63 Illegal Ethiopian Migrants Seized In Tanzania, 40 On The Run …
Tanzanian authorities are holding 63 illegal immigrants from Ethiopia who were seized in the Njombe region, with about 40 others said to be on the run. Police said that about 100 Ethiopian immigrants crossed into Tanzania via Nairobi and Mombasa on their way to South Africa, but the lorry they were traveling in was intercepted following an accident in the area over the Easter weekend. Njombe Regional Police Commander, Hamis Issah, said that a Scania lorry ferrying the Ethiopians stalled after it was involved in an accident with a car, and the immigrants escaped.
Njombe Regional Immigration Officer Vincent Haule confirmed the incident and said that 63 Ethiopians, who looked exhausted, were arrested from a hideout in a nearby farm and that police were still searching for about 40 other escapees. - Advertisement - Haule said that the Ethiopians crossed through the porous border between Tanzania and Kenya.
"These Ethiopian nationals traveled from Nairobi and Mombasa and then entered Tanzania through Tanga. We have arrested 63, and we are searching for 40 who are still on the run," he said. Tanzania has been rated the leading entry point for illegal immigrants from Eastern Africa into Southern African states.
(The East African) - Advertisement - Refugee agency relocates over 1,000 Somali refugees in Ethiopia
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that it has begun the relocation of newly arrived Somali refugees in Ethiopia who fled recurring clashes between security forces and clan leaders in Las Anod in northern Somalia, with 1,036 of the most vulnerable people transferred from border areas to a new settlement over the past three days. The Agency said thousands of people have arrived in the Somali region of Ethiopia seeking safety since clashes started in mid-February. With the UNHCR's assistance, Ethiopia's Refugees and Returnees Service had registered 91,000 people as of last week, and refugees are still arriving as a result of ongoing violence in their home country, according to the UNHCR.
Upon arrival, refugee families are biometrically registered and provided with a tent and other essential relief items to set up a new home. "Most are women, children, and older people. Among them are more than 3,400 unaccompanied and separated children and adolescents," it said.
Ethiopia has generously allocated 400 hectares where refugees can settle and access existing services, such as healthcare, water, and education. (Xinhua) Violent clashes in Ethiopia's Amhara region as unrest deepens
Several people in Ethiopia's Amhara region were shot during a sixth day of demonstrations against federal government plans to integrate local defense forces into the police and national army, a local official and a hospital worker said. The protesters say the government's plan would leave Amhara vulnerable to attack from other regions. The unrest has presented a fresh security challenge to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's (PhD) government, which only ended a devastating two-year war in the neighboring Tigray region last November by signing a truce with Tigrayan leaders.
Amhara residents reported renewed protests in several towns on Tuesday, with the demonstrations devolving into violent clashes in Kombolcha. The United Nations' World Food Programme said it had suspended food deliveries in Amhara, where millions rely on humanitarian aid, because of the security situation. - Advertisement -
Two aid workers from Catholic Relief Services were shot and killed on Sunday, and the Ethiopia Red Cross stated that unidentified gunmen shot and wounded a midwife and an ambulance driver elsewhere in Amhara that same day. (Reuters) UN agency investigating humanitarian food theft in Ethiopia
The United Nations food relief agency is investigating the theft of food aid from lifesaving humanitarian operations in Ethiopia, according to a letter obtained by The Associated Press. The World Food Program's Ethiopia director, Claude Jibidar, says in the letter that "WFP is very concerned about the large-scale sale of food in some markets," which "poses not only a reputational risk but also threatens our capacity to mobilize more resources for the needy people." He adds that it "is therefore imperative that immediate actions be taken to curb the misappropriation and diversion of humanitarian food" in the country.
Jibidar asks the partner organizations to share "any information or cases of food misuse, misappropriation, or diversion that they are aware of or that are brought to their attention by staff, beneficiaries, or local authorities." The letter does not mention any specific cases. However, two aid workers told AP the stolen aid included enough food for 100,000 people and was recently missing from a warehouse in Sheraro.
Drought and internal conflict have left 20 million of the country's 120 million people reliant on aid. (ABC News) NFL heads to Kenya to scout for talent
The National Football League (NFL) and Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) have formed a partnership that will see talent identification and expansion of the game in the country. Under the "NFL Africa" program, the two bodies will explore ways to grow the game at all levels across the country through camps, among other investment and multi-market plans that will serve the growing fan base in Africa. Head of NFL Europe and Africa, Brett Gosper, noted that growing the sport globally is a major strategic priority for the League.
"Developing our footprint and fandom in Africa is an important part of this vision," said Gosper. With more than 125 players of African descent from 15 countries across the continent currently playing in the NFL, a talent identification camp for promising young athletes will start Thursday at the Moi International Sports Center in Kasarani. "We are excited to expand NFL Africa into Kenya and look forward to creating opportunities for the next generation of African players and fans there to engage with our sport," explained Gosper, adding that the NFL wants to inspire young people to play the game around the world and build pathways for more international athletes to play the game.
(Daily Nation) Pearl Dairy secures £35 mln loan to expand into Kenya Pearl Dairy Farms, which manufactures the Lato milk brand, has secured a USD 35 million (Ksh130.2 billion) loan that will enable it to fund its expansion in Uganda and Kenya.
The loan was secured from the International Finance Corporation, a unit of the World Bank that manages investments in the private sector, and the Dutch development bank, FMO. The loan, which consists of a USD 21 million (Ksh78.1 billion) senior loan and an additional USD 14 million (Ksh52.1 billion) to refinance an existing Standard Chartered Bank loan in Uganda, will support the company's expansion plans, which include upgrading and expanding the powder milk plant in Uganda and acquiring a packing plant in Kenya. Under the Lato brand, the Mbarara-based dairy company, founded in 2009, offers ultra-high temperature milk, powder milk, flavored milk, yogurts, butter, and honey.
Pearl Dairy Farms gets its milk from over 15,000 farmers, with two-thirds of them in Uganda and the other third in Kenya. Through 80 sales points in the two operating countries, the company distributes its products to retailers, wholesalers, and end-users across the continent. The expansion is part of the company's strategic plan to increase production and distribution capacity while improving regional competitiveness.
(Daily Monitor) Rwanda: Africa's safest country for women to travel alone The latest BBC Travel Report has named Rwanda among the top five countries in the world that are safe for women who travel alone.
The report says the safety of female solo travelers in the country is linked to its top performance in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) global index. It also indicates that Rwanda leads in women's employment and has no legal discrimination against women, factors that make it a favorable destination for female solo travelers. The African country is ranked among other countries that include Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Norway.
With the country's parliament made up of 55 percent women representatives, Rwanda ranks number one in the world for its gender equality in the National Assembly. The country also ranks highly in the index's perception of community safety, at position six globally, according to the Global Gender Gap Index. The Index measures how equitable a country is in terms of economics, education, healthcare, and political participation.
Rebecca Hansen, one of the women interviewed and who traveled to Rwanda in 2019, said she was impressed by the security forces she met there and how they received people. (Daily Nation) Ugandan military court sentences 32 Kenyans to 20 years in prison
The 3rd Division Military Court Martial based in Moroto District in the Northern region has sentenced 32 Kenyan nationals to 20 years in Moroto Government Prison over illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The 32 Kenyans, all residents of Orum Sub County in Lodwar District, Turkana County, were convicted on their own plea of guilty and sentenced by the court presided over by the 3rd Division Court Martial Chairman, Benard Arinaitwe Tuhame (Col.). Section 119 of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) Act says any person found with weapons, ammunition, or equipment that is a monopoly of the armed forces will be subject to Military Law and tried by the Court Martial.
On April 8, the UPDF and police conducted a successful cordon and search operation in the areas of Lokiriaut and Nadunget sub-county, where 31 guns and 752 rounds of ammunition were recovered from Turkana pastoralists in Moroto District.
The UPDF 3rd Division commander, Joseph Balikuddembe (Brig Gen), told the Monitor in an interview that the operation, which also led to the recovery of 19 bows and arrows, was conducted in Lokereyot Village, Nadunget sub-county, about 50 kilometers from Moroto Town, in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
(Daily Monitor)