East Africa

In the last two weeks, a year after the arrival of Covid-19 in Madagascar, the country has experienced the second wave of the epidemic. But the government does not take a stand on the vaccine and the Covax operation and prefers to rely on Covid organic substances, the artemisia-based remedy launched by Andry Rajoelina a year ago.…

Soon a new opposition party in Rwanda? It is a rather rare event in the country's political landscape, largely dominated by the RPF, the party of President Paul Kagame. The birth of the Rwandan Platform for Democracy (RPD) was announced on Thursday, March 18, during an online press conference by its founder, Christopher Kayumba, a former university professor and journalist who was recently released from…

EU nations resume use of AstraZeneca vaccine after regulatory shootings AMSTERDAM / LONDON - Germany, France and other European countries announced plans to resume use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday after EU and UK regulators stepped up to build confidence in the shot, saying the benefits outweigh the risks. Reports of rare cerebral thrombosis have prompted more than a…

Tanzania will soon have a president. Following the announcement of the death of President John Magufuli at the age of 61, officially due to heart problems, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan must take the reins in the country and secure the transition. John Magufuli, who was elected for the first time in 2015, then re-elected at the end of 2020 in a controversial vote, is known for his policy for larger…

The hearings of the UN International Court of Justice on the dispute between Kenya and Somalia ended on Thursday 18 March. Somalia made its final remarks, still in the absence of Kenya, which refused to lodge its case. The case is now under advice. The verdict should be known in a few months. The last hearing before the UN…

Somalia delivers closing arguments in maritime border dispute THE HAAG, The Netherlands - Somalia asked the United Nations Supreme Court to overturn Kenya's request for a latitude maritime border stretching into the Indian Ocean in a decades-old legal dispute between the two East African nations. Kenya abruptly withdrew from the case, days before they were due to start on Monday,…

UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists Jamal Farah Adan in Somalia UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has condemned the killing of Somali TV journalist Jamal Farah Adan in Galkayo, central Somalia, on March 1. "I condemn the killing of Jamal Farah Adan. I call on the authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to justice. Attacks on journalists constitute…

Africa mourns the death of the Tanzanian president Tanzanian President John Magufuli, 61, died Wednesday, triggering mourning and condolence messages from African capitals. Earlier Wednesday, in a televised statement, Tanzania's Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan said: “With great sadness, I announce that our brave leader, President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, passed away today at…

Salaam Somali Bank helps small businesses grow MOGADISHU, Somalia - Salaam Somali Bank (SSB) continues to provide free microfinance to small businesses in the country as part of a grant program aimed at improving the start-up economy. On Thursday, the bank's branch in KM5 in Mogadishu provided free microfinance to local retailers, including women, to help improve their small and…

Somali opposition is teaming up with federal states to form a national salvation council MOGADISHU, Somalia - Opposition candidates in Somalia are working with some federal Member States to declare the formation of a National Salvation Council on Thursday. The NSC elected a board of directors consisting of Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi, former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the…