Author: King Jaja

West African countries have imposed a series of severe sanctions on Mali after its ruling military junta announced a delay in the elections it had pledged to hold in February.The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) regional bloc will close its borders to the landlocked country, implement economic sanctions and sever diplomatic ties. The moves come as the international community increases pressure on the junta, which seized power in two coups over the past year. The junta has proposed holding elections in December 2025. Bamako is also at the centre of a dispute with Paris over its proposed…

Kelechi Iheanacho was 13 when he made his debut in the shirt of Nigeria. Later, he won the Golden Ball at the Under 17 World Cup, and was voted Most Promising Talent by the Confederation of African Football.That was 2013. The boy from Owerri in Nigeria’s south east signed for Leicester in 2017.No less Nigerian, Wilfred Ndidi hails from the biggest city, Lagos. He was picked by his country at Under 17 and Under 20 level and made his senior debut against DR Congo on October 8, 2015, roughly 15 months before he played his first game for Leicester, against…

Issued on: 11/01/2022 – 09:00 The US auction of a key that kept anti-apartheid activist and former South African president Nelson Mandela behind bars for 18 years has been suspended after a national outcry. The key was one of several items related to Mandela that was due to be auctioned on 28 January by New York City-based Guernsey’s.Bidding for the key was expected to begin at $250,000.But Guernsey’s agreed to suspend the auction until further notice “pending a review” by the South African Heritage Resource Agency.The government agency called upon the auction house to stop the sale “not because they…

For much of the past year, there have been plans for the sacred human remains of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first post-independence prime minister, Patrice Émery Lumumba, to finally be returned to his children in Belgium, and then repatriated to the Congo. Originally scheduled for a ceremony on June 30, 2021, the 61st anniversary of the country’s independence passed with Lumumba’s remains still in the custody of Belgian authorities. The planned ceremony with Belgian King Philippe, current Prime Minister Alexander de Croo of Belgium, and Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, was postponed until January 17, 2022. The official reason…

Sofiane Boufal’s winner was just his second goal for Morocco in 23 appearancesSofiane Boufal’s 82nd-minute strike handed Morocco a narrow win over Group C rivals Ghana in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.The former Southampton winger pounced on to a loose ball before hammering his effort into the far corner.It was a rare moment of quality in an otherwise uneventful game in Yaounde as four-time winners Ghana frustrated their opponents.Morocco were untroubled in the closing stages, cantering to their win.Morocco find a way in tense encounterThe North African side came into the game having won all six of their World…

The tale of the two friends — one a dropout, one joyfully resuming her education – is also the tale of millions of Uganda’s children as many went back to classes on Monday after a nearly two-year shutdown of schools induced by Covid-19.The shutdown in the east African country was the longest disruption of educational institutions globally due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the United Nations.When the closure went into effect, 15.5 million students had their education disrupted, according to Dennis Mugimba, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education.Universities and higher education students had returned to school in a…

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 10 (Reuters) – Floods around South Africa’s eastern coastal city of East London have killed at least 10 people and left hundreds homeless since the weekend, national media reported on Monday, as rivers burst their banks and roads were inundated.Footage on state broadcaster SABC showed cars trying to drive through torrents of water that had submerged highways. Several media reported that hundreds of homes had been washed away in the iron-roof informal settlements just outside the city, especially the Mdantsane township.Scientists suspect that climate change is the cause of worsening floods and droughts along the country’s eastern coastline,…

Aaron Boupendza scored his fifth goal for GabonAaron Boupendza’s first-half finish was the difference as Gabon edged past Africa Cup of Nations debutants Comoros in Group C.Gabon forward Louis Ameka latched on to a loose ball before playing in Boupendza to strike from a tight angle after 16 minutes.In the second half Gabon’s Denis Bouanga twice forced Comoros keeper Ali Ahamada into fine reaction saves.Comoros created little in response as the West Africans cruised to victory.Gabon now sit joint-top of Group C after Sofiane Boufal’s 83rd-minute strike had earlier handed Morocco a narrow win over Ghana.Comoros, the Island nation in…

Mountain gorillas are still an endangered species of wildlife in the world due to the increasing rates of threats for this species. They are greatly threatened by the increasing rates of poaching, human population that ends up encroaching on their habitats raiding them out, civil wars (Rwanda and Congo). However, the Ugandan, Rwandan and Congolese government and environment conservationists are working hard for the continued existence and conservation of these creatures. As a matter of fact there are about 900 surviving mountain gorillas in the world today and are found in only the virunga ranges of…

Issued on: 10/01/2022 – 14:53 Mali’s military regime has strongly condemned West African sanctions, including border closures and a trade embargo, introduced in response to delays to a return to civilian rule. Leaders of the Western African regional bloc, Ecowas, imposed sanctions on Mali on Sunday after the government announced a long delay to the elections originally planned for February.Meeting in the Ghanaian capital Accra, they agreed to cut financial aid and freeze Mali’s assets at the Central Bank of West African States.They also decided to recall their ambassadors to Mali.A proposal by Mali’s military rulers to hold elections in December 2026…