Africa (except North Africa)

KIGALI, May 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 127 people have died as floods and landslides engulfed several parts of Rwanda after torrential rains, destroying homes and cutting off roads, the presidency said.

Images posted online by the state broadcaster showed rivers of mud sweeping through the streets as residents scrambled for safety, some wading through the water or clambering over the corrugated iron roofs of collapsed houses.

NAIROBI, May 4 (NNN-KBC) — International Monetary Fund (IMF) has exuded confidence in the Kenyan government’s economic recovery program.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva lauded Kenya’s decision to prioritize investment in agriculture and Micro and Small Enterprises (MSESs) that offer quick turnaround results.

She said the government’s dynamism of investment; prudent fiscal measures and transparency in governance have set the country on the path of success.

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Torrential rains caused flooding in western and northern Rwanda, killing 109 people, a public broadcaster said Wednesday.

The death toll “continues to rise,” the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency said Wednesday.

“This could be the highest disaster-induced death toll to be recorded in the country in the shortest period, according to available records from recent years,” the government-backed New Times newspaper reported.

KAMPALA, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has ruled out an Ebola outbreak after laboratory results of a suspected case turned negative.

PCR tests carried out on a fatal Ebola suspect case from Buwenge, Jinja District in eastern Uganda, turned negative for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers, said Ugandan Ministry of Health in a tweet post on Sunday.

Viral hemorrhagic fevers are illnesses caused by several types of viruses. Some of these viruses cause mild illness. Many others lead to life-threatening diseases with no known cures. One of the best known of this group is the Ebola virus.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — An accountant working on a high-profile corruption case was killed along with his son by unknown gunmen while traveling on one of South Africa’s main highways. A government health department employee who warned of illegal dealings worth nearly $50 million was shot 12 times in the driveway of her home.

Johannesburg, Apr 28 (PTI) Two South African Indian-origin citizens, the late struggle icon Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim and scientist Dr Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor, were among the many recipients of National Orders when President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted the annual event in Pretoria on Friday.

28 Apr 2023; MEMO: Five Arab countries are among 19 who have expressed their interest in joining the BRICS group, Bloomberg reported.

Anil Sooklal, South Africa's ambassador to the group, said that the emerging market bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa would meet in Cape Town on 2-3 June to discuss its expansion.

"What will be discussed is the expansion of the BRICS group and the way this can be achieved."

28 Apr 2023; MEMO: Rugby's global governing body, World Rugby, has announced that the South African Rugby Union's (SARU) decision to exclude the Israeli rugby team from the international competitions was not discriminatory move.

In response, the CEO of the Israeli team, Pete Sickle, rejected the claims that the decision was due to security threats, as he told JTA: "We expected World Rugby to take a closer look at the events leading up to the withdrawal of the invitation."

JOHANNESBURG, April 26 (Reuters) - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa rowed back on Wednesday from a pledge to quit the International Criminal Court, months before he is due to host Russia's Vladimir Putin who is wanted by the ICC for suspected war crimes.

Ramaphosa had said on Tuesday that the ruling African National Congress would aim to repeal South Africa's membership of the Hague-based court, which hears cases of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. But on Wednesday, Ramaphosa's office said he had made a mistake.

BAMAKO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- At least nine civilians were killed and 61 others injured in a car bomb attack mounted by the Armed Terrorist Groups (GAT) on early Saturday morning at an airport area in central Mali.

The attack targeted "Air Base 102" in the Sevare airport area of the Mopti region, causing "significant material damage," the communication unit of the governorate of Mopti said a statement.