Ghana to fine airlines $3,500 for unvaccinated passengers

By Francis Kukutse, ACCRA, Ghana 

Ghana will fine airlines $3,500 for each passenger who arrives in the West African country without being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the latest measure taken by the country with some of the strictest restrictions in the region.

Airlines also will be penalized the same amount for passengers who did not fill out a health declaration form before boarding their flight to Kotoka International Airport, the state-owned Ghana Airport Company announced Monday.

While Ghanaians who fly in without meeting the requirement will be allowed to enter the country and undergo a 14-day quarantine, foreigners may be refused entry, the airport authority announced.

The new penalties come a day after Ghana began requiring all passengers over the age of 18 to provide evidence of full vaccination against the virus, saying that about 60% of the total new cases recorded in the country had come from the airport during a recent two-week period.

"The current increase in cases together with the detection of the omicron variant among international arrivals and the expected increase during the festive season calls for urgent actions to prevent a major surge in COVID-19 cases in Ghana,” the Ghana Health Service said last week in announcing its decision.

Ghana, with about 31 million people, has one of the best COVID-19 testing programs in West Africa and has had 132,000 confirmed cases and 1,243 deaths since the pandemic began.

South African President tests positive for Covid-19 with mild symptoms

CAPE TOWN, South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for Covid-19 and is receiving treatment for mild symptoms.

“The president, who is fully vaccinated, is in self-isolation in Cape Town and has delegated all responsibilities to Deputy President David Mabuza for the next week,” the presidency said in a statement on Sunday. “The president is in good spirits but is being monitored by the South African Military Health Service of the South African National Defence Force.”

Ramaphosa, 69, was vaccinated against coronavirus with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson inoculation in February. The presidency didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he has received a booster shot.

South Africa is in the midst of a fourth wave of coronavirus infections fuelled by the omicron variant. Health authorities on Sunday recorded 18 035 new cases of the illness that has killed more than 90 000 people in the country.

The president this month traveled to West Africa, where he held talks with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara and Senegalese President Macky Sall. Ramaphosa was tested for Covid-19 in all of the countries he visited, and returned to South Africa on December 8 after obtaining negative test results, the presidency said.

“The president also tested negative on his return to Johannesburg” on December 8, it said.

Earlier on Sunday, Ramaphosa spoke at a memorial service for former apartheid-era President FW de Klerk, who died last month. The proceedings were “undertaken in compliance with health regulations pertaining to hand hygiene, the wearing of face masks and social distancing.”

The presidency urged anyone who had contact with Ramaphosa on Sunday to watch for symptoms or to have themselves tested.

Fuel queues resurface in Zimbabwe

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Fuel queues reappeared in Harare last week, with several service stations having run out of petrol, evoking memories of the fuel crisis of late 2018 and 2019 when motorists spent days in queues.

This comes as the festive season draws close when thousands of Zimbabweans traverse the country to their holiday destinations.

Speaking in an interview with NewsDay Weekender on Friday (December 10), National Oil Company Infrastructure of Zimbabwe board chairperson Daniel Mackenzie Ncube said the fuel challenges emanated from Mozambique.

He said that an unscheduled maintenance exercise at pumping stations in Mozambique had resulted in fuel shortages in Zimbabwe but the situation should normalise in “a day or two”. Said Mackenzie Ncube:

“We had a problem in Mozambique where they were maintaining the port so they were not pumping. … We have started pumping now. The problem should normalise in a day or two.”

“The scheduling in Mozambique caught us offside when they closed the port for maintenance”.

Mackenzie Ncube added that there was very little petrol in stock before Mozambique closed the port and this explains the petrol shortages.

He said:

“What we were holding was a bit low because of the pricing of petrol, so the dealers tend to sell each time they get fuel. They put it to the market instead of holding some of it”.

“I can’t tell you in terms of numbers, but for a few days we were not pumping but we normally pump around four million a day, but for diesel, we were holding stocks, but for petrol, our stocks were a bit on the low side and that is why they depleted very quickly”.

“We have been massaging the problem since last week hoping that it won’t get this far, but fortunately, we are now pumping”.

Total reopens office in restive Mozambique region

MAPUTO, Mozambique

The Mozambique branch of the French oil and gas company, Total Energies, has returned to the jihadist-hit Cabo Delgado province.

It has opened an information office in the city of Pemba, nine months after suspending its activities over concerns about insecurity in the region – after a militant attack in the nearby town of Palma in March in which dozens of people were killed.

The information office launched on Saturday is meant to ease communication between interested parties in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exploration project in the Rovuma basin

Laila Chilemba, a Total Energies official, said it would resolve the complex problem of interconnection and communication between critical actors in the project.

The local governor has welcomed the move by Total Energies.

Uganda army starts road works in DRC to ease offensive against ADF

KAMPALA, Uganda

The Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) engineering brigade has started opening up impassable roads in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to further pave way for its offensive against the Allied Democratic Front (ADF) rebels.

The road from Mukakati, where the UPDF has set up an operating base is in an appalling state, hampering their advances towards the rebel bases. The Mukakati forward operating base lies in the middle of Ituri forest which is about 18 km from the Uganda-DRC border at Busunga.

About two weeks ago, the UPDF, in a joint operation with DRC forces, launched a series of strikes against ADF militants in neighbouring Congo. The operation is intended to drive the militants out of their bases. This came after a series of terror attacks in different parts of Uganda, all of which were blamed on the ADF.

The construction works were on Friday flagged off by Col James Kasule, the operation commander and Col Gbiabagolo Antionio from the Congolese Defence Forces.

Speaking to journalists in Mukakati, Kasule said that the works will take 2-3 days in which they will have cleared part of the road. Col Antionio said that the joint collaboration with the UPDF is moving on well and is optimistic that the ADF rebels will be no more in the area.

He added that the road is crucial because it will enable the two armies to move deeper in the forests where the ADF has several bases. Maj Peter Mugisa the UPDF spokesperson of the operation added that UPDF through their community engagement initiatives, they have set up places to provide medical services and also clean water points for the locals. 

Benin Opposition Leader Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

COTONOU, Benin

A court in Benin convicted one of President Patrice Talon's main opponents Saturday for complicity in acts of terrorism.

Reckya Madougou was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a trial her lawyers denounced as a political hit job. 

The verdict was announced at about 6 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) following a trial that included no witnesses, her lawyers said in a statement.

"Her crime was to have represented a democratic alternative to the regime of Patrice Talon," said lawyer Antoine Vey.

The conviction of Madougou, a former justice minister, comes days after another of Talon's leading opponents, Joel Aivo, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for plotting against the state and laundering money.

Madougou was arrested in March and accused of financing an operation to assassinate political figures to prevent the presidential election the following month from going ahead. Her candidacy had earlier been rejected by the electoral commission.

Talon won a second term with 86% of the vote in a poll boycotted by much of the opposition and marred by violent protests.

Shortly before she was convicted, Madougou addressed the court, according to a post on her Facebook page. "I offer myself up for democracy and if my sacrifice allows you, Mr. President (of the court) and your colleagues to recover your independence from the executive, then I will not have suffered in vain," it quoted her as saying.

Human rights group and opponents of Talon, a multi-millionaire cotton magnate, say he has upended Benin's democratic traditions since coming to power in 2016. 

Several opponents have been arrested and electoral reforms signed by Talon in 2018 disqualified all opposition parties from running for parliament the following year.

Talon has denied targeting political opponents or violating human rights.

Kenyan leader slashes electricity tariffs by 30 pct to spur industrial growth

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya will cut down the cost of electricity by 30 percent in order to ease inflationary pressures on citizens and stimulate the growth of indigenous manufacturing, President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Sunday during Independence Day celebrations in the capital Nairobi.

According to Kenyatta, a reduction in the cost of power will be carried out in two tranches of 15 percent each in line with promises he had made in October to shield consumers and industrialists from costly electricity bills. And the phased reduction of power bills will be completed in the first quarter of 2022.

He said the Ministry of Energy had commenced negotiations with independent power producers to work on a modality of revising the cost of electricity supplied to households and businesses downwards.

Kenyatta said the government was committed to the realization of universal access to cheaper and reliable sources of energy as a means to achieve a long-term development blueprint.

"I urge the power producers to demonstrate goodwill as we seek to make our energy sector a greater catalyst of our national development,” said Kenyatta.

During his televised address to the nation to observe the 57th anniversary since Kenya became a republic, Kenyatta called on citizens to embrace unity, patriotism and service so as to realize the dreams of the founding fathers.

He acknowledged significant strides the country had made in the political, social and economic realm since attaining independence from Britain, adding that he was committed to leaving behind a legacy of peace, unity and shared prosperity.

Kenyatta called for reimaging the country’s economic architecture to hasten growth and meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, expected to hit 63 million by 2030.

AU urges G7 to support Africa in medicine, vaccine manufacture

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

The African Union (AU) on Sunday appealed to Western nations to support African initiatives in the manufacture of essential medicines and vaccines beyond the COVID-19 pandemic as a sure way of ensuring global health security.

AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat made the call during the Vaccines and Global Health Security Session of the G7 Foreign and Development Ministerial meeting.

"I urge the G7 to join the United States of America in the support of the Initiative by South Africa and India at the WTO to waive intellectual property rights to COVID vaccines,” Mahamat said.

"I sincerely hope this meeting comes up with concrete action on this urgent issue, so vital for our common survival.”

South Africa along with India and many other developing countries have called for a temporary waiver of patents for COVID-19 vaccines, in the hope that it would improve production and allow a fairer distribution of vaccines globally.

Their calls have been opposed by richer developed countries in Europe, where many pharmaceutical companies are based. However, the U.S. reversed its position and threw its support behind waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines.

Mahamat highlighted what he termed disproportionate delays that Africa experienced when it came to delivery of vaccines ordered from the global market and those pledged under the COVAX facility.

Mahamat said this meant that out of an estimated 8.5 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses delivered globally, Africa received a mere 264 million. This translated to only seven percent of Africans being vaccinated compared to 70 percent of people around the world.

"Let me be clear, when this global pandemic started, Africa asked for one thing only – to have the same access to vaccines at the same price when they became available.”

"Two years later, we witnessed that these assurances of global solidarity were ignored.”

Mahamat urged the international community to “honor its commitments with urgency” particularly in light of the emergence of the Omicron variant which led several Western nations to impose travel bans on southern African nations.

"At the risk of repeating the obvious, no one is safe until we all are, to be able to truly fight this pandemic.”

"Vaccine nationalism is self-defeating and suicidal in a global pandemic.”

The AU has previously called for an “urgent rescinding” of the travel bans arguing they will adversely impact the economies of such countries and limit capacity to access essential medical supplies to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Legend Samuel Eto'o elected president of Cameroon FA

YAOUNDE, Cameroon 

Former international Samuel Eto'o will run Cameroonian football for the next four years after being elected head of the country's FA on Saturday.

The four-time African Footballer of the Year defeated rival Seidou Mbombo Njoya, the fourth vice-president at the Confederation of African Football.

Seven candidates should have contested the elections, but five of them pulled out on the morning of the elections.

Eto'o, 40, has promised a wide range of reforms to thrive the sport.

"We have to bring footballers to the centre of our policies," he said afterwards. "It is our role to ensure that those who play this discipline make a decent living out of it."

The former Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea star has also promised to construct at least 10 stadiums during his mandate.

"I've spoken to the business community and we're certain we'll get the right investors who can accompany us in fulfilling our goals," Eto'o had said prior to the polls.

Eto'o's candidacy had triggered popular attention with the proceedings of the gathering broadcast live on national Cameroon television.

He will now be head of Cameroon's FA (Fecafoot) when the country hosts the Africa Cup of Nations in January and February.

Among those giving up their candidacy on Saturday morning were former Cameroon internationals Maboang Kesack and Jules Denis Onana.

Arguably Africa's best footballing export of recent times, Eto'o - Cameroon's all-time top scorer - joined Spanish giants Real Madrid in 1996 at the age of 16 before loan spells with Leganes, Espanyol and Mallorca.

He signed a permanent deal with Mallorca in 2000, scoring 54 goals in 133 outings to establish himself as the team's all-time leading scorer.

A move to Barcelona followed in 2004 where the former Cameroon captain won three La Liga titles, helping the Catalans to two European Champions League triumphs in 2006 and 2009, scoring in both finals.

In 2006, Eto'o became the first and only African to win the Spanish Golden Boot after netting 26 times in 34 matches.

The forward scored 108 goals in 144 games for the Nou Camp side before joining Inter Milan in 2009, where he won his third Champions League crown as well as a Serie A title and the Fifa Club World Cup in 2010.

Internationally, Eto'o helped the Indomitable Lions win two successive Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002 and went on to become the tournament's record scorer with 18 goals.

In 2000, he guided Cameroon to an Olympic gold medal, scoring in the final.

Tanzania and Kenya sign eight bilateral pacts

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

Tanzania and Kenya on Friday signed eight bilateral pacts following talks spearheaded by President Samia Hassan and her Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta, who was on a two-day visit to Dar es Salaam.

According to the Kenyan presidency, the bilateral pacts include agreements on mutual legal assistance, extradition and transfer of sentenced persons as well as memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on immigration, correctional services and animal health.

Others are MOUs on cooperation between Kenya Investment Authority and Tanzania Investment Centre as well as housing and urban development.

"We have had an opportunity to hold bilateral talks on issues concerning our two nations and agreed to work closely to foster our relations so as to attain our shared vision for prosperity of our people,” President Kenyatta said after witnessing the signing of the agreements.

Kenyatta was meeting Suluhu for the second time in eight months, having also met in Nairobi in May.

The two leaders have been working to thaw tensions that had been brewing under President John Pombe Magufuli, following disagreements on travel restrictions between the two countries.

In his remarks on Friday, Kenyatta commended a joint team of Kenyan and Tanzanian trade experts whose work in recent months, he said, had helped resolve most of the non-tariff barriers that hindered cross-border trade between the two countries in the past.

On her part, President Suluhu thanked Kenyatta for honouring her invitation to attend the 60th anniversary of Tanzania’s independence.

The Tanzanian Head of State echoed her Kenyan counterpart’s sentiments on the improving cross-border trade between the two East African economies due to the removal of most of the identified non-tarrif barriers.

“I commend the JCC for speedily resolving 46 out of the m 64 non-tariff barriers that existed and I am sure the remaining ones will soon be resolved so that people can continue with their businesses,” she said.

Benin opposition leader goes on trial on terrorism charges

PORTO NOVO, Benin

A key Benin opposition leader went on trial on terrorism charges on Friday, nine months after she was arrested just before President Patrice Talon's re-election in April.

Reckya Madougou, one of the opposition leaders banned from running in the election, was arrested in March accused of trying to disrupt the ballot and destablise the country.

Her trial opened just days after the same special court sentenced another opposition figure Joel Aivo to 10 years in prison.

Critics say the Economic Crime and Terrorism Court or Criet, has been used by Talon's regime to crack down on the opposition and pushed Benin into authoritarianism.

Madougou faces a 20-year sentence if found guilty of financing terrorism and acts of terrorism among other charges. 

She arrived in a prison van to the Porto-Novo court where some of her supporters waited for her, some wearing white T-shirts with her image and the words: "Free Reckya Madougou".

"The dossier is completely empty... because it is exclusively a political accusation," one of her lawyers, Antoine Vey, told AFP."

If the trial were fair, there is no doubt she would be released and fully acquitted," he said. "We are fearful of a heavy sentence."Since the beginning of March, Madougou has been incarcerated in the civil prison of Misserete. 

Her lawyers have repeatedly warned of "very difficult" conditions, with no contact with the outside world except her legal team.

Less than a week before the April election, a judge from the special court fled Benin denouncing political pressure to make rulings, in particular in the case of Madougou's arrest.Government officials dismiss claims of political interference and say Benin's judiciary is independent.  

Benin was long praised for its thriving multi-party democracy in a troubled region. 

But critics say the West African state's democracy has steadily eroded under Talon, a 63-year-old cotton magnate first elected in 2016.

Some opposition leaders have fled the country while others were disqualified from running in elections, or targeted for investigation.

Aivo, a professor who had been held for eight months, was found guilty on Tuesday of plotting against the state and money laundering.

Aivo, who was also barred from running in the election, was arrested on April 15, four days after the ballot that saw Talon returned

Kenya is committed to promoting democracy - Uhuru tells the world

NAIROBI, Kenya

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya has affirmed Kenya's commitment to the promotion of democracy, respect for human rights, regional peace and security as well as the war against corruption.

Uhuru’s message was delivered through a video recording on Friday evening at the virtual summit on democracy convened by US President Joe Biden.

The two-day conference attracted high-level participation from more than 100 nations.

"Kenya commits to strengthen democracy, defend against authoritarianism, combat corruption and respect for human rights within the country, the East African Community, the African region, and in the world at large,” Uhuru said.

He said that since independence, Kenya has progressively deepened its democracy and entrenched the rule of law.

"I wish to confirm that we have achieved significant democratic milestones, which include amongst other things; the adoption of an inclusive and progressive Constitution of Kenya (2010) that incorporates an expansive bill of rights; and more decentralized governance structure of 47 county governments with increased county capacity in localised planning, public expenditure management and so on.”

The president outlined the promotion of diversity and inclusion especially for previously marginalized groups such as women, youth, and persons with disabilities as well as an independent judiciary, robust bicameral parliament, and enhanced framework for public participation in decision-making processes as some of Kenya’s democratic achievements over the years.

Also, Uhuru informed the summit that Kenya had engrained an election culture that has seen regular elections held initially under a single-party regime that gave way to a multi-party system.

"The principle of free and fair elections in every five years is legally enshrined in Kenya’s Constitution and provided for in the Elections Act. Towards this end, my administration is on course to hold the third general election under the 2010 Constitution.”

He expressed concern over the rising political instability on the continent underlined by coups and unconstitutional changes of government contrary to the dictates of democracy.

On regional peace and security, he said Kenya will continue backing international efforts to find sustainable solutions to conflicts and instability plaguing her neighbours.

“Kenya has been at the forefront in peacekeeping operations within the African continent and beyond. Our active participation in peacekeeping is the testimony of our confidence in the crucial role it plays in the restoration of democratic institutions of leadership.”

The president also spoke about Kenya's war against corruption, saying the country had achieved significant milestones during his tenure.

Kenya's Raila Odinga Officially Declares 2022 Presidential Bid

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya's long time opposition leader, Raila Odinga has officially announced he is running to be President of Kenya in next year's general election.

Mr. Odinga, who is eyeing a fifth stab at the presidency, made known his decision on Friday, December 10, at the Azimio La Umoja Convention held at the Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi.

He also at the same time announced the launch of the Azimio La Umoja Movement which will be his vehicle to State House.

“I do hereby accept to present myself as a Presidential candidate at the Presidential Election on 9th of August 2022 following the request and unanimous decision by this AZIMIO LA UMOJA,” said Mr. Odinga.

His announcement was a badly kept secret but it now clears the way for him to face Deputy President William Ruto, who is also yet to announce his bid but it is also an open secret.

"I am not running for president to oppose anyone but to propose better policies. I am in this race to mold one indivisible nation. I am not at war with personalities, I am at war with ideologies that would lead this nation in the wrong direction,” he said.

Mr. Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja convention was attended by thousands of his eager supporters led by politicians, many who were his bitter rivals years back but have since lined up behind him and pledged their support.

Of note were Central Kenya politicians, from Governors, Senators and MPs who all spoke highly of Mr. Odinga.

The ODM leader, one of Kenya’s most polarizing politicians struck a reconciliatory tone promising to be a president for all.

"Ideologies that divide us instead of uniting us. Ideologies that put the personal above the national good.

To put our country on the path of lasting unity, stability and prosperity, I hereby announce the launch of the Azimio La Umoja Movement,” he said to cheers from the crowds.

“God BLESS you all and God Bless this our LAND and NATION.”

Gunmen kill at least 14 militiamen in Burkina Faso ambush

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso

Unidentified gunmen ambushed and killed least 14 members of a government-backed civilian militia in Burkina Faso on Thursday, officials said, the latest in a wave of violence.

The attack came a day after President Roch Kabore sacked his prime minister and replaced the head of the army as he faced street protests over his handling of a security crisis that has killed thousands and displaced more than a million.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the ambush. But attacks by insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have been mounting in Burkina Faso and in neighbouring Mali and Niger.

The gunmen attacked the militia about 10 km from the northern town of Titao where they were heading to reinforce other civilian fighters, the government said in a statement.

The 14 killed were members of Burkina Faso's Homeland Defence Volunteers, which receives funds and training from the government to help contain an Islamist insurgency.

Ethiopia’s Abiy announces return to Addis Ababa from war front

NAIROBI, Kenya 

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Wednesday that he was returning to Addis Ababa from the battlefront after pro-government forces claimed major advances in their fight against Tigrayan rebels.

The government on Monday said pro-Abiy forces had retaken the strategic towns of Dessie and Kombolcha, the latest turn in the 13-month-old war.

After the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group reported significant territorial gains as part of a march towards Addis Ababa, Abiy announced last month that he would head to the battlefront, handing over his regular duties to his deputy.

Since then, state media has broadcast images of a uniformed Abiy, a former lieutenant colonel in the military, as fighting reportedly raged on at least three fronts.

On Wednesday, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner said: “I am returning to the office as I have completed the first phase” of the conflict.

But “the struggle isn’t yet finished. We have areas that haven’t been freed,” he warned in a statement published on social media.

“We should offer a long-lasting solution to make sure the enemy that has tested us doesn’t become a danger to Ethiopia again.”

In recent days, the government has announced the recapture of several small towns, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lalibela which is famed for its 12th-century rock-hewn churches.

Late Wednesday, the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported pro-Abiy forces were marching on Mersa some 90 kilometres (55 miles) north of Dessie, having taken four other towns and other locations on a nearby front.

The TPLF has dismissed the government’s claims, saying the rebels were making strategic withdrawals and remained undefeated.

Fears of a rebel march on Addis Ababa have prompted countries such as the United States, France and Britain to urge their citizens to leave Ethiopia as soon as possible, although Abiy’s government says the city is secure.

Ceasefire push 

Olusegun Obasanjo, the African Union’s special envoy for the Horn of Africa, is leading a push to broker a ceasefire, but little progress has been reported so far.

The surging conflict has fuelled fears of a potential spillover into the fragile East African region, with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta last month urging both parties to lay down their arms.

Obasanjo visited Kenya on Wednesday, Kenyatta’s office announced, saying the two men “discussed several subjects of importance to Kenya, the region and the African continent”, without offering further details.

The war erupted in November 2020 when Abiy sent troops into Tigray to topple the TPLF — a move he said came in response to rebel attacks on army camps.

But the rebels mounted a shock comeback, recapturing most of Tigray by the end of June before expanding into the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar.

The fighting has killed thousands of people, displaced more than two million and driven hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions, according to UN estimates. - AFP