Author: Abdihakim Kalale

As part of its move toward renewable energy, Ethiopia has outlawed the import of gasoline-powered vehicles by foreign diplomatic missions. This comes after the nation banned the import of any vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine earlier this year, a move that was first of its kind worldwide. Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry sent out a statement on August 19 to all diplomatic and consular missions, as well as international organizations located in Addis Ababa, stating that the importation of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles is prohibited. “Importing vehicles with fuels (petrol and diesel) for internal combustion engines is prohibited, given…

On the Salgaa section of the Nakuru-Eldoret Highway, near the notorious Migaa zones, thirteen persons have perished in a horrific vehicle accident. An child, five women, and seven men were among the deceased, according to Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Jasper Ombati.According to a survivor, the driver of a passenger bus lost control of his car and crashed into a Toyota Passo, hitting a culvert and ending up in a ditch. She acknowledged that there had been mechanical problems with the bus carrying passengers from Kisumu to Mombasa since the beginning of the trip.The survivor, who wished to remain anonymous,…

In an effort to combat the current mpox outbreak, Emergent BioSolutions announced on Monday that it would send 50,000 doses of its smallpox vaccine to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as other affected nations Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Due to the fast spread of clade Ib, a novel virus type, throughout Africa, the World Health Organization this week declared mpox a worldwide public health emergency for the second time in the past two years.It is the first time the novel form has been observed outside of Africa; at least one case of the illness has been…

One of the commercial centers of Mogadishu, the Bakara market, saw a second day of protests on Monday over a new five percent tax on electronic payments from the vendors. The sales tax went into force on Sunday and mandates that retailers add the additional fee to all electronic transactions. The goal of this decision is to raise money for security and infrastructure in Somalia, a country that is struggling with insecurity, corruption, and poverty. Tradespeople have fiercely opposed the tax’s adoption, claiming that high transportation tariffs for goods already put a strain on them. Dozens of vendors gathered to…

Kenya Airways achieves a profit of Ksh.513 million following years of difficulty Kenya Airways, the national carrier, ended a ten-year losing trend with a Ksh.513 million half-year profit.Allan Kilavuka, the CEO of Kenyan Airways, claims that the company’s earnings is dependent on both the state’s restructuring of its debts and its decreased exposure to swings in foreign exchange.The airline reported a deficit of Ksh.21.7 billion during the same period last year, but the growth indicates a 102% recovery.

The Amhara region’s capital, Bahir Dar, has resumed normal operations after a strike that began on Friday and resulted in the closure of businesses and the suspension of transportation services.An anonymous resident of Bahir Dar claimed to have heard gunfire the previous Sunday night all throughout the city. In spite of this, stores and transit services reopened on Monday, marking the start of regular business.There weren’t many stores open in the morning, and the only kind of transportation available was three-wheeled vehicles. However, routine activities and transportation had resumed by the afternoon, according to the resident.Residents who talked with local…

With 24 attacks on aid workers so far this year, South Sudan continues to rank among the most dangerous places for humanitarian workers in 2024, the UN warned on Monday.The UN humanitarian agency (UNOCHA) claimed in a statement on World Humanitarian Day that access issues in South Sudan impede efforts to provide critical, life-saving supplies to the most vulnerable populations. There were 267 documented humanitarian access incidents between January and July, of which 135 involved direct aggression against humanitarian workers and property, including 28 instances of theft and looting. Fifteen members of the humanitarian team were compelled to leave their…

The decisions made by the current 14th Congress of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been deemed “null and void” by a conference with the theme “Salvation of the People and the Party,” which was chaired by Getachew Reda, President of the Tigray Interim Administration and Deputy Chairman of the TPLF.The goal of yesterday’s regional meeting, according to a statement released after it ended, was to address Tigray’s ongoing dilemma, with a focus on the political environment of the TPLF.Participants in this forum included members of the audit commission, leadership from the regional, zonal, and district levels within the…

According to health officials on Sunday, Sudan has been hit by a cholera outbreak that has affected hundreds of people and killed close to two dozen people in recent weeks.At least 34 individuals have died from the disease, according to a statement released by Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim during a press conference on Saturday in Port Sudan. The county has registered more than 300 confirmed cases of cholera.Ibrahim did not provide a timeline for the deaths or the total number of deaths since the year’s beginning.However, as of July 28, the World Health Organization reported that 78 cholera-related deaths…

Salva Kiir, the President of South Sudan and Chair of the East African Community, signed the agreement on August 1 to formally join the Nile River Basin Cooperation framework and submit it to the African Union.This is almost a month after the National Legislative Assembly ratified the agreement. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation shared Kiir’s statement confirming his assent to the agreement on an official media accounts.The agreement, which promotes bilateral and regional Cooperation, will allow South Sudan to utilize its hydropower potential, he added, and will offer sustainable economic growth, energy security, and regional power integrated cooperation.The…

According to Sudan’s official news agency SUNA on Saturday, negotiations are underway between Sudan and Russia to settle bilateral trade disputes in local currency in an effort to lessen reliance on foreign exchange.Representatives from the Central Bank of Sudan and Russia met at a high level to deliberate the possible action, which might increase trade between the two nations.Potential combined investments in industries like precious metals, particularly gold, were also discussed. According to SUNA, banks in Russia and Sudan might finance such projects.Bilateral trade between the two countries is estimated to be between $400 million and $500 million annually, despite…

With the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Tancloud Co. Ltd., a local cloud computing company, and Electronic Health Network, a UK firm, to build digital networks in the Zanzibar health sector, more digital applications will eventually be available in the provision of health services in Zanzibar. After signing the deal here over the weekend, Health Minister Nassor Ahmed Mazrui stated that the goal of this arrangement is to efficiently and modernly provide online health services throughout the nation.Residents of Zanzibar will receive timely medical care customized to their needs thanks to the networking system, an initiative that…

In order to implement a pact aimed at ending the violence in Sudan, Sudan would send a government delegation to Cairo for negotiations with representatives from the United States and Saudi Arabia, a government source told local media on Sunday.Following talks with the Egyptian and American governments, the Sudanese Sovereign Council announced in a statement on Sunday that it would be sending a delegation to CairoThe group, which will be headed by Mohamed Bashir Abu Namo, Minister of Minerals, will also comprise military negotiators and Salwa Adam Bania, Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid. The talks will start tomorrow in CairoThe announcement…

The amount of electricity Kenya imports from its neighbors has climbed by 56% in the last year due to the country’s growing demand for power for everyday use.According to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), during the June 2023–June 2024 fiscal year, imports from Ethiopia and Uganda overtook imports as the major external source of electricity supply.In the first half of 2024, Ethiopia continued to be the leading external supplier of electricity supplied into the national grid, providing over 672 million Kilowatt-hours (KWh) of power.When compared to the quantity of electricity Kenya imported from the nation during…

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Sudan attacked a town in the Al Jazirah province on Friday, killing at least eight people, according to a local opposition group. After capturing much of the state late last year, the RSF has been conducting punitive operations on dozens of Al Jazirah localities since February. Rights organizations and locals claim that during these raids, there have been deaths, looting, arrests, and forced relocations. The resistance organization said in a statement that Friday’s attack was directed against the Abu Kuta area village of Qoz Al-Naqa. It further stated that there was no military presence…

Tanzania’s natural gas industry has grown significantly, reaffirming its position as an essential part of the country’s energy mix and a major force behind economic growth.The generation from gas-fired plants has been revealed by the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA). The amount of natural gas supplied in 2022–2023 was 81,067.15 million standard cubic feet (MMscf), up 11.77 percent over the year before.Despite being significant, this growth rate was less than the 33.73 percent increase that was seen between 2020–2021 and 2022–2023.Data from the government indicates that the number of natural gas users is still growing. Between 2022 and…