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IMF debt relief for 19 African countries

Six months of debt relief has been granted to 25 countries considered the poorest in the world by the International Monetary Fund. The institution will then redirect these funds towards the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. 19 of the 25 are African countries chosen based on an extreme poverty and vulnerability ranking. Oil prices, virus, […]

AFDB’s SEFA grants $760,000 to develop small-scale renewable energy across Sub Saharan Africa

The African Development Bank-managed Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), has approved a $760,000 grant to Empower New Energy (EmNEW), to develop at least eight small renewable energy projects with capacity ranging from1-10 MW, towards bankability and construction. The grant will support a broad range of project preparation and development activities, including technical feasibility studies, […]

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Botswana to deport 500 Zimbabweans

Zimbabwe must prepare 500 other people who were expelled from Botswana after having encountered difficulties due to the strict blacklisting rules of COVID-19. After a 28-day blockade of the Government of Botswana and a proposal for a six-month emergency, many Zimbabweans in the country can no longer afford the initial work of supporting them and […]

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Tanzania cancels 2020 Union Day celebration

Tanzania officially announced the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the annual Union Day celebrations. The day is marked to commemorate the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar to become Tanzania. April 26 is the day of the celebration but Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa announced the cancellation in connection to the current coronavirus pandemic. “President John […]

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Africa, WHO and vaccine testing

The debate was between Camille Locht from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and Jean-Paul Mira who heads the Intensive Medicine and Intensive Care Unit of Paris’ Cochin Hospital. Both men were debating how to conduct large-scale clinical testing to assess whether the BCG/tuberculosis vaccine could protect people from the raging […]

Eritrean diaspora donating to coronavirus combat, case tally at 34

Eritrea coronavirus statistics as of April 14 stood at 34, no death and no recoveries have so far been announced meaning all 34 patients were under treatment. The last time an increase was recorded being April 10. The country continues to celebrate the financial commitment and contributions of its diaspora in supporting government efforts to […]

Coronavirus free Lesotho rolls out socio-economic interventions

Lesotho has yet to record a case of COVID-19 as of April 13, one of two countries to escape the virus since it reached the continent. The other being the island nation of Comoros. But the government in Maseru led by Prime Minister Tom Thabane has rolled out a series of economic intervention measures to […]

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In Liberia capital Monrovia, residents down play coronavirus lockdown

People in the Liberian capital, Monrovia are downplaying the country’s three-week State of Emergency declaration and lockdown imposed by the government to help fight COVID-19. While the government is keen to beat down the spread, misinformation is taking the better side of it according to reports from the West African country. A Reuters report said […]

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Okonjo-Iweala and three others appointed as AU Special envoys

The Chairperson of the African Union, President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and three other Africans as AU Special Envoys. Their job will be to mobilise international support for Africa’s efforts to address the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Others appointed are Dr Donald Kaberuka, Mr Tidjane Thiam and Mr Trevor Manuel […]

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Coronavirus: Ethiopia cases reaches 74

Ethiopia’s COVID-19 file as of April 13 has 74 cases (three new case) with three deaths and 10 recoveries. The country is seeking to boost its ventilator reserves according to Health Minister Lia Tadesse. She disclosed to local media outlets that procurement of 400 ventilators was ongoing. She said Ethiopia had 435 ventilators at last […]

Online Easter mass services held in Nigeria

This might be the norm for faithful in most parts of the world at least during this lockdown. Catholics in Nigeria attended Easter mass Sunday via a live telecast from the Holy Cathedral in Lagos due to the stay at home order. “Celebrating it (Easter) without the people is something strange. However, we have been […]

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Why Africa’s coronavirus outbreak appears slower than anticipated

When Africa’s first case of coronavirus was detected in Egypt in February, the rest of the continent prepared for the brunt of a pandemic that has engulfed Europe and spread to the United States, infecting more than 1.6 million worldwide. Health experts warned of the devastation the deadly virus could cause in Africa, where most […]

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Egypt asks to exempt African countries from paying debt interests

Egypt has called for African countries to be exempt from paying debt interests bilaterally and multilaterally due to the worldwide spread of the novel coronavirus, Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) Ambassador Alaa Youssef said on Saturday. In an online seminar discussing the pandemic’s economic implications, Youssef said that exempting debt […]

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Edem Kodjo: Togo mourns ex-Prime Minister, Africa remembers ex-OAU chief

The government and people of Togo are mourning the death of a former Prime Minister of the West African country, Edem Kodjo. The former diplomat died at the age of 82 in the French capital Paris on Saturday, April 11. The current Togolese Foreign Minister in reacting to the news posted on Twitter: “A brilliant […]

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African nations berate China over COVID-19 linked racism in Guangzhou

African officials are confronting China publicly and in private over racist mistreatment of Africans in the Chinese city of Guangzhou, and the U.S. says African-Americans have been targeted too. Some Africans in the commercial hub have reported being evicted or discriminated against amid coronavirus fears. And a U.S. Embassy security alert on Saturday said that […]

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New Ebola case in DR Congo sets back awaited end to outbreak

A new case of the Ebola virus has been confirmed in eastern Congo, just three days before the country expected to declare an end to the outbreak, the World Health Organization said Friday. The new case was confirmed in Beni, a community that had been an epicenter of the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. It […]