Africa

Health officials are reporting that at least three people in the Western African nation of Guinea have died of the Ebola virus. In addition, five others have tested positive, sparking fears of a new outbreak of the deadly disease and causing the government to declare a second epidemic. Between 2013 and 2016, more than 11,000 […]

More than 300 students remain missing after gunmen attacked an all-boys school in northwestern Nigeria on Friday. Though the search has continued throughout the weekend, authorities have expressed their fears that many of the schoolboys are either in captivity or dead after attempting to flee to safety. As was previously reported by Al Jazeera, attackers […]

A man named Adolf Hitler Uunona has won a local election in Namibia, according to a Thursday report from The Independent. Uunona, who represents the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), became a councilor in the Ompundja Constituency, after beating his opponent by 1,196 votes to 213. In a statement supplied to the German tabloid […]

The Republic of the Congo has decided to end the “experiment” of using an elixir from Madagascar that had previously been hailed as a potion that could cure the novel coronavirus. According to Africa News, though Congo had originally imported massive quantities of the potential remedy — called COVID-Organics — it has decided to stop […]

Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization focused on human rights, has accused the Ethiopian government of killing civilians who were ideologically opposed to the current regime. According to Africa News, Amnesty claimed that security forces have murdered at least 39 individuals who were reportedly supporters of the opposition party. In addition, authorities had allegedly arrested thousands […]

Zambia’s president has pardoned two men who were serving 15-year sentences for having sex with each other, BBC News reports. That they were imprisoned for their relationship is emblematic of the wider issue of LGBTQ persecution in parts of Africa. On Monday, which was Africa Freedom Day, Lungu marked the occasion by pardoning approximately 3,000 […]

Though much of the world has implemented lockdowns to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Tanzanian President John Magufuli has “rejected” any suggestions to institute further measures in his country, insisting instead that “God will help us.” According to Africa News, Magufuli proclaimed his intention to avoid more quarantine actions at a church congregation […]

Three female politicians from the African nation of Zimbabwe suffered a terrible attack this week after attending a rally protesting the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Africa News, one of the three women is Joanna Mamombe, who has made waves as the youngest member of parliament in the country. The other two […]

Many African nations are relying on an alleged cure tonic from Madagascar as their defense against the novel coronavirus, sparking fears about a potential health crisis on the continent. Though the tonic has been widely hailed as a cure, it has not been properly tested. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned Africans […]

Tanzanian President John Magufuli claimed earlier this Sunday that the number of coronavirus cases in his African nation was grossly inflated — arguing that the tests were flawed because he secretly tested a papaya which delivered a positive result. Currently, Tanzania has 480 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 18 deaths. According to The Daily Monitor, […]

On Wednesday, April 1, Amnesty International released a statement revealing new evidence of Somali civilian deaths caused by U.S. airstrikes in February, The Independent reported. Two were killed, including a teenager and a 53-year-old farmer, and three were injured, according to the organization’s statement, which noted that the U.S. Africa Command announced an investigation into […]

Health officials in Nigeria are reporting cases of chloroquine poisoning after President Donald Trump touted the anti-malarial drug as a treatment against the coronavirus. As the South China Morning Post reported, officials in the capital city of Lagos said on Friday that hospitals have seen cases of poisoning caused by the drug, which Trump said […]

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) have vowed revenge against the United States for the assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani last week, The Daily Beast reports. The news comes after Iranian ambassador to the United Nations Majid Takht-Ravanchi said to CNN that Iran could not be held responsible for the actions […]

The year-long Ebola outbreak in Congo has now officially been declared an international emergency, in light of the fact that the disease has now moved from remote, rural villages and into Goma, a city of about two million people. As The Associated Press reports, more than 1,600 people have died of Ebola since August, when […]

The latest Ebola outbreak has spread from the Democratic Republic of the Congo into Uganda, in a move that director of Wellcome Trust Jeremy Farrar called “truly frightening,” per CNN. Wellcome Trust is a British medical research charity that is currently working on sharing research findings to come up with more ways to stop the […]

Three people have been killed so far on the first day of organized national protests in Sudan, with security forces resorting to tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the crowds. Many Sudanese people are joining forces in a “civil disobedience” movement that started on Sunday, just days after a military crackdown took the lives […]

A network led by Robert Baldwin, an American pastor from New Jersey, is administering Ugandans with industrial bleach, an investigation by The Guardian has revealed. Up to 50,000 Ugandans, including infants, have been administered chlorine dioxide so far, the report noted. The product, which is extremely dangerous and has no known health benefits, is being […]

Despite a new vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus that has proven effective in 97.5 percent of cases, according to World Health Organization data, a massive Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 1,100 people since August of last year, mainly due to politics as well as ongoing violence in […]

A Ugandan government official has criticized Donald Trump for complaining about the country’s internal security systems in the wake of the kidnapping of an American tourist, saying, “we don’t need his lecture.” As NBC News reports, a “war of words” of sorts has erupted between the U.S. and the African country following the kidnapping and […]

The United Nations said the destructive cyclone that ravaged some areas of southeastern Africa may be the worst ever disaster to hit the southern hemisphere. Cyclone Idai caused mass devastation throughout Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe in the past few days, leaving an unprecedented trail of destruction that caused devastating floods, ruined crops, and killed and […]

After the Ugandan government implemented a social media tax, millions are giving up their internet use to avoid paying, according to the Daily Mail. Uganda President Yoweri Museveni implemented a tax last year on the use of at least 60 websites and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp. The tax costs social media […]

The 2019 Nigerian presidential election has been delayed at the last minute, with polls being moved back one week until February 23. As the BBC reported, the dramatic move came just hours before polls were set to open on Saturday as the Independent National Electoral Commission cited logistical issues in making the move. “Proceeding with […]

An American woman and a British man were among 14 people killed yesterday when terrorists stormed a hotel in Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, armed with grenades, guns, and suicide bombs. The four attackers are reported to have thrown grenades outside the hotel before entering the building and spraying guests with bullets. At least […]

Donald Trump isn’t the only president to use Twitter to rail against his critics and to attempt to portray himself as a victim of trumped-up criminal charges. As ABC News reports, ousted South Africa president Jacob Zuma has taken a cue from Trump and is doing essentially the same thing – just in his own […]

Following the end of a reign of terror by former President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe is trying to rebuild itself under the leadership of his successor, Zanu PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa. A large part of that process seems to involve China, according to a report by Bulawayo 24. China has tightened its grip on the Southern […]

A cannibal walks into a police station holding a human leg, and what happened next is no joke. In South Africa, a man was sentenced to life in prison for killing a woman for her body parts and then making a grisly confession to police officers. As the Independent reported, a man named Nino Mbatha […]

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has denied claims that he had died and was replaced by a Sudanese impostor. He made an announcement on Sunday to shoot down the conspiracy that has been circulating on social media for many months. He is running for re-election in February 2019. Per a news article by Business Insider, Buhari […]

Militants in the African nation of Cameroon have abducted several dozen schoolchildren and at least one adult, and as of this writing no group has claimed responsibility, BBC News is reporting. Seventy-eight students and at least three other people, including the principal of the school, were kidnapped from the Presbyterian Secondary School in Bamenda, in […]

When some people picture Africa, one of the first images that may come to mind is a safari stopover, but the African City Guide has been created for travelers of both business and leisure who wish to get out of the chain hotel experience and typical visits in order to visit urban Africa, reports Quartz […]

The regional governor overseeing the city of Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania, has made ambitious and alarming promises to crack down on homosexuality in his jurisdiction. Governor Paul Makonda said on Monday that he would start arresting citizens under his watch who allegedly engage in homosexuality beginning on November 5. His remarks […]

Members of the Ethiopian parliament have elected Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde to be the country’s new president, BBC News reported. Not only is Sahle-Work the country’s first female president, but she is currently Africa’s only female head of state, the last being Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, who resigned in March. Zewde, 69, was the United Nations […]

An HIV-positive mother in South Africa became the first person to donate an organ to an uninfected patient when she donated a piece of her liver to her 13-month-old daughter, reports CNN. Experts say that the results of the transplant have the potential to widen the country’s organ donor scope. The transplant took place last […]

NBC News reports that a combination of political manipulation and conflict is making it harder than ever to fight the growing outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the World Health Organization, the Congo’s health ministry has reported 150 cases of suspected or confirmed Ebola. WHO said 100 individuals have died. […]

In a village outside Rwanda’s capital Kigali lies the Safe School For Girls, a co-educational center committed to educating both boys and girls about improving the lives of women in Rwanda, reports the BBC. The school attempts to tackle the issue of harassment and abuse during the Me Too era. On weekday afternoons after academic […]

Sleuths from BBC News were able to use Google Earth, some simple geometry, and more than a little good luck to pinpoint the exact time and place – and even some of the perpetrators – of a mass killing in Africa. The news agency then explained their process in a series of Twitter posts that […]

At least 44 people have died after the MV Nyerere ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, on Thursday afternoon. The lake straddles the borders of Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, and the ferry was traveling between two islands on the lake when the accident occurred, reported CNN. Rescue attempts were abandoned as […]

The South African Constitutional Court has ruled that it is legal to cultivate and consume marijuana for personal use. As reported by News24, the decision was originally made in 2017 in the Western Cape High Court that the possession, use, and cultivation in small amounts is legal, but the state insisted on appealing the decision. […]

Despite there being more and more resistance to the barbaric procedure, the practice of female genital mutilation, or circumcision, is still carried out in Somalia, usually before a girl reaches puberty and becomes mature enough to refuse. As reported by CNN, two sisters, 10-year-old Aasiyo Abdi Warsame and 11-year-old Khadijo, died a day after being […]

On Sunday, a terrorist attack rocked Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The perpetrator planned to target a government building, Howlwadag district headquarters, in the city. However, as he drove full speed towards the building, he was stopped at a checkpoint by security forces, triggered by his suspicious behavior. As a result, he detonated at the […]

Despite popular belief, the most dangerous animal in Africa is not the lion or jaguar, but the humble hippo. They are responsible for about 500 deaths per year, five times more than the elephant or lion. While they don’t have the same track record as crocodiles, this does put them on the “mankiller” list. In […]

According to the World Health Organization, 33 people have been reported dead from the Ebola virus outbreak spreading throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, as of Sunday. In addition, another 43 suspected cases were reported, 13 of which were confirmed by lab testing. So far, the Ebola outbreak has infiltrated five health zones in the […]

Those who want to watch a livestream of the Zimbabwe 2018 election will have a few options to follow all the vote totals, even if they’re watching from a cell phone or mobile device. On Monday, voters in Zimbabwe go to the polls for the first general election since Robert Mugabe was ousted. As the […]

An unidentified gunman opened fire on a group of taxi drivers Saturday night in Kwa-Zulu Natal province, killing 11 and critically injuring four others. According to Reuters, the drivers are members of the Gauteng taxi association and were returning home from the funeral of a colleague. As the drivers road together in a minibus, a […]

Park rangers at the Sibuya Game Reserve near Kenton-On-Sea in South Africa found the mauled body parts of at least three people in a lion enclosure. A few pairs of shoes, axes, wire cutters, and guns with silencers were also found in the enclosure, leading officials to believe that they were poachers looking to secure […]

Just over a month before the first Zimbabwe presidential election since a November coup that forced President Robert Mugabe from the post, an assassination attempt has been made on President Emmerson Mnangagwa during a Saturday campaign rally at the White City Stadium in the city of Bulawayo. While Mnangagwa, nicknamed The Crocodile, escaped harm, others […]

A crocodile leaped out of a lake and killed a pastor at a group baptism on Sunday morning. BBC reports that a group of 80 congregants was gathered on the lake’s shore where Docho Eshetu was baptizing members in Lake Abaya on Sunday, June 3 at about 4 p.m. The 45-year-old had only baptized one […]

Uganda’s parliament has passed a law which imposes a social media tax, BBC reports. The new law imposes a 200 shilling ($0.05) daily levy on people using internet platforms like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Viber. It will go into effect on July 1. However, according to BBC, it remains unclear how exactly this law will […]

Twenty-six people have lost their lives as a result of the Ebola outbreak that has been plaguing the Democratic Republic of Congo since the beginning of the month, reports Global News. As of this morning, the 2018 Ebola outbreak totaled 46 cases of hemorrhagic fever, of which 21 have been confirmed as Ebola, while 21 […]

The North African nation of Morocco is breaking off diplomatic relations with Iran, shuttering its embassy in Tehran, and sending home the Iranian ambassador who is based in Morocco’s capital of Rabat. The dispute centers on Iran’s alleged support for the Polisario Front, a political and military rebel group that seeks independence from Morocco in […]

Back in January, the governments of India and the Seychelles signed a 20-year deal for the construction of military installations on Assumption Island, including an airstrip and a small port. However, this week the opposition coalition blocked any attempts to approve the deal, going as far as declaring it “dead,” Al-Jazeera reported. Many sectors of […]