Peace envoys taken hostage in DR Congo

An attempt to persuade a rebel militia in eastern Democratic Republic Congo to lay down its arms has ended with three peace envoys – all former warlords – being taken hostage.

President Félix Tshisekedi sent Thomas Lubanga, Germain Katanga and Floribert Ndjabu to negotiate with Codeco militiamen who have been accused of multiple atrocities in recent months.

But a spokesman for the group told the French news agency that the Congolese army fired shells during the meeting, and the envoys had been seized. Attempts to reach them by phone have failed.

Codeco claims to represent the interests of the Lendu ethnic group in the fighting that has bedevilled eastern DR Congo for many years.

Lubanga and Katanga served prison sentences of 14 years and 12 years respectively after the International Criminal Court (ICC) found them guilty of committing war crimes in eastern DR Congo

Ndjabu was jailed for 15 years over the killing of nine UN peacekeepers.

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Zambian newspaper’s liquidation declared illegal

The Supreme Court in Zambia has declared the liquidation of the influential privately owned newspaper, The Post, illegal.

In a move that was widely viewed to have been political, the newspaper was liquidated in 2016 for alleged failure to pay its debts and taxes – something the publication always disputed.

The Patriotic Front (PF) was in power at the time.

In a landmark ruling on Thursday in Lusaka, the Supreme Court labelled the liquidation process a “faux”.

Chief Justice Mumba Malila, who headed the panel of judges, ordered the process to be re-started in compliance with the law.

The Supreme Court also ordered the newspaper’s liquidator Lewis Mosho to be part of to the new proceedings and be made to account, even though he may have finished selling the assets of the defunct publication.

“We note that much time has passed since the purported liquidation. We do not believe, however, that such passage of the time has sanitized the wrongful manner in which the liquidation was conducted,” the stinging 55-page judgement said.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we hold that the actions of the liquidator – prior to and post the purported liquidation of the Post Newspaper – are of no legal effect whatsoever,” it added.

The newspaper was critical of the PF and then-President Edgar Lungu, who lost power to opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema in elections last year.

Many Zambians on social media have celebrated the judgement.

Six African nations to get mRNA vaccine technology

The World Health Organization has announced that six African countries will be given the revolutionary mRNA technology to set up their own vaccine production centres – helping the continent acquire self-reliance against the Covid pandemic.

Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia will get the technology used in the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna jabs developed in Europe.

The Senegalese president said the aim was to have 60% of vaccines administered in Africa produced in Africa as well.

In the future, the new African vaccine hub might also produce jabs for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.

A ceremony marking the mRNA technology transfer will be held later in Brussels at a summit between the European Union and the African Union.

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Burkina Faso to swear in junta leader as president

 Burkina Faso military leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is due to be sworn in as the country’s president, just over two weeks after soldiers ousted President Roch Kaboré in a coup.

Last week, the Constitutional Council, “having taken note” of Mr Kaboré’s resignation, declared Mr Damiba, a 41-year-old army officer, president of Burkina Faso.

State television says the inauguration will be broadcast live from the Constitutional Council building on Wednesday morning.

Mr Damiba led soldiers to oust Mr Kaboré, who had faced months of protests over his failure to stem a jihadist insurgency in the north and east of the country.

On Monday January 24,2022 the strongman of Burkina Faso, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damira President of the Patriotic movement for safeguarding and restoration MPSR as president of the Republic of Burkina Faso head of state and supreme head of army he will take the oath this Wednesday, February 16, 2022 in the Burkinabe’ capital Ouagadougou .

In a decision notified to him on Wednesday, the Constitutional Council said that “Mr Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, lieutenant-colonel of the national armed forces, is the president of Faso” since 24 January.

in its session on February 8, 2022, the Council took note of the resignation of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré from his duties as President of Faso and officially noted the vacancy of this position as of January 24, 2022.

Mr Damiba, who is also “head of state” and “supreme chief of the army”, “will take the oath of office before the Constitutional Council”. It was however not specified on which day he will be sworn in as president, according to a judicial source who explained that it must be “fixed by mutual agreement” between the presidency and the Constitutional Council.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union have suspended Burkina Faso from their bodies, without further sanctions, asking the junta for a “reasonable” timetable for this “return to constitutional order”.

Lieutenant-Colonel Damiba has thus officially become the president of a transitional period until constitutional order is restored.

On Saturday, a decree by Mr Damiba announced the creation of a 15-member commission to “draw up a draft charter and agenda, together with a proposal for the duration of the transition and implementation modalities” within “two weeks”.

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Zimbabwe reopens land borders after two-year closure

 

Zimbabwe has reopened its land borders to travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or test negative for coronavirus.

It follows a decline in the southern African nation’s daily infection rates.

Zimbabwe closed its border crossings in March 2020. They were briefly reopened in December for non-essential travel that year, but that led to a surge in cases.

Only lorries and trucks carrying essential cargo into the landlocked country – and returning citizens – have been permitted in by road over the last two years.

The restrictions have disrupted livelihoods across the region, with small traders unable to reach South Africa through Zimbabwe’s Beitbridge border post.

They come from as far north as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi to buy goods.

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Storm Eunice: Amber warning of extremely strong winds

 Strong winds could cause power cuts, damage to people’s homes and travel chaos as Storm Eunice looks set to batter Wales.

The Met Office has issued an amber warning for Friday, with high winds expected to cause “significant disruption”.

It comes as Storm Dudley sweeps in on Wednesday, also bringing strong winds.

A yellow warning is already in place from 13:00 GMT Wednesday until 06:00 Thursday.

The yellow – be prepared warning – covers parts of north east, north west and mid Wales.

Sabrina Lee, BBC weather presenter, warned winds of up to 100mph (161kph) in coastal areas, could cause flying debris, large waves and fallen trees, adding “Friday is not a day to venture out”.

“We’re still keeping an eye on the track of the storm. There is the potential for some areas to be included in a red wind warning. These sort of warnings are rare,” she said.

Storm Dudley is set to hit the northern half of Wales when it hits later on Wednesday

Storm Eunice is expected to affect all of Wales from 03:00 GMT until 21:00 GMT on Friday.

Ms Lee added: “We’re all under an amber wind warning on Friday, this has recently been upgraded from a yellow wind warning

“For inland areas there is the potential for gusts 60-70mph, possibly up to 90-100mph for some coastal locations.”

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

On Wednesday, Storm Dudley will to bring 70mph winds (113km/hr) to Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Powys and Wrexham, the Met Office said.

Damage to buildings, falling trees and power cuts could bring disruption, the warning says.

Natural Resources Wales also has 10 flood alerts in place in south, mid and north Wales.

Flood alerts are in place on the River Severn, River Usk and River Wye in south and mid Wales and the Lower Dee catchment in north Wales.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

On Tuesday, there was a small landslip on the A493 between Pennal and Dyfi Bridge, near Machynlleth, but the road remained open.

The A55 Britannia Bridge has a 30mph speed limit in north Wales because of strong winds.

The river Usk in full flow at Brecon Promenade, Powys, on Tuesday afternoon

Western Power also reported a number of power cuts – 33 homes were without electricity on Wednesday morning in the Little Mill and Glascoed areas of Monmouth shire, but it had been restored to most by 07:30.

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Somali capital hit by explosions and heavy gunfire

 

Al-Shabab militants have attacked police stations and check points in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in the early hours of Wednesday, the authorities says.

Heavy gunfire and multiple explosions were heard at around 01:00 local time.

However, Internal Security Minister Abdullahi Nor said on Twitter that the security forces had defeated the militants linked to al-Qaeda.

There has been no immediate reports of casualties or fatalities.

Last week, at least six people died and several others were injured after a suicide bomber targeted a minibus full of delegates involved in the country’s ongoing parliamentary elections.

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