12 November 2021
Uganda: In the past, the now Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have killed thousands in Congo-Kinshasa’s Kivu province, while attacks in Uganda have been rather rare. This may now be changing. And the change may have to do with Musa Baluku, a dedicated Salafist, taking over ADF in 2015. Nowadays, ADF and al-Shabaab – though the latter are an al-Qaida affiliate – are working closely together in Uganda, against the “crusader Uganda government”. And they may also be working together with the Islamic State affiliate Ahlu-Sunna wa-Jama (ASWJ) in Mozambique, locally also called al-Shabaab. In fact, there may be “a misunderstanding of ‘affiliation’. It doesn’t refer to total Islamic State control of ADF and ASWJ operations. Instead, there is a transference of ideas, tactics, training and personnel”.
https://issafrica.org/iss-today/uganda-terror-attacks-point-to-deeper-jihadi-coordination?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=ISS_Weekly_FR&utm_medium=email
Libya: Macron will be joined by Egyptian President al-Sisi, US Vice-President Kamala Harris and Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov at a conference in Paris starting today that is to ensure that Libya will hold elections in December as planned.
BBC Africa Live 12 November 2021. 8:54
Mozambique: The country’s top defence and security posts have not been vacant for long. President Nyusi named former chief commissioner for immigration and provincial police commander in Inhambane, Manica and Nampula provinces Arsenia Felicidade Felix Massingue interior minister. Cristóvão Artur Chume, commander of the forces that (with Rwandan help) recently recovered towns including Mocimboa da Praia in Cabo Delgado province from djihadists, has been named minster of national defence.
BBC Africa Live 12 November 2021. 7:36
Mozambique: Maputo will appeal the constitutional court’s decision to extradite its former finance minister to the United States and not to Mozambique.
BBC Africa Live 12 November 2021. 6:12
Sudan: The new ruling council named yesterday Thursday by al-Burhan despite national and international protests “also includes civilians but none from the political coalition that was in power before the coup.” The naming of the council makes a return to the status quo ante more and more difficult.
BBC Africa Live 12 November 2021. 4:45
South Africa/eSwatini/Lesotho: The article explains the politics around borders and the ten bantustans in the apartheid 1970s and 1980s between South Africa and its two small neighbours. Mentioning, without going into detail, that it was the inhabitants of the concerned areas that had to pay the price of “big” political decisions.
https://theconversation.com/south-africas-apartheid-regime-manipulated-borders-today-the-effects-linger-170469
Kenya: The UK was reported to have suspended the recruitment of health professionals from Kenya because the country is now on a list of countries with a shortage of health workers. But later, this was corrected, when “the Kenyan and UK authorities said that this deal was still on as the ban on recruitment did not apply as long as it complied with the terms of a government-to-government agreement.”
BBC Africa Live 12 November 2021. 11:31 & 14:57
Uganda: Schools have been closed for almost 80 weeks. This “will have a long-lasting effect on people's education” according to the New York Times. According to an official report, 30% of students will most probably not return to school when they reopen. “Some lessons are being broadcast on radio and resources are available online, but these are not accessible for everyone.”
BBC Africa Live 12 November 2021. 14:00
11 November 2021
Mozambique: Only one day after the interior minister, the national defence minister has also been sacked by the President. No reason was given, though it is thought that it was because of the increased number of kidnappings, cases of murder, terrorism and corruption, and road accidents.
BBC Africa Live 11 November 2021. 7:27
Ethiopia: 157 died in the crash of the Boeing 737 Max in 2019. Boeing has now reached an agreement with their families, accepting liability for their deaths against families of the victims renouncing to seek punitive damages from Boeing. This opens the way for these families to claim compensation in US courts.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59236437
Climate change: Extreme heat is certain to increase in Africa. The article gives an overview of what problems this creates. Those most in danger are children, old people, pregnant women & their babies, and “more vulnerable members of society”, especially residents of informal urban settlements (because of limited access to healthcare, poor sanitation, overcrowding, with tin roofs of informal settlements exacerbating heat stress.
https://theconversation.com/extreme-heat-hurts-human-health-its-effects-must-be-mitigated-urgently-171327
Uganda: Herbal medicine can be toxic. Proper scientific tests are necessary to assure quality, efficacy and safety. The organic research group at Makerere University’s Department of Chemistry does just that – of late, they have tested medicinal plants commonly used to treat skin infections. Results are communicated to the concerned.
https://theconversation.com/herbal-skin-treatments-in-uganda-get-an-important-scientific-boost-170293
South Africa: Former President FW de Klerk has died of cancer, aged 85. He died “peacefully at his home”. He had received the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Nelson Mandela in 1993.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13230608