Africa News Today: Sierra Leone declares curfew following anti-government protests

Sierra Leone imposes nationwide curfew amid deadly anti-government protests https://t.co/S2O9N6oO2y pic.twitter.com/O93cJv2oGO

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 11, 2022

Sierra Leone declares nationwide curfew following massive protest

Sierra Leone declared a nationwide curfew Wednesday following a massive protest in the West African country.

Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh made the announcement on a television broadcast, saying it was a measure to calm down the situation and return the country to normalcy.

On Wednesday, thousands of protesters took to the streets of the capital Freetown and some other parts of the country, calling on the government to grapple with the issue of the economic hardship and high cost of living.

Meanwhile, the protest disrupted businesses, with shops remaining closed across the capital city for fear of being attacked by protesters.

The government has invoked the military to work alongside the police to react to the protest in the country. –Xinhua

–

DRC: Former Tshisekedi ally held for ‘insulting the President’

The former head of the presidential party in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who recently switched to the opposition, was arrested Tuesday in Kinshasa and transferred to a prison in connection with proceedings for contempt of the head of state, a judicial source said.

MP and former vice-president of the National Assembly “Jean-Marc Kabund has been placed under provisional arrest warrant” in Makala prison in the capital after an interrogation, a magistrate of the prosecutor’s office near the Court of Cassation told AFP.

According to the prosecutor’s statement, consulted by AFP, Mr Kabund is prosecuted for “insulting the head of state, damaging imputations and defamation”.

Elected in Kinshasa, Jean-Marc Kabund joined the opposition in July after being expelled from the presidential party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), and resigning from his position as first vice president of the Congolese National Assembly. –The Maravi Post

–

US 'very concerned' about reports Rwanda backing rebels in Congo, Blinken says

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that Washington was "very concerned" about what he called credible reports that Rwanda has provided support to M23 rebels in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Blinken, speaking during a visit to Kinshasa ahead of a trip to Rwanda, called on all parties to halt any support for or cooperation with M23 or other non-state armed groups.

Blinken said the conflict in eastern Congo was a focus of his meeting with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Tuesday and would be central when he meets Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Wednesday.

The M23 insurgency is part of the fallout from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The group was formed in 2012, claiming to defend Congolese Tutsis, Kagame's ethnic group, against Hutu militias.

Since May, M23 has waged its most sustained offensive in years, killing dozens and displacing tens of thousands of people. By July, it controlled a territory in Congo almost three times as large as it did in March, a UN group of experts said. – Reuters

–

Early signs show tight Kenyan presidential election

Preliminary results from Kenya's presidential election showed a tight race between the two main candidates vying to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta, with citizens praying an announcement of a winner would not unleash violence as in years past.

The Tuesday election is an important test for stability in East Africa's biggest economy, where two of the last three elections led to bloodshed and disputes over accusations of rigging.

Tuesday's polls were largely peaceful, although police said they were hunting a legislator who shot dead a rival's aide outside a polling station. In the northern town of Eldas, where clashes prevented elections on Tuesday, polling stations opened peacefully on Wednesday, election officials said.

The presidential frontrunners, Deputy President William Ruto and veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, are in a close race, results tabulated by the Kenyan media showed. The winning candidate must get 50% plus one vote.

"We are just praying for peace and a good leader," said vegetable seller Crispin Wasonga in the capital.

More than 1,200 people were killed after a disputed 2007 poll and more than 100 after the 2017 poll.– Reuters

–

Fearing a major climate setback, US urges care of Congo River basin

The United States will work with local leaders here in the Congo River basin to ensure that planned fossil fuel extraction won't result in a climate catastrophe, US officials said this week, echoing environmentalists who fear the project will undermine efforts to combat global warming.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kinshasa, Congo's capital, was aimed partly at advocating the protection of a vast rainforest and carbon-rich peatland as the country moves to auction nearly 30 oil and gas blocks. The brief stop coincided with Blinken's tour of three African nations, an itinerary intended to promote partnerships with the United States as Russia and China make inroads on the continent.

Environmentalists are particularly worried about the potential destruction of the flooded forest, an area larger than England, where the mud measures up to 30 feet deep. They have warned that disturbing the ecosystem could set off a "carbon bomb," representing up to three years' worth of global carbon dioxide output.

While the Biden administration remains concerned about the ability of Congolese officials to oversee the auction and ensure it does not lead to significant environmental damage, US officials say they are not pressing the government of President Félix Tshisekedi to forego the initiative entirely.

DRC Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula said his government would work to protect biodiversity and the climate but must also address the needs of its people, most of whom live on less than $2 a day. – The Washington Post

IOL