Author: WAJ Editor

Tanzania’s central bank held its key interest rate unchanged at 6%, it said on Thursday. In the two quarters to September, the central bank held the benchmark rate at 6%, from 5.5% that was announced in January when the bank introduced the rate. The bank targets inflation of 5%, but consumer inflation has stayed comfortably below that figure, despite growing pressure on the shilling. Inflation increased to 3.1% year-on-year in August from 3.0% the previous month, data from the statistics office showed.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will officially hand over the site for the construction of the Cavalla River Bridge, which will link Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, on October 2, 2024. This significant infrastructure project marks another major step in ECOWAS’s commitment to improving transport connections, cross-border trade, economic cooperation, and regional integration throughout West Africa. The Cavalla River Bridge, a key part of ECOWAS’s Vision 2050, aims to facilitate the movement of goods and people between Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and the broader ECOWAS region. It also serves as a crucial link in the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan Corridor, part of…

The culture ministers of France and Madagascar have initiated steps toward the repatriation of human remains taken from Madagascar during French colonial rule. On Thursday, a joint scientific committee will review Madagascar’s request for the return of the skull of King Toera, who was beheaded by French troops during the early period of colonization. This review marks the first of its kind since France passed legislation in December 2023 to ease the process of returning human remains from its public collections. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati, alongside Madagascar’s Culture Minister Volamiranty Donna Mara, expressed France’s willingness to meet this expectation.…

The European Court of Justice has ruled that melons and tomatoes from Western Sahara cannot be labeled as “made in Morocco.” Based in Luxembourg, the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest legal body, delivered its verdict on a case concerning Morocco’s labeling of products originating from Western Sahara. The ruling declared that melons and tomatoes grown in Western Sahara must be labeled as originating from that region, not Morocco. The court stated that labeling such products outside of Western Sahara would mislead consumers. The Western Sahara Conflict Tensions persist between the pro-independence Polisario Front, backed by Algeria, and Morocco,…

Karamoko Jean Marie Traore, Burkina Faso’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, criticized the current state of global affairs, stating that multilateralism has been weakened by the predatory actions of certain countries. He called for inclusive global governance and reforms in political, economic, and financial systems to ensure shared prosperity. Highlighting Burkina Faso’s commitment to affirming its sovereignty, he emphasized the nation’s significant progress in combating terrorism. Through enhanced military reforms and reorganized forces, the country has regained control of nearly 70% of its territory, up from 40% in 2022. This has led to the resettlement of displaced populations and the reopening…

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi welcomed UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Cairo International Airport on Thursday as he arrived for an official visit to Egypt. According to the Egyptian presidency, Sheikh Bin Zayed is leading a high-level Emirati delegation to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. President El-Sisi emphasized the importance of this visit in deepening collaboration and exploring new opportunities for mutual benefit, as reported by the Emirates News Agency (WAM). The Emirati delegation includes the Secretary-General of the UAE Supreme National Security Council, the Presidential Advisor for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology, as well as…

Bakary Yaou Sangaré, Niger’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, called for decisive steps toward the establishment of a free, independent Palestinian state within its 1967 borders, while lamenting the ongoing crisis in Lebanon. He criticized the global inaction on addressing the challenges of poor countries, accusing rich nations of exploiting their resources and supporting corrupt regimes. He highlighted Niger’s use of domestic funds to tackle its own humanitarian crises, such as recent floods, rejecting foreign interference or lessons on democracy. Sangaré praised the newly established Alliance of Sahel States, formed by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, emphasizing its strategic integration in…

Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, has resumed its daily passenger flights to Lagos after a two-year hiatus. Operations were suspended in 2022 but recommenced on October 1, with the first flight landing at Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA). Flights depart from Dubai daily at 9:45 am and arrive in Lagos at 3:20 pm, covering the journey in about seven hours. The return flight leaves Lagos at 5:30 pm and lands in Dubai at 5:10 am the next day. The daily service is designed to optimize connections between Nigeria and key destinations in Europe, the US, the Far East, and the Middle…

Ghanaian actress Habiba Sinare has married Akeju, a Nigerian media and music executive based in the U.S., in a small, elegant ceremony. The event marked the union of two prominent figures in the entertainment industry, merging the realms of film and music in a unique way. Known for her privacy, Habiba surprised her fans by sharing moments from her wedding on Instagram. In a touching post, she expressed her gratitude and joy, writing, “My Answered Prayer, Alhamdulillah. Mr and Mrs Akeju,” showing the deep connection she shares with her husband and describing their marriage as a dream fulfilled. Their wedding…

The African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), a tertiary multispecialty hospital established by Afreximbank in collaboration with King’s College Hospital, London, will feature a cyclotron, enhancing African diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. The announcement was made during a tour of the AMCE Abuja medical centre, updating the public on the advancements in the healthcare infrastructure. A cyclotron is an advanced medical imaging technology used to diagnose and treat complex diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders, which are areas of AMCE’s specialty. AMCE plans to deploy the equipment to produce radiopharmaceuticals, essential for PET-CT scans and other nuclear medicine procedures.…

During Social Development Month, Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe is urging all South Africans to refrain from selling or consuming alcohol around children throughout October. This appeal was made during a commemorative event for World No Alcohol Day on October 2, attended by Tolashe and KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Social Development, Cynthia Mbali Shinga, in Sweetwaters, uMgungundlovu District. The leaders highlighted the serious negative impacts of alcohol on individuals, families, and communities. The department noted that alcohol is the most commonly abused legal substance in South Africa, where consumption rates have risen significantly over the past decade. The government reports that…

Osman Saleh Mohammed, Eritrea’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, criticized the global political order, tracing its roots to post-World War conflicts and the Cold War. He argued that the current “unipolar order” revives colonialism, slavery, and resource theft, citing conflicts like Ukraine and tensions with China as examples of these policies under the guise of maintaining global peace. He highlighted how these same policies fuel conflicts in Africa and stifle the Palestinian cause, warning of a potential wider regional war. Saleh also pointed to growing protests in Europe and the U.S. as signs of the dysfunctionality of this order. He stressed…

Zimbabwe has softened its requirements for lithium miners to process the mineral locally, a government official said on Thursday, as the industry battles to survive a price slump over the past year. Africa’s top lithium producer, Zimbabwe had last year given producers up to March 2024 to submit plans of how they would produce battery-grade lithium in the impoverished southern African country. Prices of lithium, which is mainly used in battery technologies, have fallen more than 80% in the past year largely due to overproduction from China and a drop in demand for electric vehicles. The price collapse has forced…

Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Benin, in UN General Assembly, has emphasized the need for Africa to reconcile with its history in order to achieve progress. Speaking on the importance of embracing Africa’s beliefs, traditions, and civilization, he highlighted Benin’s role as the birthplace of Vodun culture and its efforts to correct negative perceptions of the continent. Bakari stressed that respect for Africa must go beyond acknowledging its past and should include a forward-looking, action-oriented Pan-Africanism aimed at reducing poverty and fostering prosperity. He pointed out the disparity in travel freedom, noting that it is currently…

Ernest Rwamucyo, Rwanda’s representative at the UN General Assembly, emphasized the importance of unity in tackling global challenges. He stressed that many pressing issues, such as economic shocks, transcend national borders and require collective action. Rwamucyo pointed out that African nations and other marginalized regions have long suffered from global economic shocks without sufficient international support. Reflecting on Rwanda’s experience after the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Rwamucyo noted that the country chose unity over division and has since become a key contributor to peacekeeping missions across Africa. However, he warned of rising threats, including radicalized insurgencies in southern Africa,…

Casual workers from the Temporary Employment for Community Youth (TECY) staged a protest outside the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in Monrovia, Liberia, demanding unpaid salaries amounting to $250,000. The workers, hired to clean the streets of Monrovia ahead of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.’s inauguration in January 2024, claim they have not been paid for 13 months. Although their contracts ended, the workers were instructed to continue working while their salaries were processed. They say they were included in the 2024 national budget after appealing to lawmakers and the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Despite the government allegedly…