Dozens of Gambian migrants die as boat sinks off Mauritania coast

NOUAKCHOTT, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 62 migrants travelling on a makeshift boat have drowned off the coast of Mauritania, in the worst loss of life this year along the increasingly travelled western Atlantic migration route to Europe. Eighty-three survivors managed to swim to shore after their boat, which…

Pro-paramilitary demonstrators flood Iraqi protest camp, rattling anti-government protesters

BAGHDAD, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Crowds backing a paramilitary force close to Iran flooded the Iraqi capital’s main protest camp on Thursday, rattling anti-government demonstrators who have denounced Tehran’s role in their country.Their flash-protest hinted at a new effort to delegitimize or intimidate the regime change movement and came after…

US Navy sailor kills two in shooting at Pearl Harbor base, takes own life

While gun violence is common in the US, shootings at military facilities in the country are relatively rare HONOLULU, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A U.S. Navy sailor shot and killed two people at the historic military base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, military officials said, before fatally shooting himself.The shooter died…

US and Sudan to exchange ambassadors

WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States and Sudan will send ambassadors to each other’s countries for the first time in more than two decades.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok made the announcement during Hamdok’s visit to Washington.It has been 23 years since…

‘At least 18 dead’ in clashes in northern Mozambique

MAPUTO, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 18 people have died in clashes between militants and the country’s defence and security forces over the past five days in Mozambique’s gas-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado, media reports say.Twelve of the dead are reported to be insurgents, one was a member…

UN: Half of Zimbabwe’s population now starving

HARARE, Dec 6 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Drought, flooding and economic problems in Zimbabwe have plunged 7.7 million people into severe hunger. This represents half the population, in what is the worst hunger crisis for more than a decade. This has prompted the World Food Programme (WFP) to rapidly expand an already…

Experts discuss control of illicit arms trade in West Africa

ACCRA, Dec 6 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — More than 30 arms control officials from five West African countries and international experts gathered in Accra to discuss ways to firm up the control of illicit arms trade in the region.They were from Ghana, Zambia, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia with the experts from…

Egypt continues biggest wave of arrests of journalists since 2014

CAIRO, Dec 6 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — The list of journalists arrested in Egypt since the start of a wave of anti-government protests in September keeps on getting longer, with four more arrests in the past ten days. This is the biggest crackdown on media personnel since the protests that followed Gen.…

Uganda among six African states with half of world’s malaria cases

GENEVA, Dec 6 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Uganda has again been named one of six African countries that account for more than half of all malaria cases in the world, according to the latest 2019 World Malaria report.The 2018 report had also shown that Uganda accounted for 4 per cent of the…

Top Nigerian senator guilty of stealing $19.6m

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu ABUJA, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Prominent Nigerian senator Orji Uzor Kalu has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of 39 fraud charges amounting to $19.6m.Kalu is a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s All Progressives Congress and a chief whip in the…