Eid el-Fitr in the time of the Coronavirus | 23 May 2020
Egypt: While Sisi sends aid to China, Italy and US, Egypt’s health system is about to collapse
Cairo, May 25, 2020 - Egypt's top medical union on Monday warned of a "complete collapse" of the country's health system, accusing the health ministry of negligence in failing to protect healthcare workers from coronavirus. "The syndicate is warning that the health...
How the image of the United Arab Emirates in the Maghreb is taking a beating ($)
The United Arab Emirates has made no effort to fix its image abroad, as its involvement in crisis regions has been cemented by the UAE's leaders need to project some kind of strength in the Middle East and Africa. In North Africa's Maghreb region, the UAE's image has...
Algeria: Sonatrach’s CEO under fire for conflict of interest and nepotism as company faces dismal outlook ($)
Several Algerian media have reported that Toufik Hakkar, the CEO of Sonatrach, has been spending unusually high amount of time during this month of Ramadan with a business tycoon from his hometown of Batna, Hamza Guettai. Guettai owns Petrogel, a private company...
Moroccan authorities attacks more journalists of Akhbar Al-Yaum
Rabat, May 25, 2020 - A Moroccan judge on Monday placed the head of an independent daily newspaper in pre-trial detention for suspected sexual assault, his lawyer said. Soulaimane Raissouni, 48, editor of Akhbar Al-Yaum, was arrested on Friday after allegations...
Egyptian army keeps busy killing “insurgents” in North Sinai
Egypt said Saturday (23 May) that 21 jihadists were killed in clashes with security forces in the restive Sinai peninsula, where Islamic State group-affiliated militants have waged a long-running insurgency. The interior ministry said in a statement that police...
Libya: Russia may be escalating conflict in Libya with more support for warlord Haftar
Berlin, May 26, 2020 - Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the US military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict. The military fighter...
Libya: Warlord Haftar’s IEDs kill civilians in southern Tripoli
Tripoli, May 26, 2020 - The United Nations has deplored the "grotesque" use of improvised explosive devices against civilians in Libya's capital Tripoli, the scene of more than a year of deadly fighting. The UN mission in Libya said it "strongly condemns these acts,...
Algeria maintains use of chloroquine despite signs of ineffectiveness
Algiers, May 26, 2020 - Algeria will continue to use the drug hydroxychloroquine against the novel coronavirus, a member of its scientific committee said, despite the World Health Organization suspending clinical trials of such treatments. "We've treated thousands of...
FEATURED STORIES
Algeria: The return of the Saharan cheetah to the Hoggar Mountains
Algiers, May 20, 2020 - Naturalists in Algeria have filmed a Saharan cheetah, a subspecies listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, for the first time in a decade, the national parks authority said. The animal was spotted in the Hoggar Mountains national...
Tunisia: Tourism sector loses over $2 billion with no sign of recovery
Tunis, May 18, 2020 - As the novel coronavirus pandemic wipes out a recovery from jihadist attacks in 2015, Tunisia's vital tourism sector is trying to find ways to avoid going under. "Normally, the season starts now. But there is nobody," said Mohammed Saddam, who...
Tunisia: A Tunisian initiative to identify potential Covid-19 carriers
Tunis, April 17, 2020 - Tunisian engineers have created a web-based platform that scans lung X-rays and evaluates whether patients are likely to be suffering from the novel coronavirus. While it's not the first initiative of its kind in the world, its creators say it...
Morocco: People helping people in time of pandemic
Casablanca, Morocco, April 12, 2020 - A small van zips through the streets of Casablanca to deliver food to single mothers, as economic paralysis caused by the coronavirus crisis puts pressure on Morocco's poor. "We have to be quick," says Bouchra, a coordinator from...
Egypt: Looming social unrest
Cairo, April 8, 2020 (By Farid Farid) - Haggard and dishevelled from the stress of making ends meet, day labourers line up in Cairo for food parcels after losing their jobs to the sharp downturn caused by the coronavirus. Sayed Shaaban, 42, who used to work in a cafe,...
Nigeria: Refugee camps in Nigeria facing a new enemy
Maiduguri, Nigeria, April 3, 2020 (By Audu Abba Kurama and Aminu Abubakar in Kano) - Men and women cluster around plastic wash basins hastily set up outside one of northeast Nigeria's sprawling displaced persons' camps, lathering their hands with soap under the gaze...
Egypt: Cairo’s green lung razed for roads to new desert capital
Cairo, Feb 11, 2020 - By By Hager Harabech and Farid Farid: In the traffic-choked megacity of Cairo, the historic Heliopolis district has long stood out for its leafy boulevards, but now construction crews are cutting new highways through it and uprooting its...
Sahel: Insurgency and criminal activity in the Sahel
Criminal activities such as arms and drug trafficking are crucial to the survival of jihadist groups in the Sahel, creating links with organised crime, a South African research centre said Tuesday. A study conducted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) over two...
Sahel: Mali President facing unprecedented public backlash
Bamako, Oct 23, 2019 (By Amaury Hauchard and Serge Daniel) - Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has few strong cards left to play as he seeks to roll back a jihadist insurgency and mounting public discontent. Thousands of civilians and soldiers have died since...
Libya: Despite war, city of Tripoli to have its bus service for first time in three decades
Tripoli, Oct 15, 2019 - Parked in a hangar in downtown Tripoli, some 35 buses awaited this week's launch of a new urban public transport scheme -- the first in the Libyan capital in three decades. Imported from China, the brand new vehicles will make their first trips...
Tunisia: Tourism sector loses over $2 billion with no sign of recovery
Tunis, May 18, 2020 - As the novel coronavirus pandemic wipes out a recovery from jihadist attacks in 2015, Tunisia's vital tourism sector is trying to find ways to avoid going under. "Normally, the season starts now. But there is nobody," said Mohammed Saddam, who...
The coronavirus in the Sahel
Bamako - By Amaury Hauchard with Armel Baily in Ouagadougou: The rise of coronavirus in the war-torn Sahel has sparked sharp fears for the region's hundreds of thousands of displaced people, often packed inside camps. "If we have coronavirus here, it will be a...
Public health: Inside North Africa’s healthcare systems
By Hamza Mekouar: The coronavirus pandemic has put the spotlight on shortcomings in health care in several North African countries, even as governments moved quickly to announce restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. "Our fate is in the hands of a health...
Sahel: Intense fighting in Lake Chad, dozens killed in Chad-Boko Haram conflict
N'Djamena, April 9, 2020 - The Chadian army said Thursday it had wound up an offensive against Boko Haram jihadists in the Lake Chad border region in which 52 troops and 1,000 jihadists were killed. Army spokesman Colonel Azem Bermendoa Agouna told AFP that the...
Algeria’s political police unleash terror on journalists and others
Journalist Meriem Chorfi, Editor-in-chief Mouhoub Rafik, and Mohamed Laamari, the Publisher of Algerian newspaper Sawt Al Akher were placed on Thursday, 2 April under judicial control. The move is the last step before they are dragged into a court, most likely the one...
North Africa faces unprecedented economic crisis
Listen to the podcast above or read the transcript below. Download MP3 file here. 26 March 2020: By Arezki Daoud: North Africa is bracing for an unprecedented economic contraction, even if the coronavirus crisis were to be contained soon. The fundamentals of economic...
Algeria: Taking advantage of a freeze in the Hirak, regime decides to keep Karim Tabbou in prison
On 24 March, an Algiers Court canceled the release from prison of political activist Karim Tabbou, shamelessly taking advtange of a freeze in the Hirak movement to punish opposition figures. Journalist Khaled Dradeni and others were also arrested. Tabbou was sentenced...
Education: Studying from home amid Covid-19
Tripoli, March 24, 2020 - By Rim Tahar - Either on television as in Libya or on tablets in the IT-savvy Gulf monarchies, in the time of novel coronavirus millions of schoolchildren around the Arab world are now learning lessons at home. Governments across the region...
Editorial: 2020, the exceptional year
Editorial by Arezki Daoud: It’s official, Covid-19 is now North Africa’s biggest problem, just as it is for the entire world. In recent times, we have heard of, but from afar, diseases such as the Ebola virus in West Africa, the plague epidemic in Madagascar, and...
Tunisians turn to herbalists to thwart the coronavirus
Tunis, March 16, 2020 (By Kaouther Larbi) - There is no known cure for the new coronavirus, but in the medicinal herbs souq in Tunis, anxious Tunisians are consulting with herbalists and stocking up on traditional remedies. "I am afraid for my father, who is old and...
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FEATURED NEWS
Burkina Faso: More violence in Houet, two gendarmes killed
Ouagadougou, May 25, 2020 - Two policemen have been killed in a fresh attack in the Sahel state of Burkina Faso, which is battling a jihadist revolt, security sources said Monday. The gendarmes, one of them a brigade commander, died late Sunday when gunmen attacked...
Egypt arrests 11 for allegedly sharing ‘fake news’ with Al-Jazeera
Cairo, May 22, 2020 - Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday. The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed...
Tunisia announces staged reopening of economic and social activity
Tunisia will reopen places of worship, restaurants and hotels from June 4, authorities announced Thursday, more than two months after closing them over the coronavirus pandemic.The reopening could be delayed if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the ministers of...
Outlook: Can the country of Togo be a Jihadi hotspot?
Dapaong, Togo, May 21, 2020 (By Célia Lebur) - In a makeshift bunker of sacks of rice beneath a tree, heavily-armed Togolese soldiers keep watch over villagers coming and going on foot or bike across the border with Burkina Faso. Just a dried-out river bed separates...
Immigration: 160 migrants stranded in the Mediterranean for two weeks.
Geneva, May 21, 2020 - The United Nations called on the EU on Thursday to reach a deal to take in 160 migrants who have been stranded in the Mediterranean for two weeks. UNHCR refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), urged "Malta and the...
Morocco: A population under stress, tired of confinement
Rabat, May 20, 2020 - Almost half of Moroccans are "anxious" under the mandatory lockdown enforced in mid-March to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, an official survey published Wednesday found. "Being confined and the health threat of COVID-19 are likely to have a major...
Niger: Insurgents attack Blabrine base near Diffa town
Niamey, May 19, 2020 - Twelve soldiers have been killed in a Boko Haram attack on a military outpost in Niger's Diffa region, scene of recent clashes with jihadist fighters, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The attack by "Boko Haram terrorists" overnight Monday on...
Egypt: Eid al-Fitr under lockdown
Cairo, May 17, 2020 - Egypt on Sunday announced a lengthening of its night-time curfew and other measures to prevent large gatherings during Eid al-Fitr holidays marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "All shops, malls, restaurants, entertainment...
Algeria: Anger after pregnant doctor dies from Covid-19. She was denied maternity leave
Algiers, May 17, 2020 - The death of a pregnant Algerian doctor from the COVID-19 disease after she was denied maternity leave has sparked an uproar and prompted the dismissal Sunday of a hospital director. Health Minister Abderrahman Benbouzid sacked the director of...
Egypt: Regime of General Sisi arrests Mada Masr Editor
Egyptian security services on Sunday detained the editor-in-chief of prominent independent news outlet Mada Masr, its lawyer said, the latest in a crackdown against journalists. Lina Attallah was arrested outside Cairo's Tora prison as she was interviewing rights...
Egypt: Ethiopia Nile dam crisis intensifies
Addis Ababa, May 18, 2020 - Ethiopia sees no reason to delay filling its controversial mega-dam despite warnings from Egypt that such a move could destabilise the region, according to a letter from Ethiopia's foreign minister to the UN Security Council. The Grand...
Libya: Haftar’s troops abandon airbase south of Aljmail
Warlord Khalifa Haftar and his patrons of the United Arab Emirates, France, Russia and many others don't seem to be able to take control of the situation in Libya. Billions of dollars already spent and months of a disorganized offensive against Tripoli that brought a...
Algerian regime makes minor gesture toward Hirak, releases two rights activists
Algiers, May 18, 2020 - A leading figure in Algeria's "Hirak" anti-government protest movement has been released from jail after a court late Sunday cut his prison sentence, one of his lawyers told AFP. Abdelouahab Fersaoui, who heads the civic group Youth Action...
Sahel: Niger seeks to restore normalcy, announces measures to ease lockdown
Niamey, May 15, 2020 - Niger's government on Friday lifted measures to isolate the capital Niamey to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus and also restarted passenger transport services. Niger introduced restrictions, including a night-time curfew and a ban on...
Mali: War rages near border with Burkina Faso ($)
Bamako, May 15, 2020 - Malian troops have killed some 30 militants in a raid, the army said on Friday, in the latest violence in the war-torn West African state. The country's armed forces said on Twitter that they had killed "about 30 terrorists" near the border with...
Algeria: Kia to suspend car assembly in Algeria
Algiers, May 15, 2020 - South Korean carmaker Kia will shut down its assembly line in Algeria from Sunday due to supply chain disruptions after authorities imposed a ban on the import of spare parts. "Work will be interrupted from May 17" at the factory in the town of...
Egypt: More violence in North Sinai ($)
Cairo, May 15, 2020 - Egypt's military said Friday seven suspected militants were killed in a raid carried out as part of its operations against insurgents in the restive Sinai Peninsula. "The armed forces carried out a targeted operation that resulted in the killing...
Egypt: A flyover symbolizing a mediocre government ($)
Cairo, May 14, 2020 - A road bridge under construction in Egypt's capital that almost abuts balconies of apartment blocks has sparked disbelief on social media and in the press. "When a car goes by, perhaps we can invite them to join us for a cup of tea on our...
Sahel: New Covid-19 infections in Mauritania after easing restrictions
Nouakchott, May 15, 2020 - Mauritania has said that it will reinstate restrictions on mosque prayers, after a recent of spike of coronavirus cases in the semi-desert West African state. The government had eased restrictions on such prayers only last week, prompting...
Algeria and Morocco bickering again
Algiers, May 14, 2020 - Algeria said Thursday it had summoned Morocco's ambassador after a video circulating on social media appeared to show a Moroccan diplomat calling Algeria an "enemy" country. Relations between the North African countries have long been tense,...
INTERNATIONAL
Nigeria: Insurgency risks expanding beyond the northeast
Lagos, May 17, 2020 - Nigerian jihadist groups are gaining sway in the restive northwest and the region could become a "land bridge" to Islamists across the Sahel, the International Crisis Group warned Monday. Northwestern Nigeria has been wracked by years of...
Nigeria: Boko Haram raids Gajiganna, kills 20
Kano, Nigeria, May 18, 2020 - Boko Haram jihadists killed 20 civilians in an attack on a village in restive northeastern Nigeria as inhabitants prepared to break their Ramadan fast, residents and local security personnel said Monday. Insurgents in several pickup...
Nigeria concerned about Covid-19 infections in Kano state
Abuja, May 18, 2020 - Nigeria's government on Monday extended a coronavirus lockdown on the northern region of Kano after it became a hotspot for new infections. The head of the country's coronavirus taskforce, Boss Mustapha, said the lockdown on the economic hub --...
Cyprus says Turkey denied COVID-19 supply flight airspace entry
Nicosia, May 13, 2020 - Cyprus said Wednesday a flight it had chartered from China carrying 36 tonnes of COVID-19 medical supplies was diverted towards Moscow after Turkey denied it entry into its airspace. "The pilot changed route and is heading to Moscow airport in...
International: Turkey announces new measures to ease lockdown restrictions
Istanbul, May 4, 2020 - Turkey will relax confinement rules on people aged 65 and over, and those under 20, as the country moves to a "new normal", President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday. Since March 21, around 7.5 million senior citizens have been under lockdown,...
WHO advises MENA region against loosening confinement measures
Cairo, April 28, 2020 - The World Health Organization warned Tuesday of the impact coronavirus could have in Middle Eastern conflict zones and urged other countries in the region against loosening confinement measures. "This fight has become even more challenging with...
Nigeria downgraded by Fitch Ratings
Abuja, April 6, 2020 - Nigeria has asked for $6.9 billion from multilateral lenders including the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to tackle the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, its finance minister said Monday. Africa's most populous nation and...
UAE and Morocco in diplomatic freeze (§)
To the amazement of the Moroccan monarchy, the United Arab Emirates has had no ambassador in Rabat for more than a year, causing a sharp stiffening of the Moroccan position vis-à-vis the UAE, recalling their ambassador in Abu Dhabi. Relations are traditionally...
Sahel: Swedish soldiers headed to Mali in yet another French operation
Stockholm, March 16, 2020 - The Swedish government plans to send up to 150 soldiers to Mali to support a French military initiative combining special force troops from different countries. "The government has decided to put a bill to parliament... for Swedish...
International: How Nigerians are bracing for coronavirus
Lagos, Feb 28, 2020 (By Emmanuel Akinwotu) - When Joyce Alali heard that sub-Saharan Africa's first case of coronavirus had been confirmed in her home city Lagos, she knew immediately what to do. The Nigerian nursing student rummaged through her possessions to find...
POLITICS & SECURITY
Moroccan authorities attacks more journalists of Akhbar Al-Yaum
Rabat, May 25, 2020 - A Moroccan judge on Monday placed the head of an independent daily newspaper in pre-trial detention for suspected sexual assault, his lawyer said. Soulaimane Raissouni, 48, editor of Akhbar Al-Yaum, was arrested on Friday after allegations...
Egyptian army keeps busy killing “insurgents” in North Sinai
Egypt said Saturday (23 May) that 21 jihadists were killed in clashes with security forces in the restive Sinai peninsula, where Islamic State group-affiliated militants have waged a long-running insurgency. The interior ministry said in a statement that police...
Libya: Russia may be escalating conflict in Libya with more support for warlord Haftar
Berlin, May 26, 2020 - Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the US military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict. The military fighter...
Egypt arrests 11 for allegedly sharing ‘fake news’ with Al-Jazeera
Cairo, May 22, 2020 - Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday. The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed...
Outlook: Can the country of Togo be a Jihadi hotspot?
Dapaong, Togo, May 21, 2020 (By Célia Lebur) - In a makeshift bunker of sacks of rice beneath a tree, heavily-armed Togolese soldiers keep watch over villagers coming and going on foot or bike across the border with Burkina Faso. Just a dried-out river bed separates...
How the image of the United Arab Emirates in the Maghreb is taking a beating ($)
The United Arab Emirates has made no effort to fix its image abroad, as its involvement in crisis regions has been cemented by the UAE's leaders need to project some kind of strength in the Middle East and Africa. In North Africa's Maghreb region, the UAE's image has...
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Algeria: Sonatrach’s CEO under fire for conflict of interest and nepotism as company faces dismal outlook ($)
Several Algerian media have reported that Toufik Hakkar, the CEO of Sonatrach, has been spending unusually high amount of time during this month of Ramadan with a business tycoon from his hometown of Batna, Hamza Guettai. Guettai owns Petrogel, a private company...
Tunisia: Tourism sector loses over $2 billion with no sign of recovery
Tunis, May 18, 2020 - As the novel coronavirus pandemic wipes out a recovery from jihadist attacks in 2015, Tunisia's vital tourism sector is trying to find ways to avoid going under. "Normally, the season starts now. But there is nobody," said Mohammed Saddam, who...
Algeria: Kia to suspend car assembly in Algeria
Algiers, May 15, 2020 - South Korean carmaker Kia will shut down its assembly line in Algeria from Sunday due to supply chain disruptions after authorities imposed a ban on the import of spare parts. "Work will be interrupted from May 17" at the factory in the town of...
Algeria: Sonatrach implicated in tainted fuel export to Lebanon
Beirut, May 13, 2020 - A Lebanese prosecutor on Wednesday pressed charges against 12 people including government officials over a delivery of suspect fuel through an Algerian oil company, state media said. The "tainted fuel" case made headlines in March when Lebanon...
Economy: Nigeria’s collapsing revenues
Abuja, May 5, 2020 - Oil-rich Nigeria is losing more than 80 percent of its revenue due to plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus epidemic, officials said on Tuesday. Nigeria depends on crude oil sales for 70 percent of government revenue and 90 percent of foreign...
Morocco: After launching spy app, Morocco deploys surveillance drones
Rabat, May 6, 2020 - Morocco has rapidly expanded its fleet of drones as it battles the coronavirus pandemic, deploying them for aerial surveillance, public service announcements and sanitisation. "This is a real craze. In just weeks, demand has tripled in Morocco and...
HUMAN, SOCIAL & LABOR
Egypt: While Sisi sends aid to China, Italy and US, Egypt’s health system is about to collapse
Cairo, May 25, 2020 - Egypt's top medical union on Monday warned of a "complete collapse" of the country's health system, accusing the health ministry of negligence in failing to protect healthcare workers from coronavirus. "The syndicate is warning that the health...
Moroccan authorities attacks more journalists of Akhbar Al-Yaum
Rabat, May 25, 2020 - A Moroccan judge on Monday placed the head of an independent daily newspaper in pre-trial detention for suspected sexual assault, his lawyer said. Soulaimane Raissouni, 48, editor of Akhbar Al-Yaum, was arrested on Friday after allegations...
Algeria maintains use of chloroquine despite signs of ineffectiveness
Algiers, May 26, 2020 - Algeria will continue to use the drug hydroxychloroquine against the novel coronavirus, a member of its scientific committee said, despite the World Health Organization suspending clinical trials of such treatments. "We've treated thousands of...
Egypt arrests 11 for allegedly sharing ‘fake news’ with Al-Jazeera
Cairo, May 22, 2020 - Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday. The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed...
Tunisia announces staged reopening of economic and social activity
Tunisia will reopen places of worship, restaurants and hotels from June 4, authorities announced Thursday, more than two months after closing them over the coronavirus pandemic.The reopening could be delayed if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the ministers of...
Egypt’s hospitals reach max capacity, struggle to cope with caseload
By Hager Harabech: Three months after Egypt reported its first novel coronavirus case, medical experts warn the strained healthcare system of the Arab world's most populous nation is nearing a "critical threshold". Hospitals have been hit by a flight of doctors...
MAGHREB
Moroccan authorities attacks more journalists of Akhbar Al-Yaum
Rabat, May 25, 2020 - A Moroccan judge on Monday placed the head of an independent daily newspaper in pre-trial detention for suspected sexual assault, his lawyer said. Soulaimane Raissouni, 48, editor of Akhbar Al-Yaum, was arrested on Friday after allegations...
Libya: Russia may be escalating conflict in Libya with more support for warlord Haftar
Berlin, May 26, 2020 - Russia recently sent fighter jets to Libya to support Russian mercenaries fighting for strongman Khalifa Haftar, the US military command for Africa (Africom) said Tuesday, in a major escalation in the long-running conflict. The military fighter...
Libya: Warlord Haftar’s IEDs kill civilians in southern Tripoli
Tripoli, May 26, 2020 - The United Nations has deplored the "grotesque" use of improvised explosive devices against civilians in Libya's capital Tripoli, the scene of more than a year of deadly fighting. The UN mission in Libya said it "strongly condemns these acts,...
Algeria maintains use of chloroquine despite signs of ineffectiveness
Algiers, May 26, 2020 - Algeria will continue to use the drug hydroxychloroquine against the novel coronavirus, a member of its scientific committee said, despite the World Health Organization suspending clinical trials of such treatments. "We've treated thousands of...
Tunisia announces staged reopening of economic and social activity
Tunisia will reopen places of worship, restaurants and hotels from June 4, authorities announced Thursday, more than two months after closing them over the coronavirus pandemic.The reopening could be delayed if there is a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the ministers of...
Italy grapples with influx of immigrants
Rome, May 24, 2020 - Italian police on Sunday corrected a report that a record 400 migrants had landed on a beach in Sicily, saying the number was only around 70, the ANSA news agency reported. A single wooden fishing boat some 10 metres (35 feet) long was found on...
SAHEL
Mali: Bus crash kills 20 people near Narena
Bamako, May 20, 2020 - Twenty people have been killed and 11 seriously injured after a minibus and a lorry collided in the south of Mali, the country's transport ministry said on Wednesday. The accident occurred on Tuesday at 8 pm on a major road linking the capital...
Burkina Faso kills dozens of alleged insurgents in Kossi province
Ouagadougou, May 20, 2020 - Two Burkina Faso police and 47 "terrorists" died during a major operation in northwestern Burkina Faso on the border with Mali, the West African country's army chief of staff said Wednesday. "Following an anti-terrorist operation waged for...
Africa: Covid-19 is not alone, other diseases intensify health crisis in Africa
Lagos, May 19, 2020 (By Sophie Bouillon) - African nations grappling to contain coronavirus are scrambling to stop the outbreak worsening the impact of other killer diseases. Across the continent, countries regularly face surges from a raft of diseases that flourish...
Niger: Insurgents attack Blabrine base near Diffa town
Niamey, May 19, 2020 - Twelve soldiers have been killed in a Boko Haram attack on a military outpost in Niger's Diffa region, scene of recent clashes with jihadist fighters, the defence ministry said Tuesday. The attack by "Boko Haram terrorists" overnight Monday on...
Mali: Anger in Bamako over arrest of anti-corruption activist Clement Dembele
Bamako, May 19, 2020 - About one hundred people took to the streets in Mali's capital Bamako on Tuesday to protest the recent arrest of a prominent anticorruption activist in the poor West African state. A security official, who requested anonymity, said that...
Sahel: Niger seeks to restore normalcy, announces measures to ease lockdown
Niamey, May 15, 2020 - Niger's government on Friday lifted measures to isolate the capital Niamey to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus and also restarted passenger transport services. Niger introduced restrictions, including a night-time curfew and a ban on...
EGYPT
Egypt: While Sisi sends aid to China, Italy and US, Egypt’s health system is about to collapse
Cairo, May 25, 2020 - Egypt's top medical union on Monday warned of a "complete collapse" of the country's health system, accusing the health ministry of negligence in failing to protect healthcare workers from coronavirus. "The syndicate is warning that the health...
Egyptian army keeps busy killing “insurgents” in North Sinai
Egypt said Saturday (23 May) that 21 jihadists were killed in clashes with security forces in the restive Sinai peninsula, where Islamic State group-affiliated militants have waged a long-running insurgency. The interior ministry said in a statement that police...
Egypt arrests 11 for allegedly sharing ‘fake news’ with Al-Jazeera
Cairo, May 22, 2020 - Egyptian security forces arrested 11 people on suspicion of fabricating media content for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network, the interior ministry said Friday. The suspects were allegedly found to be collaborating with members of the outlawed...
Egypt’s hospitals reach max capacity, struggle to cope with caseload
By Hager Harabech: Three months after Egypt reported its first novel coronavirus case, medical experts warn the strained healthcare system of the Arab world's most populous nation is nearing a "critical threshold". Hospitals have been hit by a flight of doctors...
Egypt: Eid al-Fitr under lockdown
Cairo, May 17, 2020 - Egypt on Sunday announced a lengthening of its night-time curfew and other measures to prevent large gatherings during Eid al-Fitr holidays marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "All shops, malls, restaurants, entertainment...
Egypt: Regime of General Sisi arrests Mada Masr Editor
Egyptian security services on Sunday detained the editor-in-chief of prominent independent news outlet Mada Masr, its lawyer said, the latest in a crackdown against journalists. Lina Attallah was arrested outside Cairo's Tora prison as she was interviewing rights...
BEYOND NA
Nigeria: Insurgency risks expanding beyond the northeast
Lagos, May 17, 2020 - Nigerian jihadist groups are gaining sway in the restive northwest and the region could become a "land bridge" to Islamists across the Sahel, the International Crisis Group warned Monday. Northwestern Nigeria has been wracked by years of...
Nigeria: Boko Haram raids Gajiganna, kills 20
Kano, Nigeria, May 18, 2020 - Boko Haram jihadists killed 20 civilians in an attack on a village in restive northeastern Nigeria as inhabitants prepared to break their Ramadan fast, residents and local security personnel said Monday. Insurgents in several pickup...
Nigeria concerned about Covid-19 infections in Kano state
Abuja, May 18, 2020 - Nigeria's government on Monday extended a coronavirus lockdown on the northern region of Kano after it became a hotspot for new infections. The head of the country's coronavirus taskforce, Boss Mustapha, said the lockdown on the economic hub --...
Cyprus says Turkey denied COVID-19 supply flight airspace entry
Nicosia, May 13, 2020 - Cyprus said Wednesday a flight it had chartered from China carrying 36 tonnes of COVID-19 medical supplies was diverted towards Moscow after Turkey denied it entry into its airspace. "The pilot changed route and is heading to Moscow airport in...
International: Turkey announces new measures to ease lockdown restrictions
Istanbul, May 4, 2020 - Turkey will relax confinement rules on people aged 65 and over, and those under 20, as the country moves to a "new normal", President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday. Since March 21, around 7.5 million senior citizens have been under lockdown,...
WHO advises MENA region against loosening confinement measures
Cairo, April 28, 2020 - The World Health Organization warned Tuesday of the impact coronavirus could have in Middle Eastern conflict zones and urged other countries in the region against loosening confinement measures. "This fight has become even more challenging with...
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