Many of them had small babies which were subjected to the cold night air.

ends intro

The returnees, mostly deported from Botswana, were accommodated at a college in Bulawayo for an obligatory 21 quarantine against COVID 19.

When they were declared coronavirus-free, public busses were hired to transport them home.

Deputy Public Services Minister Lovemore Matuke says some of the returnees refused to board the busses, so they were given bus fare.

The returnees say they were ordered immediately to vacate the dormitories and the blankets they’d been given were taken.

Their pleas to be allowed to remain overnight until their busses arrived today were ignored.

The post Zimbabwe authorities abandon returnees on the roadside appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The Senegalese authorities who are holding him are using the the jail to quarantine COVID 19-infected inmates.

It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

Many might argue that Hissène Habré, who ran a brutal regime in Chad from 1982 until he was deposed in 1990, doesn’t deserve a break.

They say has an old and infirm inmate he is being held in special quarters that won’t be used to quarantine infected prisoners.

Habré was sentenced four years ago by a special African Union Court to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity.

He was found guilty of ordering the torture, rape and killing of political opponents

The trial and his jail sentence are Senegal-based because of the emotions it will raise in Chad.

The Senegalese authorities have to explain where exactly Habré will be held, and how they will ensure that he comes back to his cell in July.

The post Hissène Habré gets a holiday from his life sentence appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

He’s named as Yusuf Jiis, who’s described by US military official as a brutal and ruthless killer.

US Africa Command leader General Stephen Townsend says they were considering a pause in operations during the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic.

But since Al Shabaab and Al Qaida saw the international medical emergency as an opportunity, he felt the need to strike.

He says Yusuf Jiis was responsible for attacks both inside and outside Somalia.

US drone strikes against Islamist terror groups have increased since Donald Trump moved into the White House.

There’s been no confirmation of Yiis; death from Al Shabaab who appears to have someone waiting in the wings for any of its leaders who fall prey to US military drones.

The post US drone kills Al Shabaab founder appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Africans say they’re forcibly being removed from their homes by Chinese officials who accuse them of importing COVID19.

Speaking to reporters, Africans in |Guangzou and Fujian Province say they are being told that COVID19 is being imported by foreigners and especially black people.

Chinese officials are rolling out a programme of testing for COVID 19.

The Africans fear that being evicted will expose them to coronavirus infection. 

A meeting was held two days ago between Chinese authorities and African community leaders in Guangzhou.

It was said to have had a positive outcome but the evictions have continued.

The post Africans being evicted from hotels and apartments in China appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The FAO says pesticides deliveries to those fighting the pests are being delayed.

Secretary General of  the regional organisation IGAD Workneh Gebeyehu says they’ve been caught between the hammer and anvil.

The lockdown to-stem the COVID 19 pandemic comes at the crunch time for their fight against the desert locus swarms.

Head of Resilience at the Food and Agriculture Organisation Cyril Ferrand says the locusts are endangering the food security of more than 25 million people. 

This morning figures show COVID19 has infected nearly 8 000 people in Africa and killed 334.

The post Lockdown hampers fight against locust swarms in East Africa appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Some of the injured had to be taken to hospital in private cars because the ambulances could not cope.

It was before dawn in the Brazzaville suburb of Kintele when the lightning struck.

Residents were about to wake on the first day of their lockdown to curb the COVID19 pandemic.

Eyewitnesses said a falling cable struck a house, starting a fire that killed the occupants.

Heavy rain hampered the rescue work.

People were urged to stay away from the disaster area and the Talangai Reference Hospital treating the injured.

The Republic of Congo has 22 confirmed cases of COVID 19.

The post Lightning strike kills 20 in Brazzaville appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The women, who are also making surgical kits, say they miss their families but the camaraderie provides some comfort

The factory normally makes protective equipment for export.

Its entire output of masks, gloves, surgical suits and caps is now being  directed to Tunisian doctors, nurses and hospitals dealing with COVID19.

Tunisia has already had six deaths  from the 227 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The North Africa country has been in lockdown since Sunday.

Neighbouring Algeria has 409 confirmed cases of COVID 19 which has killed 26 people.

US citizens are there being airlifted out tomorrow in a special charter flight.

The post Tunisian factory workers go into self isolation to churn out protective face masks appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

He asks that the public understand their fear and apprehension at their ordeal a foreign country.

Martin Schäfer presages his remarks about the tourists by saying we are all together in the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic and must accept the official restrictions.

The German Ambassador’s spoken to top officials at the Departments of Tourism and of International Relations and Cooperation and has had every courtesy and assistance.

His job is now to ensure the well being and safe repatriation of the tourists and the 7 to 10 000 Germans stranded in South Africa. 

The post German tourists were afraid and exhausted: ambassador appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

There were 14 survivors.

The victims are believed to be Ethiopian.

ends intro

Immigrations officials in the northwestern Mozambique province of Tete stopped the truck from Malawi at the Moatize checkpoint near the Zambezi River..

They heard banging from inside the container and made their grizzly find after ordering the driver to open it.

The 14 survivors were taken to hospital where they will be tested for COVID19.

The Mozambican driver has, according to officials, confessed to having been hired to smuggle people across the border from Malawi.

Authorities say the dozens of dead died of oxygen deprivation.

Last October, Mozambique police stopped a lorry from Malawi carrying 42 people in a container headed for South Africa.

The post 64 bodies found in a container that crossed from Malawi into Mozambique appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

it is believed the Fulani inhabitants were attacked because of their suspected links with Islamist extremists.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Dinguila and Barga.

Most of the i habitant are Fulani herdsmen.

They are suspected of having links with jihadis responsible for terrorist attacks in the troubled Sahel country.

A Dinguila resident, whose identify has been withheld for his safety, told reporters he saw Fulanis  give shelter to jihadis.

New of the attack comes as Burkina Faso confirms that it has become the ninth African country treating confirmed cases of COVID 19.

As couple that has checked positive for infection have been quarantined in a Quagadougou hospital.

The post Burkina villages attacked, 43 killed appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.