Across Africa, these are the top news stories that should not escape your attention.
WHO requests 30 million doses from US for southern Africa
The WHO has sent a letter to the White House, asking it to urgently send COVID-19 vaccines to Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe.
The vaccines are reportedly needed to combat the growing new wave of the pandemic as the number of deaths is already doubling every week in some countries, such as Zambia. – According to The Africa Report
Ethiopian PM: Next week’s elections will be peaceful
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has reassured the people and observers alike that the coming elections will be peaceful.
He stated this when addressing a crowd of tens of thousands of supporters during a campaign rally on Wednesday, June 16th.
“The whole world is saying we will fight but we will show them differently,” Abiy told a packed stadium in the western city of Jimma. “The forces that saved Ethiopia from collapsing will turn the Horn of Africa into Africa’s power hub.”
To support his public statement, Ahmed also tweeted this week that the election “will be the nation’s first attempt at free and fair elections”. – According to Reuters
Facebook shuts Ethiopian accounts for fake news
Facebook has shut down a network of accounts in Ethiopia which it says are linked to the country’s cyber-security agency, accusing it of posting false and misleading content.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Information Network and Security Agency was reportedly co-founded and formerly led by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The decision to remove the accounts comes less than a week to the country’s national elections.
Facebook said the pages and groups were part of a network focused on national news and current affairs, and were used to post spam and misleading content, as well as criticism of opposition parties and groups.
The government is yet to respond to Facebook’s move. – According to BBC
US bans former Namibia Ministers accused of graft
The United States of America has banned former Fisheries Minister, Bernard Esau, and ex-Justice Minister, Sacky Shanghala, from entering the country because of allegations of corruption.
This was announced by US State Department’s spokesperson, Ned Price, in a media statement issued on June 15.
In the statement, Price said the two former ministers “were involved in corrupt acts that undermined rule of law and the Namibian public’s faith in their government’s democratic institutions.”
Esau and Shanghala have been charged with allegations of involvement in a scheme in which Icelandic companies allegedly paid them at least N$103 million (US$6.9 million) to get access to Namibian fishing quotas. – According to AllAfrica
Uganda and DR Congo launch joint road projects
Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni and his counterpart from the Democratic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi have launched the construction of road projects between the two countries.
The launching ceremony for the works took place in Uganda’s western border town of Mpondwe in Kasese district and Kasindi in the DR Congo’s North Kivu province.
In a joint statement, the two heads of state said the developments would transform the lives of the people in the two countries.
They emphasised the importance of strengthening co-operation in areas of security, energy, trade and investment, management of transboundary waters, petroleum and minerals.
It was learnt that Uganda will contribute 20 per cent of the total cost of the project estimated at $334.5m (£239m) and its soldiers will protect the contractors while DR Congo will meet the rest of the costs. – According to BBC
