dimanche 31 octobre 2021
samedi 30 octobre 2021
vendredi 29 octobre 2021
jeudi 28 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 28, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Managing editor Vincent Makori and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: SUDAN UPDATES: Latest reports say General al-Burhan has fired ambassadors to the US, China the European Union, France, Qatar, and the head of the Sudanese mission in Geneva. After the military takeover of the Sudanese government, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who was released from custody Tuesday. The U.S. is calling for a return to the civilian-led transition to democracy, as VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. The African Union has suspended Sudan's participation in all activities until the restoration of the civilian-led authority it said in a communique dated on Tuesday.) Meanwhile, global powers have condemned the military coup in Sudan and called on security forces to release those who were detained unlawfully. Bryan Wood reports. Skype Guest: Nabeel Biajo, South Sudan In Focus The African Union says it intends to buy up to 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna in an arrangement brokered in part by the White House, which will defer delivery of some doses intended for the United States to facilitate the deal. Pro-government Zimbabweans say sanctions imposed in 2003 and earlier by some Western nations, including the United States, because of election rigging and human rights abuses, are derailing the country's economy’s recovery. Once commonplace, abuses by state security forces against civilians in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have dropped sharply in the previous year, according to rights groups. Reporting from Burkina Faso, where the decline of 77% has been the biggest, Henry Wilkins discovers what is behind the drop and what lessons can be learned. Nigeria loses thousands of doctors every year to Europe, North America, and the Middle East due to poor salaries, benefits, and working conditions back home. Nigerian health authorities are promising to improve compensation to stop the country’s medical brain drain but as Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, it may not be enough. Nigeria is the first African nation to launch a digital currency - the eNaira - a move its leaders say will expand access to banking and enable more remittances. Ciara Lee has the details. Global pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions are just a fraction of what’s needed to prevent catastrophic global warming. That’s the warning from the United Nations, ahead of the critical COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow, Britain next week – where world leaders will try to agree on further action to combat global warming. Henry Ridgwell looks at what is at stake ahead of the meeting. Nigeria is one of the top producers of oil palm in the world. The business is highly lucrative and primarily dominated by smallholder farmers, with 80 percent of the local market share. Recently, Releaf, an Agritech start-up that makes African farmers and food factories more efficient, secured $4.2 million in seed funding to drive the industrialization of food processing in Africa. For most perspective, Africa 54's Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho, via Skype, spoke to Ikenna Nzewi, CEO and co-founder of Releaf, based in Lagos, Nigeria. A popular new music app uses artificial intelligence to “ democratize” how musicians of all skill levels learn and play music. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more
Boubacar Boris Diop Wins Prestigious 2022 Neustadt International Prize for Literature October 26, 2021 21:00 ET | Source: World Literature Today NORMAN, Okla., Oct. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- World Literature Today, the University of Oklahoma's award-winning magazine of international literature and culture, announced late Tuesday evening that Boubacar Boris Diop is the 27th laureate of the renowned Neustadt International Prize for Literature. Awarded in alternating years with the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature, the Neustadt Prize recognizes outstanding literary merit in literature worldwide. Francophone writer Diop (b. 1946, Dakar, Senegal) is the author of many novels, plays and essays. He was awarded the Senegalese Republic Grand Prize in 1990 for Les Tambours de la mémoire as well as the Prix Tropiques for The Knight and His Shadow. His Doomi Golo was the first novel to be translated from Wolof into English. Toni Morrison called his novel Murambi: The Book of Bones "a miracle," and the Zimbabwe International Book Fair listed it as one of the 100 best African books of the 20th century. Writer and translator Jennifer Croft nominated Diop for the Neustadt Prize. Croft won the Man Booker International Prize in 2018 for her translation from Polish of Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk's Flights. Robert Con Davis-Undiano, World Literature Today's executive director, notes that "it is a high honor that a senior African writer of Mr. Diop's stature has won the Neustadt Prize. This is landmark for the prize and for Mr. Diop's growing and much-deserved renown in the West." Highly respected within the literary community for its recognition of excellence, the Neustadt Prize is often referenced as the "American Nobel" for its reputation as a lead-up to the Swedish Academy's annual selection. Any living author writing from anywhere in the world is eligible for the Neustadt Prize. The jury is composed of acclaimed international authors, and that fact helps shield the award from external pressure by booksellers, publishers and others who may have interest in influencing the outcome. The Neustadt Prize announcement was made via Zoom as part of the 2021 Neustadt Lit Fest. The Neustadt Prize is the first international literary award of its scope to originate in the United States and is one of the very few international prizes for which poets, novelists and playwrights are equally eligible. Winners are awarded $50,000, a replica of an eagle feather cast in silver and a certificate. A generous endowment from the Neustadt family of Dallas, Denver and Watertown, Massachusetts, ensures the award in perpetuity. CONTACT: tdstubb@ou.edu (405) 325-4531
mercredi 27 octobre 2021
mardi 26 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 26, 2021 | Turmoil in Sudan, Bomb Attack in Uganda, & More You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Sudanese protesters demonstrated into the night Monday after the military seized power in an apparent coup. Security forces opened fire on protesters earlier Monday, killing three demonstrators, according to the Sudan Doctors Committee. The group said at least 80 people were injured. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a bomb attack that killed at least one person in Uganda's capital Kampala on Saturday night, the militant group said in a statement posted in an affiliated Telegram channel late on Sunday. A South African judge on Tuesday dismissed an application by former president Jacob Zuma to have the prosecutor in his arms deal corruption trial removed. This year's three-day YouthConnekt Africa Summit ended recently in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. YouthConnekt is an initiative described as a unique, home-grown and innovative drive that connects youth to government and private sector jobs as well as entrepreneurship opportunities. Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the U.N. Assistant Secretary-General and the Africa Director of the United Nations Development Program, was a high-profile official who attended the YouthConnekt Africa Summit. Madagascar is known for its rich and diverse wildlife, but experts say forest degradation is a growing threat to both animals and humans. As Anne Nzouankeu reports from Madagascar’s Tsitongambarika Forest, there are success stories thanks to reforestation efforts meant to reverse the effects of climate change. Climate activists like Nigeria's Goodness Dickson say high costs are barring them from attending the COP26 climate conference, and that means their voices will not be heard. The United States will soon reopen its air borders for foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated with an approved vaccine or those who can present a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of travel, the White House announced Monday. The new rules take effect Nov. 8, and “only limited exceptions” will be allowed, senior Biden administration officials said during a background briefing with reporters. Chronic fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, heart problems and difficulties breathing – these are just some of the symptoms of long COVID. Lesia Bakalets looked into what long COVID is and how U.S. doctors are treating it.
lundi 25 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 25, 2021|Apparent Coup in Sudan, Violence in Somalia, & Pope Francis on Migrants You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok is under house arrest in what appears to be a military coup, according to local TV reports. At least 30 people died and over 100 were injured in intensified fighting between the Somali National Army and its former ally Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama'a (ASWJ) in the Somali state of Galmudug over the weekend, residents and hospital officials said. Pope Francis on Sunday urged the international community to end the practice of returning migrants rescued at sea to Libya and other unsafe countries where he said they suffer “inhumane violence.” Ethiopia conducted two air strikes in Tigray on Sunday as the government intensifies a nearly week-old campaign of aerial bombardment against the rebellious forces who control most of the region.One strike hit the western Tigray area of Mai Tsebri, targeting a training site of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), government spokesperson Legesse Tulu said. The other hit the northern Tigray town of Adwa, targeting a military manufacturing facility controlled by the TPLF, the government said in a statement. Mali's interim authorities will confirm a date for post-coup elections after national reform consultations in December, a representative of a U.N. Security Council delegation said after talks on Sunday.The timeline is a further sign that Mali's military leadership is likely to extend an 18-month transition to constitutional rule that it originally promised would culminate in presidential and legislative elections on Feb. 27, 2022.The U.N. delegation met transitional authorities, political parties and civil society representatives in Bamako over the weekend to assess Mali's progress back to democracy following the August 2020 overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. In Kenya, campaigns are in high gear for the presidential election in August, 2022. Already there are concerns that once again, the elections will take place in a state of anxiety and unless steps are taken now, there is a likely prospect of yet another disputed election. In an interview with Africa 54 Managing editor, Vincent Makori , Irungu Houghton , Executive Director Amnesty International ,Kenya, says to begin with, Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) nationwide voter registration drive ahead of 2022 polls is raising concerns. Millions of people in the United States are gearing up to get COVID-19 booster shots amid ongoing controversy over vaccine mandates. Michelle Quinn reports. Researchers at a specialized lab in Italy say understanding climate change effects requires recreating them in a controlled environment. So, they built one. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. The South Korean television show, Squid Game, has become Netflix’s biggest series launch ever, topping 111 million viewers globally. Karina Bafradzhian examines the phenomenon of the Squid Game
dimanche 24 octobre 2021
samedi 23 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 21, 2021| Police Brutality in Nigeria, Protests in S.Sudan, & Refugees in Kenya You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Activists in Nigeria gathered this week to demonstrate the one-year anniversary of massive street rallies last year against police brutality. Protesters called for the military to overthrow Sudan's civilian leaders on Tuesday, amid what Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has called the "worst and most dangerous" crisis of a two-year transition from autocracy. Rwandan prosecutors said on Wednesday they would appeal against a 25-year jail sentence handed to Paul Rusesabagina, a one-time hotel manager portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film about the 1994 genocide. Kenya told the United Nations in April, it will shut by June 2022 two camps holding over 410,000 refugees who fled from wars in the East and Horn of Africa, adding it planned to repatriate some and give others residency. Suspected Islamist militants killed 16 people and burned down houses late on Wednesday in a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a witness, and a civil society leader said. An army spokesman in the area said early on Thursday that a combat patrol unit had clashed with the rebels, but gave no further details. Mumbere Meleki Mulla, the coordinator of a local human rights network, confirmed the death toll and blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in the region. The ADF has operated in the dense forests near the Ugandan border for more than three decades and began killing civilians in large numbers in 2014. In late 2019 Congo's army launched a large-scale operation against them, sparking a violent backlash. A French woman of African origin is leading a campaign to encourage more members of France’s African diaspora to register as bone marrow donors to potentially save lives. Antony Blinken is making a major push for democracy on his first journey to South America as U.S. secretary of state, visiting two stable democracies, Ecuador and Colombia, at a time of rising violence, authoritarianism, and populism in the region. China is the center of manufacturing for the world. So, when COVID-19 hit, manufacturing was disrupted. Producing delays gave way to shipping delays. Now it’s difficult -- and sometimes impossible -- to get certain items. In Belarus just over the border from Ukraine, many children have been living with chronic radiation sickness since the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power Plant exploded in 1986. They have returned to school after being unable to escape contamination for yet another summer due to pandemic border restrictions. Residents of Halabja, a Kurdish city where thousands died in 1988 from a chemical weapons attack launched by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, are mourning the death of Colin Powell – the former American general and secretary of state. Gas attack survivors credit Powell with being instrumental in ousting the Iraqi regime and recall his 2003 visit to the city
Africa 54 - October 22, 2021 | Airstrikes Continues in Tigray, Protests in Sudan, & More You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Ethiopia conducted an airstrike on the capital of the northern Tigray region on Friday for the fourth day this week, as fighting has intensified between the central government and regional forces. Hundreds of thousands are estimated to have taken to the streets in Sudan's capital Khartoum and across the country on Thursday, opposing the prospect of a return to military rule. Somalia's president and prime minister resolved a dispute over appointments to security bodies, allowing a stalled process to elect a new parliament and president to go ahead, the government spokesman said late on Thursday. A group of mixed-race women who were abducted as children by state officials in what was then Belgian Congo is suing the Belgian state for crimes against humanity. Kenya lifted a nationwide curfew this week that has been in place since March, 2020 to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The announcement was made by President Uhuru Kenyatta. During the course of the pandemic, Kenyan police have been accused by community human rights groups of brutality and killings while enforcing the curfew. In an interview with Africa 54 Managing Editor Vincent Makori, Irũngũ Houghton, the Director of Amnesty International Kenya, says COVID was expected to inflict different forms of pain to citizens, no one expected police high-handedness. One of the world's last two northern white rhinos, a mother and her daughter, is being retired from a breeding program aimed at saving the species from extinction, scientists said on Thursday (October 21). American activist, Tarana Burke first coined the phrase Me Too in 2006 to help black women share their stories of sexual trauma. Back then, Burke had doubts whether Me Too would catch on -- but it did. VOA’s Haydé Adams takes a closer look at the movement and how it has helped survivors of sexual harassment and abuse hold some of America’s most powerful men to account. India has administered one billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, a significant milestone for an immunization drive that had struggled to get off the ground earlier this year. More than 50,000 Afghan refugees who are now housed at U.S. military bases will be resettled throughout the United States in coming months. The largest number will be heading for California and Texas. Mike O’Sullivan reports, the Afghan American community and local officials are getting ready. Voice of America has been hosting live music performances by artists around the world for decades. Today we go back in time to enjoy one such vintage performance by an Afrofusion band, from our flagship radio program, Music Time in Africa
vendredi 22 octobre 2021
jeudi 21 octobre 2021
mercredi 20 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 20, 2021 | Airstrikes in Tigray, Food Crisis in Northeast Nigeria, & more You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Managing editor Vincent Makori and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Ethiopia launched its third airstrike this week on the capital of the northern Tigray region on Wednesday, stepping up a campaign to weaken rebellious Tigrayan forces in an almost year-old war. Tigrai Television, controlled by the region's Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), said the attack targeted the center of the city of Mekelle but gave no details of casualties or damage. Ethiopia's government said the airstrike targeted buildings where Tigrayan forces were repairing armaments. The World Food Program says it urgently needs funds or it may have to cut food rations to more than 500-thousand people in Nigeria's conflict-ravaged Northeast. A year after Lagos bloodshed, Nigerians say promises of police reform prove hollow. Demonstrators said soldiers and police opened fire on October 20, though both denied firing live rounds. Rights group Amnesty International said 12 protesters were killed in two districts that night, triggering the worst street unrest since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999. Laborers from Kenya say they have endured abuse in the Middle East, often at the hands of their employers. But an aid agency is offering them a chance at rehabilitation and reintegration. Hundreds of survivors of forced labor are now able to access support offered by a group that provides a soft landing for those in need. Ahead of the COP26 climate conference, a report is warning of the dire consequences for Africa from global warming, and the continent's lead negotiator says more money and better tracking of funds is needed. Senegal seized more than two tonnes of pure cocaine from a ship off its Atlantic coast, the navy said on Tuesday, in the West African country's largest-ever cocaine bust. The 2,026 kg of cocaine was found on a ship 363 km (226 miles) off the coast by naval forces backed by air support from the French air force, the navy said in a statement. The ship had five crew members aboard, it added. Approval of U.S. leadership around the world rebounded during the first six months of President Joe Biden’s term, after a record low in the last year of President Donald Trump’s administration. This is according to a new Gallup survey of people in nearly 50 countries. In support of the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by the United Nation's General Assembly resolution to be observed from 2015 to 2024, the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) identifies high achievers of African descent in public and private sectors from all around the globe. Earlier this month, MIPAD unveiled two global 100 lists of Most Influential People of African Descent in the creative industry. Africa 54's Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho, via Skype, spoke to Kamil Olufowobi, Chief Executive Officer, MIPAD in New York. The 12th Silicon Valley African Film Festival, which took place over an October weekend in San Jose, California, featured 116 films from 36 countries. More than half of those were directed by women. Collectively, these films are changing visions of Africa. In New York City, artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada unveiled a unique piece of art called The Hug, created to honor those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. At the unveiling, the artist was joined by a very special orchestra
mardi 19 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 19, 2021 | An Airstrike in Tigray, Migrants Rescue off Libya, & more You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Managing editor Vincent Makori and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Three children were killed and one person was wounded in an air strike on the capital of the Tigray region in Ethiopia on Monday, the United Nations cited local health workers as saying.The health workers said the casualties were caused in the strike on the outskirts of Mekelle, Jens Laerke, spokesperson of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. Three-year-old Saba died from malnutrition in Ethiopia's Amhara last month. Conflict in neighboring Amhara has spread to the region, forcing thousands to flee their homes - carrying with them stories of hunger and brutality. A boat carrying 80 African migrants was rescued after it malfunctioned off the coast of the Libyan city of Garabulli on Monday (October 18), a coast guard official said. The migrants, including women and children, were from Mali, Gambia, Sudan, Nigeria, and other nationalities. A floundering economy, in-party fighting and ceaseless corruption allegations are plaguing South Africa's ruling African National Congress. The upcoming local elections on November 1st will test whether loyalties to the party that brought an end to apartheid will prevail or shift in favor of a new political order. The death toll of Tuberculosis has increased globally for the first time in more than a decade, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is one of the findings of the latest World Health Organization’s Global TB Report. Burundi on Monday ( rolled out its first COVID-19 vaccines, months after most African countries, the latest step in the East African nation's shift towards a more active approach to containing the pandemic. Colin Powell, the first Black U.S. secretary of state and top military officer, died on Monday at the age of 84 from complications due to COVID-19. His family wrote in a statement on Facebook he was fully vaccinated, and that they had “lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American. After Cyclone Idai hit in 2019, some Zimbabweans turned to activities like illegal gold panning to survive. Now Voluntary Service Overseas, an international development charity, is giving them a new option – bee keeping. The 12th Silicon Valley African Film Festival, which took place over an October weekend in San Jose, California, featured 116 films from 36 countries. More than half of those were directed by women. Collectively, these films are changing visions of Africa.
Africa 54 - October 18, 2021 | Drought in Kenya, Airstrikes in Tigray, & deadly Attack in Nigeria You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Managing editor Vincent Makori and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories The United Nations warns that 2.4 million people in Northern Kenya will struggle to find enough to eat by November after a second consecutive season in which rains have failed. For some in northern Kenya, their wealth is held in livestock. But under a blazing sun, the work of a lifetime is evaporating. Consecutive droughts are pushing millions of people towards hunger. Airstrikes hit the capital of northern Ethiopia's Tigray region on Monday and injured several civilians, according to television controlled by the area's Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF). Tigrai TV said the attack on the city of Mekelle was carried out by "Abiy Ahmed," referring to Ethiopia's prime minister and the government forces he leads. The military and the prime minister's spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An aid worker in Tigray said there had been air strikes in Mekelle. Reuters was unable to verify the reports in an area that is off-limits for journalists. In Ethiopia, thousands of Amhara families are fleeing to the town of Dessie from fighting further north of the country. Officials warn the already overcrowded makeshift camps, where displaced people sleep in rows in school classrooms, will fill further after renewed clashes. Gunmen killed at least 30 people in an attack in northern Nigeria's Sokoto state, the governor's office said on Monday.The assault began at a weekly market in Goronyo on Sunday and continued into Monday morning, Sokoto Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said in a statement.Iliyasu Abba, a local resident and trader, told Reuters that there were 60 bodies at Goronyo General Hospital mortuary, while others sustained injuries while escaping.The men were "shooting sporadically on us after they surrounded the market firing at every direction killing people."Abba said the gunmen had at least initially overpowered police who tried to intervene. A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Spanish coast guard vessel rescued 44 migrants in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday (October 17) and took them to the port of Arguineguin in Gran Canaria. The coast guard also brought the body of a dead migrant ashore with the group.The Red Cross said all migrants were men from the Maghreb area, without giving more information about nationalities.Coast guards wearing full protective suits unloaded the dead body in a stretcher and assisted injured migrants off the vessel.Data from Spain's interior ministry showed more than 13,100 migrants had arrived by sea to the Canaries archipelago up to September 30, more than double the number in the equivalent period in 2020. Spotify is targeting Africa for growth in music streaming, but the Swedish giant is dependent on mobile phone firms to make payments work. In Kenya, Spotify has teamed up with mobile payments app M-Pesa, owned by local network Safaricom.African rivals such as Nigeria's Boomplay are making similar moves. HAITI MISSIONARIES KIDNAPPED: A group of 17 U.S. missionaries, including children, has been kidnapped by a gang in Haiti, according to a voice message sent by a religious group aware of the incident. The effects of climate change are expected to push more than 200 million people from their homes by 2050, according to the World Bank. The impacts are already being felt in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, where four major weather disasters struck in a nine month period. Recently, a U.S. advisory panel unanimously endorsed booster shots of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for adults over the age of 18. The move comes as vaccines and public health protocols in the United States remain politically charged issues. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports. Afghan businesswomen say that they have been forced to close their businesses as the Taliban have imposed a ban on women working outside. Yalda Baktash has the story
Africa 54 - October 15, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that an additional 17 million coronavirus vaccines will be donated to the African Union, as he met with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta. The World Health Organization's endorsement of the world’s first malaria vaccine marks a major advance against the mosquito-borne illness, which kills some 265,000 children in Africa annually The killing of a five-year-old girl by a military police officer has inflamed tensions in Cameroon's English-speaking South West Region, where secessionists have been battling government troops for nearly five years. The Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) returns to Burkina Faso Saturday after being canceled last year due to the pandemic. One Burkinabe director, who has made a film documenting a nursery for the infants of sex workers, talks about the importance of telling African stories through cinema. Kenya police say they have arrested the husband of Agnes Tirop, the key suspect in the murder of the 25-year-old two-time World Championships medalist. Emmanuel Rotich, is suspected to have stabbed Tirop multiple times before fleeing their home. He was arrested in Changamwe, Mombasa Thursday night after being trailed for two days. Meanwhile scores of Kenyans gathered outside the home of the late Tirop on Wednesday to mourn her tragic demise. The family of former South African President Nelson Mandela is putting roughly 100 of his belongings up for auction to help fund a memorial garden in his honor, including some of his iconic shirts. The effects of climate change are expected to push more than 200 million people from their homes by 2050, according to the World Bank. The impacts are already being felt in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, where four major weather disasters struck in a nine month period. The world’s most famous “starship captain” takes the trek of a lifetime. Plus, new software makes possible virtual trips through the universe, and a mining company in Greenland offers a potentially planet-saving alternative to aluminum. Big music news from Northern Ghana! Dagbon has a new chief of the talking drum. Alidu Mohammed speaks with Heather Maxwell to share his news and music from Tamale
lundi 18 octobre 2021
dimanche 17 octobre 2021
samedi 16 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 15, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that an additional 17 million coronavirus vaccines will be donated to the African Union, as he met with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta. The World Health Organization's endorsement of the world’s first malaria vaccine marks a major advance against the mosquito-borne illness, which kills some 265,000 children in Africa annually The killing of a five-year-old girl by a military police officer has inflamed tensions in Cameroon's English-speaking South West Region, where secessionists have been battling government troops for nearly five years. The Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) returns to Burkina Faso Saturday after being canceled last year due to the pandemic. One Burkinabe director, who has made a film documenting a nursery for the infants of sex workers, talks about the importance of telling African stories through cinema. Kenya police say they have arrested the husband of Agnes Tirop, the key suspect in the murder of the 25-year-old two-time World Championships medalist. Emmanuel Rotich, is suspected to have stabbed Tirop multiple times before fleeing their home. He was arrested in Changamwe, Mombasa Thursday night after being trailed for two days. Meanwhile scores of Kenyans gathered outside the home of the late Tirop on Wednesday to mourn her tragic demise. The family of former South African President Nelson Mandela is putting roughly 100 of his belongings up for auction to help fund a memorial garden in his honor, including some of his iconic shirts. The effects of climate change are expected to push more than 200 million people from their homes by 2050, according to the World Bank. The impacts are already being felt in the southern U.S. state of Louisiana, where four major weather disasters struck in a nine month period. The world’s most famous “starship captain” takes the trek of a lifetime. Plus, new software makes possible virtual trips through the universe, and a mining company in Greenland offers a potentially planet-saving alternative to aluminum. Big music news from Northern Ghana! Dagbon has a new chief of the talking drum. Alidu Mohammed speaks with Heather Maxwell to share his news and music from Tamale
jeudi 14 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 13, 2021 | Conflict in Amhara, Somalia-Kenya Sea Border Dispute, & More You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Ethiopia's federal military reportedly launched a ground offensive against Tigrayan forces in Amhara region on Monday. The U.N.'s top court has set a new sea boundary in a ruling that hands Somalia several offshore oil blocks that are claimed by Kenya. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta’s remarks after chairing the UNSC. He made remarks regarding the ICJ ruling as well as the Pandora Papers. In an interview, the chairman of U.S. drugmaker Moderna has confirmed that Senegal, Rwanda, and South Africa are three 'potential' sites for its planned vaccine plant in Africa. The Spanish coast guard rescued 91 migrants off the Canary Islands on Tuesday (October 12), according to officials. One migrant boat had 43 adult males and a second carried 48 adult males. They were all transferred to the Port of Arguineguín in a Spanish Maritime Rescue ship. Sudan's security service has slapped a travel ban on members of a task force overseeing the country's transition to democracy, government sources said, as tensions between civilian and military leaders threaten to boil over weeks after a failed coup. The political crisis erupted on Sept 21, when Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said rogue troops still loyal to Omar al-Bashir had sought to derail by force the revolution that removed the ousted president from power in 2019. ICC hears CAR suspect personally beat prisoners War crimes prosecutors have alleged that a former Central African Republic "Seleka" faction commander personally beat prisoners. A global deal to ensure large multinational companies pay a minimum tax rate of 15% and make it harder for them to avoid taxation has been recently agreed upon by 136 countries. But as White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara reports, the world has a long way to go before the deal is implemented. Across the world, people wearing a face mask while in public has become the norm to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. However, they are still expensive for ordinary people. To alleviate this challenge, A Ugandan company, Biogenics Limited, has established itself as a critical player in the Healthcare industry and as one of the leading distributors of top-quality medical equipment, supplies at affordable cost. For more, Africa 54's Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho, via Skype, caught up with Dr. Hasahya Tony, CEO, Biogenics Uganda Limited in Kampala, Uganda.
Africa 54 - October 13, 2021 | Conflict in Amhara, Somalia-Kenya Sea Border Dispute, & More You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Ethiopia's federal military reportedly launched a ground offensive against Tigrayan forces in Amhara region on Monday. The U.N.'s top court has set a new sea boundary in a ruling that hands Somalia several offshore oil blocks that are claimed by Kenya. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta’s remarks after chairing the UNSC. He made remarks regarding the ICJ ruling as well as the Pandora Papers. In an interview, the chairman of U.S. drugmaker Moderna has confirmed that Senegal, Rwanda, and South Africa are three 'potential' sites for its planned vaccine plant in Africa. The Spanish coast guard rescued 91 migrants off the Canary Islands on Tuesday (October 12), according to officials. One migrant boat had 43 adult males and a second carried 48 adult males. They were all transferred to the Port of Arguineguín in a Spanish Maritime Rescue ship. Sudan's security service has slapped a travel ban on members of a task force overseeing the country's transition to democracy, government sources said, as tensions between civilian and military leaders threaten to boil over weeks after a failed coup. The political crisis erupted on Sept 21, when Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said rogue troops still loyal to Omar al-Bashir had sought to derail by force the revolution that removed the ousted president from power in 2019. ICC hears CAR suspect personally beat prisoners War crimes prosecutors have alleged that a former Central African Republic "Seleka" faction commander personally beat prisoners. A global deal to ensure large multinational companies pay a minimum tax rate of 15% and make it harder for them to avoid taxation has been recently agreed upon by 136 countries. But as White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara reports, the world has a long way to go before the deal is implemented. Across the world, people wearing a face mask while in public has become the norm to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. However, they are still expensive for ordinary people. To alleviate this challenge, A Ugandan company, Biogenics Limited, has established itself as a critical player in the Healthcare industry and as one of the leading distributors of top-quality medical equipment, supplies at affordable cost. For more, Africa 54's Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho, via Skype, caught up with Dr. Hasahya Tony, CEO, Biogenics Uganda Limited in Kampala, Uganda
mercredi 13 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 12, 2021| COVID19 in Kenya's refugee camps, Violence Against Migrants in Libya You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: The coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on many people’s mental health, especially among vulnerable groups like refugees. In Kenya's urban refugee camps, aid agencies are trying to help people cope with anxiety and depression. Hundreds of migrants and refugees waited outside a United Nations centre in Tripoli on Sunday to seek help in escaping Libya after what aid groups called a violent crackdown in which thousands were arrested and several shot. The International Criminal Court on Tuesday (October 12) will hold hearings to ask judges to confirm the charges against former Central African Republic "Seleka" faction commander Mahamat Said Abdel Kain. Mahamat Said Abdel Kain, who was detained and transferred to The Hague in January, faces accusations of crimes against humanity committed in 2013. A judge for the court said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Said was responsible for crimes including torture, persecutions, enforced disappearances and other inhumane acts. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Tuesday hands down its judgment in a case filed by Somalia against Kenya over contested parts of the Indian Ocean believed to be rich in oil and gas.The ruling comes after Nairobi last week said it had revoked recognition of the court's jurisdiction.Somalia filed the case in 2014 at the United Nation's highest court for disputes between states. The trial of 14 people accused of plotting to assassinate Burkina Faso's former president Thomas Sankara started on Monday, more than 30 years after he was gunned down in one of the most infamous killings in modern African history. Mozambique's police said on Monday that they had killed the commander of an armed wing of a breakaway faction of the main opposition group Renamo. The government claims that the armed group, called Renamo military junta, is responsible for several attacks and killings of civilians, plundering of property, looting and arson in the central part of the impoverished country in the last few years.Mariano Nyongo, the leader of Renamo military junta, was killed early in the morning in fighting between the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) and the insurgents in Sofala province, General Commander of Police Bernardino Rafael said. The attacks by the splinter group have hobbled a peace treaty and disarmament process initiated after President Filipe Nyusi of the ruling party Frelimo signed a ceasefire with Renamo in 2019. The President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has been holding a series of meetings with top US government officials and business leaders. As part of the bank's effort to attract increased US investments in Africa. In part two of Peter Clottey’s interview Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, spoke about President Joe Biden's Africa agenda; Chinese business and investment activity in Africa; and Africa’s position ahead of November’s global climate conference, COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland. Experts call is a milestone in the fight against Malaria. For some, the RTS,S vaccine approved by the World Health Organization is a step in the right direction, but more remains to be done to save lives. WHO says every two minutes a child dies of malaria, and about 400,000 people lose their lives each year due to the mosquito-borne disease. Most of the victims are children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. Mosquirix, made by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, is 30% effective in preventing Malaria, and requires four doses. For more perspectives, Africa 54 health correcpondent Linord Moudou spoke with Dr. Akpaka Kalu, Regional Adviser for Tropical diseases with the World Health Organization African Region. He discusses the RTS,S vaccine significance in malaria-control on the continent. Ten years ago, Steve Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer at age 56. Jobs played a huge role in making Apple one of the most successful companies in the world. But what does Apple’s future look like
mardi 12 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 11, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: A trial on the assassination of Burkina Faso's former president, Thomas Sankara, begins Monday, more than three decades after he and 12 others were killed in a 1987 coup. Former President Blaise Compaoré, the main defendant in the trial, who lives in exile in Ivory Coast, will not be attending. Climate change is battering the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar and several U.N. agencies have warned in the past few months of a "climate change famine" there ….. Half a million children are expected to be acutely malnourished in southern Madagascar, 110,000 severely so, the U.N. Children's Fund says, causing developmental delays, disease and death. The Africa Union says it has decided to transition current mission in Somalia to a joint mission between the United Nations and the Africa Union. In a statement, the Peace and Security Council of the Africa Union says it endorsed an AU independent assessment team’s recommendation on a hybrid mission for Somalia. The planned date for the mission is January 2022. The Spanish coast guard boat transported 36 migrants intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean to the island of Gran Canaria on Sunday.. Migrants, including women and children, were rescued 6 miles off Canary Islands and transported to Arguineguin port.Spain's Canary Islands have experience a surge in seaborne migration that has seen thousands make the dangerous crossing from Africa to the Atlantic archipelago.Data from the Interior Ministry showed more than 13,100 migrants had arrived by sea to the Canaries archipelago by September 30, more than double the number in the equivalent period in 2020. Children were inoculated with the world's first approved malaria vaccine in a part of western Kenya where the disease is prevalent. The President of the African Development Bank says Africa is ready for increased US investments. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (Ah-day-shinah) says before the global coronavirus pandemic, Africa still had the sixth fastest growing economies in the world adding that the fundamentals remain valid today. His remarks come as he held a series of meetings with senior US government officials and business leaders here in Washington DC. Dr. For more about his meetings here in Washington DC, VOA's Peter Clottey reached Dr. Akinwumi Adesina via Skype A new report calls DR Congo's $6 billion deal with China on mining resources 'unconscionable', saying few of the promised benefits have materialised, and that may bolster the country's bid to revise the terms of the contract. In Nigeria, a country heavily reliant on revenues from its oil exports, entrepreneur Ifedolapo Runsewe has identified another type of black gold: used car tyres. As the U.S. national rate of COVID-19 infections declines, vaccine mandates for some jobs are pushing some employees to get the shots while others protest. Ten years ago, Steve Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer at age 56. Jobs played a huge role in making Apple one of the most successful companies in the world. But what does Apple’s future look like
lundi 11 octobre 2021
dimanche 10 octobre 2021
samedi 9 octobre 2021
vendredi 8 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 8, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Nigerian police say 187 people have been freed from armed gangs of kidnappers amid a security crackdown in the restive Zamfara state. Moderna plans to invest about $500 million to build a factory in Africa to make up to 500 million doses of mRNA vaccines each year, including its COVID-19 shot, as pressure grows on the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture drugs on the continent. With the COVID-19 pandemic, South Africa has seen hunger increase nearly threefold, according to a national survey. One man is helping to tackle the problem by launching community farms to help feed inner city residents. Google plans to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to ensure access to fast and cheaper internet and will back startups to support the continent's digital transformation. German officials unveiled this week what they said is the world's first commercial plant for making synthetic kerosene. It’s seen as a climate-friendly way to produce jet fuel and could potentially be game-changing. Aviation currently accounts for about 2.5 percent of worldwide emissions of CO2, a not-so-friendly greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Three years after the murder of Washington Post columnist and U.S. resident Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, human rights activists and many others around the world are furious the United States has failed to sanction Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of ordering the killing. Inspired by his love of Jet Li movies, Uganda's Kizza Ssejjemba took up Kung Fu. Today he has trained with Chinese experts, stars in action films and is training a new generation. Burkina Faso has been making headlines for an Islamist insurgency that has created one of the world's fastest growing humanitarian crises. But one man is showcasing what the country has to offer beyond conflict with a group he created called “Burkina Faso is Chic.” In this week’s entertainment takes a look at this summer’s music hits with Heather Maxwell’s Top 3. And she has a surprise guest that you may recognize
Africa 54 - October 7, 2021 You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top News: In Burkina Faso, at least 400 people have been awaiting trial on terrorism charges for years, including several minors under the age of 16. The Takuba task force is an elite group of European soldiers tasked with turning the tide in decade-long insurgency that has killed thousands in the Sahel region. But there are challenges. The humanitarian agencies operating in Somalia and Somali officials say they deeply regret the arrests and forced displacement of thousands of people who have been expelled from the town of Las Anod by authorities in the self-declared republic of Somaliland. The forced displacement has been taking place since Saturday as police in Somaliland citing security concerns rounded up the people from their businesses, homes and streets, officials and witnesses said. Female circumcision, known as female genital mutilation (FGM), is illegal in Kenya but is still being forced on young girls in some areas. Cases increased after schools closed due to the pandemic, but one survivor is fighting the practice in an ethnic Somali community. The pandemic is changing how many of us access health care. In the United States and elsewhere, studies show that virtual medical appointments are effective, help patients manage their care and keep people out of hospitals. Victims of sexual abuse by priests in France are calling for historic reform of the Catholic church after an independent commission found that hundreds of thousands of children had suffered systematic abuse over the past seven decades. Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo are campaigning to protect Congolese rumba - a music steeped in historic anti-colonial significance
jeudi 7 octobre 2021
mercredi 6 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 5, 2021| Violence in S.Sudan, Namibia' Genocide Deal, & Pandora Papers You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: At least 36 people were killed in clashes between people of four communities in South Sudan over the weekend, according to Warrap state officials. The Government of Namibia has welcomed the $1.3 billion dollars, part of a 1904-1908 German genocide reparations deal. While the government calls it a step in the right direction representatives of the Ovaherero and Nama communities, the main tribal groups affected by the German genocide consider it a raw deal. In part two of our special report, representatives of the Ovaherero and Nama explain what they would consider a fair deal for the atrocities committed against their communities. Confidence Musasiri has more in this report narrated by Jessica Kaimu World leaders, politicians and pop stars are among thousands of individuals revealed to be concealing huge wealth through a network of anonymous companies. The revelations, known as the ‘Pandora Papers’ are part of a huge leak of almost 12 million files from the archives of several legal firms, which shed light on the secret world of offshore finance. Henry Ridgwell has more. Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio says the country is changing into a West African country that respects the rule of law and protects the fundamental rights of citizens as enshrined in the constitution. Mr. Maada Bio, who is currently holding a series of meetings with top US officials and business leaders, says the negative narrative about his country is changing for the better. He says that’s due to his administration’s policies – including transparency and accountability – that are encouraging to the country's development partners. In part two of our interview, President Julius Maada Bio spoke about the inclusive development of his country and about creating an enabling environment for private businesses and foreign investors. Coal provides more than 75% of South Africa’s energy supply, but public and corporate pressure is mounting for that to change. Protests were seen across the country last week and now a proposed Chinese-backed coal power plant may be scrapped. Linda Givetash has this report from Johannesburg In Ivory Coast, there’s a new tool in the fight against counterfeit pharmaceuticals. A start-up company now helps pharmacies digitally trace the sale of drugs to their customers. Yassin Ciyow has more in this report narrated by Lionel Gahima. The World Health Organization and International Council of Nurses say only 15 of Africa's 54 nations have fully vaccinated 10% of their populations against COVID-19. A growing number of countries are mandating vaccination, which observers say, will encourage more people to get the jab. The continent is grappling with a low supply of vaccines. In addition, myths and misconceptions are fueling people's hesitancy and reluctance to get immunized. For more on the subject, Africa 54 health correspondent spoke with Tolbert G. Nyenswah, Senior Research Associate at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Former Deputy Minister of Health, Emergencies and Epidemic Control of Liberia. Female circumcision, known as female genital mutilation (FGM), is illegal in Kenya but is still being forced on young girls in some areas. Cases increased after schools closed due to the pandemic, but one survivor is fighting the practice in an ethnic Somali community. Brenda Mulinya reports from Garissa, Kenya. Burkina Faso has been making headlines for an Islamist insurgency that has created one of the world's fastest growing humanitarian crises. But one man is showcasing what the country has to offer beyond conflict with a group he created called “Burkina Faso is Chic.” Henry Wilkins reports from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
mardi 5 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 4, 2021 | Interview with Sierra Leone President, Sudan's Economy, & More You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: The head of the World Bank, David Malpass, has said Sudan's economic situation is "gradually improving" but will require patience. David Doyle has more. Ethiopia's parliament confirmed incumbent Abiy Ahmed as prime minister for a five-year term on Monday, cementing his power domestically amid mounting international concern of his government's handling of the conflict in northern Ethiopia.Abiy's party won a landslide victory in June's election. He was sworn in on Monday, and a ceremony was being held later in the capital Addis Ababa attended by several African heads of states. In Namibia, the government has welcomed the US$1.3 billion 1904-1908 German genocide reparations deal, as a step in the right direction despite cautioning that the amount can never be good enough and insisting an improvement of the terms of reparations, is not out of the question. This, as scores of the Ovaherero and Nama community, the main tribal groups affected by the German genocide took to the streets this week to reject the deal struck by the southern African country’s government and its former colonialist. Confidence Musasiri has more in this report narrated by Jessica Kaimu Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio says the Free Education policy for all children forms an integral part of his human capital development agenda to improve the lives of the country's future generation. The move, the Sierra Leonean president says, has lifted a heavy burden off the s houlders of all parents in the West African country irrespective of their political inclinations or societal status. …In a sit down interview with VOA's Peter Clottey, President Bio also talked about good governance, transparency and the need for accountability. In Ivory Coast, there’s a new tool in the fight against counterfeit pharmaceuticals. A start-up company now helps pharmacies digitally trace the sale of drugs to their customers. Yassin Ciyow has more in this report narrated by Lionel Gahima. Coal provides more than 75% of South Africa’s energy supply, but public and corporate pressure is mounting for that to change. Protests were seen across the country last week and now a proposed Chinese-backed coal power plant may be scrapped. Linda Givetash has this report from Johannesburg. Female circumcision, known as female genital mutilation (FGM), is illegal in Kenya but is still being forced on young girls in some areas. Cases increased after schools closed due to the pandemic, but one survivor is fighting the practice in an ethnic Somali community. Brenda Mulinya reports from Garissa, Kenya. The U.S. is the global leader in vaccine donations, pledging to send 1.1 billion doses to help the world fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But it has shipped only 15% of the doses it has promised. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. There’s a new weapon against COVID-19 and it’s in capsule form. VOAs Carolyn Presutti explains how it’s a breakthrough and why other pills have been discovered that we haven’t heard about. The sound of African beats and the smell of spices filled the streets of northeast Washington, D.C., recently, with the Afro beats block party and Jollof cook off returning to the Nation's Capital after being canceled last year due to covid-19. The event celebrated traditional African food, music, and culture
lundi 4 octobre 2021
dimanche 3 octobre 2021
samedi 2 octobre 2021
Africa 54 - October 1, 2021 | Somalia's 1st oxygen plant, Sexual Abuse in Congo, & Covid in Nigeria You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Somalia's first public oxygen plant was launched on Thursday in a country where the life-saving medical gas has been largely unavailable during the coronavirus pandemic. The World Health Organization's response to an independent probe, which found that some of its staff were among 83 aid workers involved in sexual abuse and exploitation in Congo, has been praised. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres was "shocked" by the information that Ethiopia has declared seven senior U.N. officials working in the country persona non grata, U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay told a press briefing on Thursday; "We are now engaging with the government of Ethiopia in the expectation that the concerned U.N. will be allowed to continue their important work,". As the coronavirus has spread in Nigeria, Africa's most populated country, so have myths about the virus, especially among children. A Nigerian author has written a children's book to help them understand the pandemic and ways to avoid being infected. It has been 18 months into the COVID 19 pandemic, and experts say the oil and gas industry, which has been hard hit, faces a slow recovery. The African Development Bank in its African economic outlook 2021 says Angola’s oil-driven economy is expected to expand in 2021, with a GDP projected growth of 3.1percent. For more perspective, Africa 54's Linord Moudou spoke with Antonio Henriques da Silva, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Special Economic Zone of Luanda-Benguo, and President of AIPEX, the Agency for the Promotion of Investments and Exports of Angola. The sound of African beats and the smell of spices filled the streets of northeast Washington, D.C., last weekend, with the Afro beats block party and Jollof cook off returning to the Nation's Capital after being canceled last year due to covid-19. The event celebrated traditional African food, music, and culture. After an 11-year hiatus, world music star Lokua Kanza recently released a new album and since September, has taken up a new role for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Heather Maxwell reached out to him in Paris to find out more. Burkina Faso's six-year conflict with terrorist groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaida is spreading to the country's southern region, say analysts. Reporter Henry Wilkins went on a patrol with a group of vigilantes as they prepare to defend against the Islamist militants near the southern town of Bobo Dioulasso In Ivory Coast, there’s a new tool in the fight against counterfeit pharmaceuticals. A start-up company now helps pharmacies digitally trace the sale of drugs to their customers. Female circumcision, known as female genital mutilation (FGM), is illegal in Kenya but is still being forced on young girls in some areas. Cases increased after schools closed due to the pandemic, but one survivor is fighting the practice in an ethnic Somali community. Brenda Mulinya reports from Garissa, Kenya
Africa 54 - September 30, 2021 | Nigeria Reopens Schools, Ethiopia's Elections, & COVID19 in Africa You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: Nigerian authorities are reopening schools in northern Kaduna state after more than two months of shutdown due to insecurity. The region has suffered a string of armed kidnappings at schools and the UN's Children's Fund, UNICEF, says about one million Nigerian children are "afraid to return to school." Members of a banned Shi'ite Muslim group in Nigeria say police opened fire during a procession on Tuesday in the capital Abuja. Ethiopians in three regions where elections had been delayed head to the polls on Thursday to vote for their representatives and one area will also vote on whether to form its own regional state. Mali's Prime Minister was met by cheering crowds as he returned from the United Nations - where he said the West African country felt abandoned by former colonial power France Russia is delaying the appointment of panels of independent experts to monitor violations of U.N. sanctions on South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, diplomats said on Wednesday, leaving their work in limbo. The head of the World Trade Organization said on Tuesday that the low COVID-19 vaccination rate of around 4 Percent in Africa was "devastating," saying that trade should help address vaccine inequity. Following a tumultuous several weeks in which the president fell victim to an assassination plot and a massive earthquake flattened parts of the island, many Haitians fled their home country. And the United States turned away some at its southern border. But this is not the first Haitian exodus. As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, Haitians fleeing Haiti is a cycle that is generations old. A new national survey conducted by the Eurasia Group Foundation finds that most Americans say they want more diplomacy and fewer U.S. military deployments around the world. The findings come in the first large-scale opinion poll conducted since the end of the 20-year U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports. The global health crisis saw the number of international vistors to Kenya plummet by two-thirds, but tourism sector workers like massage therapist Marion Minayo are hopeful for a recovery. Doctors around the world have seen an unusual rise in Tourette-like tic disorders over the past year. Matt Dibble reports on how social media may be the trigger
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