Ghanaians go to the polls Monday with incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo and former president John Mahama as front-runners. Akufo-Addo’s party has campaigned mainly on his education initiatives, while Mahama’s has focused on job creation and attacking his opponent’s record on corruption. But the familiar faces have also made voter apathy an issue. Ghana’s government this week announced Monday, Dec 7,
The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development reports the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on most of the world’s 47 least developed countries whose economies have slumped to the lowest level in 30 years. In this year’s Least Developed Countries Report, UNCTAD economists warn the current grim situation will not improve unless the world’s poorest countries drastically boost
A humanitarian aid worker and two local officials have been abducted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in conflict-plagued northeastern Nigeria, two security officials said Wednesday. Jihadists kidnapped them at a checkpoint in the village of Wakilti in Borno state on Monday, the sources told AFP, in the latest incident in a region that has been in the
The United Nations said Wednesday it has reached an agreement with Ethiopia to provide humanitarian aid in the country’s northern Tigray region, where a month of conflict has worsened an existing humanitarian crisis. The U.N. said the deal will give aid workers access to federal government-controlled areas of Tigray, where federal troops have been fighting the Tigray regional government. The
Mali’s iconic Hippodrome in Bamako recently reopened its traditional horse races on Sundays after closing in March due to COVID-19. For jockeys like Mahamadou Tangara, the closure meant a complete loss of income. On any given Sunday, a jockey can win between $91 (50,000 francs) and $182 (100,000 francs) in prize money. No work means no winnings, Tangara said, adding
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called an extraordinary session of the parliament on Monday, while the conflict in the country’s northern Tigray region continues. Late Sunday, Reuters reported that the leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Debretsion Gebremichael claimed in a text message to the new agency that Tigray forces had shot down an Ethiopian plane and had taken a town form the federal forces. There has not been any immediate comment to such claims from the government or the military. In a related development, the U.S. Embassy in Eritrea said that six explosions were