Africa (except North Africa)

DODOMA, Dec 11 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — Tanzania’s Capital City-Dodoma, is expected for the first-time to host next year’s World Bee Day (WBD) scheduled for May 20, 2024, the government has confirmed.

The confirmation was made here by the Assistant Director of Beekeeping Development from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Daniel Pancras during a special forum convened to set up preliminary preparations for hosting the crucial global event.

JUBA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has withdrawn its peacekeeping forces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesperson of the South Sudan People's Defense Forces, told Xinhua on Sunday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that all the forces that had been deployed in December 2022, as part of the East African Community Regional Force, have been withdrawn from the North Kivu region of the DRC.

DODOMA, Dec 8 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — THE South Korean government has pledged further support for strengthening statistical systems in Tanzania.

The promise was made by Republic of Korea Ambassador to Tanzania Dr. Kim Sun Pyo at the launch of TASIS, an event held in Dodoma recently.

He said Korea and Tanzania worked together to prepare the database, noting that such efforts could be extended to other countries, but there was a need to enhance cooperation to ensure that many Tanzanians use the data.

PRETORIA, Dec 8 (NNN-SANEWS) — South Africa’s Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) is hosting a virtual meeting with technical experts on the proposed establishment of a Disability Forum within BRICS countries.

The Disability Forum will aim to promote the mainstreaming of disability inclusion across BRICS priority areas, policies and frameworks, agreements, and across programmes and activities.

BRICS is the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa bloc of nations.

NAIROBI, Dec 7 (Reuters) - A blast at an explosives store wrecked buildings and caused massive damage to an industrial zone on the Seychelles' main island Mahe, officials said, prompting the president to declare a state of emergency on Thursday.

The blast shook the island as heavy rains triggered flooding which killed three people, the president told reporters on Thursday, calling for a minute of silence.

Footage broadcast on national television showed streets covered in deep mud and strewn with debris and uprooted trees.

NAIROBI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Food Program (WFP) on Thursday warned that the devastating floods threaten to worsen food insecurity across eastern Africa, threatening more hunger.

WFP said that nearly 3 million people have been affected, with more than 1.2 million displaced as heavy rains lash a region that less than a year ago was in the grips of drought.

Michael Dunford, WFP regional director in Eastern Africa, said the region is being lashed by the extremes of climate change -- from "no water to too much water is resulting in a catastrophe."

JUBA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday called on the government of South Sudan to quickly address issues related to elections, security concerns and humanitarian crises in 2024.

The government should fully fund and operationalize the elections and constitution-making bodies, said Guang Cong, the deputy special representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Officer-in-Charge of UNMISS.

DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday traveled to Manyara region and inspected the devastation caused by flash floods and landslides in the region's Hanang district happening Sunday.

Briefing the president, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jenista Mhagama said the death toll from the Dec. 3 deluge had risen to 76 from 69 Wednesday, adding the deluge had also left more than 5,600 people homeless, and 750 farm crops destroyed and many livestock killed.

CAPE TOWN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Deputy President Paul Mashatile said Tuesday that load shedding remains a "stubborn challenge" to the country's economy.

Mashatile made the remarks when he delivered his annual address to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), or upper house of parliament, in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.