DRC Ebola outbreaks: Crisis update - November 2020

Eleventh outbreak declared in Équateur province

On 1 June 2020, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared its eleventh Ebola outbreak since records began, following the revelation of new cases of Ebola in Équateur province, northwestern DRC.

Less than two years since the last outbreak of the disease ended in Équateur province - and just weeks before the country declared over its long-running tenth tenth outbreak, in North Kivu and Ituri provinces - authorities reported over a dozen people with either confirmed or suspected cases in the city of Mbandaka and surrounding area.

On 9 June, WHO announced that there is no link between the tenth outbreak and the eleventh outbreak; they also established that the virus in the new outbreak is distinct from that which circulated in Équateur province during the country's ninth outbreak in 2018.

Current situation

The response to this eleventh Ebola epidemic does not face the kind of security challenges that affected the response to the tenth Ebola outbreak.

The outbreak has progressed slowly, and -- as of 31 October -- the province has gone 33 consecutive days without a case being recorded; the outbreak would be declared over after 42 days since the last negative test of the last known patient (as of the same date, this is 25 days).

Nevertheless, we know from previous experience -- including during the tenth epidemic -- that new clusters of cases can still occur, even after long periods of no new cases being reported.

Despite that this eleventh outbreak seems to be under control, 13 out of Équateur province's 18 health zones have recorded cases, with patients scattered over a vast area.\ However, compared to the North Kivu/Ituri epidemic -- which saw a case mortality rate of 67 per cent -- the outbreak in Équateur province is recording mortality levels of 43 per cent; still high, but significantly lower than in the tenth outbreak.

Patients in this eleventh outbreak are benefitting from the scientific progress that's been made in recent years, with a vaccine, and curative treatments now available. According to WHO, 40,000 people have been vaccinated using the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine. However, these possible explanations are based on observations; more analysis is needed.

Area

The area poses significant logistical challenges. Équateur province is the same size as Iceland (nearly 104,000 km2), with some health areas only accessible by river using canoes or after hours of difficult transport by rough roads through the forest. Only one helicopter is available to humanitarian organisations to move around the region.

Villages are scattered in the area, with often large distances between them, and many are extremely remote. MSF teams, with equipment, often need to reach these places by traversing lakes or navigating rivers.

The province mostly lacks major long-distance roads, so communities move along the meandering waterways of the area as they go from one small village to another; therefore, we see sporadic cases that don’t appear to spread in a linear way, as we saw during the North Kivu/Ituri outbreak.

MSF response to eleventh outbreak

Following the declaration of the eleventh Ebola virus outbreak in DRC by the Ministry of Health (MoH) on 1 June, MSF teams decided on a decentralised, community-focused approach.

It is based on empowering decentralised micro-structures for Ebola care in local healthcare facilities, close to patients and communities. The approach is instead to engage mostly local health workers, supporting people at the community level to conduct local case surveillance, and limit the use of large, centralised facilities and personnel from outside the community.

We are supporting the healthcare system in Équateur province to identify, isolate and treat patients with Ebola, minimising the need for a parallel system.

At the height of our response, MSF teams were working in six health zones: Bolomba, Bikoro, Monieka, Ingende, Lolanga Mampoko, and Lotumbe. In total, we provided care to patients in across nine treatment and isolations centres.

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

With no new cases reported for over a month, MSF teams are now scaling down our response. However, we currently have an emergency team in the province, based in Bolomba and Mbandaka, who are continuing to monitor the situation until mid-November. They will be able to rapidly respond if and when needed, and their mission can be extended, depending on how the situation evolves.

PREVIOUS ACTIVITIES

Bolomba health zone

provided support to the Ebola treatment centre at the general hospital

set up two small treatment and isolation centres in the remote health areas of Boso Mondomba and Yuli.

Monieka and Bikoro health zones

provided support to four small care and isolation structures in difficult-to-access health areas.

Lotumbe and Ingende health zones

Working with the MoH and WHO, investigated whenever a new case was reported for contact tracing

Vaccinated the patient and their contact

Established -- in cooperation with the community -- health zone alerts to potential cases

Lolanga Mampoko health zone

Short-term support was provided to health facilities through medical and water and sanitation briefings,

Supported with triage and health promotion activities

Donated medicines and medical items

Across the six zones

our teams are supporting community surveillance

providing rapid treatment to patients living in hard-to-reach areas

Our health promotion teams are also supporting those of the Ministry of Health

An MSF epidemiologist worked alongside MoH, WHO and MSF health promotion teams

Developed a triage algorithm, in collaboration with MSF's epidemiological arm, Epicentre, to reduce people with suspected Ebola being admitted to ETCs or isolation units, preventing cross-contamination

We are also supporting health centres in the hotspots and on the major axes of Bolomba and Bikoro, with non-Ebola health needs.

Summary - tenth outbreak

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared their tenth outbreak of Ebola in 40 years on 1 August 2018. The outbreak was centred in the northeast of the country, in North Kivu and Ituri provinces; cases had also been reported in South Kivu, and some across the border in Uganda.

During the tenth outbreak, 3,470 cases were recorded; 2,287 people sadly lost their lives. It is by far the country's largest-ever Ebola outbreak, and is also the second-biggest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, behind the West Africa outbreak of 2014-2016.

The last Ebola patient was discharged from the Beni ETC on 14 May 2020; after recording no new cases for 42 consecutive days - twice the length of the disease's incubation period of 21 days - the DRC Minister of Health declared the outbreak in the northeast over on 25 June 2020.

 

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What the US can learn from how African countries handled COVID

Epidemiologists had expected weak health systems in Africa to crumble under the weight of Covid-19. Eight months into the pandemic, Africa with a population of 1.3 billion, reported nearly 1.8 million Covid infections, while the US, on its way to its third peak, has reported more than nine million cases.

While some of this low reporting could be attributed to poor testing, Africa as a continent appears to have handled the pandemic more effectively than the US has.

As of November 1, Rwanda and Senegal, for example, have reported 0.28 and 2.04 Covid deaths per 100,000 people respectively, while the corresponding number for the US is a staggering 70.4.

Rwandans are now allowed to travel to Europe, while Americans remain prohibited.

 

Countries that have managed to contain Covid-19 have attained greater normalcy in their lives, while the everyday activities of ordinary Americans remain constrained, their lives lessened and threatened.

This great reversal of fortune is stunning when one accounts for the immense differences in wealth in these two locations.

Scientists are puzzling over the underlying factors driving Africa's success -- is it the relatively young population, lower connectivity to disease epicenters, cross-reactive immunities, or differences in lifestyle?

While many factors contribute to differences in Covid-19 outcomes, there are striking differences in the quality of leadership, disaster preparedness, conformity to scientific advice, and coherence in pandemic response strategies that appear to have played important roles.

Inspiring civic duty

Tackling this pandemic effectively requires collective behavior change and instilling a sense of civic duty. Leaders must inspire citizens to make sacrifices to protect one another. President Macky Sall of Senegal decided to self-quarantine even after testing negative for SARS-COV2, only because he was exposed.

In contrast, several of US government leaders continue to ignore basic social distancing and mask guidelines set by their own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They continue to host large rallies, and have encouraged people to gather in groups and protest against social distancing. This is a failure of leadership.

Aggressive lockdown measures

The experience of dealing with prior epidemics prompted several African leaders to quickly enact aggressive measures that closed airports in mid-March and restricted people's movement to slow the spread of coronavirus. Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritius and Liberia began planning their COVID response as soon as the virus alerts were sent internationally and began screening and quarantining travelers at the airport. Ghana and Nigeria banned travel between cities and implemented curfews.

Within a week of its first reported case, Kenya shut its schools, banned gatherings, and enforced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for incoming travelers. South Africa implemented one of the toughest lockdowns in the world.

In contrast, the US was slow to react, and remained indecisive. Although the federal government banned travel by foreign nationals from China and eventually other countries, including parts of the EU, they failed to follow it up with any coherent plan, continued denying the severity of Covid, and made unscientific statements about how the virus will disappear like a miracle. There were failures at both the federal and state levels.

Using expertise and evidence

Another key difference between the leadership of many African nations and the US is the extent to which people with public health policy and pandemic expertise were allowed to set guidelines.

Many African countries focused on expanding testing capacity on the advice of epidemiologists. WHO and its technical partners sourced more than 2.1 million tests to the region and trained 100,000 health workers.

Within six months, Africa's readiness score in infection prevention and control had risen from 62% to 78%. Fourteen countries in Africa now perform more than 100 tests per 10,000 people.

Senegal built infrastructure that allows Covid test results early on to be generated within 24 hours. Rwanda and Sierra Leone repurposed HIV and Ebola equipment for Covid tracking, testing, and quarantining. Ghana and Rwanda pursued creative innovations such as pooled testing -- where multiple blood samples are first tested and if a positive result is found, individual tests carried out.

Contact tracing is another critical public health tool to slow disease spread. Many African countries used networks of community health workers and volunteers to conduct extensive contact tracing. South Africa, Cameroon, Mauritania, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal, and parts of Nigeria have set up large-scale community door-to-door campaigns to test, treat, and isolate potential Covid patients.

In contrast, President Donald Trump has continuously attributed the number of cases in the US directly to testing, but experts say that testing alone doesn't explain the high rate of infection. After President Trump contracted Covid, the White House did not appear to carry out thorough contact tracing efforts for those who attended Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination celebration held at the Rose Garden, thought to be a super spreader event after multiple guests tested positive for the virus.

Erosion of public trust

Moreover, the federal government has taken a hands on approach in setting CDC guidelines often leading to conflicting information. This has eroded public trust in the CDC, an agency that had previously successfully contained the transmission of several diseases globally. Top scientists managing the US government's response have resigned. These developments have had immediate, real effects: vaccine hesitancy is now at record highs in the United States.

The pandemic's best responders

The global Covid-19 response index ranks New Zealand and Senegal as the two best responders to Covid-19. Their leaders followed scientists' recommendations, and relayed clear, consistent messages to their citizens to encourage positive behavior change.

Many African countries employed communication strategies that led to rapid changes in norms around mask-wearing, sanitizing and distancing. Rwanda used drones attached to loudspeakers, chastising pedestrians for not wearing masks. Senegalese musicians encouraged people to stay at home and wash hands. Political leaders in Sierra Leone made cameo appearances in such music videos. Trusted local community leaders and town criers were deployed to relay health messaging.

 

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Ivory Coast president wins third term after opposition boycotts the election

Rivals condemned Alassane Ouattara’s bid as illegal and urged supporters to stay home

An election worker counting ballots after voting closed in the first round of the presidential elections in Abidjan last week. Photograph: Legnan Koula/EPA

Alassane Ouattara has won a third term in power in Ivory Coast after an election boycotted by the opposition.

The 78-year old president, who had once pledged to make way for a younger generation, took 94% of the vote. Two terms in office is widely seen as the limit set by the west African country’s 2016 constitution.

The main opposition candidates condemned Ouattara’s attempt to win a third term as illegal and had urged their supporters to stay at home as an act of civil disobedience.

Political crisis has consumed Ivory Coast since the death in July of Ouattara’s planned successor, the prime minister, Amadou Gon Coulibaly. Ouattara had been expected to leave office but reneged on his pledge, arguing the constitution did not prevent him. The disqualification of 40 opposition candidates and criticisms from his two main challengers increased tensions in a country where the spectre of electoral violence looms large.

Thousands have fled to Liberia, Ghana and Togo in recent weeks, fearing the possibility of the same sort of post-election violence that killed 3,000 people in 2010. In the run-up to Saturday’s vote, protests against Ouattara had grown, particularly in opposition strongholds. Clashes with rival groups and a forceful response by security forces left at least 30 people dead, according to Amnesty International. Five more people were killed on election day. In a sign of mounting tensions over the vote, Outtara’s two main opponents said their homes had been shot at overnight.

The Carter Center, a US non-governmental organisation that monitored the election, expressed “concerns that the overall context and process did not allow for a genuinely competitive election”.

“The process excluded a number of Ivorian political forces and was hampered by an active boycott by a segment of the population and a volatile security environment,” it added.

The electoral commission said early on Tuesday that Ouattara received 94.3% of the vote. Turnout was 53.9%, according to election officials, although the opposition has said only 10% of Ivorian voters took part.

The former prime minister Pascal Affi N’Guessan, a leading opponent of Ouattara, said the result was illegitimate. “This was a sham election … marred by many irregularities and a low turnout,” he told reporters on Monday when it was clear Ouattara was going to win. N’Guessan vowed to form an alternative “transitional government”, deepening political tensions with Ouattara’s government.

“The opposition parties and groups announce the creation of a council of national transition,” N’Guessan told reporters. Yet divisions within his own party, the Ivorian Popular Front, and among other senior figures in a weakened opposition, has left the plan in doubt.

The president’s supporters cite a 2016 constitutional change that they say means Ouattara’s first term effectively did not count.

Amid deepening insecurity across much of west Africa, third-term bids and attempts to amend national constitutions have re-emerged in recent years in Guinea, the Gambia and Ivory Coast. The moves have fuelled disillusionment, particularly among younger populations who seek greater representation in government, transparency and freedoms.

Ouattara, a former rebel leader, along with both main opposition figures, the 86-year-old former president, Henri Konan Bédié, and 67-year-old N’Guessan, are among an ageing political class that have maintained their grip of Ivorian politics for years.

Ouattara was the internationally recognised winner of the disputed 2010 election when the then president, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to concede defeat. Both men held their own inauguration ceremonies and the standoff persisted for months until pro-Ouattara forces captured Gbagbo from his underground bunker.

Gbagbo was later acquitted of crimes against humanity at the international criminal court, though prosecutors are appealing against the decision. Critics say Ouattara’s government has failed to bring about national reconciliation, concentrating prosecutions on the crimes committed by Gbagbo loyalists.

The president, an ally of western governments including the country’s former colonial power, France, enjoys international support. Yet despite significant economic growth, driven by its powerful agricultural sector, more than half of the country lives in poverty, according to the World Bank.

 

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Ethiopia: Over 50 ethnic Amhara killed in attack on village by armed group

At least 54 people from the Amhara ethnic group were killed in an attack late on 1 November by suspected members of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) armed group.

The attack on Gawa Qanqa village in Guliso District of West Wellega Zone took place just a day after Ethiopian Defense Forces troops withdrew from the area unexpectedly and without explanation. Witnesses said dozens of men, women and children were killed, property looted and what the militants could not carry away, they set on fire.

This senseless attack is the latest in a series of killings in the country in which members of ethnic minorities have been deliberately targeted. 

Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa

“This senseless attack is the latest in a series of killings in the country in which members of ethnic minorities have been deliberately targeted. The fact that this horrendous incident occurred shortly after government troops abruptly withdrew from the area in unexplained circumstances raises questions that must be answered,” said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

“The Ethiopian authorities must investigate what happened and prosecute those responsible for the attack through fair trials.”

The Ethiopian authorities must investigate what happened and prosecute those responsible for the attack through fair trials. 

Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa

Amnesty International spoke to some of the survivors of the heinous attack who escaped death by hiding in a nearby forest. They said that the attackers had identified themselves as OLA and said that they “controlled” the area as soon as government troops left on 31 October.

The survivors said they had counted 54 bodies in a school compound where the militants gathered people who did not manage to flee, mainly women, children and the elderly, and killed them. One man told Amnesty International that three of his relatives were killed - his father, his sister and his wife’s grandfather. Another said he lost his brother, sister-in-law and three children including nephews and cousins. Their bodies were found in the school grounds with bullet wounds.

“The Ethiopian government must step up its efforts to end armed attacks on minority groups and protect their lives and stop the destruction of homes, not only in Oromia, but across the country,” said Deprose Muchena.

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Burkina Faso: Bishops highlight conditions for peaceful elections

Bishops of Burkina Faso

The Bishops of the Burkina-Niger Episcopal Conference (CEBN) invite Burkinabe citizens to commit themselves to the good of the country by embracing peace, selfless service and integrity for a transparent democratic process as the nation prepares for its elections on 22 November.

By Fr. Benedict Mayaki, SJ

Bishops of Burkina Faso have outlined conditions necessary for guaranteeing peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in the nation scheduled for 22 November. They are also encouraging citizens to peacefully exercise their civic rights by going to the polls to vote.

Making reference to Pope John XXIII,  the bishops, in a message on Sunday said, “voting is one of the pillars of all democratic institutions and one of the guarantees of the sustainability of democracy.” Therefore, they enjoin citizens to choose, through a democratic process, “worthy leaders who will preside over [Burkina Faso’s] destiny to lead it towards an ever-brighter future.”

To ensure peaceful elections, the bishops insist on the conditions of protecting the lives of people and their property, generous service, gaining maturity and working to make the country a land of integrity and a united nation.

The bishops' message comes as the country, located in the volatile Sahel region, struggles with insecurity made worse by frequent insurgencies linked to ISIL and other extremist groups. 

Insecurity amid ongoing pandemic

Highlighting the nation’s security concerns amid the ongoing pandemic, the bishops noted that in some regions in the North and East of the country, thousands of people are persecuted, dispossessed of their lands and forced to be refugees in their homeland.

The bishops, therefore, expressed their gratitude to security forces who “are fighting day and night to guarantee the security of their brothers and sisters” and prayed for those who have sacrificed their lives. They also saluted the bravery and dedication of health personnel who, in spite of the insecurity, still provide medical services.

Appeal to government and citizens

Calling on political office holders, those desirous of political office and citizens, the bishops made several appeals as the country inches closer to its election day.

First, they called for the protection of the lives and properties of people. Especially during the elections, the bishops stress the importance of avoiding any initiative that would “contribute to worsening the security situation” or “endanger the lives of the people, the organizers of the elections or the voters.” 

“The supreme value is life and no effort must be spared in protecting it,” the bishops insisted.

Stressing that power and authority are given for the service of all, the bishops warned that “no one can or should claim to serve the nation by violating the rights of those he or she is supposed to serve.” In this light, the conquest of power should not trample on essential values and freedoms of citizens.

Recalling that the political history of Burkina Faso has been marked by various crises including the popular uprising of October 2014, the bishops noted that through "the spirit of dialogue and concertation" the nation has overcome its challenges. They, therefore, called on all citizens to continue to gain maturity which will lead the people to elect leaders who will promote peace by "working for justice and reconciliation." 

“The history of our country is that of a people who have always known how to make the cultural, ethnic and religious differences that characterize its citizens, a source of wealth and an example of cohesion in the eyes of the world,” the bishops said. Therefore, rather than seeing the difficult times “every citizen should invest and take pride in working for the good of all, for the honour of the country.”

Concluding, the bishops called for prayers for the country and urged every citizen to commit themselves to working towards security and peace through a democratic process characterized by transparency and integrity. 

Elections

On 22 November, eligible Burkinabe citizens will elect a president and 127 members of the nation's National Assembly. Incumbent President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré who has been in power since 2015 is seeking reelection for a second five-year term. Campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections began on Saturday and are expected to last for 21 days. 

 

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Labour urges UK trade secretary to end delays over Kenya and Ghana deals

Cocoa beans harvested in Ghana. Photograph: Ange Aboa/Reuters

The Labour party has urged the UK trade secretary, Liz Truss, to end delays over rollover deals with Kenya and Ghana to prevent them being slapped with high tariffs when the UK leaves the EU on 1 January.

Negotiations with Kenya and Ghana have yet to be signed off with only nine weeks to go before the UK’s transition deal with the EU comes to an end, when import charges would be imposed on goods worth £2.6bn from the African countries.

Labour officials fear Truss is trying to drive a hard bargain with individual nations that depend on foreign income from sales of bananas, cocoa and flowers to the UK to make up for deals that largely favour foreign imports.

With EU trade talks hanging in the balance and discussions with the US barely started, the trade department signed a deal with Japan last month that the shadow trade secretary, Emily Thornberry, warned massively favoured the world’s third-largest economy.

Shadow trade minister Gareth Thomas said in a letter to Truss that he was concerned that the department’s attention had switched from talks with the East African Community (EAC) trade bloc to bilateral deals with individual countries.

He said that the failure to sign deals with Kenya and Ghana had left them unable to plan for next year and, worse, the current proposals left them facing duties on exports to the UK.

“The terms of the continuity agreements you have been proposing would lead to new barriers to trade between both Ghana and her neighbours in the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] and similarly would adversely affect trade between Kenya and other developing countries in the EAC.

 Cocoa beans harvested in Ghana. Photograph: Ange Aboa/Reuters

The Labour party has urged the UK trade secretary, Liz Truss, to end delays over rollover deals with Kenya and Ghana to prevent them being slapped with high tariffs when the UK leaves the EU on 1 January.

Negotiations with Kenya and Ghana have yet to be signed off with only nine weeks to go before the UK’s transition deal with the EU comes to an end, when import charges would be imposed on goods worth £2.6bn from the African countries.

Labour officials fear Truss is trying to drive a hard bargain with individual nations that depend on foreign income from sales of bananas, cocoa and flowers to the UK to make up for deals that largely favour foreign imports.

With EU trade talks hanging in the balance and discussions with the US barely started, the trade department signed a deal with Japan last month that the shadow trade secretary, Emily Thornberry, warned massively favoured the world’s third-largest economy.

Shadow trade minister Gareth Thomas said in a letter to Truss that he was concerned that the department’s attention had switched from talks with the East African Community (EAC) trade bloc to bilateral deals with individual countries.

He said that the failure to sign deals with Kenya and Ghana had left them unable to plan for next year and, worse, the current proposals left them facing duties on exports to the UK.

“The terms of the continuity agreements you have been proposing would lead to new barriers to trade between both Ghana and her neighbours in the Economic Community of West African States [ECOWAS] and similarly would adversely affect trade between Kenya and other developing countries in the EAC.

 

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Mkhize clears up South Africa’s current travel and quarantine rules

 

Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has provided answers on some of the government’s key level 1 lockdown regulations.

Responding in a written parliamentary Q&A to the Democratic Alliance, Mkhize detailed the rules in place for travellers who are arriving from other countries and those South African who cannot self-quarantine at home.

 

What happens to persons who cannot self-quarantine because of insufficient space in their own homes, but equally cannot afford to pay for government quarantine in a 4-star hotel?

South Africans that are unable to self-quarantine at home are directed to a state-run facility where they will be able to quarantine. There is no charge for the use of this facility.

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Do students from other countries have to undergo weekly Covid-19 tests in line with (the level 1) regulations?

Daily commuters from neighbouring countries who attend or teach at a school in the Republic, as well as children below the age of five years, are exempted from the provisions of subparagraph (3)(b) but must comply with the re-entry requirements set out by the Department of Home Affairs.

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With reference to persons visiting accepted overseas destinations on holiday but cannot access Covid-19 testing overseas, how are the specified persons accommodated upon their return? 

Such persons would need to quarantine at a designated facility for 10 days or alternatively do a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test immediately upon entry into the country, once the results are available such person is able to apply for early release from quarantine, the period for this is process can be between 24 to 72 hours.

Under South Africa’s level 1 lockdown rules, travellers will be screened for any Covid-19 symptoms and will also be screened for contact with people who have been in contact with others who could have had Covid-19.

Travellers will also need to provide proof of accommodation addresses in case they need to self-isolate. International travel around the world has been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Those who are found to have Covid-19 after entering the country will be required to isolate for 10 days at their own cost.

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Do people visiting accepted overseas destinations on holiday have to apply for self-quarantine before their return? 

No, persons visiting accepted overseas destinations do not need to apply for self-quarantine before their return as requirements and procedures for level one have changed aligning with easing of lockdown restrictions. Persons returning into the country are required to produce negative PCR tests which are not older than 72 hours from date of travel.

The Department of Home Affairs published its updated list of high-risk countries on 19 October.

Leisure travellers from high-risk countries will not be permitted. The exception will be business travellers with scarce and critical skills including diplomats, repatriated persons, investors and people participating in professional sporting and, events will undergo the same health protocol screenings.

The previous list of high-risk destination had 60 countries. The latest update carries only 22.

The new list as follows:

Argentina

Bangladesh

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

France

Germany

India

Indonesia

Iran

Iraq

Italy

Mexico

Netherlands

Peru

Philippines

Russia

Spain

United Kingdom

USA

 

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Tanzania: Lissu briefly detained amid wave of opposition arrests

Opposition challenger the latest to be arrested over call for mass protests against what government critics say were rigged polls.

 

Presidential candidate Tundu Lissu was arrested in Dar es Salaam as he was leaving European Union missions [File: STR/AFP]

Tanzanian police have released opposition presidential candidate Tundu Lissu after questioning him for more than two hours, the main opposition party Chadema has said.

Lissu’s arrest on Monday came hours after police also detained several other opposition figures over a call for mass protests against what government critics say were rigged elections.

The main opposition parties have rejected official results which saw President John Magufuli win a second term with 84 percent of the October 28 vote and his governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi party take 97 percent of seats in parliament. They had called for peaceful demonstrations on Monday as well as fresh elections.

A Chadema party spokesman said Lissu was detained in Dar es Salaam while at a building housing the embassies of Britain, Germany and the Netherlands along with the European Union delegation to Tanzania, adding that more details were to come.

Regional police Commander Lazaro Mambosasa said of Lissu earlier on Monday that his arrest is “in connection with the banned protest,” according to the AFP news agency.

Lissu had garnered an official 13 percent in last week’s polls. He survived an assassination attempt in 2017 and returned from exile this year to join the presidential race.

Jeffrey Smith, of Vanguard Africa, a Washington-based, pro-democracy nonprofit organisation, said Lissu – who has partnered with them – told him on the phone earlier he had been seeking diplomatic protection for several hours without luck.

Earlier on Monday, Lissu and ACT Wazalendo leader Zitto Kabwe said in a joint statement that they believed “there have been attempts to arrest the two of us”.

Scores of ACT Wazalendo members remain in custody in the semi-autonomous region of Zanzibar, they said.

The statement called on other countries to condemn the Tanzanian government for its “tyrannical behaviour” and said protest efforts will continue.

Following Lissu’s arrest, Kabwe wrote on Twitter that “for sure” he was also going to be arrested. “I want to make clear, I believe in this cause, Magufuli wasn’t legitimately elected and I believe in fully 100% peaceful protests. We are believers in non-violence. We shall win this too.”

Lissu’s arrest came hours after that of the chairman of his Chadema party, Freeman Mbowe, and six other top opposition members.

“We arrested them in a meeting to organise the protests which we already banned. Some of these people travelled from upcountry to Dar es Salaam and are trying to use youths to take it to the streets,” the Dar es Salaam police chief, Mambosasa, said on Monday.

Mambosasa said those arrested had “admitted that they were organising criminal activities such as setting petrol stations, markets, vehicles and some government offices on fire”.

US Ambassador Donald Wright said reported arrests were of “extreme concern”.

“I urge the government to ensure the safety and security of all opposition leaders, cease these targeted arrests, release detainees, restore telecommunications and afford due process under the law to all citizens,” he wrote on Twitter.

Opposition leaders said police charged their colleagues with “terrorism-related offenses” and sealed off areas where a peaceful protest was to begin over last week’s election that they call too flawed to stand.

Emmanuel Mvula, campaign manager with the ACT Wazalendo party, told The Associated Press news agency there was “heavy deployment of security forces” in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam, where the two main opposition parties planned to march to the national electoral commission.

“We have not been able to protest,” Lissu told Reuters news agency earlier on Monday, citing heavy deployments of the police on the streets and the arrest of several party officials and supporters

The opposition has alleged widespread irregularities before and during the vote in the country that some observers say has taken a sharp turn away from democratic ideals in the past five years.

In his bid for a second term, Magufuli promised to boost the economy by completing infrastructure projects started in his first term and continue a crackdown on corruption.

But the opposition and rights groups have complained that his administration has cracked down on critical voices, closing down media outlets and preventing opposition rallies. The government has denied stifling dissent.

Allegations over the electoral process include the rejection of thousands of observers, a massive slowdown in internet and text-messaging services and deadly violence.

Few independent observers were allowed while many journalists from foreign media, including Al Jazeera, were not able to obtain accreditation to cover the elections.

In its latest critical statement on Monday, the United States warned that “in coordination with our partners [it] will consider actions including visa restrictions, as appropriate, to hold accountable those found to be responsible for human rights abuses and interference in the election process”.

The US statement added: “We remain deeply concerned by credible reports of significant and widespread voting irregularities, internet interruption, arrests, and violence by security forces both in mainland Tanzania and on Zanzibar.” It called on all sides to show restraint.

 

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Turner & Townsend leads construction of gorilla research campus in Rwanda

UK-headquartered consultant Turner & Townsend is acting as client’s representative and project manager for a five-hectare research and education campus for the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda.

The charitable fund promotes the protection of endangered mountain gorillas and their habitats.

Situated near Volcanoes National Park, the Ellen DeGeneres Campus – named in honour of a donation given by the American television celebrity – will include laboratories, a library, office and meeting spaces, classrooms, an educational exhibit and on-site residences for students and scientists.

To limit the campus’ impact on the environment it will have a rainwater harvesting system, green roofs, plantings of some 250,000 native plant species and a constructed wetland to treat wastewater and promote biodiversity.

To engage local people, the campus will be built with local materials, supplies and labour.

Some $2.7m has been spent so far, Turner & Townsend said.

Seventy percent of all workers are Rwandese and 31% are women.

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Trump criticizes lockdowns in Europe as Covid-19 cases surge on the continent and in US

Boris Johnson: England will enter second national lockdown 01:35

Washington: President Donald Trump on Sunday harshly criticized strict lockdowns coming to some European countries to combat the coronavirus pandemic, claiming the restrictions are ineffective as cases surge both there and in the US.

"Europe imposed draconian lockdowns and cases were surging and deaths were surging but think of it, draconian. Now they have to do it all over again. What the hell are they doing? I think I'll go over and explain it to them," Trump said at a rally in Michigan. "But they're locking down parts of Europe again."

The President went on to claim that places with strict lockdowns are where "the people that do the worst" with fighting the pandemic are.

The comments from the President come just one day after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced England will enter a second national lockdown in the coming days amid a sharp rise in infections there. Germany, Belgium, France and Greece have also imposed additional lockdown measures aimed at combating the rise in coronavirus cases in those countries.

The US is also seeing a surge in cases, with at least 31 states across the country having reported at least one record-high day of new Covid-19 cases in the past month, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Fifteen states reported their highest one-day tallies of Covid-19 deaths, while the country's seven-day average of new daily cases was 78,380 Saturday -- a number that has risen 128.2% since a post-summer-surge low on September 12.

Trump has been critical of lockdown measures in the past, urging governors to lift their restrictions earlier this year even as public health experts warned it was too early to scale them back. In one extraordinary move in April, the President called on residents in Michigan to "LIBERATE" their state from the Democratic governor's restrictions.

During the rally Sunday, Trump also repeated his false claim that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's plan for coronavirus lockdowns is to "imprison you in your home."

Biden, however, has not expressed any desire for a lockdown. He said in an August interview that he would support a lockdown specifically in the event that scientists said a lockdown was necessary to deal with a virus crisis.

As Trump lashes out at the new restrictions in Europe, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, signaled this weekend that the US is "in for a whole lot of hurt" as the winter months grow closer.

"All the stars are aligned in the wrong place" as the country heads indoors in colder weather, Fauci told The Washington Post in an interview late Friday -- a day when the US set a global record for the most daily cases and the nation surpassed 229,000 deaths. "You could not possibly be positioned more poorly."

 

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KENYA: 17 passed on to COVID-19 as 231 recover

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during a press conference at Afya house on April 9, 2020.
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY

Kenya on Sunday recorded 685 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 55,877.

This is from a sample size of 4,433 tested in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative tests 699,520.

From the cases, 659 are Kenyans and 26 are foreigners.

In terms of gender 449 are males and 239 females. The youngest is a two-year old baby, while the oldest is 81.

In terms of recoveries, the country has witnessed 231 patients who have recovered from the disease.

130 are from the Home-Based Care Program, while 101 have been discharged from various hospitals.

The total recoveries now stands at 37,194.

Unfortunately, 17 people have succumbed to the virus, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,013.

Currently, there are 1,271 patients admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 4,806 are on Home Based Isolation and Care.

53 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 31 of whom are on ventilatory  support and 22 on supplemental oxygen.

 

 

46 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen but not in the ICU, while 17 are in the High Dependency Unit (HDU).

Distribution of the cases by counties is as follows; Mombasa 203, Nairobi 202, Busia 95, Nakuru 18, Kiambu 18, Bungoma 18, Kilifi 17, Kisumu 17, Embu 17, Kajiado 15, Kakamega 14, Kwale eight, Machakos six, Kirinyaga five, Kericho, Murang’a, Taita Taveta, Turkana four, Nyandarua four, Tana River four, Homabay three, Isiolo two, Kisii two and Garissa one.

In terms of sub county distribution, in Mombasa the 203 cases are from Mvita (97), Nyali (35), Jomvu (23), Kisauni (20), Likoni (17) and Changamwe (11).

In Nairobi, the 202 cases are from Westlands (29), Lang’ata (24), Embakasi Central (22), Embakasi East (18), Kamukunji (17), Dagoretti South (15), Kibra (14), Dagoretti North (12), Ruaraka (11), Mathare (10), Embakasi West nine.

Others are Embakasi North eight, Starehe five, Kasarani and Roysambu three cases each, Embakasi South and Makadara one case each.

In Busia, the 95 cases are from Teso North (45), Matayos (34), Butula seven, Nambale six, Samia two and Teso South one.

In Nakuru, the 18 cases are from Nakuru East (12), Naivasha four and Gilgil two.

In Kiambu, the 18 cases are from Kikuyu seven, Ruiru four, Kiambaa three, Kiambu Town two, Githunguri and Limuru one case each.

In Bungoma the 18 cases are from Kanduyi (17) and Webuye East (1).

The 17 cases in Kilifi, are from Kilifi North nine. Kaloleni and Rabai three cases each and Kilifi South two.

The 17 cases in Kisumu are from Kisumu Central and Muhoroni with eight cases each and Kisumu East one while the 17 cases in Embu, are from Manyatta (13), and Runyenjes (4).

In Kajiado, the 15 cases are from Kajiado East nine and Kajiado Central six.

In Kakamega, the 14 cases are from Lurambi six, Mumias East (5), Butere, Matungu and Mumias West with one case each.

In Kwale, all the eight cases are from Msambweni while in Machakos all the six cases are from Athi River.

In Kirinyaga, the five cases are from Kirinyaga Central three, Kirinyaga East and Kirinyaga North one case each. In Kericho, all the four cases are from Ainamoi.

The four cases in Murang’a are from Gatanga three and Mathioya one.

The four cases in Taita Taveta, are from Mwatate and Taveta two cases each while all the four cases in Turkana are from Turkana West and all the four cases in Nyandarua, are from OI Kalou.

The four cases in Tana River, are from Bura three and Garsen one.

In Homabay, all the three cases are from Homabay Town. In Isiolo, all the two cases are from Isiolo Town, while all the two cases in Kisii, are from Bonchari.

The case in Garissa, is from Garissa Town.

 

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Trump hails US soldiers for rescuing kidnapped American in Nigeria

 

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, on Saturday commended the country’s Special Operations soldiers who rescued 27-year-old American, Philip Watson, kidnapped in Niger for ransom.

Trump, via his Twitter handle, @realDonaldTrump, stated that the US saluted the courage of the soldiers for the operation.

He tweeted, “Last night, our country’s brave warriors rescued an American hostage in Nigeria. Our nation salutes the courageous soldiers behind the daring nighttime rescue operation and celebrates the safe return of yet another American citizen.”

Similarly, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, in a statement titled, ‘US Rescues American Held Hostage in Nigeria,’ noted that the US was committed to the safe return of the country’s citizens taken captive.

It added, “We delivered on that commitment late last night in Nigeria, where some of our bravest and most skilled warriors rescued a US citizen after a group of armed men took him hostage across the border in Niger.

“Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our military, the support of our intelligence professionals, and our diplomatic efforts, the hostage will be reunited with his family. We will never abandon any American taken hostage.’’

The Washington Post reported that the American citizen was kidnapped on Tuesday in Masalata region, Niger, and the Pentagon said US Navy SEAL Team Six led the overnight operation in northern Nigeria, where fighters loyal to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State had bases. It noted that none of the service members was injured in the raid.

The newspaper quoting a US official who was not authorised to speak on the matter said the assailants forced Watson from his farm in remote Masalata on Tuesday, demanding more than $1m from his family, who are missionaries, and threatened to sell him to extremists.

According to The Guardian (US), in a statement issued as the President campaigned in Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, he said, “Last night, at my direction, the United States military conducted a successful operation to rescue an American hostage in Nigeria, kidnapped just 96 hours earlier. United States Special Forces executed a daring nighttime operation to rescue their fellow American with exceptional skill, precision and bravery … The former hostage is currently in good health and has been reunited with his family.’’

It was reported that Walton reared camels, sheep and poultry and grew mangoes near the border with Nigeria. He was said to have been abducted by six men armed with assault rifles on motorcycles who forcibly took him away.

His abductors reportedly left his wife, young daughter and brother behind.

Despite support from French and US forces, Niger, like most countries in the Sahel region, grapples with disorder as groups with links to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State battle the army and civilians.

 

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TURKEY: Death toll from Aegean Sea quake tops 60, as rescuers hunt for survivors

Members of rescue services search the debris of a collapsed building for survivors in Izmir, Turkey, on Sunday.

Istanbul (CNN)The powerful earthquake that hit the Aegean Sea on Friday has killed 62 people in Turkey, the country's disaster agency said Sunday. Two people also died on the Greek island of Samos, Greek authorities said.

Rescue workers continue to search for survivors under the wreckage of eight buildings in the city of Izmir, in western Turkey.

Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said Sunday there was "no clear number on how many people are still under rubble. Hard to give a number. There is an estimation, but I cannot share."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that 103 people had been rescued from the debris so far.

 

Members of security forces walk past a collapsed building in Izmir, Turkey, on Saturday.

A total of 20 buildings were seriously damaged in Izmir by the tremor, according to Izmir Mayor Tunc Soyer, the majority of them in the middle-class Bayrakli district.

At least 940 people have been injured in Turkey, 218 of whom are still being treated at hospitals, the country's disaster agency said Sunday.

More than 900 aftershocks have been registered since the initial quake, 42 of them with a magnitude over 4.0, according to the agency.

Greek authorities said Friday that two teenagers, a boy and a girl, died on Samos after a wall collapsed on them.

The earthquake also triggered what authorities called a "mini tsunami," causing streets to flood Friday in parts of Turkey's wider Izmir province, as well as on Samos.

Emergency services personnel search the scene for survivors in Izmir on Saturday.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) measured the tremor's magnitude at 7.0, while Turkish authorities said it was 6.6. The quake struck 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) northeast of the town of Néon Karlovásion on Samos, the USGS reported.

It hit at a relatively shallow depth of 21 kilometers (13 miles), the USGS reported, making its impact powerfully felt at ground level around the epicenter.

 

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