AFRICA

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Sudan risks being plunged into a humanitarian disaster by COVID-19 unless sanctions are lifted and donors provide financial support, the UN rights chief said Tuesday. Without international backing, the country’s transition towards peace and stability could swing into reverse, Michelle Bachelet said in a statement. A year has passed since …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi on Monday launched a campaign for next month’s presidential, legislative and municipal elections, ignoring allegations of downplaying the risk of coronavirus and reports of violence against the opposition. Seven candidates are running in the May 20 polls in the small East African nation, where life …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN rights chief warned Monday that countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a “human rights disaster”. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called on countries to refrain from violating fundamental rights …

  When the first cases of coronavirus were detected in December 2019, no one could have ever predicted that it would lead to a pandemic. AZA Trading Desk Manager,  Mungai Murega shared insights with The Independent on the  economic toll of COVID-19 and potential ways in which African businesses can …

As Africa heads towards recession, it’s not easy to know where to invest. Akinyi Ochieng and Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Jr. highlight three areas that are likely to fare better during the downturn  Back in January, Africa’s economic outlook for the year was bright. African Development Bank projections predicted 3.9% growth in 2020 and …

Survey shows Uganda response leading in Africa Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A study of the response of Sub-Saharan governments to the spread of the Corona virus disease COVID-19 sweeping across the globe has ranked Uganda higly. The survey by GeoPoll which is the world’s largest mobile survey platform …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP |  The feared impact of coronavirus on Tunisia’s fragile public health system has provoked a flurry of innovation from robotics to digitalisation efforts to bolster the North African country’s pandemic response. The government has even turned to students for help, asking the engineering school in Sousse, south …

Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Across Africa, obscure or forgotten health and government officials have been propelled into the public eye because of their role in fighting coronavirus. Some are unsung veterans of previous efforts to stop epidemics, such as Ebola or AIDS. Others are from a younger generation, making a …

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Unarmed Madagascar soldiers went door-to-door in the capital Antananarivo, doling out sachets of a local herbal tea touted by President Andry Rajoelina as a powerful remedy against the novel coronavirus. Baptised Covid-Organics, the tonic is derived from artemisia — a plant with proven efficacy in treating …

Washington, United States | AFP | The coronavirus outbreak and government policies to limit the disease could disrupt food supply chains, potentially threatening food availability, even as prices remain stable in 2020, the World Bank cautioned Thursday. Prices of agricultural commodities are likely to hold up better than oil, metals and …