Kenyan farmers are posting pictures of swarms like the Biblical plague, so large that they block out the sun.

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The desert locusts have hit  eight African countries where at least 20 million people are food insecure because of the three deadly ‘C.s’ : conflict, climate change and COVID 19.

In addition to Kenya they include Somalia, Uganda, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan,

They have stayed and produced a new generation because of favorable conditions including above-average rainfall.

Pesticide to eradicate or at least thin them has been blocked by the coronavirus lockdown.

The swarms generally number 150 million per square kilometer, devouring every leaf where they land. Driven by the wind they can travel 150 kilometers a day.

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The worst plague brought on by excessive rains in Yemen have moved into  Uganda and Tanzania having passed through Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Experts say desperate measures being used to combat the locusts are ineffective.

In Uganda, soldiers have been deployed the chase the insects off crops.

Motorised spray units are being used to kill them.

Experts say locusts can fly as a high as 200 meters and easily avoid these.

This is the worst plague in a quarter of a century and there are no signs of its abating with new hoppers hatching in areas already stripped bare by the adults.

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The US leader is cutting immigration from countries with large Muslim populations to rally his support base as he seeks a second term in the White House.

In 2018, the United States issued nearly  8 000 immigrants visas to Nigerians.

That’s a thing of the past in terms of the extended ban coming into effect this month.

Tanzania, Eritrea, Sudan, are also affected.

Somalia and Chad are on the original list.

In the past Trump has made foul-mouthed references to African countries and complained that Nigerias who arrive in the United States on visas never to back to their huts

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A pledging conference in Rome next week will try to raise $70 million to pay for the impact of the swarms.

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Unusually heavy rains late last year provided ideal breeding conditions for the destert locusts in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

The hoppers grew into locusts making the worst swarms in a quarter of a century.

The increase in numbers and density means theiy could increase 500-fold by mid year.

There are fears the swarms will move westward from the Horn of Africa into Uganda and other countries. 

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Kenya got the  continental body’s support in a secret ballot last week.

But Djibouti, which has been passed over three times, now says it will seek support from its friends at the world organization.

Somalia is believed to be behind the Djibouti move that has thrown the African Union into confusion.

Djibouti has powerful friends like the United States, China, France and  Japan who have military bases on its strategically-placed Red Sea port.

The question is will these countries also break with tradition and overrule the AU choice in the vote next June for the next East African country to fill a rotating seat on the UN powerhouse.

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At least five other heads of government will join deliberations on Africa’s two most troubling issues.

It’s in his capacity as rotating chair of the African Union that Egypt’s President Abdelfattah El Sisi has called the summits.

AU commission chair Moussa Faki will be there along with the Presidents of Chad, Djibouti, Rwanda, DRC and Somalia.

Five more African countries are sending foreign ministers or special advisers.

On Sudan they’ll consider how best to back stability and peace following the coup ousting Omar Al Bashir easier this month.

With rebel-led fighting around Tripoli, the African leaders will seek ways of dealing with the Libyan crisis and eradicate the terrorism fueling the conflict.

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The leaders of the 54-nation growing are meeting on a theme of fighting corruption as a sustainable path to Africa’s transformation.

The authoritarian Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El Sisi will start his AU presidency by underlining the good news of a trilateral peace agreement between host country Ethiopia, neighbouring Eritrea and troubled Somalia.

This thanks largely to Ethiopian Prime Minister Aby Ahmed who will play a leading role at the gathering.

El-Sisi goal as African leader is to implement the institutional changes introduced by his predecessor Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

These include an African free trade agreement and measures to make the AU less reliant on foreign development assistance.   

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The cuts represent the Pentagon’s shift from counter terror to great power competition with China and Russia.

The US Africa Command says the cuts to the 7 200 American troops on the continent will amount to less that ten percent.

Operations in Somalia, Libya and Djibouti – where the US has its only permanent military base in Africa – will remain the same.

But in West Africa, the tactical assistance to forces fighting violent extremist organizations  will be replaced with personnel providing advisory, assistance, liaison and intelligence sharing.

A deadly ambush that saw US soldiers killed in Niger last year has got the American public asking why they were in the first place.  

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He’ll visit the Amhara capital Bahir Dar and the historical city of Gondar.

The Eritrean President’s visit to neighboring Ethiopia comes as the UN Security Council considers lifting sanctions against his country.

The 15-nation UN powerhouse will next week to debate a British draft resolution lifting the arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on Eritrea following its rapprochement with Ethiopia and Somalia. 

France and some other council members , however want to maintain pressure  on President Azarias Awerki until he’s signed a peace accord with Djibouti.

Deadly clashes have occurred between the Horn of Africa countries for a decade since Djibouti accused Asmara of moving troops across the border.

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Yesterday she witnessed the signing of bilateral security and economic agreements with Nigeria.

Security plays an important part at the end of the first safari Theresa May has made as Britain’s Prime Minister.

Yesterday she offered Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari help – in the shape of equipment and training – in the fight against Boko Haram terror.

But business is the business of her journey that’s taken her to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya.

Buhari admitted that Nigeria is nervously watching Britain negotiating its way out of the European Union.

May’s central central message is that however Brexit pans out, it will not affect Britain’s business dealings with Africa.

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