By Séverin Tchoubang in Douala A pregnant woman has died of electrocution in Cameroon after heavy rains lashed the city of Douala, causing severe flooding. According to neighbours, she was found dead early on Friday morning and her body was removed by firefighters. “I heard her talking on the phone at 9 pm, but nothing after that. A neighbor told me that if she was there at 9 pm, she must still be there, because she wasn’t the type to sleep just anywhere or anyhow,” one neighbour told Africanews. “That’s when my husband tried calling, but the call wouldn’t go…
Author: Montage Africa
By AFP More than 7,000 Ebola cases have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s worst outbreak of the deadly disease ever, according to figures released Saturday by Congolese authorities. But the government also suggested that the spread of the disease may already have peaked, despite the virus having been confirmed in a seventh province earlier this week. The DRC officially detected the latest outbreak in mid-May, with nearly 3,400 people killed in its 17th epidemic of the highly infectious virus. It began in the northeastern Ituri province before spreading to conflict-plagued, remote eastern and northern regions where armed…
By Rédaction Africanews A 44-year-old senator, Edwin Sifuna, has emerged as a rising challenger to Kenya’s President William Ruto ahead of next year’s election as he channels anger over political violence and corruption. The east African country goes to the polls in August 2027 and a clear candidate has yet to emerge from a busy opposition playing field. Many Kenyans are furious at the entrenched corruption under Ruto, and the extreme violence used against any hint of protest, including more than 100 deaths and dozens of abductions blamed on security forces in the last two years. Sifuna earned goodwill among…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies The BRICS group of emerging economies on Saturday expressed concern over rising tensions in the Middle East and condemned the use of sanctions not authorised by the United Nations, as the leaders met in New Delhi to strengthen their position in global affairs seen as dominated by the West. Leaders of India, Russia, China, and other BRICS nations showed off commemorative postage stamps issued to mark twenty years since the founding of the group of emerging economies. This year’s summit is hosted by India, under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” “Our…
Pope Leo XIV called for a renewed commitment to peace on Sunday as he marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Leo made the comments at the end of his traditional Sunday noon blessing, speaking from a window overlooking the Vatican’s St Peter’s Square. “Two days ago marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America. I renew my prayers for those who lost their lives and for those who continue to bear the wounds of that tragic day,” Leo told the crowd. “At a time when conflict and violence afflict…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies Tens of thousands of people have been displaced across Yemen in recent days, fleeing the advance of Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Many residents of Aden, Yemen, opened their homes to people displaced by the Houthi rebels takeover of the port city of Mokha. In one of the houses, dozens of men lied on the floor carpeted with thin mattresses and bed sheets. ”We set out in hysterical panic on a motorcycle, not knowing where we were heading,” said Alaa Ali Salem who fled along with his family from Mokha’s al-Khawkha district. “The roads suddenly became extremely…
By Agencies More than 5,300 migrants who remained in Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta after a mass influx in July have returned to Morocco over the past month, the Spanish government said Sunday. Migration Minister Angel Victor Torres said 5,321 people had voluntarily returned since August 10, while 90 others had withdrawn requests for international protection. The government says nearly 1,000 more migrants are being registered to complete their return procedures. More than 70,000 people crossed into Ceuta on July 30 and 31 in an unprecedented and deadly rush, although most returned to Morocco within hours. Thousands who remained…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP More than 2,000 people fleeing Houthi rebels in Yemen have arrived in Djibouti, the International Organization for Migration said on Sunday. Last week, Iran-backed Houthis captured a key port city on Yemen’s western coast and an island in the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The strait is a vital shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz. Fearing a return to civil war, tens of thousands of residents fled the area. Now some have started arriving in Djibouti, some 30 kilometers across the strait. Authorities in Djibouti say the country’s navy, coast guard and other agencies are conducting…
By AP Somalia’s business community is seeking alternative shipping routes as security concerns and fighting disrupt maritime traffic around the Bab al-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz. The country relies heavily on imports, with businesses traditionally bringing goods from Asia through Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Mohamed Ali Nur, director of Mogadishu Seaport, says companies are now looking for more direct routes to avoid disruptions. Mohamed Ali Nur, Director of Mogadishu Seaport: “The latest tensions in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, as well as those in the Strait of Hormuz, have negatively impacted us. But we have…
Authorities in Zambia have warned people not to eat meat from wildlife after dozens of wild animals, including hippos, elephants, buffalo and a crocodile died following an anthrax outbreak. A disaster management agency official said over the weekend that 12 people had been infected with the disease after consuming dead wildlife in the Munyamadzi River area. The official urged the public not to consume meat from animals that die naturally or from unknown causes, while urging the public to report any such cases. Authorities have also called for hunting in the affected area to be suspended until the extent of…