Eye on Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The United Kingdom joined other international partners to welcome Mohamed Hussein Roble's endorsement of Somalia's new Prime Minister of the country's parliament last week. Roble, a Swedish-educated engineer, worked with the International Labor Organization in Nairobi for years before his surprising appointment. He was not a politician, but is said to have broad international relations that can help the country restore its long-lost stability. He replaced Hassan Ali Khaire, a man who had…

The presidential campaign on October 18 opened two weeks ago amid a climate of concern after months of tension caused by the inclusion of the established Alpha Condé for a controversial third term. In Labé then in Dalaba, the convoy of the Prime Minister, campaign director of Condé, Kassory Fofana, was thrown from stone, the government said in a statement. What the UFDG, the main opposition party for Cellou Dalein Diallo, denies. Right in his shoes, Security Minister Albert Damantang Camara says the procession of Prime…

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Federal leaders returned to Villa Somalia on Wednesday to fine-tune the pre-election pact signed almost two weeks ago as the country prepares for the long-awaited election, which would begin in November when the current administration's term expires. The five heads of state and Mogadishu Mayor Omar Filish signed the agreement early following pressure from the international community, but the team did not finalize some of the finer details that would lead to a credible election that would be…

Appointed Prime Minister of Mali on Sunday 27 September, Moctar Ouane has two immediate goals. The first is the formation of a government of national unity with even hope of seeing the participation of representatives of the armed groups involved in the peace process. The second is to achieve, with the support of the interim president, Ba N'Daw, the lifting of the embargo imposed by the West African Economic Community (ECOWAS) on Mali. To lift the embargo against Mali, the phone works a lot these days between Accra and…

UNICEF on Wednesday became the third UN agency to launch an internal investigation into the sexual abuse of women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and promised "serious consequences" for possible sins. The Children's Fund said in a statement that it was "shocked that people identifying themselves as UNICEF workers have allegedly abused vulnerable women in the Democratic Republic of Congo." It was not immediately clear how many UNICEF staff had been charged. "There will be serious consequences for any staff…

This October 1, 2020 marks the 60th anniversary of Nigeria's independence. As on every anniversary date, RFI makes you relive the musical atmosphere of the time. Close-up of a unique singer whose career began in the 60s, before Fela and before Tony Allen: Joni Haastrup, king of Afro-soul. In the early 1960s, Nigeria was hit by…

Nigeria's 60th anniversary will continue to be very limited and anti-Covid-19 measures will require it. Several local governments, including the state of Lagos, have already announced that they are canceling their military parade. The ceremonies will therefore be concentrated in Abuja, where a parade is planned. President Muhammadu Buhari speaks early this morning on radio and television, but not publicly as originally planned. But Nigerians' interest in this anniversary date is limited. There is therefore nothing…

The phenomenon is recurring in this area, and this year it promises to be even more difficult. The latest food insecurity study (April 2020) estimates that 1.6 million people in the Great South are having difficulty accessing food due to drought, including 500,000 who are facing severe food insecurity and in need of urgent help. Earlier this week, an emergency mission was deployed to Amboasary Atsimo, and a meeting was held on Wednesday, September 30, between local authorities and organizations fighting hunger following a…

Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, went on strike on Monday, September 28th. The employees of this company, which employs 5,000 people, are demanding wage increases. But several tragedies brought the case to court. Yesterday, a special court ordered the suspension of the movement. Collected by the hundreds in the courtyard of the hospital, employees ask where their money is. They demand the application of a decision by Parliament dating back to 2012, which had changed the pay categories and should lead to an…

Mark Esper was in Carthage on Wednesday, September 29 as part of a trip to the Maghreb. Tunis welcomes the strengthening of already close ties with Washington, while its US ally since 2015 has considered it a major non-member of NATO. This visit was the occasion for new commitments. as reported from Tunis Michel PicardAt the…