Madagascar: Protests Erupt Over Power Outages And Water Shortages

Protests Over Power Blackouts Escalate in Madagascar Madagascar Hundreds of protesters clashed with security forces in Madagascar’s capital Saturday, as demonstrations over chronic power and water shortages entered their third day, killing at least five people and triggering widespread looting, Le Monde reported. On Saturday, demonstrators filled the streets of the capital of Antananarivo, carrying placards reading “We are poor, angry and unhappy” and “Madagascar is ours,” while security forces blocked their attempt to march toward the city center. The youth-led protests began Thursday, a day after authorities banned a planned demonstration over ongoing water and power cuts in the impoverished country. But the protests quickly devolved into violence as police used rubber bullets and tear gas, while students and young workers blocked roads in the capital with rocks and burning tires. There were reports of looting of shops and attacks on banks. Local media said a number of cable car stations were set ablaze and three homes belonging to politicians allied with President Andry Rajoelina were attacked. Authorities later imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew to restore order, Al Jazeera added. In an effort to appease protesters, Rajoelina announced the dismissal of his energy minister “for not doing his job” late last week. Even so, the president branded the protests as an attempted “coup d’état.” Despite the minister’s removal, protest organizers have called for demonstrations to continue and accused security forces of excessive force and a failure to prevent looting, Africanews wrote. Madagascar, a nation of about 30 million people, remains mired in poverty, with the World Bank estimating that 75 percent of the population was living below the poverty line in 2022.

Sudan: A Gold Rush Precludes Peace

The War Dividend: In Sudan’s Civil War, a Gold Rush Precludes Peace Sudan When war erupted in Sudan’s capital in April 2023, Zainab Aamer faced an impossible choice: stay and risk death, or flee into unknown danger. Aamer, a widow and mother of six, had worked as a nurse in Khartoum before she decided to leave, becoming one of more than 12 million internal refugees in what the United Nations calls the world’s largest displacement crisis. “I had to protect my daughters,” she said, recounting the perilous 500-mile journey to Port Sudan on the coast that cost her eldest son his life. For the internally displaced like Aamer, the announcement in September by the group known as the “Quad” – the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates – of a proposal for a three-month truce and a permanent peace should bring some hope for the future. But it likely won’t, say analysts. That’s because this conflict is not just about power and territory and tribes – it’s about gold, which means it’s too lucrative a war for its key players to want peace. “The gold trade connects Sudan’s civil war to the wider region and highlights the roles that commodities play in perpetuating violent conflict,” wrote the British think tank, Chatham House. “The multi-billion-dollar trade of gold sustains and shapes Sudan’s conflict. This commodity is the most significant source of income for the warring parties, feeding an associated cross-border network of actors including other armed groups, producers, traders, smugglers, and external governments.” In 2019, Sudan saw a popular revolution that ousted longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir, who was in power for 30 years. Afterward, a transitional civilian council took over the country before being deposed by another military coup in 2021. Afterward, as protesters fought for a transition to democracy, power struggles grew between the army commander leading the country, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and his deputy, Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti), head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia that arose out of the Janjaweed terror group in the Darfur region that killed thousands of people there in the 1980s. In April 2023, war broke out over the integration of the two forces. In the two years since, the fight has killed about 150,000 people. Both sides have to date rejected moves toward peace. In August, Burhan said he would “defeat this rebellion.” Hemedti, who was sworn in as head of a parallel government in April, says he represents Sudan’s future with “a broad civilian coalition that represents the true face of Sudan.” Meanwhile, they have carved up the country and its resources among themselves. The SAF controls the north, the east, the capital of Khartoum, and Sennar state in the south. The RSF controls parts of the south and center and most of the west of the country, where it is fighting for control of El-Fasher, its last stronghold in the resource-rich Darfur region. Elsewhere in the country, there are other rebel groups and tribal militias holding on to smaller fiefdoms, fighting one or both parties. And both profit from, and are supported by, the production of gold, which is increasing in the country: Last year, Sudan’s state-owned Mineral Resources Company reported gold production hit 64 tons in 2024, up from 41.8 tons in 2022. Along with the increase in production, the value of gold gained 27 percent in 2024, capping a decade in which it has more than doubled in value. In the first six months of this year, gold’s value increased by a further 24 percent. Both the RSF and the SAF are not only deeply involved in the production of gold in the areas they control, but even work together to harvest the riches and smuggle them out of the country, said analysts. As a result, foreign powers have created “networks of dependency” through gold smuggling, with “Dubai already serving as the primary destination for gold smuggled by militias,” wrote Noria Research in a recent analysis. “Regional powers currently intervening in Sudan do view the country as the site for national interests, but in the manner that 19th-century colonial powers viewed Africa.” And a weak Sudan, one in a state of civil war, makes stealing its resources far simpler, it added, because “a unified state cannot assert sovereignty to any meaningful degree… This is a much simpler task than navigating a constellation of bureaucrats, judges, businessmen, politicians, and civil society, as would be the case were Sudan made whole again.” The UAE is the key foreign player in Sudan but far from the only one. The SAF has received weaponry and financial support from Russia’s Africa Corps (formerly the Wagner Group of mercenaries), Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and Qatar, among others. The RSF has received support from the UAE and those it has influence over, including Kenya, Uganda, Libya – via Khalifa Haftar – and Ethiopia. As a result, analysts say what has developed in the region is a broader regional gold economy with a constellation of war-torn countries such as Libya, the Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of Congo revolving around the UAE: Almost half of all exported African gold flows there, where its origins are scrubbed before being sold. For the UAE, it’s not just about the riches, but about power in the region, food security, and a return on its investment, say analysts. “The UAE has emerged as the foreign player most invested in the war,” wrote May Darwich of the University of Birmingham, in the Conversation, noting the country’s more than $6 billion in investment into Sudan. “It views resource-rich, strategically located Sudan as an opportunity to expand its influence and control in the Middle East and east Africa.” The UAE also recruits mercenaries from Sudan, for example, for its fight in Yemen. Emirati officials have repeatedly denied the UAE’s involvement in Sudan, claiming its neutrality. But US officials have blasted the country for its involvement in the war and for sustaining the conflict. Meanwhile, as gold continues to flow out of Sudan, its warring parties have yet to respond to the proposal by the Quad. That means more waiting for the dividends of peace for children like Sondos, 8, who, with her family, fled to yet another refugee camp because of repeated RSF attacks on El-Fasher, the capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, and its refugee camps of Zamzam and Abu Shouk. Famine is growing in the region due to a blockade by the militia, the UN says. We had no choice but to leave, Sondos says: “There was only hunger and bombs.” Share this story

Zimbia: Casting A Spell: Attempted Murder of the President By Witchcraft

Casting a Spell: Attempted Murder of the President By Witchcraft Rivets Zambians Zambia In mid-September, a Zambian court sentenced two men to two years of hard labor in prison for attempting to kill Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema – with sorcery. The charges stem from an incident in December when a hotel cleaner in Zambia’s capital of Lusaka reported strange noises coming from a room. The two men were arrested after items such as a live chameleon, a mysterious white powder, a red cloth, and the tail of an unidentified animal were found among their possessions. Afterward, the two men – one a Mozambican national and traditional healer, Jasten Mabulesse Candunde, and the other, a Zambian village chief, Leonard Phiri – were accused of being “witchdoctors” and were charged under Zambia’s Witchcraft Act with “possession of charms,” “professing knowledge of witchcraft,” and “cruelty to wild animals.” Police say the two had been promised more than $73,000 by a political opponent of the president to bewitch Hichilema in a case that has gripped the nation. Many Zambians take witchcraft very seriously: A study by the Zambia Law Development Commission in 2018 found that 79 percent of Zambians believed in witchcraft. The criminal justice system also takes it seriously. In Zambia, under a colonial-era law, those found guilty of witchcraft face a fine or up to two years in jail, with the possibility of hard labor. However, witchcraft cases have been difficult to prosecute in the country because of difficulties in collecting evidence or finding credible witnesses. This case was also tricky for prosecutors, who say the pair were hired by Nelson Banda, the brother of independent lawmaker Emmanuel “Jay Jay” Banda, to do harm to the president. Banda, who is facing trial for robbery, attempted murder, and escaping custody, was previously associated with former President Edgar Lungu from the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) party – Lungu lost the presidency to Hichilema in 2021. The PF called the accusations against Banda politically motivated, while others alleged it was a stunt by Hichilema, who faces reelection next year. The president, who himself was accused of witchcraft by a past Zambian president a decade ago, has not commented on the case. Some local media, however, blasted it. “The president has nothing substantive to ride on to kick-start his second-term campaign – what better distraction from the economic crisis we face than a live viewing of a trial of ‘witches’ in the postmodern era,” wrote the Lusaka Times in an editorial. “Knowing Zambians fear witchcraft more than gunfire, the president hopes to score a major win. But the truth is…this trial will only expose him as a desperate figure, pleading for public sympathy while the whole world laughs at him.” Still, the trial sparked huge interest in the country and highlighted the impact of the belief in witchcraft in the country. In Zambia, for example, there are “witch camps” where those accused of sorcery, usually elderly women, are placed if they have survived the accusations in their communities. There, residents live in inhumane conditions, say activists, and almost never return to their communities. Often, the women sit behind a fence, posing for tourists, often tied with ribbons to prevent them from flying away. These so-called witch camps exist around the region, including in Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ghana, where belief in witches is deeply ingrained and goes back centuries. “The issue is persistent because of local beliefs,” Amnesty International West Africa researcher Michèle Eken told Newsweek. “It starts with a simple accusation…It can be because someone died in the village, and they are accused of being responsible. Or, tragically, the accusation can come from someone who has a debt to repay and does not want to pay it back or someone who wants their house/goods.” While activists and some governments have tried to stop the stigma and punishment, other places in Africa, such as The Gambia, have carried out state-sponsored witch hunts in the past two decades. Some, meanwhile, believe it is time to do away with the Zambian law that criminalizes witchcraft: It dates to 1914 when Zambia was part of the British “sphere of influence,” and does not reflect the country today culturally, they say. “Traditional Zambian societies and individuals believe in a strong relationship between the human world and the supernatural,” Gankhanani Moyo of the University of Zambia told the Associated Press. “I hate that colonial piece of legislation that attempts to outlaw a practice that it does not understand.” Share this story

South Africa: Two Hikers Rescued From Cape Town's Iconic Trails

Two hikers rescued from Cape Town’s most iconic trails Wilderness Search And Rescue teams were called into action following two separate hiking accidents on Cape Town’s most popular trails. Author picture By Garrin Lambley 21-09-25 19:03 in News WSAR Wilderness Search And Rescue teams were called into action following two separate hiking accidents on Cape Town’s most popular trails. Image: WSAR Facebook Wilderness Search And Rescue (WSAR) teams were called into action this weekend following two separate hiking accidents on Cape Town’s most popular trails, as warmer weather continues to draw large numbers of outdoor enthusiasts to the mountains. According to WSAR spokesperson David Nel, the uptick in callouts is directly linked to the improved weather conditions. He urged hikers to exercise caution, particularly in areas made slippery by recent rainfall. ADVERTISEMENT “It’s heartening to see so many people returning to the trails,” said Nel. “But we urge all outdoor enthusiasts to remain cautious. Recent rainfall has left some sections of the mountain wet and slippery, increasing the risk of slips and falls.” Lion’s Head Rescue The first incident occurred mid-morning on Saturday on Lion’s Head, where a 36-year-old woman injured her ankle after slipping near the staples section of the descent trail. WSAR teams responded swiftly, and a Western Cape Government Health and Wellness EMS paramedic treated the hiker at the scene. She was assisted down the mountain and safely transported from the area by 12:22. Platteklip Gorge Air Rescue Later in the afternoon, a second emergency unfolded on Platteklip Gorge, a popular ascent route up Table Mountain. ADVERTISEMENT A 25-year-old hiker fell a short distance down the trail and was unable to continue due to injury. WSAR teams accessed the scene via the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway, before trekking across the summit and descending to reach the injured hiker. A rescue helicopter operated by the Air Mercy Service (AMS) was also deployed. After being stabilised by an EMS paramedic, the patient was hoisted off the mountain and flown to a nearby landing zone before being transported to hospital by ambulance. The rescue operation concluded shortly after 18:00. “These rescues are a testament to the dedication, passion and teamwork of our volunteers and emergency medical personnel,” said Nel. “We wish both patients a speedy and full recovery.” Hiking Safety Reminder Save the emergency number: 021 937 0300 Be cautious: trails may be slippery after rain Plan your hikes in advance Support WSAR here WSAR is a volunteer-based network supported by government agencies and civilian organisations, dedicated to search and rescue operations in the Western Cape’s rugged terrain. 'The South African' is hiring! 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South African Police Bust Illicit Meth Lab And Arrest 5 North Americns

South African police bust illicit meth lab, arrest 5 North Americans By Kerry Breen, 1 days ago Officials in South Africa discovered $20 million worth of illicit drugs at a farm being used as a methamphetamine lab and arrested five North American citizens, according to a news release shared Saturday. The South African Police Service received a tip-off about suspicious activities on a farm in Oudehoutkloof, Volksrust, about 150 miles from Johannesburg in the nation's Mpumalanga province. The person who submitted the tip reported "a strange chemical smell emanating from the premises," according to the police service. When officials searched the farm, they found precursor chemicals used to make drugs, manufacturing equipment, a pellet gun loaded with blanks, and three live 9 millimeter rounds held by a farm caretaker. Police also found about $20 million worth of crystal meth, packed in buckets and lunchboxes. The containers were stored in freezers, police said. Photos shared by the South African Police Service on social media show multiple containers and large machinery. Containers of meth found in an illicit lab in South Africa. South African Police Service Five suspects were taken into custody after attempting to flee on foot. All five were from a North American country, but the police did not say which nation they were from. They were in the country illegally, police said. All five face possible drug and immigration-related charges, police said. The farm caretaker is South African. Police said he was arrested and faces possible charges for possession of ammunition. All six suspects in custody are expected to appear before court soon, police said. Two other suspects, believed to be from West African countries, fled into nearby bushes and avoided capture, the police service said. Large machinery found at an illicit drug lab in South Africa. South African Police Service The drug lab is being dismantled, police said in the news release. Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, the acting provincial commissioner of the South African Police Service, said the operation is "a step in the right direction" to "rid the streets of Mpumalanga of all types of drugs." A 2022 report described South Africa as one of the largest crystal meth consumer markets in the world, according to CBS News partner BBC News. Last year, police discovered another large meth lab in a remote farm area. The discovery led to the arrest of two South Africans and three Mexican suspects. Police seized $100 million worth of precursor chemicals and illicit drugs.

Malawi Goes To The Polls In Rematch Vote

Election Recycling: Malawi Goes to the Polls in Rematch Vote Malawi On Sept. 16, Malawi’s voters will go to the polls to elect their new president. It’s essentially a rerun of the country’s last election, in 2019-2020, with incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) facing off against his predecessor, former President Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). This time, however, Malawians say they hope to get it right. “President Lazarus Chakwera’s first term has fallen short on human rights, defined by broken promises in relation to the economy and living standards, impunity and civic space,” said Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, Tigere Chagutah. In the last election, Chakwera challenged Mutharika in 2019 and initially lost. But the country’s top court annulled the decision, forcing a rematch that Chakwera won. At the time, the turnabout was hailed as an example of democracy’s triumph. The Economist tapped Malawi as 2020’s Country of the Year. Then US-President Joe Biden called Malawi a “democratic bright spot.” Foreign assistance followed. That promise has since fizzled, however. “Economic turmoil, natural disasters, and the shock death of the nation’s vice-president,” followed Chakwera’s inauguration, the BBC wrote, referring to a terrible cyclone, horrible droughts, and the death of the late Saulos Chilima in a plane crash. Despite investigations that yielded no signs of foul play, many Malawians suspect Chilima died because he was especially popular among otherwise disaffected youth and therefore may have challenged Chakwera. Other than Chakwera introducing train services after more than 30 years after their shutdown and commencing major road projects, many voters haven’t seen an improvement in their living conditions, government services, or job prospects, analysts say. Instead, consumer prices have spiked, unemployment remains high, and corruption and nepotism continue to grow in one of the world’s poorest countries. Malawians appear ready to turn back the clock in part because of their great disappointment with Chakwera’s administration, World Politics Review explained. “The assumption among many observers was that the democratic triumph that brought Chakwera to office and the momentum it generated would create the political will to address corruption, governance, health care, and other challenges that have plagued Malawi since before its independence,” it wrote. “Five years later, however, most socioeconomic conditions and virtually all governance indicators in Malawi remain unchanged.” “Chakwera has wasted Malawi’s democratic breakthrough,” it added. Mutharika, who served from 2014 to 2020, faces some challenges, too. At 85, many Malawians fear he is too old and frail to oversee the gargantuan task of turning the country around. He failed, for instance, to show up for an event designed to instill confidence among voters about the transparency of the upcoming ballot, according to Malawi’s Nyasa Times. Still, the country’s human rights activists hope that Malawi’s election will create an opportunity for a newly elected president and parliament to improve the country’s record on freedom of expression, association, and other civil liberties. The Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops agreed, exhorting voters to reject corrupt politicians who have failed to protect civil rights or enact economic reforms that might have helped one of the world’s poorest countries, reported Christian Daily, noting that Malawian politicians frequently raise money for religious institutions in exchange for political endorsements. A Christian group called the Pastors’ Voice, meanwhile, is backing Mutharika, saying that he provided more stability and progress, added Malawi24. Some say these elections are likely to be one of the most consequential in the country’s recent history. Others are just settling for the least bad option. “President Lazarus Chakwera, who rose to power in 2020 as a symbol of hope… has since become a disappointment to many Malawians,” wrote South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper. “Over the past few years, Chakwera’s government has increasingly followed the same troubling patterns of its predecessor, the DPP…of bad governance… This has left many Malawians feeling betrayed by a government they once believed would bring transformative change.” At this point, the newspaper added, “Malawi electorate’s only option is to recycle a president.” Share this story

South Africa: Trial Begins For Three Accused Of Stealing $580,000 Hidden In Couch At South African President's Farm

Trial begins for 3 accused of stealing $580,000 hidden in couch at South Africa president's farm By Michelle Gumede, 7 hours ago South Africa-Cash Scandal-Explainer Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Three people went on trial in South Africa on Monday after being charged with housebreaking and stealing $580,000 in U.S. banknotes hidden in a couch at a game farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The strange case mired Ramaphosa in scandal and almost cost him his job after he was accused of tax evasion, money laundering and breaching foreign currency laws. He was also accused of trying to hide the existence of the money because the alleged theft happened in 2020, but was only revealed two years later. The case has been dubbed “farmgate” in South Africa. Ramaphosa, who campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket, was cleared of wrongdoing and survived a vote in Parliament over whether impeachment charges should be brought against him, but he is still under scrutiny over why such a large amount of money was stashed in a piece of furniture. Cash in a couch Ramaphosa has said the money came from the legitimate sale of animals at his Phala Phala game and livestock farm in the northern province of Limpopo, but hasn't explained why it was stashed in a couch. The three defendants, two men and a woman who was a cleaner at the farm, are accused of breaking in and stealing the money in February 2020. They pleaded not guilty to the charges on the opening day of the trial on Monday. The spy boss The case came to light when the former head of the state security agency walked into a police station in June 2022 and filed a complaint against Ramaphosa. The spy boss, Arthur Fraser, accused Ramaphosa of hiding $4 million in the couch and using his personal police security detail to track down the thieves and bribe them to keep quiet about the money. Ramaphosa and authorities disputed the amount of $4 million. Fraser claimed to have provided the police with “supporting evidence” in the form of pictures, videos and bank account information linked to the alleged theft. Fraser's role in the scandal also became a source of intrigue because he is an ally of former President Jacob Zuma, the man Ramaphosa succeeded as president and his fierce political rival. Zuma was forced to resign as president in 2018 because of corruption allegations and has been critical of Ramaphosa since. The president's scandal The case sent allegations of corruption against Ramaphosa swirling. While investigations by the police and the country’s financial authorities cleared him of wrongdoing, he still needed his party’s majority in Parliament to block a move to impeach him in December 2022. Ramaphosa denied that he tried to hide the alleged theft from police and said he reported it to the head of his police protection unit. Three years after the scandal first broke, the trial of the three suspects is expected to be closely watched for any role the president had in the affair. Ramaphosa was reelected for a second term last year, although only after his long-ruling African National Congress party lost its 30-year majority and had to form a coalition government. The court case The trial of defendants Imanuwela David, Ndilinasho Joseph and his sister Froliana Joseph has been delayed several times, including for Froliana Joseph to give birth. They are all charged with housebreaking, conspiracy to commit housebreaking and theft. David also faces money laundering charges. Prosecutors expect the trial to run for three weeks and say they will call 20 witnesses, including staff members who worked at Ramaphosa's farm. ___ More AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa