Africa Top10 News

African Refugees Get their Qualifications Sorted in their Host Country

In Zambia, a pilot qualifications passport scheme is being run by the government and the UN agency Unesco to help refugees access jobs or further education in the country by informally verifying their qualifications when they do not have crucial paperwork. A joint Unesco/UNHCR report found that fewer than 15% of migrants in developed countries say their level of education matches their jobs. In developing countries one in eight immigrants say that having their qualifications recognised is their greatest challenge in settling into new lives, more so than language, discrimination or even visa restrictions.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Business Leaders Dominate New African Magazine’s List of 100 Most Influential Africans

Making the list is the recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, as well as Alaa Salah, the 22-year-old Sudanese protester now referred to as Lady Liberty, a student of architectural engineering who became the face of the people’s revolution in Sudan that brought down Omar Al-Bashir. Two sporting heroes also make this year’s feature, Siya Kolisi, the first black captain of South Africa’s national rugby team, who were crowned world champions in November, and, unsurprisingly, Kenyan world record breaker Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon runner. The December edition has four covers: Amina J Mohammed, deputy secretary general of the United Nations; Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines; Thando Hopa, model and activist; and Siya Kolisi.

SOURCE: NEW AFRICAN MAGAZINE

South African Airways Applies for Business Rescue

The board of the ailing airline says this is the optimal mechanism to restore confidence in SAA, safeguard the good assets of SAA and help to restructure and reposition the entity into one that is stronger, more sustainable and able to grow and attract an equity partner. “Our desire is that the restructured airline will mark the beginning of a new era in South African aviation and must be able to bring in millions more tourists into SA, help create more jobs in tourism and related sectors of the economy and work with other African airlines to underpin and service the integration of African markets and improve dramatically intra-African trade and travel.”

SOURCE: DAILY MAVERICK

Inside a Poacher’s Mind

Documentarian Jon Kasbe gave himself a particularly daunting challenge when he set out to make “When Lambs Become Lions,” a picture about ivory poaching told largely from the perspective of those who do it. In the economic wasteland of Kenya, an ivory dealer here called X plays the slick outlaw. He speaks of how he never kills elephants himself. That’s up to his comrade Lukas, who shoots the great beasts with poison arrows. Kasbe spent years among these people, and his movie is an intense 74-minute distillation of his dedication. It doesn’t go into the origins of the trade or how pressures from Western countries feed it. Rather, it’s a striking, human portrait of men in trouble, looking for escape and possibly redemption.

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

An Outright Betrayal of Africa’s Efforts for Credible Regional Human Rights Bodies

Amnesty International says the Tanzanian government’s withdrawal of the right of individuals and NGOs to directly file cases against it at the Arusha-based African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, “is yet more evidence of the government of Tanzania’s growing hostility towards human rights and human rights defenders.” Tanzania becomes the second country after Rwanda to withdraw the right of individuals and NGOs to directly access the African Court, a vital continental judicial body in the face of state interference in national justice systems. The government of Tanzania has the highest number of cases filed by individuals and NGOs as well as judgments issued against it by the African Court. Out of the 70 decisions issued by the court by September 2019, 28 decisions, or 40 percent, were on Tanzania.

SOURCE: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Massive Vaccination Drive in Cameroon

The government has organized a national vaccination campaign to stop a measles outbreak that has infected more than 3,000 people, especially children, this year. The most-affected area is the central African state’s northern border with Nigeria and Chad, where 17 children have died this month. Health officials believe many more people are infected since barely 30% of the population visits conventional health facilities. Dr. Edzoa Brice, the coordinator of the vaccination teams dispatched to towns and villages around Cameroon’s capital city, Yaounde, says vaccination teams are stationed in all road junctions, churches, schools, markets, and popular spots, and will not be visiting homes as they have always done in the past. He says back the teams found that few parents and children were at home as they had gone to schools, farms, offices, or markets.

SOURCE: VOA

[WATCH] Bringing African Women into the Tech Fold

Microsoft’s Lillian Barnard explains how the tech giant is hoping to empower women to participate in the digital economy.

SOURCE: CNN

Eye-rolling Museveni’s Corruption March

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday led hundreds of people in a march against corruption, calling corrupt people parasites who steal public wealth. Museveni said to end corruption, leaders must develop the economy. Critics note that last year, Transparency International ranked Uganda as one of the most corrupt countries in Africa, below Kenya, Mauritania, and Nigeria. Action Aid International-Uganda says Museveni marching against corruption is ironic because his government is to blame for much of it. Critics accuse Uganda’s inspector general of holding only lower-level officials or private citizens to account for corruption. The inspector, Irene Mulyagonja, acknowledges that some top government officials hide behind Museveni but argues the president is sincere in tackling corruption.

SOURCE: VOA

Migrant Drowning Claims African Lives

At least 58 people, including children, were killed after a boat carrying dozens of migrants capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off the West African nation of Mauritania, the UN’s migration agency said. The boat carrying at least 150 people ran out of fuel and was stranded for days when approaching Mauritania before it capsized. Some 83 people swam to shore. The survivors were being helped by Mauritanian authorities in the northern city of Nouadhibou, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said. Survivors said the vessel left The Gambia on November 27. Al Jazeera’s reporting from Mauritania’s capital Nouakchott said the military police discovered the survivors – most of whom came from The Gambia – and that is when the extent of the tragedy became clear.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

Hollywood Movies Filmed in Africa

Africa is not only known for its beautiful scenery and friendly people, but also as a prime film location for inter-continental and international blockbusters. From the latest installment of the popular Mad Max franchise to the epic historical drama, Gladiator, here’s a look at some of the big-screen movies filmed in various locations across the continent. Malcolm X- Egypt and South Africa, Mad Max was filmed in Namibia after rains turned the Australian desert outback into a lush field of wildflowers. Beasts of No Nation was filmed in Ghana after the director and screenplay writer decided on the country as the main location over South Africa to maintain the story’s authenticity to the novel. The 2016 American superhero movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe film stable, Captain America: Civil War was partly filmed in Lagos, Nigeria.

SOURCE: AFRICA.COM