Africa Media Review for September 25, 2024

Militant Islamist Groups Advancing in Mali
Militant Islamist fighters stormed a gendarmerie school and military base inside Mali’s capital, Bamako, on September 17, 2024. Some 77 people died in the attack, which also left hundreds injured. It took security forces hours to repel. In a video of the attack released by the militant Islamist coalition, Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), it appears that the militants set the presidential plane on fire. This was the first time in 9 years that militant Islamist groups struck within the city. The militants’ targeting of security facilities rather than less protected soft civilian targets is noteworthy for its planning, execution, and objective to degrade the capacity of security forces. Rather than a one-off exception, the attack is part of a pattern of escalating violent incidents in the greater Bamako area in the past 2 years by the JNIM coalition, primarily the Macina Liberation Front led by Amadou Koufa. This growing pressure on Bamako reflects a broader deterioration of security in Mali under the military junta that seized power in August 2020. Africa Center for Strategic Studies

Media Freedom Group Sounds Alarm on Increased Security Risks for Local Journalists in Africa’s Sahel
Local journalists in the Sahel region of Africa are facing increased security risks, a media freedom group said Tuesday, as extremist attacks and military coups have shaken the region in recent years. At least two community radio journalists were killed and two kidnapped by armed groups in Mali and Chad since November last year, Reporters Without Borders said in a statement calling for the protection of local journalists. “These crimes illustrate once again the deteriorating security context in which journalists in the Sahel are working,” Anne Bocandé, the organization’s editorial director, said. “They are still present in these territories, to which no other information professional has access any more,” she added. Three nations in the Sahel, an arid swath of land south of the Sahara, have been wracked by coups in recent years. Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are now ruled by military leaders who took power by force, pledging to provide more security to citizens. But the security situation in the Sahel has worsened since the juntas took power, analysts say, with a record number of attacks and a record number of civilians killed both by Islamic militants and government forces. AP

Hundreds Die from Cholera as War Rages in Sudan
More than 430 people have died from cholera in the past month, Sudan’s health ministry says, as civil war continues to ravage the country. The number of infections has risen to about 14,000, it said in a statement. It said it was doing all it can to “combat cholera in the affected states, amid the rise in infections”. Getting treatment to those affected areas is hugely complicated by the conflict which has killed up to 150,000 people since it began last year, according to the US special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that they are “regularly obstructed by both warring parties, the humanitarian response remains far below what is needed”. Cholera is a fast developing and highly contagious disease. It can cause diarrhoea, dehydration and death, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It is relatively easy to cure, but rapid treatment is essential. … As well as the war, heavy rainfall and floods have also contributed to the cholera outbreak, compounded by crowding in displacement camps. Esperanza Santos, MSF emergency coordinator for Sudan, said these elements had created a “perfect storm” for cholera to spread. BBC

Sepsis and Malnutrition Stalk the New Mothers and Babies of South Darfur
Mothers and children in the Sudanese region of South Darfur are experiencing one of the “worst” health emergencies in the world, humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday, one of the consequences of the violence that has engulfed the country since April 2023. Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said in its latest report that 114 maternal deaths occurred during the period from January to mid-August 2024. More than 50% of maternal deaths happened in medical settings, with sepsis being the most common cause of death in MSF-supported facilities. Between January and June, 48 newborns died from sepsis at two MSF-backed medical facilities, the organization said. Malnutrition among children in South Darfur also exceeded emergency thresholds, the group said, adding that demands for medical attention “far exceed what MSF can respond to.” AP

Acid Attack and Abductions: Tanzania’s Poisonous Politics
The recent wave of abductions, arrests and the brutal killing of an opposition official in Tanzania seems to be dimming the ray of political hope that came with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s rise to power in 2021. There was huge relief when Samia – Tanzania’ first female president – took office, with opposition parties allowed to organise rallies and criticise the government without the fear of grave repercussions. But concern is growing that Tanzania is sliding back to the era of her autocratic predecessor, John Magufuli. In the span of weeks, two of the most senior opposition leaders have been arrested twice, and another opposition official, Ali Kibao, was abducted, killed and his body doused in acid by unknown assailants. “The political situation in Tanzania is worrisome in the extreme,” said the deputy leader of the main opposition Chadema party, Tundu Lissu. … “We’re beginning to see the kind of the wave of repression and state-orchestrated violence which was characteristic of the period from 2016 to 2020 [during the Magufuli administration],” Lissu told the BBC. In 2017, Lissu sustained heavy injuries during an assassination attempt, when his vehicle was sprayed with at least 16 bullets. BBC

Firm Disclosed Phone Data of Shot Tanzanian Politician, UK Tribunal Hears
Gunmen tried to assassinate a Tanzanian opposition politician after a telecoms company secretly passed his mobile phone data to the government, according to evidence heard in a London tribunal. The mobile phone company Tigo provided 24/7 phone call and location data belonging to Tundu Lissu to Tanzanian authorities in the weeks before the attempt on his life in September 2017. The arrangement, which Tigo does not deny, was revealed in a claim by a former internal investigator for the company that was heard at the Central London employment tribunal this month. Michael Clifford, a former Metropolitan police officer, claims that Millicom, the owner of the Tigo brand, sacked him for raising concerns about the affair. … Lissu was attacked in his car in the parking bay of his parliamentary residence in Dodoma on 7 September 2017. The car was sprayed with bullets and he received severe injuries. Nobody has been prosecuted for his attempted murder. … The report concluded that “information had been provided to the Tanzanian government since 22 August 2017”, the lawyers said. “From 29 August 2017, the intensity of the tracking increased and [Millicom] used its human and electronic resources to livetrack 24/7 the location of two of Mr Lissu’s mobile phones.” The Guardian

Zambian President Suspends Judges Who Ruled in Favour of Rival
Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has suspended three top judges over alleged judicial misconduct, prompting accusations of political interference in the judiciary. In 2016, the three Constitutional Court judges dismissed President Hichilema’s petition, in which he challenged the election victory of former President Edgar Lungu. They also took part in a controversial ruling allowing Lungu to stand in the 2021 elections, despite having twice served as Zambia’s president. Political tensions are rising in Zambia ahead of elections in 2026, when Hichilema and Lungu are expected to face each other for a fourth time. The three were due to be part of a bench sitting on Thursday in a case which would decide whether Lungu can contest those elections. … Activists have also accused President Hichilema of meddling in the independence of the judiciary. … However, some argue that the judiciary has already become politicised. … Critics say the president’s involvement in the appointment and removal of judges compromises the independence of the judiciary. BBC

Somalia and Ethiopia Feud over Arms Influx
Somalia accused Ethiopia of smuggling weapons on Tuesday amid fears that arms going into the conflict-riven Horn of Africa nation could end up in the hands of Islamist militants. The neighbours traded barbs a day after an Egyptian warship unloaded heavy weaponry in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, the second shipment since a security pact in August. Landlocked Ethiopia, which has thousands of troops in Somalia to fight al Qaeda-linked insurgents, has fallen out with the Mogadishu government over its plans to build a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland in exchange for possible recognition of its sovereignty. The spat has drawn Somalia closer to Egypt, which has quarrelled with Ethiopia for years over Addis Ababa’s construction of a vast hydro dam on the Nile River. Reuters

How Flood Destroyed Infrastructure, Businesses, Homes in Maiduguri
The devastating flood incident that affected Maiduguri metropolis on 10 September left significant damages across the different parts of the Borno State capital. The flooding in Maiduguri was triggered largely by the breakout of the Alau Dam, the city’s main water source, forcing overflowing water from the river Ngadda through the tributaries that cut across the city. Although the water that submerged almost half of Maiduguri has receded significantly, the impact of the damages on both lives and properties are too visible to be ignored, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in a region still recovering from the prolonged impact of the Boko Haram conflict. … Houses, electricity poles, bridges, roads and perimeter fences were swept away to the very last brick in the Fori, Gwange and Gamboru areas of the state. … Similarly, cultivated farmlands along the river banks were not spared. Farmers growing crops such as onions, rice, millets among others lost all their crop fields to the flood. Premium Times

Ancient Coastal City in Egypt Feels Impact of Changing Climate
Egypt’s second-largest city, Alexandria, lies in the Eastern Mediterranean, a top climate change hotspot that has dealt with record global air and ocean temperatures this year. Egypt-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam presents scenes of everyday life that have been impacted by the changing climate phenomenon in the low-lying metropolis that has survived over two millennia, only to find itself on this century’s climate frontlines. VOA

Arrogance, Not Gold, Backs ZiG, Zimbabwe Retailers Say—And It’s Killing Formal Shops
The official exchange rate for Zimbabwe’s latest currency, Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), is killing formal retailers, they have warned the government. And though intended to hold back the country’s eye-watering inflation, ZiG is actually feeding price volatility and a two-tier system. ZiG was introduced in April and has since lost 80% of its value on the black market, with some retailers saying it is backed by arrogance rather than gold. Major retailers including South African-owned brands TM Pick n Pay, OK and Edgars, this week told the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) that using the official rate of US$1 to ZiG13.9—making the local currency stronger than the rand—was not sustainable. … Black market trade is illegal, but is the main source of forex for many businesses. This week, trade there was at ZiG26 to the US dollar. The retailers said their suppliers charge for goods and raw materials using a black market rate, and unless they hike prices on shelves, they can lose 50% on each sale. News24

Nationwide Lockdown Looms as Ghana Battles Illegal Mining Crisis
Ghana is set to undergo a nationwide lockdown on Monday, September 30, as civil servants and labor unions escalate their campaign against illegal mining, widely known as Galamsey. The environmental devastation caused by these unregulated operations has triggered growing demands for urgent government intervention, including a state of emergency in mining areas and the cancellation of mining licenses. Recent reports from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) highlight the gravity of the situation, with severe water shortages resulting from the contamination of key water sources. According to the GWCL, 60% of the country’s major water bodies have been polluted, and water treatment systems are being overwhelmed by turbidity levels, which have skyrocketed to an average of 14,000 NTU—far exceeding their capacity of 2,000 NTU. … Illegal mining has left a trail of destruction across the country. In addition to contaminating water bodies, it has devastated farmlands, particularly in cocoa-producing regions, and led to the destruction of at least 34 forest reserves. AfricaNews

Rhino Numbers Tick Higher, but Poachers Lurk amid High Demand for Horns
Rhinoceros numbers across the world increased slightly in 2023, but so too did the number of animals killed by poachers, according to a new report. Thanks to preservation efforts, the white rhino population increased by 1,522 to 17,464 in 2023, an annual report by the International Rhino Foundation said as it marked World Rhino Day on Sunday. However, the number of black and greater one-horned rhinos stayed the same, it added. That left the global rhino population of the five subspecies at about 28,000, which stood at 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. In Africa, one rhino was killed every 15 hours last year as demand for the animal’s horn remains high, the State of the Rhino report says. Al Jazeera

Conflict Keeps Millions Out of School in Africa
Ongoing conflicts across West and Central Africa have disrupted the education of around 2.8 million children, according to a recent United Nations report. Over 14,000 schools in the regions were closed by the second quarter of 2024 — 1,000 more schools than the previous year. The global number of out-of-school children totals 250 million, according to 2023 UNESCO figures. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for close to 30% of all out-of-school children around the world, and the number is on the rise. … “The key challenge they are facing then is not related to getting an education, but rather how to access basic survival needs — food, water, and medical services,” Dr. Ibrahim Baba Shatambaya, a political science lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Nigeria, told DW. Then there is the issue of violence directly affecting schools. “Education is under siege in West and Central Africa. The deliberate targeting of schools and the systemic denial of education because of conflict is nothing short of a catastrophe,” said Hassane Hamadou, Norwegian Refugee Council regional director. DW