Africa (except North Africa)

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech on Friday launched the Phase III clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine on a group of children and teenagers between six months and 17 years old in South Africa.

The study, carried out in collaboration with South African company Numolux Group, has enrolled approximately 2,000 participants in the country, who will receive two doses of Sinovac's CoronaVac vaccine or a placebo, 28 days apart. The efficacy assessment will be based on relevant indicators.

LUSAKA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will make his first trip outside the country since winning last month's elections by attending the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, his office said Saturday.

The Zambian leader will attend the UN General Assembly to be held in New York, the United States, from Sept. 20 to 25, according to a release.

ABUJA, Sept 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Nigerian army on Friday said a high-profile member of the Boko Haram terrorist group was arrested during a raid.

The soldiers raided a market where terrorists buy materials to manufacture improvised explosive devices and seized Yawi Modu.

The army also arrested traders selling urea fertilizers to the terrorists.

Modu, a commander who had been on the lists of wanted terrorists, was arrested in Damboa, North East Borno State.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — At a taxi stand by a bustling market in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, traders simply cross a road or two, get a shot in the arm and rush back to their work.

Until this week, vaccination centers were based mostly in hospitals in this East African country that faced a brutal COVID-19 surge earlier this year.

Now, more than a dozen tented sites have been set up in busy areas to make it easier to get inoculated in Kampala as health authorities team up with the Red Cross to administer more than 120,000 doses that will expire at the end of September.

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- It is a great irony that while the United States blames China for the coronavirus and tries to play up the lab leak theory, it has refused to allow investigations into its own biowarfare activities which potentially pose a danger to the world, wrote a senior editor with the South African news and information website Independent Online (IOL).

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — A delegation of West African leaders is to go to Guinea Thursday to meet with the junta that toppled President Alpha Conde in a coup earlier this week.

Top officials of West Africa’s influential economic bloc, ECOWAS, are expected to meet in Conakry, the capital, with the military officers now ruling the country and press them to immediately return the country to constitutional rule.

CONAKRY, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Guinea's military leaders have freed scores of political prisoners before a meeting of West African leaders to discuss their response to Sunday's coup that ousted President Alpha Conde.

At least 80 political prisoners detained by Conde were released on Tuesday evening. Some had campaigned against his attempt to stay in power for a third term after altering the constitution to permit it, a move opponents said was illegal.

CONAKRY, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The soldiers who seized power in Guinea over the weekend have consolidated their takeover with the installation of army officers at the top of Guinea's eight regions and various administrative districts.

West African countries have threatened sanctions following the overthrow of President Alpha Conde, who was serving a third term after altering the constitution to permit it, which his opponentssaid was illegal. Regional leaders will meet to discuss the situation on Wednesday- not Thursday, as suggested in a previous staff memo.

NAIROBI, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Footage of war-hit northern Ethiopia published by the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday reflected the severe humanitarian crisis there, after the United Nations warned that a de facto blockade on aid is bringing millions to the brink of famine.

War broke out 10 months ago between Ethiopia's federal troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the Tigray region. Thousands have died and more than two million people have been forced to flee their homes.

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Former South African President Jacob Zuma has been released from prison on medical parole, the country's Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said Sunday.

"Medical parole placement for Mr. Zuma means that he will complete the remainder of the sentence in the system of community corrections, whereby he must comply with a specific set of conditions and will be subjected to supervision until his sentence expires," said DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo.