– NEWS –
Zimbabwe’s president and Ethiopian prime minister escape unhurt after blasts at rallies: Both Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are safe after explosions rocked rallies where they were present in their respective countries. Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa escaped unhurt after an explosion rocked a stadium where he was addressing a political rally a month before the country is due to hold its presidential elections. However, vice presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi and a minister sustained minor injuries following the blast at the White City Stadium in the second city of Bulawayo. Elections in Zimbabwe will take place on July 30th. Ethiopia’s Ahmed escaped a grenade attack on Saturday at a rally in the capital that killed one person and left scores wounded, officials and witnesses said. The attack was launched by an unidentified assailant moments after Ahmed finished his speech to tens of thousands of people gathered in the center of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Both attacks have in common that the new presidents want to break with the failed policies of their predecessors, and old elites are fearing for their privilege and power in the two countries.
cnbcafrica.com
African Union to discuss corruption at conference: Africa is expected to hold meetings this week that will address continental challenges. The African Union will hold its customary mid-year summit outside its Addis Ababa headquarters. The conference has been preceded by numerous preparatory meetings. The situation in South Sudan has led to international frustration. In May, the UN Security Council gave the two sides a month to reach a peace deal or face sanctions. More recently, a top US official threatened parties with sanctions after a damning report from an American foundation. Interestingly, the AU summit will be held soon after the US withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council.
allafrica.com
Eritrean delegation to visit Addis Ababa after Ethiopia’s peace offer: A delegation from Eritrea will arrive in Addis Ababa this week as Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed appears ready to resolve one of Africa’s most intractable military stand-offs. Eritrea fought a border war with its larger neighbor in 1998-2000 that killed about 70,000 people, and disputes still remain over the still-militarized frontier. Ahmed, who has outlined a series of radical reforms since taking office in April, made a surprising pledge this month to honor all the terms of a peace deal that ended the conflict. On Monday, an Ethiopian Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman said representatives from the neighboring Horn of Africa nation would arrive in Addis Ababa this week. Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki raised hopes of a breakthrough last week by describing the recent peace overtures from Abiy as positive signals.
africanews.com
Oettinger wants refugee camp in North Africa: EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger plans to provide aid to migrants in North Africa, before they might start an arduous journey to Europe. To do so, the Commissioner wants the EU to make funds available at short notice. Oettinger said the EU wanted to invest in a „closed off“ village and was currently looking for a partner – this could be a government, a region or a local administration. Access to water, sewage, air conditioning, heating, shelter, safety, clothing, food and education should be provided for children in housing that honors human dignity. An example of this kind of project are the six billion euros provided to Turkey to take care of refugees.
zeit.de
East Libyan forces say oil ports handed to eastern-based NOC reuters.com
Development worker Kilian Kleinschmidt calls for special economic zones in Africa deutschlandfunkkultur.de
Nigeria to launch major security operation after wave of violence between Muslim herders and Christian farmers telegraph.co.uk
– BACKGROUND –
First female mayor tipped for Tunis: Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda party proclaimed victory in historic municipal elections in Tunis after exit polls suggested they had won the most votes in a result that, if confirmed, could also pave the way for the first female mayor of Tunis. Ennahdha’s Souad Abderrahim looked likely to be the first female mayor of the capital after independent civil society observers at counting centers said she had received 33.8 percent of the vote. Abderrahim, a pharmacist and former MP who ran against ten male candidates, said before the polls that she sought to be a source of pride for Tunisian women. Abderrahim describes herself as a „feminist Islamist“, wears pantsuits, and keeps her hair short. Her agenda: to expand public transport, improve garbage collection and improve public parks.
middleeasteye.net, taz.de
Drones above Africa: The African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) have published a drone report outlining the potential and the challenges for the drone industry on the continent. The paper „Drones on the Horizon: Transforming Africa’s Agriculture“, which was introduced that the African Innovation Summit in Rwanda, demands that the continent must keep up with global competition. The most successful drone delivery programs in the world are currently deployed in Africa. Medical logistics and drone delivery company Zipline has implemented delivery of medical and blood supplies to remote clinics in Rwanda: they plan to expand the program to Tanzania. In Malawi, Unicef has implemented the first successful drone corridor for the delivery of vaccination supplies to rural areas.
dronelife.com, drones-magazin.de
– NUMBER –
The internet disruptions in Algeria will continue until 700,000 students finish their exams on Monday, the education ministry said, adding that it has assigned one exam proctor for every three students.
nytimes.com
– QUOTE –
„The Western states should stop the dictatorships in Africa. They should stop supporting dictators that have been in power for 35 years or longer. Stop plundering Africa. Invest more in order to create jobs for the young people. The corruption would come to an end. Stop the wars in most Middle Eastern countries. Then the number of refugees will fall by 80 percent. Nobody would think of going to the West and suffering there.“
This is one of many African users‘ comments on the discussion about migration policy in Europe and Germany.
dw.com
– AT LAST –
Boris Becker challenges Central African Republic on passport forgery allegations: Boris Becker has insisted that he is a diplomat for the Central African Republic (CAR), after the troubled nation’s foreign minister said the German tennis player’s passport was counterfeit. The three-time Wimbledon champion used his ambassadorial role for CAR to shield himself from bankruptcy proceedings in the UK, provoking bewilderment. Becker told Andrew Marr on Sunday that, contrary to reports, he is not running away from his debt but simply informing the trustee and the courts about his position as he legally had to do. The president’s spokesman, Albert Yaloke Mokpeme, said Becker had never been appointed as CAR’s attache to the European Union on sporting, cultural and humanitarian affairs.
independent.co.uk