In the remote plains of Niger, much of daily life revolves around collecting water from parched wells that have fallen victim to climate change. A documentary sets out to show how community members are pulling together to build a well that will not only quench thirst, but also promote equality for women and girls. Above Water, by Franco-Senegalese director and actress Aïssa Maïga, shows the hardships of women and children who spend kilometres day after day trooping off to fetch water from their nearest well.You can almost feel the grit of the sand and earth as you travel by their side, listening to…
Author: King Jaja
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Spotting whales along the Kenyan coastIn early June, after travelling some 4000 kilometres from Antarctica, majestic humpback whales enter the waters along the East African shore and swim into warm tropical inner reefs to calve and mate.Large numbers and their playfulness make them easy to spot, and offer an unforgettable sight. Imagine a 15 metres long, 30 tonnes huge creature jumping a summersault for its mate. And for you, too!Whales can be spotted from the Kenyan coast as close as 500 metres from the shore. On a dedicated whale-watching safari you can easily see them. With a pair of binoculars,…
A Libyan warlord who led a 14-month assault on the capital and once said the country was not ready for democracy has announced his candidacy in its first presidential elections at the end of next monthKhalifa Haftar, the head of the self-styled Libyan National Army, which fought against its internationally recognised government in the 2014-20 civil war, declared he wanted to bring the Libyan people “glory, progress and prosperity” as he joined a contest that also includes the son of Libya’s former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, among its hopefuls.Haftar’s support base lies in the east of the country and, if elected,…
Wunmi Akinsola is a Nigerian fashion entrepreneur who is building “Africa’s ASOS”. She first ventured into the fashion industry in 2008 when her siblings co-founded a fashion brand called Virgos Lounge, a London-based womenswear brand, where she worked as a brand coordinator. In her position, she monitored transactions worth over £1,000,000 (now $1.3m), she told TechCabal. After having a taste of the fashion industry, Akinsola took her interest further by pursuing a course in fashion and textile at the University of Kent, England. She continued to pursue a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and innovation. She subsequently interned at a number…
Peace did not last long. By the end of 2013, fighting in Juba, the capital, between forces loyal to Kiir and Machar had erupted. Their respective tribes — Dinka, the largest, and Nuer, the second-largest — had long clashed over resources including land and cattle. The fighting quickly spread to the villages, fueled by outside weapons that in the years that followed would be funneled through neighboring countries in violation of arms embargoes. An estimated 400,000 people were killed in the fighting, according to a study funded by the State Department. Source link
Issued on: 16/11/2021 – 15:14 France has handed back control of the Tessalit base to the Malian army, military officials announced on Tuesday, part of plans to reorganise French forces deployed in the restive Sahel region under “Operation Barkhane”. The northern base is the second French outpost to be evacuated after the Kidal base was handed over to the Malian army in October. A third base, in Timbuktu, will be closed by the end of the year.While air support will be maintained, the 5,100 French troops currently in the Sahel will be reduced to roughly 3,000. European special forces, deployed in…
June 18, 1940 is well known throughout Francophonie: it is the date of Charles de Gaulle’s famous speech calling for resistance against France’s occupation by Nazi Germany and its ally, the Vichy regime. The then-governor of Chad, Felix Eboué, was one of the first political leaders to support de Gaulle; he proclaimed his support from Brazzaville, the capital of “Free France” between 1940 and 1943. To this day, in Dakar and Bamako, as in all the metropole’s cities, at least one street name references the event. On the other hand, who remembers Lamine Senghor’s scathing indictment of French colonialism—which he…
As live fashion events made a disappearance under the Covid glare, the launch of Imandwa Fashion Collection by Rwanda’s Moshions Fashion House has relit the stage and set a blistering pace for the fashion industry.Imandwa has also sparked debate on the critical but uncomfortable discussion surrounding gender stereotyping and masculinity and their place present traditional and contemporary society.The November 8 and 9 showcase at Atelier, the newly re-launched space in Kimihurura, Kigali, rekindled the space that audiences knew events to be.Easing of the pandemic-related lockdowns saw a gradual return of music concerts but Imandwa took to fashion.Of note about this…
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress is facing life as an opposition party in the country’s major cities, as it struggles to forge coalition agreements with its rivals after its disastrous performance in local elections. At stake is control of the engines of South Africa’s economy: Johannesburg, the financial centre, and the port of Durban. Parties have until November 23 to form coalitions and elect mayors in 66 hung municipalities, out of about 250 in total, or face rerunning elections in those areas. The ANC’s support collapsed amid anger over municipal failure and corruption, with the party gaining just under…
“Robbed” South Africa are set to make a “formal complaint” about “questionable decisions” made by the match officials in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Ghana, says their football association chief.Bafana Bafana needed a draw to reach the third and final round of African qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, but Ghana won with a controversial penalty. “The match officials have decided the game, which is not what is supposed to happen,” claimed South Africa Football Association’s (Safa) chief executive Tebogo Mothlante.”We will be writing to both Caf [the Confederation of African Football] and [world governing body] Fifa – firstly to investigate…