Daybreak Africa - VOA Africa

On Daybreak Africa: Somalia calls for an end to the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia before next November. Plus, the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit concludes in Nairobi. The number of deaths due to recent floods in Kenya nears 240. Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and allied militias are accused of killing “thousands of people” in West Darfur state. Friday is World Lupus Day. A senior Zimbabwean official says corruption is hurting the economy. The abortion debate continues to flare ahead of the US elections in November. For this and more tune to Daybreak Africa!

Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, and allied militias killed “thousands of people” in West Darfur state and committed “crimes against humanity and genocide,” according to a report released today by Human Rights Watch. The report says attacks on the Masalit tribe and other non-Arab groups last year were some of the worst atrocities in the ongoing civil war that began in April 2023. Jean Baptiste Gallopin, a co-author of the report, tells VOA’s Carol Van Dam, the information is based on over ten months of research with several trips made to Chad, Kenya, and South Sudan, where researchers met survivors from el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur.

The former head of the country’s anti-corruption commission — says fraud, graft and mismanagement is costing the country nearly $2 billion U.S. dollars annually, devastating the economy and ordinary citizens. As Columbus Mavhunga reports, it is the first time a senior Zimbabwean official has made such an accusation public

At least five million people globally have a form of lupus. This is according to the World Lupus Federation which says the autoimmune disease affects largely women of childbearing age. Systemic lupus, which is the most common type of lupus in the world, is prevalent and severe among people of African descent globally. Maureen Ojiambo reports.

With deaths nearing 240 and about 235,000 people displaced, Kenyans are mourning their lost loved ones and trying to rebuild after weeks of heavy rains that resulted in deadly floods and landslides. And it’s not over yet as more rain is expected through June. VOA Nairobi Bureau Chief Mariama Diallo has this report

Malawi’s agriculture minister says the most productive and cost-effective way for African governments and farmers to deal with the high cost of imported fertilizer is to invest in organic fertilizer. Sam Kawale spoke Thursday at the conclusion of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was organized by the African Union and the Kenyan government. He tells VOA’s James Butty, African governments and farmers have been brainwashed into believing that inorganic fertilizer is better than organic fertilize

On Daybreak Africa: Amnesty International accuses Somalia’s military of killing 23 civilians during drone strikes on March 18. Plus, Kenyan doctors end two-month-old nationwide strike. Chad’s opposition The Transformers party says its candidate and Prime Minister Success Masra has been threatened with violence. Israel deports Malawian farm workers for breach of contract. Africa aims to forge a path for secure data flows across borders. A specialty surgery hospital opens in Ghana. From immigration to citizenship: When is an immigrant allowed to vote in a US election. For this and more tune to Daybreak Africa!

Israeli authorities have deported 12 Malawian laborers for breaching contracts by abandoning their lawful employment at farms to work at a bakery. These individuals are part of a group of over 1,000 Malawian workers employed on Israeli farms since November, aimed at boosting Malawi’s foreign exchange reserves. In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the Malawi government says some of the deportees were expected to return to the country Wednesday. Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre.

Kenya’s nearly two-month-old doctors strike ended Wednesday after the doctors signed a back-to-work agreement. They have been on strike for better pay and improved working conditions. President William Ruto appealed to the doctors to reconsider their demand for pay raises because the government could not spend money that it does not have. However, a court gave both sides 48 hours to finalize a back-to-work agreement, or the court would step in and impose a solution. Dr Simon Kigondu, President of the Kenya Medical Association, tells VOA’s James Butty, the strike was worth it because it brought the government and doctors to address the

Chad’s opposition The Transformers party says its candidate and Prime Minister Success Masra and his supporters have been threatened with violence. The French News Agency (AFP) reports that the party said on its Facebook page that Masra was under surveillance and faces threats to his safety. Masra is a main challenger to interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby in the May 6 election. Ndolembai Njesada, The Transformers’ Vice President for Political Affairs and the Diaspora, tells VOA’s James Butty, Chadians voted for change on Monday, but there was some violence against supporters of his party.

On Daybreak Africa: Malawi Government officials say waiving graft charges against Vice President Saulos Chilima is constitutional, but critics view it as a clear example of selective justice favoring the elite. Plus Mozambique’s ruling party nominates its presidential candidate. Zimbabwe appeals to its diaspora population to invest in the country. A new special surgery institute has opened in Ghana. The saga of former South African President Jacob Zuma’s candidacy in the May 29 election takes a new twist. Israel says Hamas has changed the terms of a ceasefire deal For this and more tune to Daybreak Africa!

Limited medical resources in Africa force some patients to travel abroad for specialized surgeries. Now, a new special surgery institute has opened in Ghana to try and help. Senanu Tord reports from Accra

Zimbabwe’s government is now appealing to its diaspora population to invest in the southern African nation, to revive its moribund economy. But Zimbabweans who left the country due to political or economic reasons are not allowed to vote, and many are now refusing to respond to an appeal from the government to invest in the country to improve the nation's economy.

Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo party has picked the 47-year-old governor of a southern province to be its candidate for the next presidential election in October. Charles Mangwiro

Anti-corruption campaigners in Malawi say the dismissal of a corruption case involving Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima on Monday undermines the country's efforts to curb fraud and mismanagement. Government officials say the move is constitutional, but critics view it as a clear example of selective justice favoring the elite. Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre

In South Africa, the saga of former President Jacob Zuma’s candidacy in the May 29 election has taken a new twist. First, the Mail and Guardian reports that uMkhonto we Sizwe, or MK Party, founder Jabulani Khumalo had asked the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to remove Zuma’s name from the party’s parliamentary list because Zuma had been suspended. The IEC has said that Zuma’s face will be on the ballot because the MK Party had informed the IEC that the party had changed its leadership structure. Zuma is seen as a threat to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Professor Sipho Seepe is a political analyst and former deputy Vice Chancellor for Institutional Support at the University of Zululand. VOA’s James Butty asked him for clarity on these developments

On Daybreak Africa: A civil society coalition is warning Nigerian authorities not to allow the United States and France to relocate their military bases from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea countries. Plus, USAID launches a $6M program for climate resilience efforts in Kenya. A civil society coalition is warning Zimbabwe’s parliament begins nationwide consultations about abolishing the death penalty. A Sierra Leone opposition member of parliament promises a monthly press conference to hold the government accountable. A Malawi judge drops corruption charges against Vice President Saulos Chilima. There are six months left before the U.S. presidential race between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump. For this and more tune to Daybreak Africa!

The United States Agency for International Development this week launched a $6 million program to support small businesses and financial institutions in northern Kenya that are looking to implement climate-smart practices and enhance their resilience to climate-related challenges. The region suffers from recurring droughts; when it does rain, it often floods, causing people to lose their livelihoods. Mohammed Yusuf reports on the USAID program goals.

Zimbabwean parliament has started nationwide consultations after the southern African nation's government recommended abolition of death penalty to conform with international standards. Columbus Mavhunga joins the public hearing in Bindura, about 90 kilometers northeast of Harare, where human rights advocates are happy with the decision to end capital punishment, but Zimbabweans want it to stay on the books in this crime-riddled nation.

In Sierra Leone, the leader of the opposition in parliament is promising a monthly press conference to hold the government accountable for its actions. Abdulai Kargbo also denies accusations from a section of the All People's Congress (APC) support base that the leadership appears to have been bribed. This, they say, is the reason why APC leaders have been quiet despite the challenges facing the country. The criticism comes as local media reports Sierra Leone faces rising inflation and cost of living, including a recent electricity crisis in the capital, Freetown. Parliamentarian Abdulai Kargbo tells VOA's Peter Clottey, the opposition in parliament will keep fighting to ensure transparency in government and for better living standards.