Africa 54 - November 3, 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: Staff members and their children have been abducted from a university in Abuja, the university said on Tuesday, in a rare raid on a large institution in the capital. Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, state-affiliated media said after rebellious forces from the northern region of Tigray said they had made territorial gains southward over the weekend and threatened to march on the capital. The announcement came two days after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to take up arms to defend themselves from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and authorities in Addis Ababa told residents to register arms and prepare defenses. A report on abuses committed during the war in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region will be published on Wednesday. However, a spokesman for the party controlling Tigray said investigators did not visit many sites where violence occurred. The joint investigation by the United Nations Human Rights Office and the state-appointed Ethiopian Human Rights Commission set out to document alleged violations of human rights, humanitarian and refugee law committed by all parties to the conflict in Tigray. African nations at the COP26 summit have criticized rich countries for failing to meet their promise of giving billions of dollars to help them cope with climate change. But agreements to protect rainforests and slash methane emissions were welcomed. Namibia's Jakapita Kandanga was among young climate activists who sailed to the U.N.'s COP26 climate conference on board a Greenpeace ship. U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced ambitious climate commitments at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. He also slammed Chinese and Russian leaders for not doing their part. Animal welfare advocates in Kenya are campaigning against the battery cage system of commercial poultry management. The system has been banned in Europe, out of concern for the birds’ welfare, but it is beginning to gain popularity in Africa. Victoria Amunga reports from Kakamega, Kenya. The different diaspora groups that make up the United States inevitably have fought for representation through the voting process. VOA is profiling a group of emerging politicians with direct ties to Africa who are changing the face of American politics. One is Oye Owolewa, whose parents came from Nigeria. The COP26 climate summit is taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing global pandemic. As richer nations begin to reopen thanks to rapid vaccination programs, most people in developing countries are still waiting for their first dose. Henry Ridgwell reports from the summit in Glasgow on whether distrust between richer and poorer nations could hamper climate negotiations. Although 58% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, many still hesitate to get the shot. And while the COVID-19 vaccine may be relatively new, the phenomenon of vaccine pushback is not. Liliya Anisimova has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. In September, COVID-19 case numbers in Africa dropped by 35%, and nearly 1800 deaths were reported across 34 African countries in the same period, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Uganda, the government loosened its anti-coronavirus restrictions as the COVID-19 transmission rates continued to decline. For more insight, Africa 54's Technology Correspondent Paul Ndiho, via Skype, spoke to Dr. John Mundaka, Obstetrician & Gynecologist at Sebbi, a small private hospital leveraging technology to provide medical care to COVID 19 patients in Kampala, Uganda. Senegal has all the makings of a vibrant surf scene: consistent breaks, warm water and a friendly, inviting culture. But without access to the raw materials needed to shape their own boards, many miss out on the fun. One local surfer found a unique way to create his own boards and has now launched a business with the goal of becoming the first Senegalese surfboard shaper, as Annika Hammerschlag reports from Dakar