Africa (except North Africa)

LUSAKA, Sept 25 (NNN-ZNBC) — Government says it will continue to strengthen bilateral ties with Saudi Arabia in the promotion of Zambia’s sustainable development and economic growth.

Information and Media Minister CHUSHI KASANDA says Government will continue to foster relations with the Saudi government as a way of creating synergies that will enhance development and create opportunities for people in both nations.

KASANDA said this when she graced the Saudi Arabia 92nd National day in Lusaka.

KAMPALA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Ugandan military helicopter crashed in the western district of Kabarole Saturday but no casualties were caused, a military spokesperson confirmed.

Felix Kulayigye, a military spokesperson, tweeted that the MI-24 helicopter developed a mechanical fault while in flight and the pilot made an emergency landing.

"Fortunately no casualties both to the occupants of the plane and on the ground," he said.

Kulayigye said a team has been dispatched to the crash site from the air force headquarters to establish the cause of the accident.

22 Sep 2022; MEMO: A US airstrike in central Somalia killed 27 Al-Shabaab terrorists, the American military said on Wednesday, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The airstrike was conducted on 18 September "at the request of the Federal Government of Somalia … against Al-Shabaab terrorists who were attacking Somali National Army forces near Buulobarde," the US African Command said in a statement.

No civilians were injured, it added.

ZANZIBAR, Sept 21 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — THE Australian High Commissioner to Kenya Luke Williams paid a courtesy call on Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi at the Isles State House, where the two leaders discussed how to broaden existing bilateral relations.

A press statement from State House said the Australian High Commissioner who also serves Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia, promised promised Dr Mwinyi to strengthen the existing relations between Australia and Zanzibar, particularly in regard to the development of the blue economy.

MOGADISHU, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- The number of drought-related displacements has increased to over 1.1 million in Somalia between January 2021 and August 2022, the United Nations humanitarian agency said on Tuesday.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said some 98,900 people were displaced by drought in August, an 18 percent increase compared to the previous month.

20 Sep 2022; MEMO: Uganda and Israel, on Tuesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on defence, amid growing criticism in the country over Israel's hacking software, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The signing ceremony took place in the capital, Kampala.

Uganda was represented by Rosette Byengoma, while Israel was represented by Asaf Dvir.

KAMPALA, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Health experts on Tuesday urged Uganda to focus on preventing and controlling the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, noting that there is no vaccine against the rare Sudan strain that broke out in the country.

This follows a Tuesday announcement by the country's ministry of health that the Ebola virus had broken out and has so far left one confirmed case dead and six other unverified deaths.

KAMPALA, Sept 19 (NNN-NEWVISION) — President Yoweri Museveni has offered assurance that Uganda’s oil project “shall proceed as stipulated in the contract we have with TotalEnergies and CNOOC [China National Offshore Oil Corporation]”.

His reassurance came only days after a motion moved in the European Union (EU) Parliament that seeks to block the construction of the proposed $3.8b (sh14 trillion) East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

The motion is on account of breach of human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Uganda and Tanzania.

DAKAR, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese President Macky Sall appointed a new prime minister on Saturday, a position he abolished in 2019 and reinstated last year.

According to a presidential decree, the inspector of taxes and domains Amadou Ba was appointed the prime minister and he received instructions to form a cabinet during the day.

Aged 61, the new prime minister was Minister of Economy and Finance (2013-2019) under the regime of Macky Sall, then Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad (2019-2020).

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) said Friday that its cross-border passenger train services between Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia will reopen on Oct. 4.

A statement issued by TAZARA headquarters in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam said TAZARA passenger train services between the two destinations are set to resume following the completion of the renovation of the Chambeshi railway bridge on the Chambeshi River in Zambia.