Author: kajarbi54

President Hakainde Hichilema has declared Africa’s renewed resolve in its approach to natural resources, stating that the continent has reached a firm stance on ensuring responsible extraction, as opposed to the historical pattern in which Africa supplied unprocessed minerals to global markets. The Zambian leader made the declaration on Tuesday when he hosted the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan in Lusaka. He stated that African nations are now committed to processing and value addition rather than exporting raw materials, a resolution reached at the recent African Union summit. “We are speaking one language now…

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has sent its Emergency Response Team (ERT) to Madagascar as the island nation grapples with the aftermath of two destructive tropical cyclones in less than three weeks. The deployment aims to reinforce government-led relief efforts after Cyclones FYTIA and Gezani caused widespread devastation across several regions. Cyclone FYTIA struck on 31 January, followed by Cyclone Gezani on 10 February, intensifying an already critical humanitarian situation. The storms have left hundreds dead, displaced thousands, and caused significant damage to infrastructure and essential services. According to SADC, over 270,000 people across 18 districts in five regions…

Traders operating in gazetted city markets in Kampala have rallied behind a Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) ultimatum giving street vendors two weeks to vacate roads, pavements and other illegal trading spaces. They have called on their colleagues to relocate to structured market stalls that the city has already invested in but which remain underutilised. The enforcement, scheduled for Thursday, will be jointly carried out by police and the army to remove any remaining vendors from roadsides, walkways and taxi parks. Vendors found operating illegally risk having their merchandise impounded and being prosecuted. KCCA on 5 February issued a two-week…

Operations at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport will resume normally today after workers on Tuesday called off a two-day strike following a mutual agreement reached with the Ministry of Transport. The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, in a statement, announced that workers have been directed to return to work and begin operations immediately following the agreement. The strike action was triggered by grievances from the union, which was demanding better working conditions, pay, and benefits. Discussions on how their demands would be met were held on Tuesday. Last week, airport workers issued a strike notice after authorities failed to implement part…

Mali’s meteorological department has recommended the mandatory wearing of face masks to protect the respiratory tract as thick dust haze covers parts of the country. The department issued the warning on Monday as the nation woke to a dense layer of dust haze, which health specialists say often leads to a significant reduction in visibility and a marked deterioration in air quality. Other recommendations include keeping doors and windows closed to limit the infiltration of fine particles into homes and drinking water regularly to moisten the mucous membranes. Particular attention should be paid to children, the elderly, and people with…

Ghana’s Parliament has formally reintroduced the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely referred to as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, clearing the way for its second reading in the House. The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, directed the Business Committee to schedule the bill for debate after determining that it satisfies constitutional and procedural requirements under the House’s Standing Orders. The decision follows Standing Order 187(2), which requires the Speaker to inform Parliament whether a private member’s bill complies with Article 108 of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution before it can be introduced. The bill was previously before Parliament but did…

Plan International Ghana has called on journalists to adopt more ethical reporting practices, particularly when covering children, girls and other vulnerable groups. The appeal was made during a three-day media training session aimed at promoting responsible journalism and discouraging sensationalism and stereotyping in news coverage. Head of Programmes, Mr Eric Ayaba, in his opening remarks, appealed to journalists to adopt balanced reporting rather than blaming the victim, warning that doing otherwise could distort critical information needed to uncover the truth. Mr Ayaba said some media coverage of vulnerable communities tends to focus on sensational angles, arguing that it can overshadow…

Civil society organisations on Tuesday returned to the National Assembly of Nigeria for a second consecutive day of protests, demanding that lawmakers make real-time electronic transmission of election results mandatory in the proposed Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026. The protesters, led by ActionAid Nigeria and other civic groups, insisted on the unconditional electronic transmission of results directly from polling units to the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC). The demonstration followed an earlier protest last week amid concerns that the Senate’s version of the amendment bill weakened provisions for real-time transmission, unlike the House of Representatives’ version, which…

The independent audit firm, DT Associates, has issued a disclaimer of opinion on the D49.9 million investments of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA). The firm, hired to audit the 2022 financial statements of the GPA, was unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence after reviewing the accounts. Presenting the disclaimer report at the Legislative Assembly, a representative from DT Associates, Aji Penda Sankareh, informed the assembly that the lack of an opinion on the accompanying financial performance of the GPA was due to the significance of the matters described in the basis for the disclaimer of opinion section of the…

At least 28 people have been confirmed killed and several others injured following a drone attack on a market in the Al-Safiya region of northern Kordofan, Sudan, on Sunday. The information comes from a statement released by the legal group Emergency Lawyers. Women, children, and the elderly were among the victims who died in the attack. The death toll could rise due to the severity of injuries sustained, the NGO noted. The Emergency Lawyers collective condemned the attack, describing it as a deliberate strike against a civilian site and attributing responsibility to one of the parties involved in the conflict.…