Across the 54 Countries in Africa, these are the 5 top stories you may have missed:
Kenya: Opposition leader, Raila tests positive to COVID-19
Raila Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) will spend some weeks away in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 at a city hospital – All Africa reports
The opposition leader was admitted at The Nairobi Hospital on Tuesday after developing “fatigue”, according to his family.
“Following my letter of the 10th of March 2021, we have confirmed that Rt. Hon. Odinga has SARS-2 Covid-19,” David Olunya, his personal doctor said in a statement to newsmen.
Sudan pardons powerful Janjaweed militia chief
North African country, Sudan, has pardoned and released the powerful Janjaweed militia chief Musa Hilal who is a UN-sanctioned leader accused by rights groups of atrocities in Darfur – Africa News reports
The release of Hilal and some members of his group is coming as the nation’s transitional government pushes peace efforts in the war-ravaged western region of the country, following an October peace accord with rebel groups aimed to end decades of conflict.
“Musa Hilal was released along with others,” Ismail Aghbash, an aide to Hilal, told AFP. “They are now on their way back home,” he concluded.
Somalia: Ex-President Ali Mahdi Dies in Nairobi
Ali Mahdi Muhammad, former Somalia president has died in Kenya’s capital Nairobi at the age of 83 – News Central Africa reports
The report was announced by Officials in Mogadishu, Wednesday, 11th March, that he died in Nairobi after being hospitalised for COVID-19 complications.
Nigeria: secondary schools in Niger State shuts down
Authorities in Nigeria’s Niger State have shut all public secondary schools for a period of two weeks from Friday, 12th March – BBC Africa reports
Hajiya Hannatu Jibrin Salihu who heads the ministry of education in the state disclosed that the two weeks closure was to give security agencies “the time and opportunity to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment”.
According to reports, more than 20 schools in the state had been shut following the abduction of 27 boys and their teachers in a school in the Kagara area of the state last month.
Ethiopia’s Amhara rejects charge of ‘ethnic cleansing’ in Tigray
The Amhara region of Ethiopia has rejected allegations that its forces’ involvement in “ethnic cleansing” in the country’s embattled Tigray region after the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for Amhara troops to leave the area – Aljazeera Africa reports
Speaking to news agencies on Thursday, Amhara’s spokesperson Gizachew Muluneh dismissed reports of ethnic cleansing and large-scale displacement as “propaganda”.
