UK gives sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius, but US base on Diego Garcia will remain
Following a lease agreement with Britain, the US built the naval base at Diego Garcia for defence purposes in the 1970s. The US has described the base as “an all but indispensable platform” for security operations in the Middle East, South Asia and East Africa.
Stop the war: Some 78 travellers die in boat ferrying 278 people on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo
In June, an overloaded boat sank near the capital of Kinshasa and 80 passengers lost their lives. In January, 22 people died on Lake Maî-Ndombe and in April 2023, six were killed and 64 went missing on Lake Kivu.
Raging mpox denies sex workers in Congo of income as government insists it’s their duty to protect themselves
Kamituga Mayor Alexandre Bundya M’pila says the government is creating awareness campaigns but lacks money to reach everyone. He also said sex workers should look for other jobs, without providing examples of what might be available.
Protests greet Nigeria’s independence celebrations as citizens demand better opportunities
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who has been in office since May last year after an election campaign forged on “renewed hope,” defended the reforms as necessary and said they were already yielding results, such as $30 billion in foreign direct investments attracted in the last year.
Head of UN mission in Congo Bintou Keita raises red flag over Rwanda-backed rebels’ $300,000 monthly revenue
M23, or the March 23 Movement, is a rebel military group mainly made up of ethnic Tutsis that broke away from the Congolese army just over a decade ago. They staged a large offensive in 2012 and took over the provincial capital of Goma near the border with Rwanda, the same city they are threatening again.
Israeli bombs fall as Kenyan, Ethiopian, Filipino and other migrant workers are stranded in Lebanon, passports confiscated
While the bombs fall, the death toll grows, and there are rumours of both a ceasefire and an Israeli ground invasion. Wangari is simply hoping for a new job so she can keep scraping together money to send to her five-year-old son in Nairobi. His name, Jayson, is tattooed across her arm as a reminder of why she is in Lebanon.
Guinea military quashes attempt to oust ruling junta, locks down area around presidential palace
Several West African nations including Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have had coups that installed military juntas. They have severed or scaled back long-standing military ties with Western powers in favor of security support from Russia.
South Africa repatriates remains of 42 ANC freedom fighters who died in exile in Zimbabwe, Zambia
Speaking during a Heritage Day event in South Africa on Tuesday, South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the repatriation was part of efforts to teach future generations about the role played by many in the struggle against apartheid.
Jailed former Sudan tyrant Omar al-Bashir transferred to hospital 330kms north of the capital Khartoum
Sudan’s military rulers – now themselves fighting to stay in power in a bitter conflict with the rival RSF – declined ICC requests that al-Bashir and others wanted by the world court be handed over for trial.
Outgoing US President Biden to make long-awaited visit to Africa, but he will only to Angola
The president will visit Luanda, the capital of Angola, in southwestern Africa, from October 13-15 to discuss collaboration on a number of issues with President João Lourenço, economic partnerships and infrastructure, including a rail project that would start in Lobito, Angola, and ultimately connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, among other issues, Jean-Pierre said.
