African heads of states meet in Nairobi for World Bank summit

By Our Correspondent, NAIROBI Kenya

African heads of state convened in Nairobi for the International Development Association (IDA) summit, with a focus on favorable lending terms and strategies to bolster sustainable development across the continent.

Established in 1960 as part of the World Bank, the IDA's mission is to combat poverty by providing grants and low-interest loans to support programs that foster economic growth, reduce inequalities, and enhance living standards for people in developing nations.

During the summit, Kenya's President William Ruto highlighted the significance of IDA's rapid and decisive action during crises, emphasizing its distinctive approach compared to other funding sources. Ruto praised IDA's demand-driven programs and concessional loans, which offer borrowing nations the opportunity to pursue long-term development strategies tailored to their specific needs.

With IDA disbursing a substantial $18 billion to African countries in the previous year alone, there's a clear recognition among African leaders of the pivotal role the organization plays in driving development across the continent.

Dirk Reinermann, IDA's Director of Resource Mobilization, underscored the organization's commitment to expanding its resource disbursement efforts. Looking ahead to IDA21, Reinermann expressed a desire for even greater ambition, recognizing the significant challenges but also the immense opportunities present in Africa and beyond.

Currently, IDA operates projects in 75 countries, with a substantial 39 of those located in African states. This widespread presence underscores the organization's dedication to addressing the diverse range of development needs across the continent.

The summit serves as a platform for African leaders to discuss strategies for maximizing the impact of IDA funding, ensuring that it is effectively utilized to drive sustainable economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve the lives of millions of people across Africa.

Over 50,000 health staff in Mozambique walk out on first day of strike – union

MAPUTO,  Mozambique 

More than 50,000 health professionals in Mozambique have joined the strike that began on Monday, the head of the Association of United and Solidarity Health Professionals (APSUSM) told Lusa, noting that talks with the government are underway.

‘Being the first day of the strike, we have almost a 70% adherence rate (…) around 50% of the professionals have joined in,’ said Anselmo Muchave.

According to the official, the strike is having ‘very good take up’ and it is expected that by Wednesday all 65,000 health professionals who are members of APSUSM will join the strike, while talks with the government, which started this morning, are ongoing.

‘Negotiations are continuing, but we are adamant that we will only return once everything has been resolved and organised, especially with regard to the difficulties that patients [face],’ Muchave said.

According to APSUSM, the health workers’ strike will last for 30 days, with workers demanding better working conditions, and the representative said that they will not give in to new government proposals to suspend it.

‘Going on strike is not a luxury, demands are not a favour. We are demanding care for the people themselves, but the people also have to stop and analyse what is happening,’ said the APSUSM president.

Mozambique’s ministry of health (MISAU said today that ‘there are no reasons’ for the strike to resume, and guaranteed that it will ‘ensure the continuity of the provision of health services toÌ the public’.

‘MISAU understands that there are no reasons for calling the aforementioned strike and reiterates that dialogue must continue to be the way to resolve the challenges in the health sector,’ reads a statement regarding the start of the strike.

The strike had been scheduled to resume on 28 March, but was suspended a day earlier following talks with the Mozambican government, which culminated in the fulfilment of some points of the demands, such as the training of health professionals, monitoring visits to hospital units and the resolution of irregularities in the payment of subsidies, APSUSM said at the time.

Almost 30 days after the suspension of the strike, Mozambican health workers have once again complained about the government’s failure to comply and the failure to carry out visits to monitor compliance with the agreements between the parties, saying that the hospitals ‘are worse off than they were at the start of the dialogue’.

‘When the strike was announced, we said loud and clear that our hospitals are seriously suffering from a lack of medical and surgical equipment and medicines. The government made a commitment to reverse this situation, but unfortunately our health facilities are worse off than they were at the start of our dialogue,’ reads the association’s document on this new strike.

At issue was a negotiation that was underway in 2023 between the Mozambican government and APSUSM, an association that covers around 65,000 professionals and which was on strike between August and November 2023 for better working conditions in the public sector.

They complain about the lack of medicines, beds and ambulances in hospitals, as well as non-disposable personal protective equipment, which is ‘forcing staff to buy out of their own pockets’.

Kenya government directs inspection of all dams ahead of compulsory evacuation

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya government has directed County Security and Intelligence Committees (CSICs) across the country to inspect all public and private dams and water reservoirs by 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on Monday directed the committees to thereafter recommend cases where compulsory evacuation and temporary resettlement orders should be issued.

This is in the wake of Monday morning’s incident where a dam burst its banks in Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, and wiped out homes and vehicles, killing over 45 people.

The floodwaters originated from a nearby river that broke its banks in after heavy rainfall, according to the Red Cross.

The interior minister directed counties to deploy enforcement teams at road spots prone to flooding and that water has breached the bridge to prevent motorists or pedestrians from dangerous crossing.

“… arrest and prosecute offenders for attempted suicide and/or attempted murder as the facts of the case may be,” Kindiki said.

Further, the enforcement teams will bar transportation of passengers across flooded rivers or storm water by canoes or boats deemed unsafe.

“Prevent the transportation of passengers across flooded rivers or storm water by unsafe canoes or boats and arrest inexperienced and unscrupulous persons taking advantage of the prevailing situation to cash in on persons in distress,” the minister added.

Police said over 100 people were rescued and treated at Mai Mahiu health centre after the 4 a.m. dam burst incident while 32 others were referred to Naivasha sub-county hospital.

The incident brought to over 100 the number of people who have died from flooding amid heavy rains experienced in most of Kenya since March.

Voting in Togo underway after new constitutional reforms

LOMÉ, Togo

Voting got under way in legislative elections in Togo on Monday following approval of constitutional reforms by the outgoing parliament that could extend the 19-year-old rule of President Faure Gnassingbe.

Under a new chapter adopted in March introducing a parliamentary system of government, the president will be elected by parliament instead of by universal suffrage.

Details about the assembly's election of the head of state remain unclear, although under the new constitution the parliament will appoint a position described as president of the council of ministers, who will have extensive authority to manage Togo’s government affairs.

In power for nearly 20 years, Togo’s incumbent president succeeded his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled for almost four decades following a military coup.

Monday's vote had been pushed back twice because of a fierce backlash from some opposition parties who called the constitutional changes a political maneuver to allow Gnassingbe to extend his tenure for life.

Over four million people are registered to vote for 113 lawmakers among 2,352 candidates. Polls opened at 0700 GMT and provisional results are expected from Tuesday.

Regional elections are also taking place.

Observers say early turnout at polling stations in the capital, Lome, was scattered but the streets were calm.

Koffi Ohini, a 24-year-old farm technician who casted his ballot in Lome said he is a first-time voter.

"This is the first time I am voting, because I lived in a neighboring country before,” he said, adding, “I came out early to avoid crowds."

"I want to vote because these elections are important," Ohini said.

Monday's vote will elect 113 lawmakers and for the first time 179 regional deputies from the country's five districts who along with municipal councilors will elect a newly created Senate.

Opposition parties are contesting in the polls with hopes of gaining seats that will enable them to challenge Gnassingbe's UNIR party after they boycotted the last legislative poll and left it effectively in control of parliament.

Violent police crackdowns on political demonstrations have been routine under Gnassingbe - reelected in a 2020 landslide disputed by the opposition - as they were during his father's rule.

The 57-year-old leader has already won four elections, all contested by the opposition as flawed. He would have only been able to run one more time as president in 2025 under the previous constitution.

Several other African countries have pushed through constitutional and other legal changes in recent years allowing their presidents to extend their terms in office.

Monday's vote, initially set for April 20, was postponed twice to allow for consultations on the new constitution.

Amendments unanimously approved in a second parliamentary vote earlier this month shortened presidential terms to four years from five with a two-term limit.

This does not account for the time already spent in office, which could enable Gnassingbe to stay in power until 2033 if he is re-elected when his mandate expires in 2025. He has not yet stated his intentions.

Some opposition parties and civil society groups renewed calls for protests after the second vote, sparking small-scale demonstrations last week.

The outcome of Togo’s elections is expected to be known within the next six days.

Blinken arrives in Saudi Arabia to discuss post-war Gaza

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the first stop in a broader trip to the Middle East to discuss issues including the governance of Gaza once the war with Israel ends.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is welcomed by Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Protocol Affairs Mohammed Al-Ghamdi as he visits Saudi Arabia in the latest Gaza diplomacy push, in Riyadh on April 29, 2024.

The top US diplomat heads to Israel later this week, where he is expected to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take the concrete and tangible steps US President Joe Biden demanded this month to improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

In Riyadh, Blinken is expected to meet with senior Saudi leaders and hold a wider meeting with counterparts from five Arab states – Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan – to further the discussions on what governance of the Gaza Strip would look like after the war, according to a senior State Department official.

Blinken is also expected to bring together Arab countries with the European states and discuss how Europe can help the rebuilding effort of the tiny enclave, which has been reduced to a wasteland in the six-month long Israeli bombardment.

A group of European nations, including Norway, plan to recognise Palestinian statehood in conjunction with the presentation of an Arab state-backed peace plan to the United Nations.

“We can see by joining forces we can make this more meaningful. We really want to recognise the Palestinian state, but we know that is something you do once,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh.

Blinkin's trip comes as Egypt was expected to host leaders of the Islamist group Hamas to discuss prospects for a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

Simba part ways with its coach after winning Union title

By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM,  Tanzania 

Simba Sports club of Tanzania has officially announced the departure of its Algerian coach Abdelhak Benchikha and his two assistants Kamal Boujnane and Farid Zemit after only five months since they joined.

This development comes just one day after the Algerian won the Union Super Cup with a 1-0 win against Azam FC last night at the New Amaan Complex stadium, Zanzíbar.

According to the press release issued by the club today to the media, the coach is leaving on family reasons.

The football club reached reached a mutual agreement with the longtime  coach to terminate the contract due to family issues.

"Coach Abdelhak Benchikha has told the Simba management that his wife is ill, so he needs time to be close to her and nurse her," explains the club's statement.  

The statement stipulates that, during this transition period, the team will be managed by Coach Juma Mgunda assisted by Selemani Matola until the Board of Directors makes another decision.

Benchikha joined Simba at the end of November 2023 and signed a two-year contract on November 28 before enabling the team to reach the quarter final of the African Champions League where they were eliminated by the defending champions, Al Ahly of Egypt.

The football  giants were also eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Tanzania Football Federation Cup (TFF), a tournament now known as the CRDB Bank Federation Cup with a 6-5 penalty kick against the hosts, Mashujaa following a 1-1 draw at the Lake Tanganyika Stadium in Kigoma.

In the Premier League so far, Simba is in third place with 46 points from 21 matches, behind Azam FC with 54 points and the defending champions, Yanga with 62 points after all teams have played 24 matches.

Situation on frontline has worsened, Ukraine army chief says

KYIV, Ukraine 

Ukraine's commander-in-chief has said the situation on the frontline has worsened in the face of multiple Russian attacks.

Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from positions in the eastern Donetsk region.

Russia is trying to take advantage of its superiority in manpower and artillery before Ukrainian forces get much-needed supplies of new US weapons.

The US last week agreed a $61bn (£49bn) package of military aid for Ukraine.

But new US weapons are yet to make their way to the frontlines, where Ukrainian troops have been struggling for months with a shortage of ammunition, troops and air defences.

"The situation at the front has worsened," Gen Syrskyi said in a post on the Telegram messaging service on Sunday.

He confirmed Ukrainian forces had withdrawn from some of their positions in an area of Donetsk that had formed part of a defensive line, established after Russia captured Avdiivka in February.

Much of the fighting has been taking place around Chasiv Yar, a Kyiv-controlled stronghold which Russia has been trying to reach after seizing Avdiivka.

New defensive lines had been taken up further to the west in some areas, with Gen Syrskyi conceding the loss of territory to the advancing Russians.

Moscow had secured "tactical successes in some sectors," he said.

Gen Syrskyi added that rested Ukrainian brigades were being rotated in those areas to replace units that had suffered losses.

Russia's defence ministry earlier on Sunday reported its troops had captured the village of Novobakhmutivka, around 10 km (6 miles) north of Avdiivka.

Arsenal survive late Spurs surge to stay on course

TOTTENHAM , England 

Arsenal overcame the hurdle of a north London derby and an anxious finale to maintain momentum in the Premier League title pursuit with a vital victory 3-2 at Tottenham.

Mikel Arteta's side moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League, with second-place Manchester City, who have two games in hand, playing in the later kick-off at Nottingham Forest (16:30 BST).

The Gunners' meeting with their bitter rivals was seen as arguably the most treacherous of their remaining fixtures, but they took ruthless advantage of Spurs' defensive flaws to establish a three-goal lead by half-time.

Arsenal were then thrown off course when a dreadful clearance by goalkeeper David Raya presented Cristian Romero with a goal after 64 minutes, the nerves really jangling when Heung-min Son scored from the spot three minutes from the end of normal time after Declan Rice fouled Ben Davies.

It was all so different when Arsenal went ahead after 15 minutes as the recalled Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg glanced Bukayo Saka's corner into his own net, the England forward crowning a sweeping counter-attack with a smooth finish for the second after 27 minutes.

Spurs, who saw Micky van de Ven's goal ruled out for a marginal offside with the score 1-0, were infuriated as they claimed Leandro Trossard had fouled Dejan Kulusevski before Saka scored, and were even more frustrated when the unmarked Kai Havertz headed in Arsenal's third from another corner seven minutes before the break.

Arsenal were then content to see out the victory, only for Raya to give Spurs hope by sending a clearance straight to Romero.

An unlikely comeback seemed on when Son scored from the spot but Arteta's side were able to close out the game, denting their arch-rivals' hopes of a top-four finish.

Spurs remain in fifth place in the Premier League, seven points behind Aston Villa with two games in hand.

South Africa marks Freedom Day ahead of tough general election

PRETORIA,  South Africa 

South Africa marked Freedom Day on Saturday. The day on which, 30 years ago, millions of South Africans braved long queues to vote in the country’s first democratic elections, ending decades of white minority rule.

"The weight of centuries of oppression was no longer holding us down,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa in a speech marking the day, “On that day, as a united people, we stood tall as South Africans".

The election 30 years ago was won by his African National Congress (ANC) party which has been in power ever since.

But any sense of celebration on the momentous anniversary was set against a growing discontent with the government of the ruling party.

The party's image has been hurt by widespread accusations of corruption and its inability to effectively tackle pressing issues including crime, inequality, poor service delivery, and unemployment, which remain staggeringly high.

In his speech marking Freedom Day at the Union Buildings in South Africa’s administrative capital, Pretoria, Ramaphosa touted the country’s achievements under his party’s leadership.

"We have built houses, clinics, hospitals, roads, and constructed bridges, dams, and many other facilities. We have brought electricity, water, and sanitation to millions of South African homes," he said.

But polls suggest support for the ANC is at an all time low, falling to around 40 per cent compared to 62 per cent in 1994.

Analysts predict that the party is likely to see it lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in the elections due to take place on 29 May, forcing it into a coalition.

Esperance and Sundowns secure Club World Cup slots

CAIRO, Egypt 

Tunisian football giants, Esperance and South African club Mamelodi Sundowns secured their places at next year's FIFA Club World Cup (Mundial de Clubes FIFA 25™) after the semi-finals matches of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League were played on Friday.

Esperance and Sundowns completed the list of qualifiers from Africa to play at the inaugural Mundial de Clubes FIFA 25™ (FIFA Club World Cup 2025), becoming the third and fourth CAF teams to book their tickets.

The Tunisian side completed a 2-0 aggregate victory over Sundowns on Friday night to set up a mouthwatering two-legged final showdown with the all-conquering Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

Esperance's progress to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final means they are guaranteed at least a place at the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the United States next June and July via the ranking pathway.

However, they still have the opportunity to qualify as African champions by defeating Al Ahly over the two legs on 18 and 25 May.

Sundowns may have fallen short in their bid to reach the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final, but their performances over the past four years have ensured they too will participate at the inaugural edition of the revamped global club event.

The competition will feature four representatives from CAF, with Al Ahly and Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca having already booked their spots as winners of the Champions League in 2021, 2023 and 2022 respectively.

Even if Esperance fail to overcome Al Ahly in the final, the Tunisian side will still take up one of the two remaining CAF berths courtesy of their ranking over recent campaigns.

Sundowns, meanwhile, complete the African quartet despite their semi-final exit, gaining entry via the ranking pathway as one of the continent's most successful sides over the past four seasons.

The new-look FIFA Club World Cup aims to determine a legitimate world champion by featuring the elite teams from each confederation in a summer showpiece.

Four African sides at the Club World Cup

- Wydad (Morocco)

- Al Ahly (Egypt)

- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

- Esperance Tunis (Tunisia)