozambique-no-deaths-reported/8009719.html https://www.voanews.com/a/cyclone-jude-batters-malawi-mozambique-no-deaths-reported/8009719.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 13:49:24 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Lameck Masina) LONDON — A British jury on Thursday convicted a United Nations judge of forcing a young woman to work as a slave after tricking her into coming to the U.K. Prosecutors said Lydia Mugambe made the Ugandan woman work as her maid and provide childcare for free. Mugambe, who is also a high court judge in Uganda, was studying for a doctorate in law at the University of Oxford when the offenses occurred. Prosecution lawyer Caroline Haughey told jurors during the trial that Mugambe "exploited and abused" the victim, deceiving her into coming to the U.K. and taking advantage of her lack of understanding of her rights. Mugambe, 49, denied the charges. Jurors at Oxford Crown Court convicted her on all four charges she faced, including an immigration offense, forcing someone to work and conspiracy to intimidate a witness. There were gasps from the public gallery as the verdicts were read out, and the court was cleared after Mugambe appeared unwell. She is due to be sentenced on May 2. According to her United Nations profile page, Mugambe was appointed to one of the global body's international courts in May 2023. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-judge-from-uganda-convicted-in-uk-of-forcing-woman-into-slavery-/8009684.html https://www.voanews.com/a/un-judge-from-uganda-convicted-in-uk-of-forcing-woman-into-slavery-/8009684.html Thu, 13 Mar 2025 13:29:28 -0400 EuropeAfricawebdesk@voanews.com (Associated Press) A High Court judge in Zimbabwe on Wednesday adjourned the case of a journalist arrested over his interviews with a war veteran-turned-politician who criticized the country's president. Blessed Mhlanga, a journalist with NewsDay and Heart and Soul Television, has been in custody since Feb. 24 over accusations of incitement. Lawyers for the journalist had requested that he be bailed out, but at a hearing in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, Justice Gibson Mandaza requested more time to examine the case. Chris Mhike, who represents Mhlanga, told VOA he was waiting for the High Court to announce when the case would resume. Mhike said it would be "improper" to go into the arguments because the case was active but said the judge "indicated that it was necessary for him to consider the issues that are at stake." Speaking ahead of Wednesday's hearing, Mhike said the arrest of Mhlanga sent a chilling message. The arrest is related to his interviews with war veteran and politician Blessed Geza in November and January, in which Geza said that he would mobilize public protests to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa out of office, citing economic issues and what he called the president's failure to govern. On Friday, Geza was expelled from the Zanu PF party for what the party described as violating regulations in public comments about the president. Mhike said he believed his client's arrest served as a warning to others to refrain from discussing political topics, such as whether Mnangagwa should seek a third term. Zimbabwean presidents serve five-year terms, which are renewable once. Mhlanga's arrest "has had a chilling effect on the practice of journalism, as is always the case when journalists are either harassed, or put through the legal process, really for activities that are directly linked to their work," Mhike told VOA. It is "worrisome to many in the journalistic fraternity," he added. "This has been the impact, and this has been my client's position: that he is being tormented purely on grounds of him carrying out his work as a journalist." Mhlanga, who faces two charges relating to "transmitting of data messages inciting violence or damage to property," denies the charges against him. Mhike said his client's arrest also could be unconstitutional. Zimbabwe's Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression, which includes freedom to seek, receive and communicate ideas and other information, and entitles citizens to freedom of the press. Farai Marapira, the Zanu PF information director, said he expected courts to preside fairly over the case. "I believe people should allow the court process to pursue this matter as it is designed to find out what are the material facts of the matter, and I'm sure the courts will deal fairly with this issue," Marapira said. Marapira also said Mhlanga's arrest was not a reflection of the state of press freedom in the country. "People write about Zanu PF every day — people write positively, people write negatively, some even write and insult Zanu PF," he said. Marapira then rhetorically asked aloud: "Who is dead? No one is dead. So, what are they fearing for their lives from? Where is the example? Where are the examples of killed journalists? So, like I said, this is all overexcitement." The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said that conditions for journalists have improved since the end of longtime leader Robert Mugabe's rule. But, it noted in its press freedom index, media have faced greater persecution since the 2023 election. In the past two years, journalists have been blocked or harassed while covering events and briefly detained and assaulted, media groups said. Mhlanga himself has had a previous brush with the law. In 2022, he and his colleague Chengeto Chidi were arrested for taking photos of the police during the arrest of an opposition lawmaker. In his latest case, international and local media rights organizations have condemned Mhlanga's arrest and urged the Zimbabwean government to drop all charges against him. Tobias Mudzingwa contributed to this report. https://www.voanews.com/a/zimbabwe-journalist-still-in-custody-after-case-adjourned/8008998.html https://www.voanews.com/a/zimbabwe-journalist-still-in-custody-after-case-adjourned/8008998.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 21:26:24 -0400 Press FreedomAfricawebdesk@voanews.com (Gibbs Dube) On Feb. 24, the Moroccan counterterror agency broke up a terrorist cell calling itself "the Lions of the Caliphate in the Maghreb Al Aqsa." Authorities said the group was making remote-controlled bombs to carry out attacks in the North African country. In November, a similar terrorist cell was dismantled in the Spanish cities of Seville and Ceuta. The connection? Both Moroccan and Spanish authorities said the groups were aligned with Islamic State in The Sahel. The group is best known for wreaking a devastating wave of violence across Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, plunging these countries into chaos and fueling a spiraling humanitarian crisis. But analysts say the foiled terror cells farther afield are a worrying sign. "Because the counterinsurgency infrastructure in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger has been compromised, then it allows them to make inroads into other countries that they perceive to be vulnerable," said Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst at geopolitical risk consultancy Control Risks. Ochieng said IS Sahel’s strategy appears increasingly focused on exploiting security gaps beyond their core Sahelian strongholds. "IS Sahel has seen that its expansion could be directed much further West and much further North, and Morocco would be one place which would be of strategic interest to it," she said. Andrew Lebovich of the Dutch international affairs think tank Clingendael said these disrupted plots are indicative of IS Sahel's broader ambitions. "It does suggest an ongoing effort to increase operations in different ways in other countries,” he said, adding that Algeria is facing an increasing threat. And it’s not just North Africa that's at risk. Ochieng warns that countries traditionally seen as stable, such as Guinea or even Senegal, could become future targets for IS Sahel militants too. In March, the Global Terrorism Index named the Sahel the epicenter of global terrorism for the second year running. https://www.voanews.com/a/is-in-sahel-expands-terror-threat-beyond-strongholds/8009027.html https://www.voanews.com/a/is-in-sahel-expands-terror-threat-beyond-strongholds/8009027.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 21:07:35 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Henry Wilkins) ABUJA, NIGERIA — Security analysts are praising ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, for activating its regional standby force but remain doubtful about its effectiveness following the recent withdrawal of three member states. Nigerian Defense Minister Mohammed Badaru Abubakar announced the activation of a standby military force Tuesday on the sidelines of the 43rd security meeting of the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS. The force, expected to comprise 5,000 troops, is part of a broader regional security strategy to curb terrorism and cross-border crimes. Abubakar said the initiative aims to mobilize personnel and resources to combat terrorism spreading across the subregion and urged security counterparts to seize the opportunity and coordinate efforts against threats. "I am pleased to highlight the activation of the ECOWAS standby force to combat terrorism in the subregion," said Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Nigeria's defense minister. "The activation of this force underscores our collective determination to confront the stretch of terrorism with regards to insecurity and ensure the safety and security of our citizens." ECOWAS security chiefs also discussed peace support operations and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea. The force's activation follows a report by the Global Terrorism Index, which identified Africa's Sahel region as the global epicenter of extremism — accounting for half of all terror-related fatalities in 2024. This marks an almost tenfold increase compared to 2019. Security analyst Kabiru Adamu welcomed the move but expressed concerns about its effectiveness. "The last detail that we know, even though that could change, is that it will have two operational bases within the subregion," said Adamu. "We know that the ability to even acquire the 5,000-man troops has been a bit challenged. The countries that initially agreed to contribute, three of them are no longer with ECOWAS. So now ECOWAS will have to look back within its members to see who among them will augment the gap." In late January, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS and created a confederation known as the Alliance of Sahel States, after a yearlong dispute with the bloc. The three military-led nations accused the regional body of failing to protect its members while allegedly serving foreign interests. Despite their exit, ECOWAS has stated it will maintain trade and security relations with the trio. Adamu said these ongoing relationships could be beneficial. "Given the conditions of the military contingents in almost all the countries, it will be very difficult for these things to be met in a manner that would allow speedy deployment," said Adamu. "The good thing is that the defense and security cooperation between the AES and ECOWAS still stands both multilateral and bilateral. We're hoping that in spite of the exit, all sides will see the necessity to continue to engage in the security defense." Jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State's Sahel affiliate, have taken advantage of political instability and public resentment to recruit and expand their influence. With almost all the ECOWAS countries facing internal security challenges, observers are watching to see whether the regional force can shift the status quo amid strained cooperation. https://www.voanews.com/a/ecowas-regional-bloc-activates-counterterror-force/8008619.html https://www.voanews.com/a/ecowas-regional-bloc-activates-counterterror-force/8008619.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 19:11:40 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Timothy Obiezu) LUANDA, ANGOLA — Direct peace talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels will begin in the Angolan capital on March 18, Angola's presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. The Southern African country has been trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire and de-escalate tensions between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the Tutsi-led rebel group. Rwanda denies those allegations. Angola announced on Tuesday that it would attempt to broker the direct talks. Congo's government has repeatedly refused to hold talks with M23 and on Tuesday said only that it had taken note of the Angolan initiative. There was no immediate comment from Kinshasa on Wednesday. https://www.voanews.com/a/drc-m23-rebels-to-begin-direct-peace-talks-angola-says/8008553.html https://www.voanews.com/a/drc-m23-rebels-to-begin-direct-peace-talks-angola-says/8008553.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:08:40 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) WASHINGTON — Security forces in Somalia say they killed all six attackers who laid siege to a hotel in the central town of Beledweyne and later killed at least 50 al-Shabab militants in airstrikes. Speaking to reporters, Beledweyne District Commissioner Omar Osman Alasow confirmed that the hotel siege ended early Wednesday. “Our security forces successfully got rid of six militants who attacked a hotel where traditional elders and security officials were meeting,” he said. Al-Shabab, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the hotel attack on Tuesday. Alasow said the government soldiers backed by African Union troops worked through the night to rescue elders, military officers and civilians trapped inside the hotel. “During 18 hours of siege, our brave soldiers shot dead two militants, and four of them desperately blew themselves up when they realized that they could not escape,” he said. “Seven other people, including government security officials and two prominent traditional elders, were killed.” Since August 2022, when Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called for a “total war” against al-Shabab, Beledweyne, a town near Somalia’s border with Ethiopia in Hirshabelle state, about 300 kilometers north of Mogadishu, has been the center of a local community mobilization against al-Shabab. The city has suffered more terrorist attacks than any other in Somalia except Mogadishu. Since 2009, hundreds of people have been killed in suicide attacks and car bombs on hotels, restaurants and government bases. The single biggest attack, in 2009, killed at least 25 people and injured 60 others. Airstrikes kill 50 militants Hours after ending this week’s hotel siege, Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency, or NISA, said the country’s security forces killed dozens of al-Shabab members elsewhere in Hirshabelle. “Coordinated airstrikes by the Somali army and international partners in the Middle Shabelle region have killed at least 50 al-Shabab militants, including senior leader in charge of the coordination of the group’s combat vehicles,” the NISA statement said. NISA said the airstrikes targeted the Damasha and Shabeelow areas and killed Mansoor Tima-Weeyne, a senior al-Shabab leader who masterminded the preparation and use of combat vehicles for terrorist attacks. In a separate statement, the Somali Military Command said, “The operation was a significant blow to the group's combat capabilities and part of ongoing efforts to weaken terrorism in the region.” Media outlets closed On another counterterrorism front, NISA said Wednesday that it closed 12 media outlets and websites linked to the Khawarij, a derogatory term referring to al-Shabab that loosely translates as “those who deviate from the Islamic faith.” This latest announcement followed another crackdown on over 30 al-Shabab-related websites. “The operation targeted platforms spreading extremist ideologies, inciting violence, and disseminating false information. During the operation the government seized critical data and identified individuals involved,” said a statement posted by the government’s National News Agency. This story originated in VOA's Somali Service. https://www.voanews.com/a/somali-forces-kill-50-militants-in-airstrikes-after-ending-hotel-siege/8008152.html https://www.voanews.com/a/somali-forces-kill-50-militants-in-airstrikes-after-ending-hotel-siege/8008152.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 11:42:56 -0400 AfricaExtremism Watchwebdesk@voanews.com (Mohamed Olad Hassan) NEW DELHI — India and Mauritius have upgraded their ties, say leaders of both countries — a move analysts say is aimed at increasing New Delhi’s influence in the Indian Ocean as it seeks to counter China’s expanding footprint in the region. The announcement of upgraded ties came during a two-day visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mauritius, an island nation that sits along vital seaways in the western Indian Ocean. Modi, who was chief guest at Mauritius’s National Day celebrations on Wednesday, said that the countries had elevated ties to the status of “enhanced strategic partnership.” Following talks with Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, both leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to a "free, safe, secure and open Indian Ocean.” Mauritius conferred the country’s highest civilian honor on Modi, and the prime ministers signed eight pacts to boost cooperation in several sectors including maritime security. Modi announced that New Delhi would invest about $11 million in several community development projects and that India will cooperate in building a new parliament for Mauritius, calling it a gift “from the mother of democracy.” China trade with Mauritius on rise While India has long enjoyed good relations with Mauritius, where 70% of the population is of Indian origin, analysts said Modi’s visit came amid a recognition that India needs to step up its engagement with a country that is called the gateway to the Western Indian Ocean and Africa, and where Beijing’s presence has grown. “China’s rise in the island has been quite phenomenal and it is now one of the most important economic players in Mauritius,” according to Harsh Pant, the vice president of studies at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “So, to offset that, it is necessary for India to have constant engagement with Mauritius and help them build capacities in areas such as health, education, and maritime capabilities to demonstrate that it can assist in meeting such challenges." In 2019, China signed a free trade agreement with Mauritius that went into effect in 2021. A page for Mauritius on China’s Foreign Ministry website that outlines relations states that the two have a strategic partnership. Bilateral trade between the two countries hit $1.1 billion, a 10.1% increase from the previous year, according to the website. As the region becomes a hotspot for geopolitical competition, India and China have stepped up efforts to build ties with Indian Ocean countries. Underlining India’s naval cooperation with Mauritius, an Indian navy contingent participated in the National Day parade and an Indian warship — the INS Imphal, a stealth guided-missile destroyer — paid a visit to the capital, Port Louis. Last year, India helped Mauritius build an airstrip and a jetty in Agalega — two tiny islands covering 25 square kilometers that are located north of the main island. Although Mauritius has said that the facilities are not for military use, they give India a foothold to monitor traffic in the western Indian Ocean, say analysts. “India’s construction of logistics infrastructure on Agalega Island underlines both Mauritius’s enduring geopolitical significance in the Indian Ocean and Delhi’s growing maritime stakes in regional security,” political analyst C. Raja Mohan wrote in the Indian Express newspaper. India backs Chagos handover Indian officials have also said that New Delhi would support a planned deal between Britain and Mauritius to hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius that is being finalized. One of the islands on the archipelago, Diego Garcia, has been home to a joint U.K.-U.S. military base since the 1970s. British media have reported that Britain will cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands and lease back Diego Garcia from Mauritius to allow the military base to remain. “We support Mauritius in its stance on its sovereignty over Chagos, and this is obviously in keeping with our long-standing position with regard to decolonization and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries,” Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri said Saturday while announcing plans that Modi will soon also visit the Maldives. Although officials have made no comment, analysts point out that India backs the continuation of the military base in Diego Garcia. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was “inclined” to go along with the deal between Mauritius and Britain over the future of the base. “From New Delhi’s standpoint, it helps if there is some American presence there because it balances out the strategic realities of the region,” said Pant. https://www.voanews.com/a/india-mauritius-upgrade-strategic-ties-with-eye-on-china/8008079.html https://www.voanews.com/a/india-mauritius-upgrade-strategic-ties-with-eye-on-china/8008079.html Wed, 12 Mar 2025 10:44:32 -0400 South & Central AsiaAfricaChina Newswebdesk@voanews.com (Anjana Pasricha) In Malawi's Majete Wildlife Reserve, conservation experts are testing birth control methods on lions. The goal of the wildlife management effort is to control the lion population to ensure antelopes and other prey species continue thriving. Lameck Masina reports from the reserve in the Chikwawa district. https://www.voanews.com/a/malawi-lions-get-birth-control-in-effort-to-save-their-prey/8007252.html https://www.voanews.com/a/malawi-lions-get-birth-control-in-effort-to-save-their-prey/8007252.html Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:49:32 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Lameck Masina) WASHINGTON — Gunmen stormed a hotel in the Somali city of Beledweyne on Tuesday, leaving at least five people dead and triggering an ongoing siege, according to witnesses and a Somali lawmaker. In an interview with VOA Somali, federal lawmaker Dahir Amin Jesow said local elders and government officials were meeting at the Qahira Hotel in central Somalia. “They attacked the hotel at dawn this morning, with an explosion and then gunmen stormed it. At least five people including two well-respected elders were killed, and five others were injured,” Jesow said. A VOA reporter in the town said at least six people have been confirmed dead, while the siege continues. The reporter said Somali security forces backed by Djiboutian soldiers, who are part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somaila, AUSSOM, and units of Ethiopian soldiers could be seen surrounding the hotel. Local media reports say the death toll may be higher — up to 10 fatalities, including five al-Shabab militants, who were involved in the assault, and government soldiers. Plumes of smoke from the explosions could be seen throughout the town, and an eyewitness said there has been ongoing gunfire. “We can still hear sporadic gunfire from the hotel as some militants are still resisting and fighting with the security forces,” said Mohamed Qoone, a resident who witnessed the attack. Video circulating on social media shows parts of the Qahira Hotel reduced to rubble. The Islamist militant group al-Shabab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. In a statement, the group said it had killed more than 10 people. The group frequently conducts bombings and gun assaults in Somalia, aiming to topple the government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. This attack follows an operation conducted by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) just hours earlier, which resulted in the deaths of 16 al-Shabab militants, including key leaders and fighters. According to NISA, “The operation dealt a significant blow to al-Shabab, eliminating key members of the group. In addition to the fatalities, the operation also led to the destruction of combat vehicles used by the militants.” Somali government soldiers, supported by local clan militias and the U.S. military, are conducting operations against al-Shabab in central Somalia, focusing on the Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions. VOA’s Sahra Abdi Ahmed contributed to this report. https://www.voanews.com/a/gunmen-storm-hotel-in-central-somalia-siege-ongoing-/8006503.html https://www.voanews.com/a/gunmen-storm-hotel-in-central-somalia-siege-ongoing-/8006503.html Tue, 11 Mar 2025 08:36:09 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Mohamed Olad Hassan) NAIROBI, KENYA — Uganda's military chief said Tuesday his country had deployed special forces in South Sudan's capital Juba to "secure it" as tensions between President Salva Kiir and his First Vice President Riek Machar stoke fears of a return to civil war. Tensions have been growing in recent days in South Sudan, an oil producer, after Kiir's government detained two ministers and several senior military officials allied with Machar. One minister has since been released. The arrests in Juba and deadly clashes around the northern town of Nasir are seen as jeopardizing 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year civil war between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar that cost nearly 400,000 lives. "As of two days ago, our Special Forces units entered Juba to secure it," Uganda's military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said in a series of posts on the X platform overnight into Tuesday. "We the UPDF (Ugandan military), only recognize one President of South Sudan, H.E. Salva Kiir ... any move against him is a declaration of war against Uganda," he said in another post. South Sudan government information minister and the military spokesperson did not pick up phone calls seeking comment. After the civil war erupted in South Sudan in 2013, Uganda deployed its troops in Juba to bolster Kiir's forces against Machar. They were eventually withdrawn in 2015. Ugandan troops were again deployed in Juba in 2016 after fighting reignited between the two sides but they also were eventually withdrawn. Uganda fears a full-blown conflagration in its northern neighbor could send waves of refugees across the border and potentially create instability. Kainerugaba did not say whether the latest deployment was in response to a request from Kiir's government or how long the troops would remain in South Sudan. https://www.voanews.com/a/uganda-says-special-forces-deploy-in-south-sudan-capital-amid-tensions/8006369.html https://www.voanews.com/a/uganda-says-special-forces-deploy-in-south-sudan-capital-amid-tensions/8006369.html Tue, 11 Mar 2025 04:49:52 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) SINGAPORE — Only seven countries met World Health Organization air quality standards last year, data showed on Tuesday, as researchers warned that the war on smog would only get harder after the United States shut down its global monitoring efforts. Chad and Bangladesh were the world's most polluted countries in 2024, with average smog levels more than 15 times higher than WHO guidelines, according to figures compiled by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. Only Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia and Iceland made the grade, IQAir said. Significant data gaps, especially in Asia and Africa, cloud the worldwide picture, and many developing countries have relied on air quality sensors mounted on U.S. embassy and consulate buildings to track their smog levels. However, the State Department has recently ended the scheme, citing budget constraints, with more than 17 years of data removed last week from the U.S. government's official air quality monitoring site, airnow.gov, including readings collected in Chad. "Most countries have a few other data sources, but it's going to impact Africa significantly, because often times these are the only sources of publicly available real-time air quality monitoring data," said Christi Chester-Schroeder, IQAir's air quality science manager. Data concerns meant Chad was excluded from IQAir's 2023 list, but it was also ranked the most polluted country in 2022, plagued by Sahara dust as well as uncontrolled crop burning. Average concentrations of small, hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 hit 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/cu m) last year in the country, slightly higher than 2022. The WHO recommends levels of no more than 5 mg/cu m, a standard met by only 17% of cities last year. India, fifth in the smog rankings behind Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, saw average PM2.5 fall 7% on the year to 50.6 mg/cu m. But it accounted for 12 of the top 20 most polluted cities, with Byrnihat, in a heavily industrialized part of the country's northeast, in first place, registering an average PM2.5 level of 128 mg/cu m. Climate change is playing an increasing role in driving up pollution, Chester-Schroeder warned, with higher temperatures causing fiercer and lengthier forest fires that swept through parts of Southeast Asia and South America. Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Clean Air Program at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), said at least 34 countries will lose access to reliable pollution data after the U.S. program was closed. The State Department scheme improved air quality in the cities where the monitors were placed, boosting life expectancy and even reducing hazard allowances for U.S. diplomats, meaning that it paid for itself, Hasenkopf said. "(It) is a giant blow to air quality efforts worldwide," she said. https://www.voanews.com/a/only-seven-countries-met-who-air-quality-standards-in-2024-data-shows/8006336.html https://www.voanews.com/a/only-seven-countries-met-who-air-quality-standards-in-2024-data-shows/8006336.html Tue, 11 Mar 2025 02:12:46 -0400 Climate ChangeEast AsiaAfricaSouth & Central Asiawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump, in a speech last week, vowed to take “historic action” to “dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare earths.” The latest announcement came as the Democratic Republic of Congo approached the United States to strike a Ukraine-like minerals deal. Experts say the U.S .could offer a viable alternative to the DRC and check China’s influence while ensuring access to critical minerals for Washington. But they caution that a mineral agreement is also fraught with challenges. Click here for the full story in Mandarin.   https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-mandarin-drc-wants-a-mineral-deal-with-the-us-a-potential-check-on-china-s-dominance-/8005974.html https://www.voanews.com/a/voa-mandarin-drc-wants-a-mineral-deal-with-the-us-a-potential-check-on-china-s-dominance-/8005974.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:46:33 -0400 China NewsAfricawebdesk@voanews.com (Nayan Seth) NAIROBI — A British charity for the disabled, citing World Bank data, says the world could gain trillions annually in Gross Domestic Product if women were employed at the same rate as men. Failure to close gender employment gaps reduces a country’s economic growth by 20% on average, according to the data. In many countries, women face multiple challenges when seeking employment or starting a business. Gender discrimination alone can drive women into poverty, but the risk increases if paired with disabilities. In recognition of International Women’s Day, Sightsavers International, a British nongovernmental agency that aims to prevent avoidable blindness and ensure equality for the visually impaired, cited the World Bank’s figures showing that global GDP would increase from $106 trillion to $127 trillion if women were employed at the same rate as men.  Michelle Madau, a 41-year-old beautician from Zimbabwe, is living with osteogenesis imperfecta, a brittle-bone disease. Despite her disorder, she helps people like her learn how to run a business.  "I am mentoring the upcoming beauticians who are disabled and I am availing myself, making sure I am there when needed, speaking to them, helping them build up their own businesses," Madau said. "Of course, not all of them are in the beauty industry; whichever line of business I am familiar with, I am always there to assist them because I also want to see them win, just like I am winning right now."  Lydia Rosasi, 29, works at the office of the Kenyan government spokesperson, where she assists people living with blindness, deafness and other disabilities in accessing government communications.  She says she bettered herself to stand out in the job market.  "For me, one of the greatest pillars in terms of navigating this double bias has been education and skills development. This has been the crucial thing that has kept me afloat as I go through these challenges," Rosasi said. "For example, in 2021, I joined the IT Bridger Academy and at that time the digital skills were gaining a lot of prominence in the job market. So it gave me confidence and the capabilities that opened my doors. And then I have found supportive mentors and leaders who have been very important."  Many African women struggle to get jobs, either because they were married off or became mothers at a young age, leaving them unable to finish their studies. Others encounter discrimination or sexual violence in their workplaces.  Experts say empowering girls with education and allowing them to finish school is one way to reduce the gender employment gap.  Lianna Jones works on economic empowerment at Sightsavers. She says closing the gender gap requires policy reforms and cultural change.  "In terms of closing the gender gap in employment and entrepreneurship, this requires coordinated interventions at multiple levels," Jones said. "At the policy level, we need to eliminate discriminatory laws and regulations that restrict women's economic participation. Women with disabilities need specialized approaches that address both gender- and disability-related barriers simultaneously, and lastly, we need to challenge social norms to engage with community leaders, men, and boys."    According to Equal Measures 2030, a coalition of national, regional and global leaders from feminist networks, civil society and international development, women in at least 77 countries are prohibited from working in the same jobs or sectors as men. In Africa, only five countries have a full set of laws mandating workplace equality for women. https://www.voanews.com/a/uk-charity-calls-to-close-gender-employment-gap-for-disabled/8005797.html https://www.voanews.com/a/uk-charity-calls-to-close-gender-employment-gap-for-disabled/8005797.html Mon, 10 Mar 2025 16:36:09 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Mohammed Yusuf) Fighting between M23 rebels and pro-Congo militias was underway Sunday in Nyabiondo, about 100 km north of Goma in eastern Congo, residents said, days after a nearby attack left a heavy civilian death toll, according to the United Nations and an NGO.  The M23 rebel group has seized swathes of mineral-rich eastern Congo since the start of the year.  "M23 has taken Nyabiondo since 11 a.m. [local time] (0900 GMT), following clashes," Kipanda Biiri, an official from the local administrative authority who was fleeing the area, told Reuters.  "The enemy opened a large-scale assault on Nyabiondo this morning," said Telesphore Mitondeke, a civil society rapporteur in Masisi, the area where Nyabiondo is located, referring to the M23 rebels.  "For the moment there is shooting from every direction in the center of Nyabiondo, where the clashes are taking place."  The fighting follows clashes last week between M23 and a pro-Congolese government militia in the village of Tambi, about 18 km northeast of the town of Masisi, which culminated in an attack overnight on March 5 leaving many civilian casualties, according to the head of a local NGO.  An internal United Nations memo seen by Reuters said Sunday that between 13 and 40 civilians were believed to have been killed in that attack.  Separately, a spokesperson for the rebel alliance that includes M23 said Sunday on X that one of the pro-government militias that operates in eastern Congo had switched sides and joined its alliance.  The spokesperson for the group that militia had been a part of said in a statement that the rest of the group remained loyal to the Congolese government and its army.  M23 rebels say that they intend to seize power in Congo's capital Kinshasa. They also accuse Congo's government of not living up to previous peace deals and fully integrating Congolese Tutsis into the army and administration.  The group's spread into new mineral-rich territories this year also gives it scope to acquire more mining revenue, analysts say.  The Democratic Republic of Congo government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, a claim that Rwanda denies. Kigali, in turn, alleges that Kinshasa collaborates with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, or the FDLR, a Hutu armed group with ties to the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, an allegation the DRC rejects.  The DRC has officially designated the M23 rebel group as a terrorist organization, while the United Nations and the United States classify it as an armed rebel group.  https://www.voanews.com/a/clashes-continue-in-eastern-drc-days-after-attack-on-civilians-left-many-dead/8004470.html https://www.voanews.com/a/clashes-continue-in-eastern-drc-days-after-attack-on-civilians-left-many-dead/8004470.html Sun, 09 Mar 2025 15:12:41 -0400 Africawebdesk@voanews.com (Reuters)