Haiti's main port closes as gang violence spirals

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

Intruders broke into a major port terminal in Haiti Thursday as violence in the country escalated after the government extended its state of emergency.

The Haitian government decreed the state of emergency would be extended to April 3 in the country’s West Region and the capital Port-au-Prince. A curfew has been extended to March 10.

It comes as Port-au-Prince’s Caribbean Port Services (CPS) terminal, a major player in Haiti’s food import supply chain, was broken into around 8 a.m., two security sources told CNN. The intruders headed to the terminal’s gated warehouse area that houses many containers, the sources said.

Video of the port on Thursday showed hundreds of people on the streets around the facility and what appeared to be dozens of people breaking into the gated warehouse. CPS did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

The source said the unrest at the port continues.

Port-au-Prince has been gripped by a wave of highly coordinated gang attacks on law enforcement and state institutions in what one gang leader, Jimmy Cherizier, has described as an attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Ariel Henry’s government.

A law enforcement officer at a police station set on fire by armed gangs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 5, 2024.

Armed groups have burned down police stations and released thousands of inmates from two prisons, and Cherizier has warned of “a civil war that will end in genocide” if the prime minister does not step down, Reuters reported Tuesday.

The chaos has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes in the past few days, adding to the more than 300,000 already displaced by gang violence.

It is also affecting the distribution of essential supplies by aid organizations. The World Food Programme suspended its maritime transport services in Port-au-Prince from distributing aid across Haiti due to the instability.

Two dozen trucks of aid, filled with food, medical supplies, and equipment, are stuck at the port in Port-au-Prince, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a Thursday statement.

Maritime routes are the only way to transport aid, especially food and medical supplies for humanitarian and development organizations, from Port-au-Prince to the rest of the country, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General and OCHA.

Jailed opposition leader offered bail in Central African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic

A court in Bangui provisionally released on Wednesday one of the Central African Republic's main opposition leaders and adjourned his defamation hearing until next week

International human rights groups regularly condemn the crackdown on all opposition forces in Central African Republic, ranked by the United Nations as one of the four least developed in the world.

Crépin Mboli Goumba, a lawyer and coordinator for the leading opposition forum BRDC against President Faustin Archange Touadera, was brought before the high court after three days in detention, facing charges of defamation and contempt of court.

After his lawyers sought to have the case dismissed, presiding judge Matthieu Nana Bibi told the hearing the defendant "is released provisionally on condition he does not leave Bangui."

"I prepared myself mentally for everything that might happen in his trial, while condemning the breakdown in Central African justice," Mboli Goumba told the court.

He left the room to cheers and shouts of "freed, freed" from a handful of supporters to go to sign his release papers.

Mboli Goumba, who leads the PATRIE party and also has US nationality, was arrested Sunday on board a flight about to depart for Cameroon from Bangui airport.

The prosecutor's office announced he had been detained over comments made during a February 20 press conference, when he accused some magistrates of corruption.

He repeated the charge in a radio interview the following day saying "justice is no longer served in the name of the people."

Opposition gatherings are nearly always banned in CAR where NGOs denounce threats and intimidation against non-government politicians.

Opposition MP Dominique Yandocka has been in detention since December 15, despite his parliamentary immunity, accused of an attempted coup. Details of the accusation have never been made public.

New York-based Human Rights Watch last year said Touadera's regime "is repressing civil society, media and opposition political parties."

HRW urged the regime "to guarantee the independence of the justice system."

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to form joint force to fight jihadist insurgency

BAMAKO, Mali 

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso will form a joint force to meet the countries' defence and security goals.

The announcement was made Wednesday (Wed. 06) following the first official meeting of the three nation's military chiefs of staff in Niamey.

The head of Niger's army, general Moussa Salaou Barmou said the new task force would be "operational as soon as possible," but did not give further details on the size or remit of the force.

The countries formed in September, the Alliance of Sahel States known as AES. 

The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishing the AES aims is to "establish an architecture of collective defence and mutual assistance for the benefit of [the three nation's] populations".

The Niger press agency reported the officials to took stock of the deteriorating security situation within AES countries. 

General Barmou however said, the jihadist threat was being with the new impulse observed in the conduct of ongoing operations.

The Sahel region accounted for more deaths from terrorism in 2022 than South Asia and the (MENA) Middle East and North Africa regions combined, the 2023 Global terrorism Index reported.

Draw date confirmed for TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup Knockout Stages

CAIRO, Egypt

The Quarter-Final draw for the 2023/24 TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup will be conducted on Tuesday, 12 March 2024.

The draw will be conducted in Cairo, Egypt starting with CAF Confederation Cup at 14h00 Cairo time (12h00 GMT) and CAF Champions League at 15h00 Cairo time (13h00 GMT).

The teams that will participate in the Quarter-Finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup are known following the conclusion of the group stage over the weekend.

TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Quarter-Finals Qualified teams:

Al Ahly (Egypt), ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Atletico Petroleos (Angola), TP Mazembe (DR Congo), Simba SC (Tanzania), Esperance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia), Young Africans (Tanzania).

TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup Quarter-Finals Qualified teams:

USM Alger (Algeria), Zamalek (Egypt), Dreams FC (Ghana), RS Berkane (Morocco), Modern Future (Egypt), Abu Salem (Libya), Rivers United (Nigeria), Stade Malien (Mali).

Senegal to hold delayed presidential election on March 24

By Babacar Dione, DAKAR Senegal

The Senegalese government has set March 24 as the new date for the country’s delayed presidential election, its spokesperson said Wednesday after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, also announcing the dissolution of the government and appointment of a new prime minister.

President Macky Sall, who is prevented for running for president again because of term limits, said in early February that he was postponing the election for 10 months, just weeks before it was set to take place on Feb. 25. The announcement plunged Senegal into chaos as opposition protests filled the streets.

Senegal’s highest election authority, the Constitutional Council, rejected the move to delay the vote and ordered the government to set a new election date as soon as possible.

On Wednesday, following a meeting of the Council of Ministers, government spokesperson Abdou Karim Fofana said in the statement the president had informed the council that the date for the new election had been set for Sunday, March 24, 2024.”

“The President of the Republic also informed the Prime Minister and ministers of the formation of a new Government,” the statement said.

Prime Minister Amadou Ba, an election frontrunner who has been endorsed by the outgoing president, was replaced by Sidiki Kaba who was the interior minister.

Wednesday’s announcement came as news broke that the Constitutional Council had rejected a proposal by civil, political and religious leaders that the election be held on June 2.

Senegal’s election authority, which now has less than three weeks to prepare for the crucial vote, did not immediately issue any public statement on the new date.

Sall already said he will step down by April 2 when his tenure is due to end but there had been concerns over who would take over from him if elections were not hold before then.

In postponing the election, he had cited the controversies over the final list of candidates — some of whom were disqualified — as a major concern that could threaten the country’s stability.

But the opposition accused him of a “constitutional coup,” alleging that he was plotting to prolong his stay in office. Sall denied this in an interview with The Associated Press, saying the country needed more time to resolve the controversies.

For a country that used to be seen as a beacon of democratic stability in West Africa, the election delay raised concerns about the democratic decline in West Africa, a region plagued by coups and insecurity.

M23 rebels seize town in eastern Congo, killing at least 15

HARARE, Zimbabwe

The M23 rebel group has taken over the town of Nyanzale in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 15 people in bomb attacks, a local official said on Wednesday.

Nyanzale is about 130 km north by road from the provincial capital Goma, and is home to thousands of internally displaced people who fled fighting in surrounding areas.

"It is since the morning that we noticed the capture of Nyanzale by the M23, and the death toll rose to 15," said Isaac Kibira, a deputy to the governor in the nearby town of Bambo.

"The victims were killed by bombs fired indiscriminately by the M23," he told Reuters, adding that 10 people were killed in one house and other bodies found throughout the city.

M23 spokesperson Willy Ngoma wrote in a post on X late on Tuesday that Nyanzale was experiencing "tranquillity and deliverance," suggesting the group has gained control of it.

When asked whether the M23 had seized Nyanzale, Congolese army commander Jerome Chico Tshitambwe replied: "yes".

The M23 is a Tutsi-led group that has intensified its campaign in eastern Congo this year. UN experts and Western powers such as the United States and France say that the group is backed by Rwanda, which Rwanda denies.

The European Union this week called for dialogue between Congo and Rwanda in order to tackle the root causes of the conflict, saying only a political solution could end it.

"The strengthening of military capabilities as well as the use of surface-to-air missiles and sophisticated drones constitute a worrying escalation," the EU said.

Around 100,000 people have fled Nyanzale since the M23's advance in the last few days, said the UN humanitarian agency OCHA.

Zimbabwe condemns fresh US sanctions imposed on President and allies

HARARE, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe says all “illegal and vindictive” restrictive measures recently imposed by the United States on President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his wife, Vice President Constantino Chiwengha, and others for alleged human rights violations and corruption should be removed unconditionally as they are hurting people.

At the same time, the USA insists that it will punish Zimbabweans who are violating the rights of citizens and engaged in corruption.

In a statement, Mnangagwa’s government said the USA should prove that Mnangagwa and his inner circle are engaging in heinous activities. The government dismissed as unthinkable the United States President’s move to remove part of the sanctions that were imposed on some Zanu PF officials for human rights violations while letting the Office of Foreign Assets Control tighten the restrictive measures on Mnangagwa and others.

ALSO READ: US sanctions Zimbabwe president over human rights abuses

“Orders passed by his predecessors since March 6, 2003, some 21 years later after these debilitating sanctions against our Nation, can never atone for, let alone write off, heinous crimes committed against Zimbabwe and her people through these illegal, blanket country; sanctions. 

Noteworthy, these arbitrary US coercive measures against Zimbabwe were condemned by the United Nations as illegal, vindictive, and unjustified under any pretext. Until now, the United States government remained obdurate and indifferent.

“Today Zimbabwe cannot be expected to thank or be grateful to President Biden and the US for announcing palliative measures towards finally rescinding illegality and outrage, even then at its own pace, perpetrated for more than two decades, and in flagrant violation of international law. Nothing short of some prompt, unconditional removal in total of those illegal coercive measures, including the infamous ZDERA, is acceptable to Zimbabwe and her long-abused innocent people.”

On the other hand, U.S Embassy Harare Charge de Affairs Lawrence Socha said his nation will continue to enforce the targeted sanctions as prescribed in the country’s statutes including the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act.

Kenyan politician vows fresh challenge to Haiti police deployment

NAIROBI, Kenya

A Kenyan opposition leader on Wednesday said he planned to launch a new court challenge against a plan to send police officers to Haiti.

Last October, Kenya agreed to lead a UN-authorised international police force to the troubled Caribbean nation, to help combat unprecedented levels of gang violence.

The Kenyan high court in January blocked the deployment, ruling it was unconstitutional in part due to a lack of reciprocal agreements between the two countries.

But last Friday, Kenya’s president William Ruto said he and Haitian prime minister, Ariel Henry, had signed a deal intended to fast-track the departure of Kenyan police to Haiti.

Thirdway Alliance Kenya’s
leader, Ekuru Aukot

While is it not clear of the timeline of what the agreement says, Thirdway Alliance Kenya’s leader, Ekuru Aukot - who is also a lawyer - has described the whole arrangement as “hush hush”.

He believes the agreement is invalid and fails to address objections made by the judge in January.

There have also been concerns in Kenya about the wisdom of sending police officers to fight heavily-armed gangsters when the country faces security challenges of its own.

Thousands of Haitians have died and hundreds of thousands others have been displaced in the ongoing gang violence.

Rwanda opposes AU support for SADC troops in DR Congo

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Rwanda has asked the African Union not to support troops from southern African countries deployed to fight armed groups in the restive eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), claiming the force will exacerbate the conflict.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta

Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta said in a letter to the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat made public Monday that Rwanda learned “with great concern” about a scheduled meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council, part of whose objectives are to endorse the deployment of the Southern African Development Community Mission in DRC (SAMIDRC) and assess possible support that the AU and other strategic partners could extend to the mission.

Biruta accused the regional force of fighting alongside the DRC army and other coalition armed groups, which include Rwandan rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

“SAMIDRC, as an offensive force in coalition with these elements, cannot substitute for a political process that has been blocked by the government of DRC. Therefore, the African Union is urged not to ‘authorise’ or fund SAMIDRC,” the statement said.

It said the SAMIDRC supports the DRC government’s belligerent posture, focusing on a military solution against the spirit of all regional peace initiatives.

Rwanda “wishes to bring to the attention of the African Union Commission that the intention to compel the African Union to support the SAMIDRC deployment can only exacerbate the conflict,” the statement said.

Last month, fresh fighting erupted between the Congolese army and March 23 Movement (M23) rebels around Goma and Sake in the DRC’s eastern province of North Kivu.

DRC accusses Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, claims Kigali denies.

In January, the Congolese military announced the start of a joint offensive in the east of the country with troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional economic bloc, mainly targeting the M23 rebels.

The 16-member SADC approved the mission to the eastern DR Congo in May last year.

Bayern beat Lazio to qualify for Champions League quarterfinals

MUNICH, Germany

Harry Kane scored a goal in each half as Bayern Munich beat Lazio 3-0 on Tuesday to reach the Champions League quarterfinals 3-1 on aggregate.

Kane headed Bayern level in the tie in the 38th minute, cancelling out Lazio's lead from the first leg with his first Champions League knockout goal in five years.

Thomas Mueller doubled the hosts' lead with a clever header before half-time and Kane doubled up in the 66th minute, tapping in the rebound from a Leroy Sane shot to seal Bayern's progress to the next round.

"It was a perfect night for us," Kane told Amazon Prime.

"Everyone with energy, all around the pitch, the way we played and created chances and pressed without the ball -- it was a top, top performance."

Bayern kept their slim hopes of silverware this season alive while likely giving outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel a stay of execution until the quarterfinals in April.

Kane recognised the manner of Tuchel's exit was "unusual" but said "nights like this can change the season. I'm proud of the boys -- we just have to keep this momentum up."

The loss snuffed out Lazio's chance of a first Champions League quarter-final appearance since 1999-2000.

Six-time European champions Bayern came into Tuesday's match staring down the barrel of a last-16 elimination for just the second time in the past 14 seasons.

Three straight losses including the 1-0 defeat in the first leg in Rome amounted to Bayern's worst run since 2015, costing Tuchel his job less than a year after arriving in Munich.

With Tuchel allowed to keep the seat warm until the summer, the coach promised to be more "ruthless".

On Tuesday, he benched big-money signing Kim Min-jae for Eric Dier, while moving Joshua Kimmich -- a fixture in midfield for Bayern and Germany -- to right-back.

Bayern pushed Lazio back early with the fit-again Sane and Jamal Musiala going close.

Scorer of the first leg's only goal, Ciro Immobile had a golden chance to extend Lazio's lead after a Matthijs de Ligt mistake on 36 minutes but dragged his header just wide.

The miss would prove costly with Kane breaking through moments later, heading in a scuffed Raphael Guerreiro shot to even up the tie.

Mueller, another to see more game time after the announcement of Tuchel's impending departure, doubled Bayern's lead in first-half stoppage time, heading in a De Ligt shot in trademark poacher fashion.

Despite 31 goals in 32 games since arriving from Spurs in the summer, the German media joked the famously trophyless Kane had cursed Bayern, in danger of a first season without silverware since 2012.

The England captain made sure Bayern stayed in Europe though, turning in from close range after Sane forced a save from Lazio 'keeper Ivan Provedel, his 33rd goal in as many appearances this season.

With Lazio striker Immobile taken off with a knee injury, the visitors looked toothless in attack as Bayern gently controlled proceedings to take the sting out of the game.

Bayern kept their first clean sheet in eight games with captain Manuel Neuer equalling the Champions League record of 57 set by Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas.

Mbappe fires PSG into Champions League quarters

 DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN, Spain

Kylian Mbappe lethally fired Paris Saint-Germain into the Champions League quarterfinals with a brace in a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad on Tuesday, his team cruising through 4-1 on aggregate.

Coach Luis Enrique has slashed Mbappe's minutes in recent weeks after the player told the club he would leave at the end of the season, but the France captain proved he will be vital if PSG are to finally win the competition for the first time.

The electric Mbappe was impossible for Real Sociedad to shackle and his strikes after 15 and 56 minutes left the Ligue 1 leaders with a simple night in the north of Spain.

"We are very happy, it was the objective," Mbappe told Canal Plus.

"We wanted to qualify but today we also wanted to win and give ourselves a bit of an easier game. That is what we did.

"We had a clear game plan. We managed to score early and, above all, we managed to avoid getting into any major difficulty."

Heavily linked to Real Madrid, the determined Mbappe gave La Liga's defences a glimpse of what horrors may await them next season.

The forward, who also netted in the first leg, fired over in the opening stages and then blazed past Hamari Traore to set up Bradley Barcola, but Alex Remiro denied him from point-blank range.

It was not so much that Real Sociedad did not heed the warning but simply could not stop the 25-year-old.

Played into the box but wide of goal, Mbappe produced the opener from thin air.

With a couple of clever touches, he sent Igor Zubeldia scrambling and opened up enough space for a shot, which he whipped into the far corner from a tight angle.

Mbappe's vicious strike pulled part of the netting away from the post and players had to wait until it was fixed for play to resume.

They might not have bothered -- the contest was effectively over.

Mbappe stretched PSG's lead 11 minutes into the second half, racing in behind the defence from the halfway line.

The striker shaped another shot to the far post but then tricked Remiro by sweeping home at the near for his sixth goal in eight Champions League matches this season.

Real Sociedad began to throw all they had at PSG, but it was too little, too late.

Substitute Ander Barrenetxea had a goal ruled out for a tight offside moments after coming on.

Gianluigi Donnarumma made a superb save to thwart Benat Turrientes, as the hosts searched for a consolation goal which eventually came at the death.

Donnarumma palmed away a cross into the middle of the box and Mikel Merino was in the right place at the right time to fire home.

"We competed, but against a team of this level and with a player ... Mbappe, who each time he gets it in transition it's almost a goal..." Merino told Movistar.

"I hope this club gets to have nights like these again."

With one victory in 10 matches across all competitions, La Real are battling to reach next season's Europa League.

One of few negative notes for PSG was a booking for defender Achraf Hakimi, which will rule him out of the quarterfinal first leg.

PSG, in the last eight for the first time since 2021, will worry about that later -- this was a night to celebrate Mbappe's genius, despite the clock ticking down on his days in Paris.

Egypt sentences top leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to death

CAIRO, Egypt

Egypt on Monday sentenced eight members of the Muslim brotherhood to death for their role in the deadly violence of 2013, which followed the military's ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the country's first democratically elected president.

Those condemned to death by the Emergency Supreme Court of State Security sitting in Cairo included the Brotherhood's supreme guide Mohamad Badie. 

Badie was the eighth Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood and led the group between 2010 and 2013, when he was arrested during the army coup against the Morsi government.

Some of the men condemned have already been sentenced to death in other cases.

The men were accused of conspiring to topple the government of Abdel Fattah el Sissi, who himself came to power after overthrowing Mohamed Morsi. 

They were also accused of killing policemen and destroying public property.In July 2013, the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood organised a massive sit-in in the Rabaa al Adawiya to denounce the the coup.

Security forces later raided the square and killed hundreds of people in a single day in what they termed a counter-terrorism operation.

Morsi died in prison in 2019.

Haiti gangs try to take over Port-au-Prince airport

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

Soldiers have been deployed to defend the airport of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, from an assault by armed gangs.

Witnesses reported hearing shots ringing out in the vicinity of Toussaint Louverture Airport as security forces clashed with armed men.

The gangs' aim is to prevent the return to Haiti of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is believed to be abroad.

Violence has spiralled in his absence with the gangs demanding he resign.

Mr Henry left Haiti last week to attend a regional summit in Guyana. From there, he travelled to Kenya to sign a deal on the deployment of a multinational police force to Haiti.

His current whereabouts are not known but a spokesman for the US state department said: "It's our understanding that the prime minister is returning to the country [Haiti]".

While he was in Kenya, a coalition of gangs led by a former police officer, Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, went on the offensive, attacking police stations and storming two of Haiti's biggest prisons.

About a dozen people were killed in the attack on the prisons. Thousands of inmates escaped and remain on the loose.

A minister standing in for Mr Henry declared a 72-hour state of emergency.

Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reports that both international and national commercial flights have been suspended for the past days due to the violence. Le Nouvelliste added that no private planes had landed or taken off from the airport either.

An attempt by gunmen to breach the airport compound through a hole in a wall was reportedly repelled by security forces.

Control of the airport is key to the gangs' aim of stopping Prime Minister Henry from coming back to the country.

The gang leader known as Barbecue has been calling for his ouster since the prime minister was sworn in as the successor to President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

Already rampant gang violence was further fuelled by the murder of President Moïse by Colombian mercenaries, which left a power vacuum in the country.

Armed gangs, wielding weapons smuggled in from the US, have gained control of an estimated 80% of the capital in recent years.

Prime Minister Henry has asked the international community to send troops to help fight the gangs. But a plan for Kenya to send 1,000 police officers to help contain the violence has stalled after the Kenyan High Court blocked it.

Mr Henry was in Nairobi for talks with Kenyan President William Ruto to try to salvage the deployment, when the latest violence flared.

In a video posted on social media, Barbecue declared last week that "the first objective of our fight is to ensure that Ariel Henry's government does not remain in power".

On Saturday, his gang attacked several police stations before freeing thousands of prisoners from the National Penitentiary and from the Croix des Bouquets jail.

Only about 100 prisoners remained in their cells at the National Penitentiary, prison officials said.

Among those who stayed put were 17 Colombian ex-soldiers suspected of having carried out the assassination of President Moïse.

In a video, they pleaded for help, saying that other inmates were trying to get them to leave their cells and were going to use them "as cannon fodder".

The Colombian foreign ministry later announced that the 17 had been transferred to a different prison.

Thousands of Haitians have had to flee their homes in recent weeks and are sheltering in schools and other public buildings

Residents of the capital mainly stayed at home on Monday with only a few people venturing out to get drinking water or food, the AFP news agency reported.

Speaking from Haiti, Serge Dalexis from the International Rescue Committee said it had become extremely difficult for people to access basic services such as health care, food and water.

"There's a lack of everything now in Port-au-Prince," Mr Dalexis said, adding that shooting was being reported in many areas of the city.

An estimated 15,000 people have been displaced from their homes over recent weeks due to the violence.

Two dead as planes collide mid-air in Nairobi, Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya

Two people have been confirmed dead following a mid-air collision between two planes in Nairobi.

The deceased are reported to be a trainee pilot and instructor who were onboard a Cessna aircraft belonging to Ninety-Nines Flying School. The aircraft crashed into the Nairobi National Park killing the two on the spot.

The second aircraft, a Dash 8, belongs to Safarilink Aviation Limited which has since confirmed that the flight was headed to Diani with 39 passengers and 5 crew on board when it experienced "a loud bang soon after take-off."

No casualties were reported from the Safarilink airline.

"Safarilink Aviation wishes to report that this morning at 9:45 Local Time our flight number 053 with 39 passengers and 5 crew on board headed to Diani experienced a loud bang soon after take-off. The crew decided to immediately turn back to Nairobi-Wilson Airport for further inspection and assessment and landed safely. There were no casualties reported," said Safarilink in a statement.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has since commenced investigations to establish the circumstances that led to the collision.

"Investigations have commenced through various agencies led by the Air Accident Investigation Department (MID) and the National Police Service to establish the cause of the accident," said the Authority.

US sanctions Zimbabwe president over human rights abuses

By Fatima Hussein, WASHINGTON US

The United States on Monday sanctioned Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, its first lady and other government officials for their alleged involvement in corruption and human rights abuses.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on three entities and 11 people, including the Mnangagwas, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and retired Brig. Gen. Walter Tapfumaneyi.

Mnangagwa is accused of protecting gold and diamond smugglers who operate in Zimbabwe, directing government officials to facilitate the sale of gold and diamonds in illicit markets and taking bribes in exchange for his services, among other offenses.

President Joe Biden also Monday signed an executive order that terminates Zimbabwe’s national emergency and revokes Zimbabwe-specific sanctions. Now, the administration is using a Trump-era executive order that implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act as its authority to issue the sanctions.

Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the changes to Zimbabwe’s sanctions regime “are intended to make clear what has always been true: our sanctions are not intended to target the people of Zimbabwe.”

“Today we are refocusing our sanctions on clear and specific targets: President Mnangagwa’s criminal network of government officials and businesspeople who are most responsible for corruption or human rights abuse against the people of Zimbabwe.”

Zimbabwe’s government spokesman Nick Mangwana tweeted in response to the sanctions that “as long as senior leadership is under sanctions, we are all under sanctions. And as long as members of Corporate Zimbabwe are under Sanctions, we are under Sanctions.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the designations “are part of a stronger, more targeted sanctions policy towards Zimbabwe the United States is implementing.”

“Key individuals, including members of the Government of Zimbabwe, bear responsibility for these actions, including the looting of government coffers that robs Zimbabweans of public resources,” he said.

Mnangagwa was sworn in for a second term as Zimbabwe’s president last September.