Africa (except North Africa)

KIGALI, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Heads of Government are expected to decide on the next substantive Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat in Kigali this week.

Although the decision is made by consensus, should the leaders decide not to reappoint the incumbent Baroness Patricia Scotland — who has served her first term for six years instead of four — a vote will take place. The pandemic forced the postponement of an election in 2020.

A Commonwealth Secretary-General can serve a maximum of two terms of four years each.

PRETORIA, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South Africa has turned to Russia for food as it also considers Moscow’s help to mitigate record fuel prices.

President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin seeking the supply of agricultural products and fertilizers.

The telephone discussion between the two BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) leaders was a Pretoria initiative.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa could face criminal charges and is already facing calls to step down over claims that he tried to cover up the theft of millions of dollars in U.S. currency that was hidden inside furniture at his game farm.

MOGADISHU, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday appointed Hamza Abdi Barre as the country's new prime minister to replace Mohamed Roble who has been in office since September 2020.

Barre, a Member of Parliament from the Lower House of Parliament is a close ally of President Mohamud and member of the president's political party.

NAIROBI, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and Zambia have resolved to jointly remove barriers that hinder trade and investment between the two countries.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, who met in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya on Wednesday, vowed to eradicate obstacles to trade and investment between the two countries.

NAIROBI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's tea production in the first three months to March dropped, hurt by adverse weather conditions, the Tea Directorate said Tuesday.

The agency noted that adverse weather conditions that include depressed and irregular rains, as well as lengthy sunny and dry conditions in many growing areas cut production by more than 5 million kg in the first quarter of this year.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A new study has found that Facebook has failed to catch Islamic State group and al-Shabab extremist content in posts aimed at East Africa as the region remains under threat from violent attacks and Kenya prepares to vote in a closely contested national election.

An Associated Press series last year, drawing on leaked documents shared by a Facebook whistleblower, showed how the platform repeatedly failed to act on sensitive content including hate speech in many places around the world.

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Gunmen killed at least 55 people over the weekend in northern Burkina Faso, authorities said Monday, the latest attack in the West African country where mounting violence is blamed on Islamic extremists.

Suspected militants targeted civilians in Seytenga in Seno province, government spokesman Wendkouni Joel Lionel Bilgo said at a news conference. While the government put the official toll at 55, others put the figure far higher.

MOGADISHU, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was inaugurated Thursday as the country's tenth leader amid tight security in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The ceremony was graced by leaders from Ethiopia, Egypt, Djibouti, and Kenya, as well as representatives from more than 20 countries.

In his speech, Mohamud promised to stabilize Somalia which has been facing terror threats and spearhead efforts to bring peace and cohesion to the country.

GABORONE, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Botswana is pursuing certain programs and projects in the green energy sector, as the southern African country seeks ways of transitioning from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based one and creating jobs.

President Mokgweetsi Masisi made this revelation Wednesday when giving a keynote address during the Botswana World Economic Forum (WEF) post-analysis seminar in Gaborone, the capital city of Botswana.