Category archives for: African News

Why Duolingo is making Zulu free to Vodacom’s 45 million subscribers

FAUSTINE NGILA Duolingo, the US ed-tech firm that specializes in teaching the world how to speak different languages, has now added South Africa’s Zulu language to its catalog. But rather than focusing on exam fees charges on e-learning sessions, it is partnering with local telco Vodacom which will enable its 45 million subscribers access the […]

Somalia is on the verge of famine while the world looks away

ISHAAN THAROOR Famine will hit parts of Somalia between October and December. That was the verdict of Martin Griffiths, the U.N. humanitarian chief, who spoke to reporters from Mogadishu, the war-torn, drought-ravaged Horn of Africa nation’s capital. “I have been shocked to my core these past few days by the level of pain and suffering […]

Sierra Leone: Female genital mutilation ‘amounts to torture,’ impunity must end

UN-appointed independent human rights experts called on Wednesday August 24 for stronger measures to prevent and penalize female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone. Following criminal proceedings over the death of a 21-year-old student who was subject to the brutal practice in the Bonthe District, three Special Rapporteurs issued a statement condemning female genital mutilation as […]

How will lab-grown chocolate impact west Africa’s cocoa farmers?

K. BARRETT BILALI They call it the future of chocolate. It’s edible, melts, breaks, and even tastes like chocolate except it is grown in a food lab facility without using a single cocoa bean. While the production of non-cocoa chocolate is still in its early days with only a handful of companies producing it, their […]

Oman Warned Not to Issue Visas to Liberians

DAVID A. YATES The Ministry of Labor has warned the Oman government to halt the issuance of visas to Liberians seeking in the southwestern Asia country. The warning comes as the Arab country becomes a hotspot for trafficking. Many women from Africa including Liberia are trafficked there, tricked into thinking that a better life was […]

Benin’s exhibition of artworks returned from France showcase its royal past

ALEXANDER ONUKWUE Nearly 130 years after French soldiers entered the palace in Abomey in southern Benin and seized royal property as a sign of colonial conquest, month-long exhibitions in the west African country have honored the return of 26 artifacts, providing an opportunity to showcase a vibrant contemporary art tradition. The artifacts, which include thrones […]

Ivory Coast president Ouattara pardons predecessor Gbagbo

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara announced Saturday August 6, that he had pardoned his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, who faced a 20-year jail term for a 2018 conviction over political unrest. “In the interests of strengthening social cohesion, I have signed a decree granting a presidential pardon,” Ouattara said in a speech to mark the 62nd […]

Zambia plans to cancel over $2 billion projects to rein in debt

CHRIS MFULA Zambia is cancelling more than $2 billion worth of projects financed by commercial loans to reduce the risk of accumulating more non-concessional debt, the ministry of finance said. In 2020, Zambia became the first nation to default in the COVID-19 era. At the end of 2021, its external debt stood at $17.27 billion, […]

Ghana loses GHS5 billion to corruption in 2021 — Report

Ghana lost approximately GHS5 billion in cash through the payment of bribes to public officials in 2021, the Ghana Integrity of Public Services Survey (GIPSS) has disclosed. This is equivalent to almost one-third of the 2021 budget of the Ministry of Education, which is implementing one of the Government’s flagship programs, Free Senior High School […]

Malawi’s struggle with deadly witchcraft violence

The calm air cloaking Lupembe, a sleepy village on the sandy shores of Lake Malawi, conceals a dark secret. On December 26 2019, a mob driven by rumors of sorcery hunted down and lynched a grieving family. The killings are among dozens of witchcraft slayings that have shaken the southern African country, prompting talk of […]

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