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Football Matches at Cameroon Stadium Suspended After Deadly Crush

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has suspended matches of the Africa Football Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament at Yaounde’s Olembe Stadium after eight people were killed and scores injured in a stampede.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Patrice Motsepe announced the suspension of matches at the stadium at a press conference Tuesday in Cameroon’s capital.

Before the deadly stampede at the Olembe Sadium Monday night, Motsepe said many irregularities were observed with the organization of the match between Cameroon and Comoros.

He noted the stadium received thousands more fans than the CAF had authorized.

“There was an abnormal number of people including those who did not have tickets. Thousands of people more than what was expected did arrive in a manner that is not properly coordinated and governed. I went to see where the people lost their lives, and you see it is a gate and that gate was supposed to be opened, because if it was open, they [fans] would have walked through. And it was closed for inexplicable reasons. If that gate was opened as it was supposed to, we would not have had these loss of lives,” said Motsepe.

The CAF had authorized the stadium to receive a maximum of 40,000 fans in the 60,000 seat stadium for matches of Africa’s top soccer tournament, the Africa Football Cup of Nations (AFCON).

But Cameroonian police said more than 57,000 were at the stadium Monday night after fans pushed their way past security, leading to the deadly crush.

Despite the tragedy, Motsepe said the AFCON championship would continue.

All matches scheduled for the Olembe Stadium would instead be played at Yaounde’s Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.

Meanwhile, the CAF and Cameroonian authorities have launched investigations into what caused the deadly stampede.

Source: Voice of America

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An Aspiring Businessman in Pig Farming

Here’s an interview with an aspiring businessman in Asmara. Meet Tesfaldet Ghebru, commonly known as Hani, who’s known for his toasts at his grocery store. To satisfy his customers’ needs, he decided to start pig farming. He now has a pig farm and engages in food processing, including beef, ham, cheese and other milk products.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your job.

I’m Tesfaldet Ghebru, but people know me by my nickname Hani. I was born and raised in Asmara and am a father of two. I am the son of a businessman, who was once a teacher, and that’s where I started to get attached to the business world. After completing my national service, I decided to have a business of my own since I had gained some experience at my parents’ business. My siblings and I used to make and sell toasts at our parents’ business. That experience helped me make a name in the business world and it became a passion of mine to make the best quality toasts. With the help of my friend, Abraham Michael (owner of Azeb Cheese), and others, I was able to gain knowledge about pig farming and food processing.

I started as a toast maker but when the supply of ham began to decrease, I decided to start pig farming to satisfy my customers’ needs. I’m now a farmer working in the meat processing business.

How are you able to achieve something big at such a young age?

Success isn’t measured only financially. If you are able to reach your goal or are working towards your goal, that for me is the real success. You cannot always think only about money. In the business world there are of course losses and profits. But what I have learned is not to give up and never to be discouraged by your losses. This is what has made me successful and is still making me have big dreams. This is the biggest wisdom I’ve learned from my family and friends for which I’m grateful. The support of the Ministry of Agriculture has also made me achieve a lot in this field.

Any challenges and problems raising pigs?

The problem for me is that I started this business with a lot of passion but with just very little knowledge. I had a lot of financial problems and lack of experience in the pig farm industry. Shortage of professionals and machines is also another big challenge I have faced. I started with old machines and replacing them with new and efficient ones took a lot of sweat and h a r d work. And the place’s not suitable for a pig farm. But in any case, as my goal is to make the best quality products for my customers, I have been dealing with the challenges by working diligently.

Tell us something about your meat production?

As I said earlier, I decided to work on processed meat production due to the decreasing supply and quality of ham. There was canned meat that was sold at duty-free shops prior to 2015. That got me thinking why we didn’t produce our own processed meat. So we talked about it and agreed to make processed beef and ham. We did research and kept on trying to make the products. We were finally able to make ham and beef. The beef has become a very good alternative fast food for all but particularly for those who do not eat pork for religious reasons. We are also planning to use chicken in the future and supply it at a fair price.

How lucrative is the business, and what is the demand for your products like?

I would say it has many benefits, including nutrition from different types of meat products. Our products do have a lot of demand. People, especially the young, consumed ham a lot before 2015. But then there was shortage and there was only one place that was producing it. That might have caused a decline in the demand for ham. And that’ the reason we started the business – to have a continuous supply of quality products — and that’s what we are trying to do right now.

What has been the response of people towards pig farming?

We have religious restrictions on eating pork. But people should know that not all the products that we have are from pigs. We have beef as well. We try to produce different types of meat so that people can freely choose whatever suits them.

Expatriates who work in Eritrea and would like to eat pork do not find it readily available in the amount they want. To compensate for this, some even try to have their own little pig farms. So why shouldn’t we do that as a business for our own sake and for many others who need pork. So, people’s response to pig farming in general is fine although work needs to be done to raise people’s awareness about the benefits of pig farming.

You were born and raised in the city and pig farming isn’t usually city people’s choice. What would you advise those who are willing to start their own business but wouldn’t consider farming as a business?

If people love and respect their jobs and worry less about the financial benefits, they are bound to be successful. No matter what type of business you choose, success is based on what you do on your way to your goal. The good thing is any type of business benefits many people around you. For instance, there are over twenty people who work with me now, directly and indirectly.

The job has also made me a lot more creative because I try to come up with best qualities and alternative products to suit my customers’ tastes. It sure keeps on challenging me but that makes me better. The challenges bring out the best in you. So the trick is to learn a bit about farming and give farming a try. I tell you, it will be worth the try.

Any final remarks?

A little mental and physical effort will definitely bring us success, and so let’s put our energy into our work. I hope we will make our customers happy with our products. I would love to thank my friend Abraham Michael who gave me ideas and other support. My gratitude also to the Ministry of Agriculture and the administration of Maekel region. Thank you.

 

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Eritrea: Promoting Child Health and Survival

Earlier this week, Africa Renewal, a magazine published by the United Nations, featured an article titled, “Child Health and Survival: Lessons from Eritrea” (Fikrejesus Amahazion). Here, we feature a modified, extended version of that articl.e.

Over the past several decades there has been tremendous progress in reducing child mortality around the world. According to statistics published several weeks ago by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME), since 1990 the global child mortality rate – defined as the probability of a child born in a specified year dying before reaching the age of five (expressed as a rate per 1,000 live births) – dropped by about 60% to reach about 37 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020.

Notwithstanding this improvement, the global burden of child deaths remains unacceptably high. In 2020 alone, approximately 7.2 million children, adolescents, and youth died, mostly of preventable or treatable causes.

What is more, improvements have not been uniform, with children still facing significant regional disparities in their chances of survival. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which the IGME estimates has an average child mortality rate of 74 deaths per 1,000 live births, remains the region with the world’s highest child mortality rate and it accounts for more than half of all child deaths (around 55%) in the world. The region’s child mortality rate puts it nearly two decades behind the global average. Sadly, without significantly accelerating their progress, many countries in SSA will fail to meet the United Nations SDG target on child mortality. What is more, even while have been fewer children’s direct deaths from COVID-19, moving forward they may be at increased risk of indirect death due to disruptions to regular services or economic problems.

However, a positive story emerging in the region is that of Eritrea, a young, developing country in Northeast Africa. Home to about 3.5 million people, spread across nine different ethno-linguistic groups, the country has registered substantial progress in reducing child deaths over the past several decades. In 1990, just one year prior to its independence, Eritrea’s child mortality rate was about 153. By 2020, that figure had dramatically declined to 39. In addition to having one of the lower child mortality rates in SSA, Eritrea’s reduction since independence has been amongst the highest anywhere in the world.

Several factors have driven Eritrea’s success. For one, there has been strong, sustained high-level political commitment and proactive leadership. The first international convention ratified by the Eritrean Government was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, reflecting the high priority accorded to promoting and protecting children’s health, well-being, and development. Yemane Gebremeskel, Eritrea’s Minister of Information, explains, “Success in almost unprecedented reduction in mortality rate in Eritrea cannot be seen in isolation as specific progress in one health metric. It is the cumulative result and manifestation of an integrated, heavily subsidized, and geographically evenly distributed health delivery system and government policy that places priority on human welfare. It is connected with the government’s substantial investment in its human capital.”

The country has exerted considerable efforts to strengthen the national health system, address infrastructure deficits, expand health resource capacity, and improve access, coverage, and quality of services, especially in poor, remote, and historically marginalized areas. Today, Eritrea has nearly 350 health facilities (including hospitals and health centers, clinics, and stations) – representing a massive increase from the 93 that stood before independence, while the number of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals has also been greatly increased.

As a result of these developments, approximately 80% of the population now lives within 10km of a healthcare facility, nearly 98% of pregnant women access routine ante- and post-natal care, and the proportion of deliveries in health facilities or with skilled birth attendants has significantly risen. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has carried out public campaigns to encourage visiting healthcare facilities during pregnancy and delivery, promote adoption of basic interventions (such as breastfeeding and vitamin-A supplementation), and provide families residing in endemic areas with insecticide-treated mosquito nets to prevent malaria (which has historically been one of the leading causes of child mortality on the continent).

Infrastructure developments have also been critical. Extensive road construction and renovation has resulted in a roads network of almost 15,000km, basically tripling the 4,930km network of 1991. Now, over 85% of cities and villages are connected by roads, making health facilities more accessible to all. Similarly, water, sanitation, and hygiene services have expanded, and currently above 80% of Eritreans have access to safe water. According to Tesfai Ghebreslassie, the Minister for Land and Water Resources, “Eritrea has made substantial progress in providing water and sanitation for its people and to date more than 54% of communities have achieved open defecation free status, while more than 50% of schools and health facilities have water, sanitation, and hygiene services.” These advancements have helped to reduce incidences of life-threatening diseases and prevent common childhood illnesses, such as diarrhea.

Another crucial dimension has been Eritrea’s comprehensive national immunization program, which has safely reduced the scourge of over a dozen preventable diseases (including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, and smallpox, among others). The national immunization schedule today includes 12 different vaccines, whereas at independence it was only six. Furthermore, according to UNICEF, the national coverage rate, which hovered at only 10% at independence, now stands above 95% – making it one of the highest in the region. Notably, during a working visit to Eritrea in late 2021, Mohammed Malick Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, explained that he was, “struck by the level of immunization [of children],” before going on to note that there, “are many advanced countries that have a hard time reaching [those levels].”

Last, Eritrea’s advances in women’s education have been key. Literacy among girls aged 15-24 has risen to above 90%, while enrolments at all levels have climbed. Importantly, a large body of empirical work has demonstrated how women with more education not only have fewer children, but also make better decisions about many health and disease factors, such as prenatal care, basic hygiene, nutrition, and immunization, which are vital to reducing the leading causes of death in young children.

Eritrea’s progress in reducing child mortality is encouraging and a cause for celebration, although work still needs to be done. However, the country remains committed to promoting the health and ensuring the survival of its greatest asset: its children.

 

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea

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Ethiopia-Tigray crisis: UN says thousands of Eritrean refugees in Tigray dying as access to aid remains blocked

The United Nations Refugee Agency says thousands of Eritrean refugees in Ethiopia’s embattled northern Tigray province are living under life-threatening conditions because they have no access to humanitarian aid.

U.N. refugee staff members say they were shocked by what they saw when they visited the Mai Aini and Adi Harush camps for Eritrean refugees in southern Tigray for the first time in three weeks. Intense fighting and security concerns have prevented them from going there until now.

Boris Cheshirkov, a spokesman for UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, says the team found refugees scared and struggling to get enough to eat. He says they lacked medicine and had little or no access to clean water.

“Refugees told UNHCR of increasing preventable deaths–more than 20 over the last six weeks–linked to the overall decline in conditions and in particular the lack of medicine and health services,” Cheshirkov said. “The clinics in the camps have been essentially closed since early January, when they finally completely ran out of medicine.”

Conditions in Tigray have seriously deteriorated since the Ethiopian military incursion into the province in November 2020. The civil conflict since has spread to other regions in northern Ethiopia. An effective blockade has prevented humanitarian aid, including fuel, from reaching the area since mid-December.

Cheshirkov says extreme hunger is rising because supplies cannot be moved into the region. He says food is running out in the two camps and refugees have been selling their clothes and few belongings to get food.

“If food, medicine, fuel, and other supplies cannot be immediately brought in, and if we continue to be unable to relocate refugees out of harm’s way to where we can provide them with life-saving assistance, more refugees will die,” Cheshirkov said.

The UNHCR says it wants to relocate the more than 25,000 Eritrean refugees remaining in the two camps to a new site provided by the Ethiopian government in the neighboring Amhara region. The agency is calling on all parties for a cease-fire and guarantees of safe passage to allow the operation to go ahead.

 

Source: Nam News Network

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Sudan deputy leader meets Ethiopia defence minister on rare visit

ADDIS ABABA— Sudan’s second most powerful leader has met with Ethiopia’s defence minister on a rare visit to Addis Ababa by an official from Khartoum amid border tensions, according to officials.

 

Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, widely known as Hemeti, who is deputy chairman of Sudan’s transitional Sovereignty Council, will be in Ethiopia for two days to meet “several Ethiopian officials”, Sudan’s state news agency SUNA reported.

 

He was met at Addis Ababa airport on Saturday by Ethiopian Defence Minister Abraham Belay, a statement from Sudan’s ruling council said.

 

He was also welcomed by senior officials from Ethiopia’ government and intelligence services, it added.

 

Daglo is head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a much-feared and powerful paramilitary unit that is accused of atrocities in the western region of Darfur.

 

Relations between Khartoum and Addis Ababa deteriorated due to a territorial conflict over the disputed Al-Fashaqa border region, where Ethiopian farmers cultivate fertile land claimed by Sudan.

 

There have been sporadic deadly clashes between the two sides in recent years.

 

Al-Fashaqa also borders Ethiopia’s troubled Tigray region, and tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees have crossed into Sudan fleeing fighting.

 

In November, Sudan’s armed forces said six soldiers were killed in an attack by armed groups and militias linked to the Ethiopian military, a report denied by Addis Ababa, which blamed rebels from Tigray.

 

Sudan, along with Egypt, is also locked in a bitter dispute over Ethiopia’s mega-dam on the Blue Nile.

 

The two downstream countries, dependent on the river for most of their water, see Ethiopia’s Renaissance Dam as an existential threat. Both Khartoum and Addis Ababa are mired in crises.

 

Sudan has been rocked by weeks of mass demonstrations since an Oct 25 military takeover that derailed the country’s fragile transition to civilian rule, with dozens of anti-coup protesters killed in a bloody crackdown.

 

Ethiopia still seeks to end a conflict that broke out in November 2020 following months of mounting rancour between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and the former ruling party of the northernmost Tigray region, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

 

The fighting has displaced millions, and, according to UN estimates, driven hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation.

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

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Cameroon: 17 Die in Capital City Explosion Caused by Fire

Cameroon says it has opened an investigation to find out the names and nationalities of 17 people who died Sunday in a fire that caused an explosion in the capital, Yaounde. The explosion in a popular nightclub also wounded eight people. The government is calling for calm as thousands of football fans visit Yaounde for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations football tournament.

Hundreds of people including Cameroonian government officials turned out in Bastos, a Yaounde neighborhood, on Sunday morning. They watched as neighbors and workers of Livs, a popular nightclub, and Cameroon’s Military Fire Brigade, searched three torched buildings in the area.

Among the civilians helping to search for the injured was 27-year-old Gustav Lemaleu.

Lemaleu says civilians and the Fire Brigade of Cameroon’s ministry have saved the lives of at least 40 people. He says it is difficult to know the names and nationalities of the injured and the dead because clients do not present identification documents before having access to Livs.

Lemaleu said he is certain that the victims include people visiting Cameroon for the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.

In a statement, the government says an accidental fire at the nightclub spread to a cooking gas store. There were loud explosions from six gas canisters, causing panic in the neighborhood.

Public Health Minister Manaouda Malachie says President Paul Biya was informed of the incident as soon as it occurred. Manaouda says Biya has instructed health workers to transport the wounded to Yaounde Central Hospital.

He says Biya has asked the Public Health Ministry to treat the wounded free of charge and that arrangements be made for the dead to be buried in their places of origin after the investigation. He says Biya has instructed his ministry to give psychological assistance to traumatized family members of the injured whenever the traumatized relatives are identified.

Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Cameroon’s minister of communication, visited the site of the incident. He says it is too early to know the names and countries of origin of the dead and wounded.

“We are still at the level of inquiries [investigations],” he said. “The incident is quite serious. There are people who are dead. Others are injured and investigations are going on. I think when all these things are finished, I will be giving the exact information concerning this very serious incident.”

Sadi said the death toll may increase.

President Biya has called for calm and assured football players, fans and match officials attending the Africa Cup of Nations in Yaounde of their safety.

Cameroon is hosting thousands of people for the tournament, which started on January 9th and will end on February 6.

 

 

Source: Voice of America

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Shots Near Burkina President’s Home as Soldiers Mutiny Over Anti-Jihadist Strategy

Shots were heard late Sunday near the home of Burkina Faso’s president after soldiers staged mutinies at several barracks to demand the sacking of the country’s military top brass and more resources for the battle against Islamist insurgents.

Residents also reported they saw a helicopter above the private residence of President Roch Marc Kabore in the capital Ouagadougou.

It followed gunfire earlier Sunday at several army bases, prompting fears of yet another coup in a volatile West African country prone to military takeovers.

Meanwhile, demonstrators protesting over the government’s handling of the jihadist threat set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party.

But the government quickly denied rumors of a putsch, and a list of demands presented by the rebellious troops made no mention of trying to oust Kabore, while emphasizing the need for a better anti-jihadist strategy.

“We want adequate resources for the battle” against Islamist extremists, a soldier from the Sangoule Lamizana base in Ouagadougou said in a voice recording received by AFP.

The disaffected soldiers also wanted top generals to be “replaced,” better care for wounded troops and more support for the families of soldiers killed in battle, the spokesman for the mutinous troops added in the anonymous recording.

The authorities declared an overnight curfew from 8 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) Sunday “until further notice” and the education ministry said schools would be closed Monday and Tuesday across the poor, landlocked country.

The unrest comes a little over a week after 12 people, including a senior army officer, were arrested on suspicion of planning to “destabilize” Burkina’s institutions.

It also comes a day after police used tear gas to disperse banned rallies, arresting dozens.

Residents in the Gounghin district, where the Sangoule Lamizana base is situated, reported seeing soldiers firing in the air and sealing off the area around the barracks.

Shots were also heard at the Baby Sy barracks in the south of the capital, as well as at an air base near the airport, which was also surrounded by soldiers wearing balaclavas, witnesses said.

There was also gunfire at bases in the northern towns of Kaya and Ouahigouya, residents there told AFP, and mobile internet services were cut.

The government moved quickly to try to restore control.

“Information on social media would have people believe there was an army takeover,” government spokesman Alkassoum Maiga said in a statement. “The government, while acknowledging that there was gunfire in some barracks, denies this information and calls on the public to remain calm.”

Defense Minister General Barthelemy Simpore said on nationwide TV that “none of the republic’s institutions has been troubled” by the revolt.

He added that there were “localized, limited” incidents “in a few barracks,” and that he was investigating.

Police fired tear gas to break up a rally by around 100 people who gathered at a square in central Ouagadougou to show support for the mutiny, an AFP correspondent reported.

Sangoule Lamizana camp houses a military prison where General Gilbert Diendere — a former right-hand man to deposed President Blaise Compaore — is serving a 20-year term for an attempted coup in 2015.

He is also on trial for his alleged part in the 1987 assassination of the country’s revolutionary leader, Thomas Sankara, during a putsch that brought Compaore to power.

Compaore, overthrown by a popular uprising in 2014, fled to Ivory Coast, and is being tried in absentia for the assassination.

The latest turbulence coincides with a jihadist insurgency that swept in from neighboring Mali in 2015, overwhelming Burkina’s poorly trained and badly equipped armed forces.

Around 2,000 people have died, according to an AFP tally, while around 1.5 million people are internally displaced, according to the national emergency agency CONASUR.

Anger at Kabore’s failure to stem the bloodshed has risen, spilling over into clashes with the security forces.

On November 27, dozens were injured when hundreds turned out to protest.

Among the soldiers arrested this month over the plot to “destabilize institutions” was Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Zoungrana, who had been commanding anti-jihadist operations in the former French colony’s badly hit western region.

In a statement, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it was very concerned at the situation and expressed its solidarity with Kabore, the government and its people.

 

 

Source: Voice of America