Africa (except North Africa)

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Mali’s army together with suspected Russia-linked Wagner group mercenaries have committed summary executions, lootings, forced disappearances and other abuses, said a leading human rights group Monday.

Human Rights Watch said the atrocities happened in Mali’s central region and that several dozen civilians were summarily executed or forcibly disappeared since December 2022. The human rights group interviewed 40 people by phone, including witnesses, and reviewed a video “showing evidence of abuses by Malian soldiers and associated foreign fighters.”

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — As Russia seeks more allies during its invasion of Ukraine, longtime U.S. security partner Kenya might not be an obvious choice. But hours after Russia terminated a deal to keep grain flowing from Ukraine, Moscow’s ambassador saw an opening to appeal to one of the African countries that would feel the effects the most.

NAIROBI, July 23 (NNN-KBC) — Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua Saturday night left the country for Italy, for a three-day high-level United Nations Food Systems Summit Stock-Taking that kicks off Monday in Rome.

Gachagua will address the high level four day meeting on behalf of President William Ruto under the invitation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

DAR ES SALAAM, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Sunday urged African women police officers to join forces in fighting crime.

Opening the International Association of Women Police (IAWP) Africa Chapter's training conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's economic hub, Majaliwa called on women police networks in African countries to sharpen their skills in fighting crime.

21 July 2023; MEMO: The BRICS summit called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, the Wafa news agency reported.

21 July 2023; MEMO: Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while an equal number has informally expressed interest in joining the bloc, South Africa announced yesterday.

BRICS, a bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit from 22-24 August in South Africa and has previously hinted that it was open to expansion.

PRETORIA, July 22 (NNN-TASS) — Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate online in all BRICS leaders’ sessions at the group’s upcoming summit in Johannesburg on August 22-24, Anil Suklal, Ambassador-at-Large for Asia and BRICS at the South African Foreign Ministry and South Africa’s BRICS Sherpa, said.

“He [Russian President Vladimir Putin] will attend the summit virtually.

 He will be involved in all of the sessions with the leaders, [as well as] in the traditional summit of BRICS leaders on the 23th [of August].

DODOMA, July 22 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — Tanzania has pledged good management of funds released by the Canadian government for the improvement of maternal health services, newborn’s, children and youth.

Minister for Health Ummy Mwalimu made the statement posted on her verified Twitter account @ummymwalimu, stating that Canada is a major contributor to the Health Basket Fund which is the main source of funds for dispensaries, health centers and council hospitals.

MOGADISHU, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The education journey for Najma Abdullahi Qarey, a 24-year-old Somali woman, is intriguing and inspiring at the same time.

Abdullahi got married at a younger age by her parents who live in a community that believes that the only way to safeguard the dignity of their daughters is to marry them off while young.

However, Abdullahi refused to allow marriage to become an obstacle to her passion for education and overcame many hurdles that have denied education to the majority of her peers.

DADAAB, Kenya (AP) — Abdikadir Omar was trapped in an extremist-controlled town in Somalia for years until May, when he slipped out to make a 12-day journey with his wife and seven children to neighboring Kenya in search of food and safety.

To his surprise, “I found peace but no food,” the 30-year-old told The Associated Press. He stood near the withered maize he tried to plant around his family’s makeshift shelter of branches and plastic sheeting outside one of the world’s largest refugee camps.