By Rédaction Africanews and AP The rhythmic sounds of construction muffle the thud of farmers’ hoes on a chilly morning in Rwanda’s capital, where new efforts aim to protect remaining agricultural land from relentless development in Africa’s most densely populated country. Eighty-four-year-old Mukarusini Kurisikira had been a farmer before she fled the country to Congo during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Upon returning, she said, her family’s land, which had stretched across the hills, had been taken away for construction. She gestured toward Kigali’s high-rise buildings. Now she grows maize and sweet potatoes on a piece of land the size of…
Author: Montage Africa
Elaborate costumes, blaring music and vibrant processions took over Nigeria’s Lagos Island on Monday as the annual Fanti Carnival hit the streets. The festivities have lit up Lagos’ financial hub for more than two centuries, celebrating the legacy of the Afro-Brazilian returnees who once settled in the city. This year’s carnival featured musical performances, bedazzled horses, huge dragons and dancing stilt walkers. EPA/Shutterstock Reuters In the 1800s, some formerly enslaved Africans and their descendants migrated back to the continent from countries like Brazil and Cuba. Many Afro-Brazilians settled in Lagos Island, bringing new customs with them Reuters These customs fused…
By Rédaction Africanews South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday received the diplomatic credentials of the new US ambassador, as relations between the two countries languish at a low ebb. Brent Bozell, a right-wing media critic and staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, took up the post in February but got off to a rocky start with remarks on South Africa’s racial policies and court decisions. In a brief ceremony at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House in the capital, Bozell, alongside his spouse, was welcomed with a guard of honour before he handed over his credentials to Ramaphosa. “Before…
As private wealth grows across Africa, how this capital is managed will determine its impact on families, communities and economies for generations. By Amol Prabhu, Country CEO, Africa, Barclays Private Bank and Wealth Management Wealth is more than a number on a balance sheet, or the value of a portfolio. It goes beyond inheritance, privilege or status. It carries memory, meaning and responsibility. It tells the story of how a fortune was built and what it could achieve in the years to come. For those who have already built significant wealth, the real test isn’t accumulation, it’s how effective that wealth is structured, protected and directed so that its impact…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Torrential rains have killed around 40 people in Angola, with several others still missing, authorities say. The downpours triggered flash floods over the weekend, submerging streets and damaging homes in the capital, Luanda, and the coastal city of Benguela. Officials say 13 people died in Luanda province, where five others remain unaccounted for. In Benguela province, 26 people were killed and four are still missing. Local reports also say at least six people died in the provinces of Cuanza Sul and Malanje. More than 600 homes have been destroyed in Luanda and Benguela, while over 9,500 properties…
By Africanews with AP Israeli strikes hit several dense commercial and residential areas in central Beirut Wednesday afternoon without warning, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. Israel had said the agreement does not extend to its war with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, although mediator Pakistan said it does. Israel’s military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley. Black smoke towered over several parts of the seaside capital. Explosions interrupted the…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Azeez Akanni wipes sweat from his face as he squeezes into a crowded yellow bus heading to the busy business district of Lagos. The 32-year-old fashion designer spends his days moving across the city, delivering luxury clothes and shoes to clients. However, lately, the journey has become even harder. “The sun is too hot,” he says, pressed between two equally exhausted passengers. Across Nigeria, millions of people are battling a heatwave that is making daily life unbearable. Temperatures are not new here. But officials say the heat is getting worse. The country’s weather agency warns that recent…
Police in Ethiopia have arrested a man accused of being at the centre of a multi-million-dollar international human trafficking ring that since 2018 has lured thousands of people to Libya, where they hoped to travel on to Europe. Yetbarek Dawit is alleged to have operated five detention warehouses in Libya, torturing migrants there to try and force their relatives to send extra money. He was detained along with nine of his alleged accomplices in northern town of Shire, according to police. They are yet to be charged in court. Police say testimonies collected so far suggest the network has been…
An opinion article by Dr. Olive Shisana, Hon Professor, and Mr. Elhadj As Sy. Africa is entering a unique period in its history, one that requires more than a shift in donor models. It demands a new political order in global health, one that confronts how power is exercised and by whom. Global health has been treated primarily as a financing pain point rather than a health challenge: something to be addressed with more aid, more external support, and more donor-driven programs. However, as revealed during the Global Health Reform – Africa Regional Dialogue, Africa does not suffer from a…
By Africanews with AFP Nearly 5,000 white Afrikaners have entered the United States under a programme launched by President Donald Trump nearly a year ago based on unfounded claims that the South African minority faces persecution, a document seen by AFP on Wednesday showed. The Trump administration has essentially ended refugee admissions as part of a crackdown on immigration but made an exception for South Africa’s white Afrikaans community, descendants of the first European settlers. All of 4,499 people listed as resettled across 48 US states between October 1 last year and March 31 this year were South Africans except…