Covid-19: South African university innovations bring practical solutions to PPE crisis
23 April 2020 |
10:55 am
The World Bank fears that the coronavirus crisis could see sub-Saharan Africa lose around $37 billion in remittances this year. Meanwhile in DR Congo, there are concerns that coronavirus lockdown measures could put vulnerable women at particular risk. Cases of domestic violence have spiked over the past few weeks in the country - our correspondent reports. And finally, Africa competes in the global rush to source the medical and safety kits it needs to contain the virus. We speak to Dr. Ahmed Shaikh, managing director of the Regent Business School in Durban, South Africa.
Related
18 Dec
The M23, a key rebel group in the eastern Congo, says it has agreed to a ceasefire but experts are skeptical. The European Union has meanwhile imposed new sanctions on M23 commanders.
18 Dec
The flood-prone capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo saw around 280 houses wiped out by the floods earlier this week. UN officials now have updated figures.
22 Dec
The Congolese government wants to speed up the procurement of weapons to help it fight rebel groups in the east. The UN also renewed its peacekeeping mission in the DRC for another year.
27 Dec
For several months, the M23 rebel group has been pursuing an offensive in eastern DR Congo. The rebels are drawing ever closer to the provincial capital Goma, a city they conquered and briefly held during their last offensive 10 years ago. Our reporters spoke to residents of Goma who are still haunted by the fighting of 2012 and fear the rebels' return. Meanwhile, diplomatic pressure is growing on Rwanda, with DR Congo, France and Germany openly accusing Kigali of supporting the group – something it denies.
7 Jan
MONUSCO and the Congolese army want to counter the movements of the M23 rebels in the North-Kivu region as swiftly as possible, while Rwanda continues to deny its support of the group.
6 Jan
Prices of basic food commodities have doubled in the eastern Democratic of Congo. The spike is being attributed to the ongoing hostilities between government forces and M23 rebels. Among the affected areas is Bukavu, which lies in the extreme south-western edge of Lake Kivu.
15 Jan
The World Bank says a sharp, long-lasting slowdown is expected to hit developing countries hard this year as the global economy weakens. The bank said this in its latest 'global economics prospects' report, released on Tuesday.
19 Jan
There is wary hope for peace in troubled eastern parts of Democratic Republic of Congo. The decades long crisis has several underlying causes but what has dominated the headlines is M23 rebels maneuvers in the region. And truly they are at the center of the conflict.
26 Jan
The Rwandan government says it had to take "defensive measures" after a Congolese combat plane violated its airspace. The Democratic Republic of Congo says the incident amounts to an "act of war."
1 Feb
Pope Francis strongly denounced the "economic colonialism" which "is unleashed" in Africa and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on the first day of his visit to the country. "After political colonialism, an equally enslaving economic colonialism was unleashed.
5 Feb
A papal mass drew a crowd of over a million people to Kinshasa this week. Prayers were said for peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the power of the Catholic Church is a counterweight to the state.
8 Feb
Rwanda-backed rebels stirring ethnic divisions: Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has warned of a dangerous escalation of tension between ethnic Tutsi and Hutu communities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, as a result of fighting involving a militia that Rwanda is accused of backing.
Latest
48 mins ago
Wolfsburg let a two-goal lead slip as they lost the Champions League final against Spanish giants Barcelona. The defeat raises questions about where the She-Wolves stand on the landscape of women's football.
58 mins ago
Indian security forces have eliminated dozens of insurgents in the Manipur region, according to the regional chief minister. Troops were deployed to the area to quell clashes between tribal communities.
58 mins ago
The movie measures of men spotlights the first genocide of the 20th century in which tens of thousands of indigenous Nama and Herero were slaughtered by german soldiers. The film bids to confront viewers with the harsh realities of colonial violence.
58 mins ago
Taipei reported the passage of Beijing's Shandon aircraft carrier and two other ships, in the latest sign of tensions in the waters separating the self-ruled island from mainland China.
1 hour ago
From May 29, 2023, our nation’s eyes once again turned toward public leadership for a new direction and meaning. And so as most governments, especially in the last 24 years have appeared to us as unprepared for governance, we need to encourage the new administration in Abuja and 28 states to begin to manage priorities in the public sector as if it were in the organised private sector
2 hours ago
Under growing pressure from the West, China has been doubling down on its close partnership with Russia in recent weeks. But experts say Beijing is still trying to use a "double-track approach" to maximize its interests.