Africa (except North Africa)

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Sunday that the country is more than capable of achieving the objectives of its military operation in the rebellious state of Tigray “by itself”.

Abiy issued the statement on Twitter, hours after the leader of the insurgent Tigrayan forces, Debretsion Gebremichael, said that his forces are fighting troops from neighbouring Eritrea in addition to Ethiopian troops.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The leader of Ethiopia’s Tigray region has confirmed firing missiles at neighboring Eritrea’s capital and is threatening more, marking a huge escalation as the deadly fighting in northern Ethiopia between regional forces and the federal government now spills across an international border.

Tigray regional President Debretsion Gebremichael, in an interview Sunday with The Associated Press, would not say how many missiles were fired at the city of Asmara on Saturday but said it was the only city in Eritrea that was targeted.

DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzania’s re-elected President John Magufuli on Friday re-appointed Philip Mpango as finance minister, and promised continued reforms to the mining sector to help deliver the goal of 8% annual economic growth in his second term.

Nicknamed the “Bulldozer”, Magufuli was declared the winner of polls last month after securing 84% of the vote, although the opposition have rejected the results, alleging widespread irregularities.

NAIROBI, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said Thursday he planned to visit Kenya to discuss the measures to intensify the fight against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic after a notable 34 percent rise in new infections.

Nkengasong said during a weekly webinar meeting that he is also set to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the ongoing effort to support countries to handle the pandemic, which has recorded an eight percent increase across Africa.

JUBA, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese peacekeepers on Wednesday donated materials to help South Sudan's Central Equatoria regional police boost the fight against COVID-19, the Chinese embassy in South Sudan said.

Chinese UN police (UNPOL) serving in the United Nations mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) also shared best practices and experience in mitigating the pandemic.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The sound of heavy weapons erupted across the Ethiopian border town, and immediately Filimon, a police officer, started to run.

Now, shaken and scared, he pauses when asked about his wife and two small children, ages 5 and 2. “I don’t know where my family is now,” he said, unsure if they were left behind in the fighting or are somewhere in the growing crowd of thousands of new refugees just over the border in Sudan.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Up to 200,000 refugees could pour into Sudan while fleeing the deadly conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, officials say, while the first details are emerging of largely cut-off civilians under growing strain. Already at least 6,000 people have crossed the border.

Long lines have appeared outside bread shops in the Tigray region, and supply-laden trucks are stranded at its borders, the United Nations humanitarian chief in the country told The Associated Press in an interview.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov 10 (NNN-Xinhua) — South Africa launched the country’s third COVID-19 vaccine trial, which tests whether an experimental vaccine can protect people from contracting the novel coronavirus or developing serious symptoms.

Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial with Janssen Pharmaceutica, owned by American multinational corporation Johnson & Johnson, is expected to enrol 60,000 adult volunteers.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — At least 30 armed Ethiopian troops and “large numbers” of refugees fleeing the fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have crossed the border into Sudan, the state-run SUNA news agency reports, while one diplomat says hundreds of people have been reported killed on both sides of Ethiopia’s conflict.

Ethiopia’s prime minister on Tuesday again vowed that his military will bring a speedy end to the week-long fighting in the heavily armed Tigray region and the removal of its leadership, which his government regards as illegal.

BAMAKO, Nov 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France is on the verge of cutting back its military presence in the volatile Sahel region to make room for reinforcements from other European countries, army sources said.

French troops first deployed to Mali in 2013 after an insurgency broke out in the country a year earlier.

Despite their presence, violence has spread to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger.

The conflict has killed thousands of soldiers and civilians and caused many more to flee their homes.