‘Hundreds Suffered Rights Violations During Protests In Zimbabwe’
A local human rights group said more than a thousand people had their fundamental rights violated during the March 31st anti-government protests. The Zimbabwe Peace Project said it documented hundreds of violations, including assaults by security forces. The protests were triggered by former Zanu-PF Central Committee member and war veteran Blessed Geza, who has been using his X page and YouTube channel to mobilize Zimbabweans against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Lesotho Approves Starlink Licence Despite Objection From Local Stakeholders
The decision follows an announcement earlier this month by Prime Minister Samuel Matekane that his government would remove barriers to US investments amid a tariff onslaught. On 2 April, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on imports from Lesotho, which was later paused for 90 days. Local stakeholders critical of the Starlink deal have said it amounts to a betrayal of Namibia given that Starlink Lesotho is 100% foreign-owned.
South Africa Appoints Special Envoy to U.S. Amid Diplomatic Tensions
South Africa appointed Mcebisi Jonas as a special envoy to the United States to ease escalating diplomatic tensions after Donald Trump’s return to the presidency. President Cyril Ramaphosa said Jonas would advance South Africa’s diplomatic, trade, and bilateral priorities. Jonas, a former deputy finance minister, had made headlines for his corruption allegations against a wealthy family linked to former President Jacob Zuma. The move came after the U.S. expelled South Africa’s ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool, last month over remarks he had made about the Trump administration.
Hundreds of Genocide Victims’ Remains Found in Rwanda
The remains of 320 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi were recovered over the past four days in the Nyamata Sector, Bugesera District. The bodies were discovered near the Nyamata Genocide Memorial by construction workers digging near the road to expand water supply networks in the area. The exhumation, which began on April 10 in Gatare Village, initially uncovered 10 bodies, followed by over 30 the next day, totaling 320. The site, once a church where over 40,000 Tutsi were massacred in a single day, was part of the former Nyamata Commune, a killing zone during the genocide. Many victims were buried in mass graves using bulldozers, while others were killed at roadblocks after fleeing Nyamata Church, where over 40,000 people had been slaughtered in a single day. The Nyamata Church has since been converted into a genocide memorial and is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
MSF Condemns Armed Looting of Hospital in South Sudan
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) strongly condemned the armed looting of its hospital and premises in Ulang, Upper Nile State, South Sudan, after dozens of armed men stormed the facility on the morning of April 14. The attackers threatened staff and looted vital medical supplies and equipment, forcing the suspension of all services at the hospital, the only functioning health facility in the area. Over 100 patients, including those receiving trauma, maternity, and pediatric care, were affected. MSF reported no injuries to staff but expressed deep concern for the safety of both teams and patients.
Giant Ant Smuggling Attempt Foiled in Kenya
Four men – two Belgians, a Vietnamese, and a Kenyan – have pleaded guilty in Kenya to attempting to smuggle hundreds of protected giant African harvester ants out of the country in what the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) called a “landmark case”. The insects, valued at up to U.S.$220 each, were concealed in specially modified test tubes and syringes designed to keep them alive for up to two months. Photographs of the illegal haul shared by the KWS showed hundreds of these containers packed with cotton wool, each with two or three ants. The KWS described the case as Kenya’s first large-scale instance of insect biopiracy and noted a troubling shift in trafficking trends from iconic mammals to ecologically vital but lesser-known species.
Electric Boda Bodas Could Cut Pollution, Save Lives in Uganda
Motorcycle taxis, known as Boda Bodas in Uganda, make up 70% of all vehicles and are essential for short-distance travel, especially in congested areas. However, most run on petrol, emitting pollutants linked to diseases such as asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer, which contribute to over 30,000 premature deaths annually in Uganda. Researcher Gabriel Okello studied the potential benefits of switching to electric boda bodas. His research found that switching to electric boda bodas could reduce particulate matter by 15%, lowering air pollution-related deaths by 18% and under-five child mortality by 12%, while cutting drivers’ fuel costs and increasing profits by 11%. Electric boda bodas also proved more profitable due to lower fuel and maintenance costs, and Uganda’s mostly renewable electricity made the shift even more viable.
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Hundreds of Mostly Elderly Women Accused of ‘Witchcraft’ Urgently Need Protection
Ghanaian authorities failed to protect and uphold the human rights of hundreds of people, primarily older women, accused of witchcraft and subjected to ritual attacks, forcing them to flee their communities in fear for their lives, reports Amnesty International. The report, Branded for Life, documents poor living conditions across four informal camps in northern Ghana, where over 500 accused individuals were living – during late 2023 and early 2024 – with limited access to healthcare, food, safe housing, clean water, and livelihoods. The report shows how the accusations, which could lead to threats, physical attacks, or even death, usually started within the family or among community members following a tragic event such as an illness or a death. Older women living in poverty, with health conditions or disabilities, are at greater risk, as well as women who do not conform to stereotypical gender roles.
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