Photographing the Terror and Joy of Refugees in DRC
Alexis Huguet, a French photojournalist who has been based in central Africa since 2017, was covering the humanitarian crisis along the border for Agence France-Presse and MSF. “When [people] fled in early January, they were really scared,” he remembers. “[The forces] attacked with heavy weapons. There was bombing in Bangassou. People heard the bombing and […]
South Africa’s Parliament Gutted
Fire crews have continued to work at South Africa’s national Parliament complex in Cape Town on Monday after a major fire blazed through the buildings a day earlier, causing extensive damage. The fire crews had been scaled back from around 70 firefighters Sunday to 20 by Monday morning. Other buildings in the complex were also […]
Nigerien Mayor Caught Smuggling Drugs
Police in northern Niger have seized more than 200 kilos of cocaine worth around $8.7 million that was being transported in the local mayor’s official truck. The mayor and his driver, who were in the vehicle at the time, were arrested with 199 bricks of cocaine at a checkpoint on the road heading north out […]
The Countries that Didn’t Make the AGOA Fold
The United States cut Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from access to a duty-free trade program, following through on President Joe Biden’s threat to do so over accusations of human rights violations and recent coups. Biden said in November that Ethiopia would be cut off from the duty-free trading regime provided under the U.S. African Growth […]
Botswana’s President Tests Positive for Covid-19
Mokgweetsi Masisi is in mandatory self- isolation after routine testing. Vice President Slumber Tsogwane will assume the president’s responsibilities until further notice while Masisi is in isolation, Dipowe said. New coronavirus infections have risen sharply in the diamond-rich Southern African country since the detection of the Omicron variant late last year, to an average of […]
Africa’s Innovation Industry is Promising
The rapid growth of digital skills in the continent is poised to accelerate as it is now home to 643 innovation hubs. Investors are more bullish than ever on the sector, as VC fundings reached a record-high this year. However, challenges slacken the sector’s growth. According to a report by CryptoInvest, the internet penetration rate […]
South Africa’s Anti-apartheid Hero Specifically Asked for a Cheap Coffin and an Eco-friendly Cremation
The body of Archbishop Desmond Tutu will undergo aquamation, an increasingly popular and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cremation methods, using water instead of fire. With aquamation, or “alkaline hydrolysis”, the body of the deceased is immersed for three to four hours in a mixture of water and a strong alkali, such as potassium hydroxide, […]
Suez Canal Hits Record Revenue Despite Rocky Start
Egypt’s Suez Canal said its annual revenues reached $6.3 billion last year, the highest in the crucial waterway’s history. Admiral Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez Canal Authority, said last year’s revenues rose 12.8%, compared to 2020, when the canal achieved $5.6 billion. About 10% of global trade, including 7% of the world’s oil, flows […]
A Legendary Paleoanthropologist whose Discoveries Helped Prove that Humanity Evolved in Africa
World-renowned paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey, known for his fossil-finding and conservation work in his native Kenya, has died at 77, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced. Leakey, whose groundbreaking discoveries helped prove that humanity evolved in Africa, remained energetic into his 70s despite bouts of skin cancer, kidney and liver disease. Initially, Leakey tried his hand […]
Concerns that Sudan Will Return to the Authoritarian Years of Bashir’s Rule
Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has resigned after continued mass protests rocked the capital Khartoum. Thousands marched against a recent deal he had done to share power with the army, who staged a coup in October. Chanting “power to the people”, protesters called for a return to full civilian rule. But military forces again responded […]
