Cyril Ramaphosa: South African president faces threat of impeachment over ‘Farmgate’
The president has been accused of covering up a $4m (£3.3m) theft from his farm in 2020, including kidnapping and bribing the burglars into silence. A three-volume report from an independent panel has found that Mr Ramaphosa abused his position and may have broken an anti-corruption law…The panel’s findings have been handed to parliament, which is set to examine them and decide whether or not to launch impeachment proceedings next week. BBC
Mozambique Struggles To Rebuild After Dual Shock of Climate Change and Insurgent Violence
Mozambique suffers a climate emergency on top of the violence and displacement. It is among the countries most impacted by climate change with the expectation of experiencing more extreme and intense weather events. In March 2019, Cyclone Idai struck, followed by Cyclone Kenneth. About 250,000 people were displaced and 650 people killed. Independent
Zambian killed in Ukraine was employed as Russian mercenary
A Zambian student who had been serving a prison sentence in Russia and died fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine had been employed by Russian mercenary group Wagner, its leader said. Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhin said on the Russian social media app VKontake on Tuesday that the student, 23 year-old Lemekhane Nyireda, “died a hero.” Zambian Foreign Minister Stanley Kakubo said earlier this month that Russian officials had informed the Zambian government of the death of Nyireda, who was a government-sponsored student before he was sentenced in Russia for unspecified crimes in April 2020. AP
Seven east African nations sign IGAD agreement on free movement of people
East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development IGAD signed an agreement on the free movement of people Wednesday, as representatives from the eight African countries gathered in the Sudanese capital…East Africa’s Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Khartoum was attended by representatives from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan. The three day meeting will conclude Friday November 2. The gathering will be held next year in Djibouti. AfricaNews
South Sudan: IGAD concerned over Upper Nile State conflict, urges dialogue
The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has expressed concerns over the ongoing communal conflict in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, warning it could re-ignite a wider national conflict…Tensions and sporadic violence between different groups that started in these areas in August 2022 have resulted in the displacement of thousands of people, as well as the harassment and killings of others, and the destruction of property. Sudan Tribune
TPLF To Surrender Heavy Weapons – Ethiopia
The Ethiopian ambassador to Kenya has said that the rebel Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) will surrender its heavy weapons on Saturday following talks between senior army and TPLF commanders. Ambassador Bacha Debele made the announcement in a video posted on YouTube. “Regarding the surrender of heavy weapons, they [TPLF] were supposed to surrender them on 17 November, but this was not implemented but it has now been decided for them to surrender them on 3 December,” he said. Mr Bacha said the field commanders are “meeting everyday” to discuss the disarmament process and TPLF combatants are being assembled in designated areas. BBC
Ivory Coast trial opens for 18 accused in Grand Bassam beach attack
The trial of 18 people accused of responsibility for the deadly 2016 attack on a beach resort in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast, opened on Wednesday in the country’s main city, Abidjan. The attack was the first of its kind in Ivory Coast and confirmed fears of Islamists’ growing reach in West Africa at the time…The defendants face charges of terrorism, assassination, attempted assassination, harbouring of criminals, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, according to a statement by public prosecutor Richard Adou. Reuters
Nigeria: 13 Chibok Rescued Girls-Turned Mothers Unveiled As Rehabilitation of Victims Takes Centre Stage
The rehabilitation and reintegration of women and children victims of the years-long Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast region of Nigeria is receiving accelerated attention. This is just as 14 rescued members of the abducted Chibok girls, but one was united and unveiled for the first time after their escape or capture by troops of the Nigeria Army…In her remarks during the unveiling of the young women, who are now mothers, Borno State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, said the rescued victims have been undergoing rehabilitation. She noted that her ministry initiated action through mental health and psycho-social support, stressing that the Borno Model of integration had ensured that the victims are regaining their normal frame of mind and sense of society. Guardian Nigeria
Nigeria junior schools to teach in local languages, not English
The Nigerian government has approved a new National Language Policy that will mandate the use of local languages as a language of instruction for primary school pupils and remove English…English is Nigeria’s official language. It is also the language of instruction in all levels of education. The objective of the new policy is “to promote, and enhance the cultivation and use of all Nigerian languages,” Adamu said. There are about 625 local languages in Nigeria, he said, and the policy would be applied nationally. Al Jazeera
Gangs of cybercriminals are expanding across Africa, investigators say
Police and investigators fear organised gangs of fraudsters are expanding across sub-Saharan Africa, exploiting new opportunities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the global economic crisis to make huge sums with little risk of being caught. The growth will have a direct impact on the rest of the world, where many victims of “hugely lucrative” fraud live, senior police officials have said. Experts attribute the surge in cybercrime in Africa to rapid growth of internet use at a time when police forces and criminal justice systems have been weakened by the economic consequences of a series of major challenges. Guardian