By Rédaction Africanews On Wednesday, Xi Jinping and his Egyptian counterpart, president Abdel Fatah el-Sissi, oversaw the signing of a series of deals, including on technology, economic co operation and the digital economy. Discussions between the two leaders centres on bolstering ties between their countries. According to Chinese state media, Xi called on Egypt and his own country to reject what he described as ‘unilateral acts of bullying’. He also urged the two nations to collaborate and move towards what he referred to as ‘a more hush and equitable global governance system’. It comes after Xi arrived in the Egyptian…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews As students around the world prepare to go back to school, the beginning of the academic year in the Democratic Republic of Congo is far from straightforward. The country is still in the grips of an ebola outbreak, and parents and teachers alike have voiced concerns that the virus poses a risk. Staff say they’re doing what they can to keep everyone safe. Gerlance Mahamba Mumbere, a school manager, said, “the children (students) enter the classroom without shaking hands, the children avoid eating together, and neither the children nor the teachers touch each other. We have placed…
Uber has announced it is closing its operations in Nigeria – Africa’s most populous country – and the East African nation of Uganda with immediate effect The global ride-hailing giant said it had come to the “difficult decision” after a thorough review of its business. It began operating in Nigeria in 2014 and in Uganda two years later. Uber taxi drivers in Nigeria have long complained that prices on the app are too low, given the rising cost of fuel, and that commission charges are too high. The company has also faced pressure from rival platforms. The announcement came as…
This week, Malian music icon Salif Keita cancelled all future performances in South Africa, turning an entertainment story into a wider conversation about African identity, migration and cultural solidarity. Keita announced the decision on Tuesday, August 25, saying he could not ignore reports of xenophobic violence against fellow Africans in South Africa. His spokesperson subsequently confirmed the cancellation to AFP. The is significant because Keita is not merely withdrawing from a concert. He is using his cultural influence to respond to an issue that continues to challenge relations between Africans on the continent. When music becomes a political voice Popular…
President Mahamat Deby of Chad has called on citizens to keep promoting national unity and patriotism as the country prepares to celebrate its Independence Day. In a televised address to the nation on Independence Day, Mahamat said continued efforts to foster solidarity are essential to protecting social cohesion and driving development. “Chad has suffered too much from the horrors of war and division,” as well as intercommunal conflicts “that sow death and grief,” Mahamat said. He noted that the country’s future depends on “its ability to remain united and stand together” in spite of the challenges it faces. “We…
By Ameh George The United Nations has urged governments and technology companies to urgently protect children from growing online risks. The UN also called on advertisers, media organisations and researchers to prioritise children’s safety and participation in shaping digital policies. It said young people increasingly faced disinformation, online harassment, algorithmic bias and the malicious use of Artificial Intelligence. The warning was contained in a new UN brief released ahead of International Youth Day. According to the report, more than eight in 10 young people aged between 15 and 24 worldwide are now online. It said internet use among young people…
Celebrations have turned the northern Nigerian city of Kano into a riot of colour and excitement over the last week as 1,500 couples married at a mass wedding. For days the city’s streets have been buzzing with bridal parties and their families preparing outfits and attending other organised events. On Friday, brides in red hijabs with grooms in matching red hats and white robes went to the palace of the Emir, the city’s traditional Muslim leader, for the main ceremony where they officially became husband and wife. The nuptials culminated on Saturday with a wedding breakfast hosted by Governor Abba…
By Ameh George A criminal court in the Syrian capital Damascus on Tuesday sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad and several other former officials to death. The Fourth Criminal Court in the city unanimously convicted al-Assad, who remains abroad and was tried in absentia, on charges of murder and incitement to murder and sentenced him to death, according to reports on the court proceedings. The court also sentenced former senior security official Atef Najib to death over killings and abuses linked to the Syrian conflict, the reports said, adding that a total of nine former officials received death sentences. The verdict…
By Agencies Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, is warning of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Somalia, where half of all children living in displacement sites in the southwest are now suffering from acute malnutrition. The medical charity says prolonged drought, worsening food insecurity, and shrinking humanitarian funding have pushed thousands of families to the brink. Since January, MSF has screened more than 21,000 children under the age of five in Baidoa, finding acute malnutrition rates of around 50 percent. The organization has also expanded its nutrition ward to cope with a growing number of critically ill children. Mitchell Sangma, MSF…
By Rédaction Africanews In the Democratic Republic of Congo, 65 civil society organisations are urging President Félix Tshisekedi to abandon plans for a constitutional referendum. In a memorandum sent Monday to the president and the country’s main institutions, the groups say the security, humanitarian and economic crises make a referendum a poor use of resources. They point to the war in the east, the suffering of millions of displaced people, and worsening living conditions, warning that the proposed law could be seen as a first step toward changing the Constitution and could deepen political tensions. The organisations, including No to…