Takpapieni, Togo | AFP | Not so long ago, whenever he wanted to watch a football match or recharge his phone, Ousmane Kantcho had to go “into town” — a 15-kilometre ride by bicycle on poor roads in the savannah. His village, Tababou, lies more than 600 kilometres (375 miles) from …
Read More »40 killed in attacks in restive central Mali
Bamako, Mali | AFP | Forty people, including nine soldiers, have been killed in a spate of attacks in central Mali, authorities said Friday, with most of the deaths caused by inter-ethnic violence in the deeply troubled region. Thirty-one people were killed in an attack overnight in Ogossagou, a village mainly …
Read More »Under-pressure Greece toughens migration stance
Athens, Greece | AFP | Facing overwhelming migration pressure on the Aegean with island camps on the brink of asphyxiation, the conservative Greek government has hardened its asylum policy with increased repatriations, new detention centres and plans for a sea barrier. “The decongestion of our islands is our number one priority,” …
Read More »Desert locusts not destructive- Minister Rwamirama
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Government has said that the locusts that have invaded different parts of the country are mature and not destructive. According to the State Minister for Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirama, although Government is prepared to spray the locusts, the current locusts in the country could just …
Read More »IMF cuts Uganda’s growth projection
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The International Monetary Fund-IMF has slashed Uganda’s growth projection from 6.3% to 6% this year, citing the country’s challenges to get oil out of the ground and government’s inability to do all budgeted activities. After assessing the economy, the IMF said Uganda had challenges to …
Read More »Chinese firm applies for construction of 840MW Ayago dam
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A Chinese company Power China International Group Limited has submitted an application to construct the 840 Mega Watts Ayago hydropower plant on River Nile. According to the Uganda Gazette this week, the company seeks a license for generation and sale of electricity from Ayago dam …
Read More »Nigerians turn to traditional brew as economy staggers
Benue, Nigeria | AFP | Government worker Iorliam Shija sits in one of the ramshackle bars along the banks of the Benue river in central Nigeria sipping from a gourd filled with frothy burukutu. The vinegary alcoholic beverage has been made here for generations from the fermented grains of sorghum and …
Read More »My working relationship with president Museveni was candid: Ambassador Malac
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The out-going United States Ambassador to Uganda Deborah Ruth Malac has said she had a candid working relationship with President Museveni. Malac whose four-year tenure as US Ambassador to Uganda ends on Sunday told URN in an interview on Friday that her and Museveni often …
Read More »MALAC: Govts that overstay often end badly
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The outgoing US Ambassador to Uganda, Deborah Malac has warned that ultimately, governments that stay for long In power without a transitional plan, often end up badly. Malac was today holding her final press briefing at the American Centre as US Ambassador to Uganda …
Read More »Gold miners face dangerous life in Nigeria’s ‘bandit’ country
Anka, Nigeria | AFP | From dawn, before the sun starts to sear the earth, Biltamnu Sani is already hard at work, pounding away at the dusty soil in his perilous quest for gold. The mineral-rich earth of Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, has provided generations of families with the means to …
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