Congo Hopes to Receive First Mpox Vaccines by Next Week
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) hopes to receive its first doses of an mpox vaccine by next week, following promises from the United States and Japan to help it fight its outbreak, the Congolese health minister said on Monday.
The World Health Organization last week declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years as a new variant of the disease, known as clade Ib, spread rapidly in Africa. In a news conference on Monday, Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba Mulamba said that Japan and the United States had pledged vaccines to Congo…Their arrival would help to address a huge inequity that left African countries with no access to the two shots used in a 2022 global mpox outbreak, while the vaccines were widely available in Europe and the United States. Reuters
Nigeria Donates Secretariat Space for West African Anti-corruption Institutions Network
The Nigerian government donated on Monday a secretariat in Abuja to the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA). President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 6th Annual General Assembly of NACIWA held at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) complex in Abuja, urged member states to enhance their anti-corruption strategies…He emphasised the importance of cross-border cooperation, harmonization of legal frameworks, and concrete actions to secure the region’s future…The new headquarters will serve as a central hub for law enforcement collaboration, information sharing, and strategic planning among West African nations. Premium Times
Kenya’s Top Court Suspends Judgment Nullifying 2023 Finance Law
Kenya’s top court on Tuesday suspended a lower court’s ruling that the 2023 finance law was unconstitutional, saying it was important to preserve stability in the budget until the merits of the government’s appeal are heard next month. The finance bills, presented to parliament at the start of every financial year, are the main vehicle for the government to set out its revenue-raising measures including tax hikes. The Court of Appeal’s judgment late last month that last year’s Finance Act was unconstitutional was a blow to the government of President William Ruto, who withdrew this year’s finance bill in June in the face of youth-led protests, the biggest challenge of his two-year presidency. Ruto has been caught between the competing demands of Kenya’s hard-pressed citizens and of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund. Reuters
South Sudan’s Presidential Affairs Minister Sacked
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has sacked his presidential affairs minister, less than a year since his appointment. No explanation was given for the dismissal of Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro, which was announced in a decree on the state television on Monday night. The sacked minister is an ally of President Kiir, and previously served as the minister of public service in the transitional government. Mr Bakosoro, a prominent politician from Western Equatoria State, is currently a member of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). He rejoined the ruling SPLM Party on 15 July 2021 after abandoning his South Sudan Movement for Change (SSMC) Party, which is part of the transitional government of national unity. In a separate presidential decree, President Salva Kiir appointed Chol Mawut Ungwech Ajongo as the new presidential affairs minister. Mr Chol was serving as South Sudan’s Ambassador to Kenya. Radio Tamazuj
Floods Block More than 50 Food Delivery Trucks in Sudan: WFP
Flooded and impassable roads have made it difficult for more than 50 trucks carrying an estimated 4,800 metric tons of food and nutrition assistance to across Sudan, World Food Programme (WFP) said. The food and nutrition assistance, it said, are enough for at least 500,000 people…WFP, in a statement, said the rainy season is exacerbating the already devastating situation in Sudan, as floods force more people from their homes, increase humanitarian needs, and cut off communities from vital assistance. Coupled to this, however, heavy rains have destroyed key bridges which has made it extremely difficult for aid convoys to pass through muddy, flooded roads…WFP said it urgently needs all border crossings into Sudan to open so that it is able to use every possible supply route to deliver urgently needed food and nutrition assistance to those in need. This, it further said in the statement, includes opening the border crossing from Adre (Chad) into West Darfur, which was announced last week, and a formal agreement between South Sudan and Sudan to transport aid from the south into Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile. Sudan Tribune
Somalia: Al-Shabab ‘Bans’ Tree-cutting — But Not to save the Environment
The al-Shabab militant group in Somalia has been limiting the extent of tree cutting in the areas under its control for several years. The militant group has also burned down trucks carrying charcoal and arrested workers involved in the business. But the reasons behind the measures have nothing to do with the health of the planet. Since 2022 alone, the U.S. military carried out 32 airstrikes against al-Shabab, killing dozens of militants including commanders. Deforestation was exposing the group’s fighting force. “Al-Shabab uses forest as a shelter,” said Badal Ahmad Hassan, senior environmental adviser to Somalia’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change…U.S. drone attacks have killed many al-Shabab leaders over the years, most notably the group’s co-founder and emir, Ahmed Godane, in 2014. Most recently, U.S. strikes killed Maalim Ayman, the commander alleged involved in the preparation of the Manda Bay Airfield attack, which killed a U.S. soldier and two U.S. Defense Department contractors. VOA
Ghana Begins Construction of $12 Bln Petroleum Hub
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has broken ground on the construction of a 300,000 barrel-per-day oil refinery that the government hopes will turn the West African country into the region’s petroleum hub…Ghana, the world’s second biggest cocoa producer, became an oil producer in 2010. Output is currently around 132,000 bpd of crude oil and about 325 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas…Phase one of the project, estimated to cost $12 billion, will be funded and constructed by a consortium of Touchstone Capital Group Holdings, UIC Energy Ghana, China Wuhan Engineering Co., and China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Co, he said on state-owned Ghana Television (GTV). Reuters
Senegal Sets up Commission to Review Oil and Gas Contracts
Senegal has set up a commission of legal, tax, and energy sector experts to review its oil and gas contracts and work to rebalance them in the national interest, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko said on national television on Monday. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who defeated the ruling coalition candidate in a landslide victory in March, ordered an audit of the oil, gas and mining sectors after coming into office, and vowed to renegotiate the terms of contracts with foreign operators in the country if needed…The move comes soon after Senegal became an oil producer for the first time. Australia’s Woodside Energy announced in June that its Sangomar oil and gas field had produced its first oil. Reuters
Linguistic Shift Underway in Senegal, where Wolof Is Overtaking French
A linguistic shift is underway in Senegal. Wolof is spoken by 80% of the population and has progressively overtaken French, the country’s official language, as the dominant language of communication. Private Wolof classes have flourished as the publishing sector races to meet growing demand for books and other content written in local languages for local readers. France24
Eswatini Turns to Nuclear Technology to Transform Agriculture, Health Care, Energy
Eswatini has launched an initiative to achieve sustainable development by harnessing the power of nuclear technology in such sectors as agriculture, health and energy planning. The plan was developed with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The aim of the Country Program Framework, or CPF, launched two weeks ago by Eswatini Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela, is to leverage nuclear technology for social and economic development. Its key focus areas are energy security, food security and human health, aligning with the country’s National Development Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework…Eswatini’s venture into nuclear technology is part of a larger trend of African countries seeking to harness the benefits of this technology. Against the backdrop of rising energy demands and climate change concerns, nuclear energy is increasingly seen as a potential solution. VOA
Libya’s Powerful Central Bank Governor Is Fired as Country’s Deep Divisions Persist
The presidential council in the capital of Tripoli, which is allied with the government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah that controls western Libya, removed Gov. Sadiq al-Kabir, according to a decree issued late Sunday. In his place, the council appointed Mohamed Abdul Salam al-Shukri, an economist and former deputy governor, as the new governor for the Central Bank of Libya. Al-Kabir had led the central bank since October 2011 — the year that Libya was plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. AP
2024 Paris Paralympics: Team Nigeria Tipped to Lead Africa’s Charge for Medals
According to Samson Deen, president of the African Paralympic Committee, Nigeria is among the top African countries that have consistently performed well in the Paralympics…Nigeria’s success in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, where the country earned 10 medals, four of which were gold, is a testament to the country’s potential in para-sports…The sports Nigeria will be featuring include Para Athletics, Para-Badminton, Para Powerlifting and Para Table Tennis…With 205 African para-athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, Mr Deen is optimistic that Africa will return with many medals. Premium Times