'100 Most Reputable Africans' in 2023 announced

LONDON, UK

Reputation Poll International, a leading global reputation firm, has released the 2023 list of the 100 most reputable Africans. The list features individuals from diverse sectors including governance, human rights, education, entertainment, and business. 

The selection criteria are integrity, impact and visibility.

Kenya's Amina Chawahir Mohamed, South Africa's Bonang Mohale, Chancellor at the University of the Free State and Professor at Johannesburg Business School; and Cameroon's Njoya Tiku, Manager of the UNDP Regional Office in West and Central are some of the prominent personalities featured on the list.

Governance and Policy: The President of Kenya, His Excellency William K. Ruto, the President of Malawi, His Excellency Lazarus Chakwera and Senator Chantal Moussokoura Fanny of Ivory Coast, amongst others.

Business: Egypt's Naguib Onsi Sawiris, Chairman of Weather Investment company, Ghana's Sir Samuel Esson Jonah, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, and Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital in South Africa and Nigeria's Dr. Dauda Lawal, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Credent Capital and Advisory Ltd.

Human Rights Advocacy: Martha K. Koome, Chief Justice of Kenya, and Nigeria's Aisha Yesufu are featured.

Leadership: Ethiopia's President, Sahle Work- Zedwe, Nigeria's Dr. Paul Enenche MD, and Ghana's Afua Kyei (the Chief Financial Officer at Bank of England, where she leads the Finance Directorate) are featured and Bolaji Akinremi (Amb.) || Director of Economy Trade & Investment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition to the individuals recognised on Reputation Poll International's "100 Most Reputable Africans" list for their various achievements, there are also those who are celebrated for their contributions to social impact and social entrepreneurship, helping to transform businesses in Africa and positively impacting lives without causing controversy.

The 100 Most Reputable Africans list is aimed at recognising and celebrating the achievements of individuals making a positive impact in Africa and worldwide. 

Below is the list of the 100 Most Reputable people in Africa:

1. Abdulrazak Gurnah FRSL || British Author and Professor

2. Afua Kyei || Chief Financial Officer at Bank of England

3. Agnes Matilda Kalibab || President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

4. Aisha Yesufu || Human Rights Advocate

5. Amani Abou-Zeid (H.E) || Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, African Union Commission

6. Amina Chawahir Mohamed Jibril || Deputy Executive Director, UNEP

7. Arunma Oteh || Economist and Financial Manager

8. Basita Michael (Esq) || President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association

9. Bibata Ganemtore Nabaloum || Head of Association for Promotion of Women and Children (APEE)

10. Bibi Ameenah Firdaus Gurib || Fellow of the African Academy Of Sciences

11. Birama Sidibé || Former Vice President Of the Islamic Bank of Development

12. Bolaji Akinremi (Amb.) || Director of Economy Trade & Investment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

13. Carol Bouwer || CEO, Carol Bouwer Productions

14. Carolyn Steyn || Founder, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day

15. Chantal Moussokoura Fanny (Sen.) || Senator for Folon District

16. Clare Akamanzi || CEO, Rwanda Development Board (RDB)

17. Conrad Mbewe (Pastor) || Author and Pastor at Kabwata Baptist Church

18. Cosmas Maduka || Founder and Chairman of the Coscharis Group

19. Coumba D. Sow || Representative at UN Food and Agriculture Organization

20. Dag Heward-Mills (Bishop) || Founder and Bishop of the Lighthouse Chapel International

21. Danai Jekesai Guirira ||Actress

22. Dauda Lawal (Dr.) || Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Credent Capital and Advisory Ltd

23. David Olaniyi Oyedepo (Bishop) || Founder and General Overseer at Living Faith Church Worldwide (LFCW)

24. Denis Mukwege || Founder and Head of the Panzi Hospital

25. Edi Mūe Gathegi || Actor

26. Edward Kobina Enninful OBE || Editor in Chief, British Vogue

27. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (H.E) || Former President of Liberia

28. Enoch Adeboye (Pastor) || General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG)

29. Eric Yirenkyi Danquah || Founding Director, The West Africa Centre for crop Improvement (WACCI)

30. Fatoumatta Njai || Representative of ECOWAS

31. Fitsum Assefa Adela || Leader, FDRE Minister of Planning and Development

32. Goodluck Ebele Azikwe Jonathan (H.E GCFR, GCON) || Former President of Nigeria

33. Helena Ndume (Dr.) || Head of Opthalmology, Windheok Central Hospital

34. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang || Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa

35. Jennifer Douglas (Dr.) || Founder and President, Gede Foundation

36. Jonathan Fonati Koffa || Deputy Speaker Liberia

37. Joaquim Alberto Chissano || Former President of Mozambique

38. Joseph-Achille Mbembe || Author, Philosopher, and Lecturer

39. Joyce Msuya || Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN

40. Judy Dlamini || Chancellor at the University of Witwatersand

41. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella (Alhaji, Dr.) || Former Director-General of UNIDO

42. Kanya King, CBE || CEO, Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards

43. Ken Kwaku || Honorary Consular of Ghana to Tanzania

44. Kofi Tutu Agyare || Managing Partner at Nubuke Investments

45. Lazarus Chakwera (H.E) || President of Malawi

46. Leruo Tshekedi Molotlegi || 36th Kgosi (king) of the royal Bafokeng Nation

47. Leymah Gbowee || Peace Activist

48. Leïla Slimani || Author and Journalist

49. Lia Tadesse || Minister of Health in Ethiopia

50. Lindiwe Mazibuko || Executive Director of Apolitical Academy

51. Lucy Quist || MD, Morgan Stanley Ghana

52. Lydia Heather Mudhari || Honorary Consul for Zimbabwe in Scotland

53. Marieme Jamme || Philanthropist and Businesswoman

54. Maritza Peña Rosabal || Former Minister of Education in Cape Verde

55. Martha Karau (Hon.) || Leader of the NARC Kenya political party

56. Martha K. Koome (Hon. Chief Justice EGH) ||Chief Justice of Kenya

57. Martin Kimani || Kenyan Diplomat

58. Mike Jocktan || Founder of Ministries Christ Revealed to Nations and Renovons Port-Gentil

59. Mogoeng Thomas Reetsang Mogoeng || Former Chief Justice of South Africa

60. Mohamed Moustapha Malick Fall || Regional Director at UNICEF for Eastern and Southern Africa

61. Mohamed Mustafa ElBaradei || Egyptian Lawyer and Diplomat

62. Mohammed “Mo” Ibrahim || Founder and Chairman of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation

63. Monica Geingos || First Lady of Namibia

64. Monique Ilboudo || Author and Human Rights Advocate

65. Mthuli Ncube || Former Finance Minister of Zimbabwe

66. Naguib Onsi Sawiris || CEO of Orascom Telecom Holding

67. Nelson Makamo || Visual Artist

68. N’Gunu Tiny || Founder and CEO, The Emerald Group

69. Nicholas F. Oppenheimer || Businessman

70. Nj Ajuk || Author, Founder, and CEO of Centurion Law Group

71. Njoya Tiku || Manager of the UNDP Regional Office in West and Central Africa

72. Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita || CEO of Dutch Mining Group

73. Ogiame Atuwatse III || 21st Olu of Warri

74. Olaniyi Olatunji Nelson || International Development Professional

75. Patrick Ngugi Njoroge || Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya

76. Paul Enenche (Dr., Pastor) || Senior Pastor, The Dunamis International Gospel Centre

77. Phuthi Mahanyelle || CEO of Naspers

78. Ronald Ozzy Lamola || Minister of Justice and Correctional Services in South Africa

79. Rosalia Martins-Hausiku || CEO Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund of Namibia

80. Sadia Haji Samatar || Lead of the Parliament in Somalia

81. Sahle-Work Zewde || President of Ethiopia

82. Samuel Esson Jonah || Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana

83. Sheila Dinotshe Tlou || Nurse and Nursing Educator

84. Soha Ali || Senior Country Representative of J.P Morgan Chase Bank for the Egypt Office

85. Tembeka Nicholas Ngcukaitobi || Author, Lawyer, and Political Activist

86. Thebe Ikalafeng || Founder and CEO of Brand Leadership Group

87. Theresa Ayaode || Executive Director of Multiple Concepts Groups

88. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande || The Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations

89. Tuma Adama Gento- Kamara || Chairperson of the National Revenue Authority (NRA)

90. Victoire Sidémého Dzidudu Dogbé Tomegah || Prime Minister of Togo

91. Victor Ochen || Founder and Executive Director of African Youth Initiative Network (AYINET)

92. Wally Adeyemo || Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of the Treasury

93. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg || Executive Director at Rise, a project by Schmidt

94. WF Kumuyi (Pastor) || General Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM)

95. Wided Bouchamaoui || Leader of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts

96. Wilfried Mbappé || Football Coach and Agent

97. William K. Ruto || President of Kenya

98. Winnie Byanyima || Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Executive Director of UNAIDS

99. Workneh Gebeyehu Negewo || Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ethiopia

100. Zeinab Badawi || British Journalist and Television Presenter

Freed Ivorian soldiers return home after six months

By Toussaint N’gotta, ABIDJAN Ivory Coast

Forty-six Ivorian soldiers returned home to cheers and celebrations after being detained for six months in Mali.

Waving flags, the beaming soldiers saluted Ivorian officials as they descended the military plane in the capital, Abidjan, on Saturday evening.

Forty-nine soldiers were detained in July when they went to work for Sahelian Aviation Services, a private company contracted to work in Mali by the United Nations. Mali considered them to be mercenaries and detained them.

The soldiers were pardoned last week after 46 of them were sentenced to 20 years in prison for undermining state security in Mali and for attacks on Mali’s government. Three other defendants, all women who had been released in September, were tried in absentia and sentenced to death.

Speaking to the soldiers at a packed ceremony after they landed, Ivory Coast’s president, Alassane Ouattara, said they shouldn’t blame themselves for what happened.

“The mission was not easy but you are back exactly six months after your departure from the Ivory Coast,” Ouattara said.

Shaking hands and taking photos with the president, the soldiers were embraced by emotional friends and family.

“I am very happy to return to my native land. It was our wish,” said Sergeant Youssouf Dah one of the soldiers who returned. “Today his excellency the president of the republic (and) supreme commander of the armed forces has made an effort so that we can find our families,” he said.

Mali’s government said the decision to pardon the soldiers demonstrates the military junta’s commitment to peace and dialogue and to maintaining good relations with Ivory Coast.

Mali has been embroiled in jihadi violence linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for a decade. The release of the Ivorian soldiers is meant to both send a good faith signal to Ivory Coast and show that the junta is in full control, while distracting the public from the security crisis engulfing the nation, analysts say.

Senegal bus crash kills at least 40 people

DAKAR, Senegal

At least 40 people have died and scores were injured when two buses collided near the town of Kaffrine in central Senegal on Sunday, according to the president and the fire services.

In response to the "grave" accident, President Macky Sall announced three days of national mourning beginning Monday.

In a tweet Sunday he also said there had been 40 deaths and "many serious injuries".

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident," he said on Twitter.

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured."

The Senegalese prosecutor said in a separate statement that 38 people had been killed.

Public prosecutor, Cheikh Dieng, said that early investigations suggested that the accident was caused when "a bus assigned to the public transport of passengers, following the bursting of a tyre, left its trajectory before colliding head-on with another bus coming in the opposite direction."

Colonel Cheikh Fall, who is in charge of operations for the West African country's National Fire Brigade, had earlier told AFP that 38 people had died and 87 were injured in the accident.

The accident took place around 3.15 am local time (0315 GMT) Sunday morning, Fall told AFP, adding that all the victims have been evacuated to a hospital and medical centre in Kaffrine.

The wreckage and demolished buses have since been cleared and normal traffic has already resumed on the road, he said.

The governor and local officials have already visited the scene, he added.

President Sall said after the period of national mourning finished, a government council will be held to "take firm measures on road safety".

Road accidents are common in Senegal, largely because of driver indiscipline, poor roads and decrepit vehicles, say experts.

However, this is one of the heaviest death tolls from a single incident in recent years.

In October 2020, at least 16 people were killed and 15 more injured when a bus collided with a refrigerated lorry in western Senegal.

The bus, with a 60-seat capacity, was heading to Rosso near the border with Mauritania, the fire brigade said, adding that the number of people onboard was unknown.

Local media said at the time that the truck was hauling fish to Dakar.

Mali junta leader pardons detained Ivorian soldiers

BAMAKO, Mali

Mali's military junta leader, Colonel Assimi Goita, pardoned the 49 Ivorian soldiers convicted of undermining Mali's state security and conspiracy against the government on Friday.

The pardon comes one week after 46 of the soldiers were sentenced to 20 years in prison. The three women who had been freed early September were tried in absentia and sentenced to death.

Government spokesperson, Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, shared the news on national Malian television.

"His Excellency Col. Assimi Goita, President of the Transition, Head of State granted his pardon with full remission of sentences to the 49 Ivoirians convicted by the Malian courts”

This gesture by colonel Goita is prompted as a way to keep the peace between the neighboring countries

"This gesture, which once again, demonstrates his attachment to peace, dialogue, pan-Africanism, and the preservation of fraternal and secular relations with the countries of the region," added Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga. 

The 49 soldiers were detained in July when they went to work for Sahelian Aviation Services, a private company contracted to work in Mali by the United Nations. A January 1rst deadline set by ECOWAS for Mali to release the soldiers was missed but ECOWAS decided not to sanction the country.

South Sudan security holding 6 journalists shared video of president urinating

JUBA, South Sudan

South Sudan’s national security service has detained six journalists who work for the country’s national broadcaster, SSBC, the country’s press union said.

Patrick Oyet, who heads the Union of Journalists of South Sudan, said five journalists were detained Tuesday and one on Wednesday.

The arrest appears to be connected to a video of President Salva Kiir, according to Oyet and media rights groups.

The footage, shared widely on social media in December, appeared to show Kiir urinate on himself while at an official engagement, according to The Associated Press. The video quickly cuts away from the shots of the 71-year-old president, the AP reported.

Local station Radio Tamazuj cited an anonymous journalist from the SSBC as saying that the footage came from the public broadcaster, “yet we as SSBC did not broadcast any news related to that video.”

Oyet said the union is seeking details on why the journalists were taken by security forces.

"We have visited some offices of the security and we found out that one of the reasons is actually connected to the … video of the president that was leaked,” Oyet said.

From the information he has so far, Oyet said, “They are basically suspects and they are being investigated. If they are found to not have been the people who sent out the video, they will be set free.”

Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan’s Information Minister, said people should wait to hear the reason for why the media workers are being held.

The unnamed SSBC journalist was cited in reports as saying that their colleagues “are not arrested but just taken for formalities of investigations.”

According to the Union of Journalists of South Sudan and the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), those detained are control room director Joval Tombe, editor Victor Lado, and camera operator and technicians Mustafa Osman, Jacob Benjamin, Oliver Wani and Cherbek Reuben.

The CPJ on Friday called on authorities to “unconditionally release” the journalists.

The action by South Sudan “matches a pattern of security personnel resorting to arbitrary detention whenever officials deem coverage unfavorable,” CPJ’s Muthoki Mumo said in a statement.

Oyet said he hopes any investigation will be fast, and said that media should act professionally.

"Before you send any material out, not only video whether text or audio, the first thing you ask yourself as a journalist is, ‘Is what I am going to send out good for public consumption? Is it in the public interest?’” Oyet said.

Many people in South Sudan condemned the release of the video and said those who shared it had acted irresponsibly.

Cape Verde renames national stadium in honour of Pele

PRAIA, Caoe Verde

Cape Verde’s national stadium is to be renamed after Pele, the country’s prime minister has said.

The 15,000-seater Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde, located just outside the capital Praia, will become the Pele Stadium.

The news comes after Fifa’s president Gianni Infantino proposed – while speaking at Pele’s memorial service in Brazil – that every country should name a stadium after the footballing legend who died on 29 December, aged 82.

“As a tribute and recognition to this figure that makes us all great, I manifest the intention of naming our national stadium as “Pele Stadium”, in an initiative that, I believe, will be followed by several countries around the world,” Ulisses Correira e Silva wrote on Facebook.

“With the physical disappearance of Edson Arantes de Nascimento, King Pele, who soon became a planetary figure, an icon of the masses showing that sport has the power to unite the world, it is now our wish to pay tribute to him,” added Mr Silva in a statement that stressed the importance of Pele to Portuguese-speaking countries like Cape Verde.

"Cape Verde and Brazil have a history and culture that go hand in hand, considering they are two sister countries, linked by language and very similar identities.

"Pele was and always will be a reference in Brazil, in our Portuguese-speaking countries and in the rest of the world, being an idol that links several generations.”

Pele is credited with scoring a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during a 21-year career, including 77 goals in 92 matches for his country, and was named Fifa’s Player of the Century in 2000.

At Monday’s memorial to Pele in Santos, the city where he played club football, Infantino said that Fifa would be asking “every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pele.”

However, South Africa’s Football Association president Danny Jordaan has since raised concerns that this could cause potential issues with stadium naming rights.

Mozambique replaces Kenya in the UN Security Council

NEW YORK, US

Mozambique has replaced Kenya in the United Nations Security Council where it will serve for a period of two years.

Kenya has served in the council since June 18 2020 and was represented by Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Martin Kimani. The South African country began its tenure at the council on January 1 2023.

Joining Mozambique are also Ecuador, Japan, Malta and Switzerland, all five countries taking up non-permanent seats for the next two years.

In his farewell message Ambassador Kimani stated that Kenya had done a good job at the UN and would soon share on the important lessons learnt in the coming days.

“Our work in the Security Council is done, and to mark the occasion, I am wearing the National Defense College tie in honor of the men and women of Kenya Defense Forces who exemplify what UN stands for.”

"In the coming days, I will communicate some of the important lessons we learned but for now, all I feel is an overwhelming gratitude for the opportunity,” Kimani said in a statement published on December 31, 2022.

Other countries that have exited the Security Council alongside Kenya include India, Ireland, Mexico, and Norway.

The main responsibility of the Security Council is to maintain international peace and security around the world. - Africa

DR Congo rebels have not retreated from key town, say locals

GOMA, DR Congo

A withdrawal announced 10 days ago by the M23 rebel group from a strategic town in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has not been "effective", locals said on Monday.A Tutsi-led group, the M23 has conquered swathes of territory in the DR Congo's North Kivu province in recent months and advanced towards its capital Goma.

Under heavy international pressure to cease fighting, the rebels delivered the strategic town of Kibumba to a regional military force on December 23, calling the move a "goodwill gesture done in the name of peace".

The Congolese army however promptly dubbed the Kibumba handover a "sham".

One resident, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told AFP that in all the villages around Kibumba and Buhumba "the M23 are still with us", as are soldiers of the East African regional force.

The rebels had withdrawn from a couple of positions about three kilometres (two miles) from the centre of Kibumba, the resident said.

On their return to Goma late Monday, two farmers who had stayed in central Kibumba since Saturday also said that the M23 "are still there".

The rebels have even built a medical centre for themselves, they said.

Boniface Kagumyo, mayor of Kibumba but currently living in a displacement camp near Goma, said he left after an exchange with regional force commanders.

"The EAC (East African Community) said to us to wait and that perhaps they (the M23) are going to withdraw" but until now "the M23 are still in the area, their withdrawal has not been effective", he said.

The DRC -- along with the United States and several European countries -- has repeatedly accused its smaller central African neighbour Rwanda of backing the M23, although Kigali denies the charge.

2023 to be tougher for global economy than 2022, IMF chief says

WASHINGTON, USA

This year will be tougher than 2022 for most of the global economy as the United States, European Union and China see slowing growth, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said 2023 will be a “tough year”, with one-third of the world’s economies expected to be in recession.

"Why? Because the three big economies, [the] US, EU, China, are all slowing down simultaneously,” Georgieva said during an appearance on the CBS program “Face the Nation” on Sunday.

The remarks come after the IMF in October cut its global growth forecast to 2.7 percent, down from 2.9 percent forecast in July, amid headwinds including the war in Ukraine and sharply rising interest rates.

Georgieva said that China, the world’s second-largest economy, is likely to grow at or below global growth for the first time in 40 years as COVID-19 cases surge following the dismantling of its ultra-strict “zero-COVID” policy.

"That has never happened before. And looking into next year, for three, four, five, six months the relaxation of COVID restrictions will mean bushfire COVID cases throughout China,” Georgieva said. “I was in China last week, in a bubble in the city where there is ‘zero COVID’. But that is not going to last once the Chinese people start travelling.”

Georgieva said that she expected China’s growth to improve towards the end of the year but there are concerns about its longer-term trajectory.

"Before COVID, China would deliver 34, 35, 40 percent of global growth. It is not doing it anymore. It is actually quite a stressful for … the Asian economies. When I talk to Asian leaders, all of them start with this question, ‘What is going to happen with China? Is China going to return to a higher level of growth?’”

Meanwhile, the EU has been especially hard hit by the war in Ukraine, with half of the bloc expected to be in recession this year, Georgieva said.

The IMF chief said, however, that the US economy has stood out for its resilience and could outright avoid contraction this year.

“The US is most resilient. The US may avoid recession,” she said.

"We see the labour market remaining quite strong. This is, however, [a] mixed blessing because if the labour market is very strong, the Fed may have to keep interest rates tighter for longer to bring inflation down.”

Rwanda denies plot to shoot Tshisekedi’s plane

KIGALI, Rwanda

The government of Rwanda has denied allegations by DR Congo that Rwandans arrested in Kinshasa were planning a plot to shoot down a plane carrying the Congolese president.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Rwanda described the allegations by the Congolese deputy Interior Minister, Mr Jean-Claude Molipe Mandongo, as a deliberate attempt to further inflame Congolese public opinion.

"In an ominous reference to the Genocide in Rwanda, officials at Tuesday’s press briefing accused Rwandan detainees of planning to shoot down a plane carrying the Congolese President as also alluded to further arrests of more people linked to African Health Development Organisation (AHDO) – a deliberate attempt to further inflame Congolese opinion,” a statement by the Office of the Rwanda government spokesperson reads in part.

The DR Congo accuses Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels. Rwanda too accuses DR Congo of supporting FDRL (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), a Rwanda rebel group. Since this year started, M23 rebels have seized several towns and border points in Eastern DR Congo.

Last week, the DR Congo government arrested Rwandan nationals Dr Juvenal Nshimiyimana and Mr Moses Mushabe in Kinshasa, the capital city of DR Congo.

The Congolese authorities accused the duo and others of buying a plot near the main airport in Kinshasa where they would allegedly target the presidential plane carrying President Felix Tshisekedi.

Rwanda’s government confirmed that two of the arrested people are their citizens working for African Health Development Organisation and have been in detention since August 30, but were paraded before the media last week to trigger ethnic violence against Kinyarwanda speakers in DR Congo.

"We urge leaders in the DR Congo to deescalate the hateful rhetoric and turn back from the path they seem to be choosing. The International community, including those who insist on coddling the DR Congo leaders, should take note and hold DR Congo officials accountable for this escalation,” the Rwanda statement reads in part.

Any attempt to assassinate the head of state is a big issue in DR Congo given the fact that they have lost one former president in such a manner.  

Last year, the East African Community Regional Forces were deployed in Goma City, DR Congo to prevent the escalation of tension.  The regional force has so far occupied Kibumba Town after M23 rebels withdrew from it.

The commander of the regional force, Maj Gen Jeff Nyagah, said on Friday that M23 rebels have agreed to withdraw from another Congolese township, Rumagambo, by Thursday and later Kishishe township where the rebels allegedly massacred more than 130 people in November last year. - Africa

ECOWAS won't sanction Mali over detained Ivorian soldiers

BAMAKO, Mali

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had given Mali until January 1st to release 46 Ivorian soldiers it claims are mercenaries.

However, the date has now passed and the 46 soldiers, who were sentenced to 20 years in prison, have not been released. 

It appears ECOWAS, the main regional body for West Africa, does not intend to punish Mali, not yet anyway.

On 22 December, a visit to Bamako by an official Ivorian delegation ended with the signing of a memorandum, with the Ivorian Minister of Defence, Téné Birahima Ouattara, brother of the Head of State, stressing that the matter was "on the way to resolution."

It appears that, as relations between Mali and Côte d'Ivoire have improved significantly with the memorandum recently signed by the two governments, ECOWAS considers it is not the time to create new tensions.

The agreement reached between Mali and Ivory Coast leaves open the possibility of a presidential pardon for the head of the Malian military junta, Assimi Goïta.

Therefore, all eyes are now on Koulouba, the seat of the presidential palace in Bamako.

And to speed up the process that could lead to a pardon, the defence lawyers have filed an act of non-appeal to certify that they renounce all means of appeal.

According to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, the soldiers "will soon return to Ivorian soil.”

"My thoughts are particularly with our soldiers detained in Mali since 10 July," Ouattara said in his end-of-year speech broadcast on national television RTI.

"Thanks to diplomatic actions undertaken with the support of leaders of several friendly countries, including the president of the Togolese Republic Faure Gnassingbé, three female soldiers were released last September," he recalled.

Japan to offer families $7,600 per child to leave Tokyo

TOKYO, Japan

Japan is planning to sweeten the financial incentive for parents who opt to move out of Tokyo as the government attempts to reverse decades of demographic decline, economic migration and the lure of the world’s biggest metropolis. 

Officials familiar with the plan say the government will try to tempt families to relocate with a generous payment of up to ¥1mn ($7,600) per child if they swap overcrowded Tokyo for municipalities outside the city and its surrounding prefectures. 

The figure is more than triple the ¥300,000 on offer under an existing scheme in place since 2019. 

The increased payment per child is only part of the government’s commitment to encouraging young families to leave Tokyo. 

Families that relocate are already being offered as much as ¥3mn in one-off financial support and can receive even more if they start a business. 

Those that take the money must embrace the provincial life for a minimum of five years, or refund the state. 

Japan’s shrinking and ageing population and the migration of younger people to the capital have disproportionately hit the regions beyond Tokyo, Osaka and a handful of other major cities. 

Many rural towns and villages have been hollowed out, their businesses starved of customers and available staff. 

The estimated glut of empty homes in Japan — dwellings that often lie deliberately unclaimed by heirs — is expected to reach about 10mn in 2023. 

At the same time, Tokyo’s status as the prime magnet for economic activity and migration has grown. 

In 2021, despite the slowdown caused by the pandemic and the supposed new popularity of remote work, the average price of a new condominium in Tokyo, according to the Real Estate Economic Institute, surpassed the peak set at the height of Japan’s property bubble in 1989. 

Mexico prison attack kills 14, dozens of inmates escape

JUAREZ, Mexico

At least 14 people died in a brazen armed assault on a prison in the Mexican border city of Juarez on Sunday, officials said.

The Chihuahua state attorney general's office said in a statement that 10 security guards and four prisoners were killed and 13 others were injured.

The incident began around 7 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) on Sunday when gunmen in armored vehicles arrived at the prison and opened fire on security personnel, the prosecutor's office said.

Authorities said inmates took advantage of the situation and 24 prisoners escaped.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.

CNN has reached out to the attorney general's office for more details about the status of the investigation.

Ciudad Juarez, just across the US-Mexico border from El Paso, Texas, is one of Mexico's deadliest cities and an epicenter of drug cartel violence. The rival Juarez and Sinaloa cartels have been fighting a bloody turf war in the region over lucrative smuggling routes and for drug-dealing territory in the city.

Sunday's violence was not the first time violence has erupted at the prison. Last August, hundreds of Mexican troops were sent there after a clash between the two cartels caused a riot and shootouts that killed 11 people.

Malawi close schools as Cholera cases surge

LILONGWE, Malawi

The total number of cases and deaths has accelerated to 17,824 and 595 respectively since cases were first reported Malawi in March, with the mortality rate increasing to 3.34 per cent, according to the Health Ministry.

Cholera is an annual problem during Malawi's rainy months from November to March, where the number of deaths is around 100 a year. But the current outbreak is expcted to be the worst yet.

"Due to the continuing increase of cholera cases and deaths in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe, primary and secondary schools in the two cities will not start on 3rd January as earlier advised," Health Minister Khumbize Chiponda said in a statement.

A new reopening date will be announced later, she said.

The U.N. health agency says fatality rates are rising in about 30 countries around the world that reported cholera outbreaks in 2022, about a third higher than in a typical year.

Cholera is spread by contaminated food or water and can cause acute diarrhoea. Many people have mild symptoms but it can kill within hours if untreated.

Victims in Malawi include medics at public health centres.

Chiponda called on authorities to tighten control measures, including spraying chlorine to disinfect congested places such as markets and schools and stepping up inoculations.

Final farewell for Pele, Brazil’s football ‘King’

SANTOS, Brazil

Mourners began paying their respects to Pelé in a solemn procession past his coffin at the Vila Belmiro Stadium in his hometown of Santos on Monday.

The Brazilian soccer great died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 82.

Pelé’s coffin was placed on the field where he scored scored some of the best goals of his career. Mourners walked past his casket in the 16,000-seat stadium outside Sao Paulo. His burial will take place in a cemetery only 600 meters away on Tuesday.

Fans arrived at the stadium in the early hours of Monday to honor Edson Arantes do Nascimento, globally known as Pelé.

One of them was Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes.

"It is a very sad moment, but we are now seeing the real meaning of this legendary player to our country,” Mendes told journalists. “My office has shirts signed by Pelé, a picture of him as a goalkeeper, also signed by him. DVDs, photos, a big collection of him.”

Mendes also said Pelé was a humble man despite his global fame, and that he deserves every tribute.

Pelé’s casket will be ushered through the streets of Santos before his burial. Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and other dignitaries are expected to attend.

He had undergone treatment for colon cancer since 2021. The medical center where he had been hospitalized said he died of multiple organ failure as a result of the cancer.