Africa 54 - February 23, 2021

You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis. Top Stories: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday that killed the Italian ambassador to the country, his bodyguard and a driver from the World Food Program. In a written statement, the United Nations Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, quote "The Secretary-General strongly condemns today's attack against a joint field mission of the World Food Program in Kibumba, near Goma, North Kivu, by unidentified armed elements." Italian flags flew at half-mast in Rome on Tuesday as a mark of respect following the deaths Ambassador Luca Attanasio, his bodyguard Vittorio Iacovacci, who also died in the attack along with driver Mustapha Milambo. A flight carrying the 11,000 vaccine doses against the Ebola virus arrived in Guinea on Monday in the capital Conakry after it was delayed for a day by bad weather. They had been due to land on Sunday from Europe, but the plane was unable to land because of heavy dust brought by winds from the Sahara Desert. The start of inoculations in the Nzérékoré region, where an outbreak of the deadly virus was declared last weekend, is now expected on Tuesday, according to the National Agency of Health Safety. Guinea has recorded four confirmed and four probable cases, including five deaths, in the first resurgence of Ebola since the 2013-2016 outbreak. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the hemorrhagic Ebola virus has killed at least four people the during a new outbreak. The 10th epidemic was declared on August 1, 2018 and ended in June last year. With more than 22 hundred deaths recorded and over 34 hundred cases, it was by far the country's largest-ever Ebola outbreak. A 12th epidemic was declared earlier this month, after a recent flare-up that ended in November after claiming 55 lives in the Northwestern province of Equateur. For more on the Ebola outbreak, Africa 54 Linord Moudou spoke with renowned Congolese microbiologist Dr. Jean-Jacques Muyembe, who discovered Ebola viral disease in 1976. Dr. Muyembe is the General Director of DRC's National Institute of Biomedical Research and coordinates the response of the Ebola and COVID 19 epidemics in his country. Niger's ruling party candidate Mohamed Bazoum strengthened a lead over his challenger on Tuesday as vote-counting continued in the West African nation's presidential run-off, according to electoral commission data. Provisional results showed former interior minister Bazoum ahead of his challenger. The run-off vote, meant to usher in Niger's first transition of power from one democratically elected leader to another, was held on Sunday after neither candidate secured a majority in the first round in December. Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said on Monday he was dropping his Supreme Court challenge to January's election results. Adam Reed has more. A standoff over a cabinet reshuffle in Tunisia has accelerated a power struggle between the president, prime minister and parliament speaker that threatens to spill over into street protests by rival blocs and bring down the government. According to Reuters News Agency, the dispute has been building since a 2019 election delivered a fragmented parliament and a political outsider as president, creating a constant state of political turmoil in the only country to emerge with an intact democracy from the "Arab Spring" revolts a decade ago.It has come to a head as Tunisia attempts to navigate the economic havoc wrought by COVID-19, while facing the biggest protests for years and public debt levels that have spooked capital markets needed to finance the state budget. Tens of thousands of youngsters have been orphaned by Boko Haram militant attacks in northern Nigeria, child advocates say. Some of those children are finding a home and support at a school in Sokoto state, as VOA’s Haruna Shehu learned in a recent visit. Kenya is battling some of the worst locust plagues in decades, but start-up The Bug Picture hopes to transform the pests into profits and bring "hope to the hopeless" whose crops and livelihoods are being destroyed by the insects. #Africa #United Nations #AntonioGuterres #DemocraticRepublicofCongo #Italy #WorldFoodProgram #Ambassador #Ebola #Guinea #Vaccinations #Nzérékoré #DrJeanJacquesMuyembe #Niger #MohamedBazoum #Uganda #BobiWine #Tunisia #Nigeria #BokoHaram #Kenya