Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with partners in government and NGOs will on March 1 launch a verification exercise targeting all refugees in Uganda. The intervention by UNHCR in Uganda comes weeks after allegations emerged that Ugandan officials are inflating refugee figures in order …

US warns Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda on used clothes imports ban Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The US has warned East African Community (EAC) leaders that will converge in Kampala this week that their planned ban of the importation of used clothes by 2019 violates conditions set to expand trade …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | The counter-terrorism plot seems more far fetched than many action thrillers, yet “7 Days in Entebbe”, which premiered at the Berlin film festival Monday, depicts a real-life airline hijack drama. The movie recounts what is often called the most audacious hostage rescue mission ever staged, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Long serving Lweza Parish priest Fr John Mary Vianney Mugabo,53, died Monday after a short illness. He had been admitted at Nsambya Hospital, where he reportedly succumbed to cancer. St Joseph’s Lweza Parish in Kampala Arch Diocese comprises Kajjansi, Katale, Kitende, Kitiko, Kiwamirembe, Nnazziba, …

Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | A New Vision journalist reportedly abducted outside the Vision Group offices on First Street, Industrial Area last week, has been released. The news of the crime reporter’s release was broken by the Chief Executive Officer of Vision Group Robert Kabushenga in a tweet on …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo airport, Africa’s largest, was evacuated on Monday and passengers forced to wait for two hours to return after South African officials identified a suspect bag. Images of the deserted terminal were posted to social media while other photographs showed crowds of …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP |  Sudan on Sunday released dozens of opposition activists arrested last month in a crackdown on protests against rising food prices, an AFP correspondent reported. The release of detainees, including some top opposition figures, came three days after the US embassy voiced concern over the arrests …

Cape Town, South Africa | AFP |  South Africa’s freshly-appointed president, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Friday hailed “a new dawn” as he pledged to tackle corruption that his predecessor Jacob Zuma is accused of fostering. In his first major speech after Zuma’s bruising nine-year term ended, Ramaphosa outlined a grand vision to …

Ethiopia declares state of emergency after PM resigns Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  Ethiopia on Friday declared a state of emergency one day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation, state media reported. “A state of emergency has been declared as of now,” the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) …

ATC News by Wolfgang H. Thome: Change at the helm of the Uganda Wildlife Authority Kampala, Uganda | WOLFGANG THOME | News emerging from Kampala indicates that Sam Mwandha has been selected as the new Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) as Dr. Andrew Seguya prepares to step …