Cholera Spreading in Sudan as Fighting between Rival Generals Shows No Sign of Abating
Cholera is spreading in war-torn Sudan, killing at least 388 people and sickening about 13,000 others over the past two months, health authorities said, as more than 17 months of fighting between the military and a notorious paramilitary group shows no sign of abating. The disease is spreading in areas devastated by recent heavy rainfall and floods especially in eastern Sudan where millions of war displaced people sheltered. The casualties from cholera included six dead and about 400 sickened over the weekend, according to Sunday’s report by the Health Ministry. The disease was detected in 10 of the country’s 18 provinces with the eastern Kassala and al-Qadarif provinces the most hit, the ministry said. Cholera is a fast-developing, highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea, leading to severe dehydration and possible death within hours when not treated, according to the World Health Organization. It is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water. … Fighting, meanwhile, rages in al-Fasher, the last major city in Darfur that is still held by the military. The RSF has been attempting to retake it since the start of the year. VOA/AP
Tanzania’s President Vowed Opening for Opposition, but Detained Its Leaders
The East African country’s leading opposition party said that its presidential candidate in the last election and its chairman were among dozens detained before a protest called to draw attention to the killing and abduction of government critics. Tanzania’s main opposition party said on Monday that the police had detained its top leaders and dozens of others ahead of a planned demonstration — the second such crackdown in two months by the government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who came to power promising a political opening. Among those detained were Tundu Lissu, the 2020 presidential candidate for the opposition party, Chadema, and Freeman Mbowe, the party’s chairman. … Ms. Hassan, who took office in 2021 after her predecessor died, had pledged to break from his autocratic style. … But the killing earlier this month of an opposition official, Ali Mohamed Kibao, and a series of apparent abductions have kindled fear and consternation in the East African country. Activists say these events have added to questions about the democratic credentials of the nation’s pathbreaking president as local elections approach in November, and a presidential vote looms next year. NY Times
At Least 30 Bodies Found on Boat along Migrant Route off Senegal
At least 30 bodies were found on a boat drifting off the coast of Senegal’s capital, the military said Monday, as the number of migrants leaving West Africa increases. The navy was informed of the vessel’s presence on Sunday evening and sent out a boat patrol to the area, 70 kilometers (38 nautical miles) from Dakar, Ibrahima Sow, spokesperson for Senegal’s military, said in a statement. “So far, 30 bodies have been counted,” Sow said. The advanced state of decomposition of the bodies is making the identification process very difficult, the military said, adding that investigations will provide more information on the death toll and the boat’s origin. … Many of the migrants leaving West Africa through Senegal flee conflict, poverty and a lack of jobs. Most head to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa, which is used as a stepping stone to continental Europe. VOA/AP
Lawyers Ask the ICC to Investigate a Crackdown on Opposition in Tunisia and Claims of Migrant Abuse
Lawyers and families of jailed Tunisian opposition leaders called on the International Criminal Court on Tuesday to investigate a crackdown on political opposition and the abuse of Black African migrants in the North African country, which has been offered European Union financial support to help rein in migration. It is the second time Tunisian opposition members have sought an ICC probe. Last year, the families of seven imprisoned politicians asked the court to investigate claims of political persecution and human rights violations by President Kais Saied’s administration. Lawyers now say they are filing a second request for an investigation following new claims of abuse of migrants and persecution of opposition leaders. The request comes less than two weeks before Oct. 6 elections in which Saied is seeking a second term. AP
Europe is Considering What Approach to Take with Kais Saied’s Tunisia
With less than two weeks to go before Tunisia’s presidential election on October 6, the European Union (EU) is still struggling to formulate a coherent position vis-à-vis Tunis and its current president, Kais Saied, the race’s overwhelming favorite. And for good reason: Saied has gradually eliminated all political opposition. Only two candidates, one of whom is imprisoned, have been authorized to run. In light of this democratic backslide, Brussels is considering the best attitude to adopt towards Tunis in a report, seen by Le Monde, drafted by the EU diplomatic service and sent to the 27 foreign affairs ministers on July 7. The authors observe that “EU-Tunisia relations have become more complex” but that the EU “continues to have a keen interest in preserving its partnership with Tunisia in order to ensure the country’s stability (including socio-economic stability), promote respect for human rights, continue effective cooperation on migration management and maintain its anchoring with Europe.” But the document’s authors also acknowledge that achieving this “will entail striking an increasingly difficult balance between the EU’s credibility in terms of values and its interest in staying constructively engaged with the Tunisian authorities.” This state of limbo will leave many players, both in EU institutions and among human rights defenders, wondering what to do.
South Sudan Lawyers Petition Court over Election Postponement
A group of South Sudanese lawyers filed a case challenging the postponement of elections and extension of the transitional government’s tenure for 24 months. Barely two weeks ago, South Sudan’s presidency announced an extension of the transitional period by two more years while elections initially scheduled for December 2024 was pushed until 2026. The extension was immediately endorsed by the cabinet and approved by the national assembly. But the lawyers, in a petition to the Supreme Court, want the extension nullified. “… As lawyers, we think that this extension is unconstitutional, is illegal and we (are) demanding our government to conduct elections within the time-frame,” Deng John Deng told reporters Monday. … The United States ambassador to South Sudan, Michael J. Adler said the extension of the transitional period marked the “failure” of South Sudan’s leaders to create conditions necessary to hold genuine, peaceful and inclusive elections. In August 2022, a similar extension was made by the parties, citing unpreparedness. Sudan Tribune
Egyptian Warship Offloads More Arms to Somalia, Officials Say
An Egyptian warship has delivered a second major cache of weaponry to Somalia including anti-aircraft guns and artillery, port and military officials said on Monday, in a move likely to stoke further friction between the two countries and Ethiopia. Ties between Egypt and Somalia have grown this year over their shared mistrust of Ethiopia, prompting Cairo to send several plane loads of arms to Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, after the countries signed a joint security pact in August. Ethiopia angered Mogadishu by agreeing a preliminary deal in January with the breakaway region of Somaliland to lease land for a port in exchange for possible recognition of its independence from Somalia. Egypt, at odds with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the headwaters of the Nile River, has condemned the Somaliland deal. The Egyptian warship began unloading the weapons on Sunday, one diplomat said. Security forces blocked off the quayside and surrounding roads on Sunday and Monday as convoys carried the weapons to a defence ministry building and nearby military bases, two port workers and two military officials told Reuters. Reuters
Zimbabwe: Opposition Leader Timba, 64 Party Supporters Denied Bail
Citizens Coalition for Change interim leader Jameson Timba and 64 of his supporters will remain in jail after Magistrate Collet Ncube denied them bail. The group has tried to secure bail three times before, twice at the magistrates court and once at the High Court. … “The basis of the application was that there is now a lapse of considerable time since the accused persons were brought behind bars and bearing in mind that we have at least 65 witnesses going to the defence case it will take us several months to complete,” said their lawyer Webster Jiti. On Monday, the presiding magistrate ruled that their lawyers did not give new circumstances warranting their clients’ release. They are planning to appeal against the ruling. Timba and supporters are accused of holding an unsanctioned meeting at Timba’s residence in Avondale on June 16 this year. The State alleges that they attacked officers who had come to check on what was happening at the house. They deny the allegations. New Zimbabwe
Ghana Police Arrest Dozens of Protesters Denouncing the Government’s Handling of the Economy
Ghana’s police have arrested dozens of people who took to the streets of the capital to demonstrate over perceived economic mismanagement by the government. Crowds had also been voicing their concern over the government’s handling of illegal mining, a practice that harms the environment. Police accused some in the crowds of attacking officers, and vowed a firm response to alleged perpetrators. A spokesperson for the police claimed that demonstrators had gathered unlawfully, before clashes erupted. However Democracy Hub, the group responsible for organising the protest that was meant to last for three days, accused police of staging an attack on peaceful protesters. Oliver Barker Vormawor, a convenor for Democracy Hub, said, ‘We’ve communicated with our lawyers to deal with what the police have decided to do today. We are calling on everybody. They’re planning to do random arrests.’ The demonstrations come ahead of Ghana’s presidential election in December, with the country’s financial situation at the forefront of many voter’s minds. The country is gradually recovering from a serious financial crisis in 2022, which saw inflation soar to 54 percent.
Russia in Satellite Deal with West African Military Governments
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have announced a deal with Russia which will see them acquire telecoms and surveillance satellites. The three West African countries, run by military juntas, have been struggling to defeat Islamist insurgencies for years and have turned to Russia for military support. Russia denies that its mercenaries have committed atrocities against civilians and that it is pushing propaganda and misinformation in West Africa’s Sahel region. Ministers from the three countries met officials from Russia’s aerospace agency Roscosmos in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Monday, to discuss the agreement. … Russia has been seeking to expand its footprint in Africa, especially in the Sahel, since relations between these countries and their Western allies broke down. Despite the use of Russian weapons and mercenaries, the security situation in the region remains dire. BBC
WHO Reports 30,000 Suspected Mpox Cases in Africa, Mainly in DRC
Nearly 30,000 suspected mpox cases have been reported in Africa so far this year, most of them in Democratic Republic of Congo where tests have run out, the World Health Organization said on Monday. More than 800 people died of suspected monkeypox across the continent in that time, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its report. Congo’s central African neighbour Burundi has also been hit by a growing outbreak, it added. Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It typically causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. … The African Union’s public health agency has said 14,957 cases and 739 deaths were reported from seven affected states in 2023 – a 78.5 percent increase in new cases from 2022. There were 29,342 suspected cases and 812 deaths across Africa from January to mid-September this year, according to the WHO report. A total of 2,082 confirmed cases were reported across the world in August alone, the highest since November 2022. RFI
Nigerian Officials Seize Cocaine Worth Almost $3 Million at Lagos Airport
Nigerian officials seized 19.4 kg (42.77 pounds) of cocaine worth 4.66 billion naira ($2.93 million) from a passenger who arrived at Lagos airport on a flight from Ethiopia, its anti-drug agency said on Tuesday. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it arrested a 48-year Nigerian businessman, who had been convicted of trafficking last year but paid a fine to avoid jail time, on Sept. 18. He was allegedly carrying 817 wraps of cocaine. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with over 200 million people, has in recent years gone from being a transit point for gangs moving drugs between South America and Europe to a full-blown consumer and distributor. Reuters
New Global Poll Finds South Africans Feel among Least Safe
A new global Gallup poll released Tuesday shows South Africa is one of the countries where citizens feel the least safe walking alone. … The latest Gallup poll on global safety asked people in 140 countries how safe they felt walking alone. Some 70% of South Africans responded that they did not feel safe, ranking in the bottom three countries, which also included Ecuador and Liberia. … Gallup’s Julie Ray said sub-Saharan Africa has had low rankings in the annual poll for years. And feelings of safety have declined more here than in any other region. “The region has ranked amongst the least safe in terms of people’s perceptions for almost two decades,” Ray said. Women in South Africa typically feel less safe than men, Ray said. Confidence in police in sub-Saharan Africa is also lower than average, she said. … According to the latest police statistics, between April and June alone more than 6,000 murders and 9,000 rapes were recorded, for rates of 10 per 100,000 population and 15 per 100,000, respectively. VOA
Where Does the UK’s Fast Fashion End Up? I Found Out on a Beach Clean in Ghana
There are enough garments in the world to dress the next six generations. Yet the number of clothes being produced in the global north is soaring – and poisoning poorer countries. … Ghana is one of the world’s largest importers of secondhand clothing from the global north, with 15m garments arriving every week, according to the Or Foundation. This Accra-based nonprofit was founded by the American fashion stylist turned activist Liz Ricketts and her partner, Branson Skinner, in order to tackle fashion’s waste problem, of which a disproportionate amount ends up on Ghana’s shores – quite literally. First though, the garments head to Kantamanto market, a sprawling, 18-acre covered site, located a mile from Jamestown beach. As one of the world’s largest secondhand markets, it sells what the locals call “obroni wawu”, or dead white man’s clothes, the implication being that someone must have died to offload so much stuff. Forty per cent of what comes in is deemed unsaleable and leaves the market as trash. But Accra doesn’t have the waste infrastructure to cope with it, so it’s mostly dumped in gutters and at unauthorised tips, much of it ending up at a textile mountain next to an informal settlement two miles away, next to Korle Lagoon, from where it flows into the Atlantic and on to Accra’s shores.