25 April 2022
“The pepper seller knows not to rub their hand on their face”
BBC Africa Live 25 April 2022. 4:32. Proverb of the day. Sent by Smartnation Mathew Bako to BBC News Pidgin
Uganda/Art/Venice Biennale: Uganda is represented at the famous exhibition for the first time – at the Ugandan pavilion works of Acaye Kerunen and paintings by Collin Sekajugo are exhibited. Acaye Kerunen collaborates with craftswomen to create her pieces – she says: “Uganda is again in the limelight for the right reasons.” In choosing to work with materials like bark-cloth rafia, she according to the jury “illustrates sustainability as a practice and not just a policy or concept”. The Biennale is on show until the 27th of November.
BBC Africa Live 25 April 2022. 17:37
24 April 2022
Rwanda: The catholic church is trying to help communities to again live in harmony – and is even using some “force” to put it in place: people who have committed crimes during the genocide “are not allowed to partake of the sacrament until they have reconciled with their victims' family”, with the reconciliation being a public ceremony. One such reconciliation has led to the marriage of a victim’s son with the perpetrator’s daughter – the latter had started coming to help the victim’s wife in her household when she noticed that her mother-in-law-to-be had no one to help her, knowing full well that it was her father who had killed her husband. In 2004, after 10 years of detention, before a gacaca court, the perpetrator had told his victim’s wife how he had killed her husband and apologised. By publicly forgiving him, she spared him from serving 19-year jail sentence – he only had to serve a two-year community service sentence.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61105532
Mali: Terrorist attacks have simultaneously targeted three military bases in central Mali, one of them the Sévaré base. No further information provided.
BBC Africa Latest Updates 24 April 2022. 10:24
Mauritania/Canada/USA: Mohamedou Ould Slahi alleges that Canada provided false information which made him a suspect in a 1999 failed terrorism plot in the USA. He was held at Guantanamo Bay without trial for 14 years and says he was tortured (beatings, sleep deprivation, sexual assault). He is now suing Canada for its role in his detention, seeking 30m USD in damages. Mohamedou Ould Slahi has written several books during his detention, his memoir having “formed the basis for the 2021 film, The Mauritanian.”
BBC Africa Latest Updates 24 April 2022. 9:09
Nigeria: On Friday, an explosion at an illegal oil refinery in Imo State killed more than 100. Many were burnt beyond possible recognition in the ensuing fire. Police are looking for the owner of the illegal refinery.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61207441