EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS

 

Congo begins Ebola vaccinations for health workers in the epicenter of the outbreak

BUNIA, DR Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday began vaccinating healthcare staff against Ebola in Bunia, the epicenter of the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history as they are “particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,” the provincial governor said.

Health workers and other front-line workers in the Ebola response are being prioritized to receive the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type of virus. 

Clinical trials are ongoing to find a licensed vaccine for the current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no licensed vaccine or treatment.

The rollout is targeting the Bunia and Mongbwalu zones in Ituri province, health authorities said Saturday. Both areas are among the hardest-hit by the virus.

“Our collective duty is to protect life. Launching this vaccination drive for front-line staff in Ituri is not an arbitrary choice, as these workers are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,” the military governor of Ituri, Maj. Gen. Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, said Saturday.

The campaign in Ituri and North Kivu is expected to cover 20,000 front-line workers over a period of six to nine months.

As of Saturday, the country had recorded 7,541 confirmed cases, including 3,639 deaths, according to government figures, while 1,823 people have recovered. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province and is known to be the deadliest of all past 17 Ebola outbreaks in the country.

The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. 

The World Health Organization has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Uganda suspends military cooperation with Turkey amid political tensions

KAMPALA, Uganda 

Uganda's army said Saturday it had suspended military cooperation with Turkey, after demands for Ankara to hand over a prominent political blogger and fierce critic of President Yoweri Museveni.

Army chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni's son and widely seen as his father's likely successor, has repeatedly clashed with Turkish authorities over efforts to extradite Fred Lumbuye.

The political commentator faces 15 criminal charges, including incitement to violence, spreading false information and computer misuse.

On Friday, thousands of Ugandans affiliated with the Patriotic League of Uganda, a civic and political pressure group associated with Muhoozi, protested outside the Turkish embassy in the capital Kampala.

"The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has with immediate effect suspended all and any Defence and Military cooperation with the Republic of Turkiye," army spokesman Chris Magezi said in a statement.

"The measure will remain in force until outstanding issues of mutual defence and military cooperation between the two countries are resolved," Magezi added, without providing further details.

Kainerugaba reposted the statement on X.

The two countries have maintained close defence ties for nearly a decade, covering military training, arms and surveillance equipment, technology transfers and cooperation on counter-terrorism and security.

The directive follows threats to cancel a $3 billion railways contract with Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, and to expel Turkish nationals from Uganda.

Journalists denied White House access after Trump banned some media outlets

By Our Correspondent, WASHINGTON United States 

Politico, CNN and MS NOW journalists have been denied access to the White House after US President Donald Trump announced he was banning the outlets.

Reporters raise their hands to ask questions as President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement on health care in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2026.  

An MS NOW reporter and a photographer tried entering the White House grounds on Saturday morning, but their badges would not scan and an officer confiscated them, the outlet reported.

Both CNN and Politico also said Saturday morning that their reporters were denied access and had their badges seized.

Trump said on Friday he was barring all three major US media outlets from the White House, accusing them of writing "fiction or lies" about his administration.

Press freedom advocates called the move unconstitutional.

"The officer asked me to hand over my badge. He said that it was disabled," MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner said. "I asked why I was not able to get inside. He said it was above him."

Gardner added that while her and her colleague's badges were disabled, an MS NOW producer was still able to scan her badge to get in, though she was not given an explanation as to why the producer's badge still worked.

CNN reporter Betsy Klein said a Secret Service agent told her her badge had been deactivated.

Later on Saturday morning, Politico said its reporter Cheyenne Haslett was denied entry and Secret Service revoked her pass.

All three outlets have spoken out against the decision, accusing Trump of violating their constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of the press.

An MS NOW spokesperson said in a statement that the White House "belongs to the American people and the decisions made inside are funded by our tax dollars".

MS NOW said it "intends to take any and all steps necessary to defend our First Amendment rights and the essential role of independent journalism in our democracy".

Politico Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Greenberger said in an internal email, shared in the outlet's Playbook newsletter, that the company stands by its reporters and will "vigorously defend" their First Amendment rights.

And CNN said, "We have a right under the US Constitution to do our reporting without hindrance or interference from the government and this ban is an illegal assault on this fundamental right."

In his announcement, Trump did not mention specific stories or reporting from the three outlets that prompted the move, but later said "it's really just cumulative stories over the last few years".

Trump added that there "may be others to join them", but has not given a directive banning additional news outlets. When later asked by a reporter what he meant by others to come, Trump responded: "Others to come in terms of fake news? Well, you know, the New York Times is fake news, the Washington Post is fake news."

Several groups dedicated to the freedom of the press have called out Trump's White House ban as illegal and unconstitutional.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 19/9/2026

 

IGAD presses South Sudan parties to agree on election roadmap

By Our Correspondent, DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti 

The regional bloc IGAD has urged South Sudan’s government and other parties to the country’s peace agreement to engage in inclusive dialogue and agree on a pathway towards general elections scheduled for December.

In a communiqué issued on Tuesday after a meeting of its Council of Ministers in Djibouti, IGAD said dialogue is needed to restore confidence among the parties and establish a “consensual pathway” to the elections.

It reaffirmed the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) as the framework for the country’s peace process and said the elections should remain anchored in the agreement that established the current transitional government.

The call comes as parliament considers proposed changes to the country’s electoral law that could significantly alter the power-sharing arrangements ahead of the vote.

The National Elections Act Amendment Bill, tabled in parliament on Wednesday, proposes that the incumbent president remain in office with full constitutional powers during the election period, while the first vice-president and other vice-presidents would leave office three months before polling day.

The proposal would affect the power-sharing presidency established under the 2018 peace agreement, which created the positions of president, first vice-president and four other vice-presidents.

Dr. Riek Machar, who was suspended from his position as first vice-president, remains under house arrest and is on trial on treason charges. He is a principal signatory to the 2018 peace agreement.

The bill has been referred to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny and has not yet become law.

The proposed changes come as South Sudan prepares for elections scheduled for 22 December 2026, after years of delays in implementing the 2018 peace agreement.

IGAD’s Council of Ministers directed its Ministerial Sub-Committee on South Sudan to intensify engagement with the government and other stakeholders and report back to the council.

The regional bloc said it remains ready to support efforts towards the elections.

South Sudan’s Foreign Minister James Pitia Morgan attended the 74th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers, held on 15 September in Djibouti.

IGAD also called for sustainable and predictable funding for the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC) and the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM).

The two bodies monitor the implementation of key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement, including the ceasefire and transitional security arrangements.

IGAD has played a central role in South Sudan’s peace process and is a principal guarantor of the 2018 peace agreement.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 18/9/2026