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During campaigning, demonstrations were banned or violently dispersed, prompting concern from rights groups who have said authorities have cracked down on dissent.
Nationwide protests have taken place since October 7 despite the disbanding of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) police unit.
The demonstrators have been accused of attacking police stations and personnel.
The rallies which are mostly attended by young people have become avenues to vent against corruption and unemployment.
Rights groups say at least 15 people have been killed the demonstrations began in early October.
On the evening of October 20, 2020, Nigerian army soldiers opened fire at a crowd of protesters in Lagos who were calling for an end to police brutality.
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is not perfect, but will have a big impact on the pandemic, its chief executive predicted on Thursday, as the drugmaker pledged to double output by April and the African Union gave its backing for the shot. The two-dose inosculation, developed with Oxford University, has been hailed as a “vaccine for the world” because it is cheaper and easier to distribute than some rivals. But its rapid approval in Europe and elsewhere has been clouded by doubts over its most effective dosage and interval between doses. Data at the weekend also showed it was less effective against a fast-spreading variant of the virus in South Africa, prompting the country to pause rollout of the shot, and the company has also been embroiled in a row with the European Union over supply delays. “Is it perfect? No it’s not perfect, but it’s great. Who else is making 100 million doses in February?” CEO Pascal Soriot said on a conference call about the vaccine. “We’re going to save thousands of lives and that’s why we come to work everyday.” Soriot said the company aimed to produce 200 million doses per month by April, double this month’s level as it scrambles to ramp up output to meet demand as the world tries to tame a pandemic that has killed 2.35 million. That would put the company on track to make 1.8 billion doses between April and December if that level remained unchanged. The company has set a target to produce 3 billion doses this year, with India’s Serum Institute making much of that aimed at poorer nations. On Wednesday, the company enlisted Germany’s IDT Biologika as a contract manufacturer. AstraZeneca said it expected much-anticipated data from the U.S. trial of the vaccine before the end of March, and that it was confident the shot offered relatively good protection against severe disease and death for the South African variant. Its disappointing results were against milder cases. However, after rising to become Britain’s most valuable company last summer, the company has now slipped to sixth, in a move some analysts attribute to doubts over the vaccine. “In a year or two we will look back and everybody will realise we made a big impact,” Soriot said. AstraZeneca’s shares were up 0.95% in afternoon trade, pairing some earlier gains, after the company forecast a pick up in earnings growth this year on strong demand for its cancer and other new therapies. It has pledged not to make any money from its COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. It has been a tumultuous week for the drugmaker after South Africa put on hold giving the shot to its citizens, choosing one developed by its U.S. rival Johnson & Johnson instead. That came after the trial data raised concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine’s effectiveness on mild symptoms from the more infectious 501Y.V2 variant of the virus dominant in South Africa, which has spread to 41 nations around the world. Despite that blow, the World Health Organization endorsed the British vaccine on Wednesday and the African Union (AU) said it would target its use in countries tha
Nigeria is warning people against fake coronavirus vaccines as there are reports that some are in circulation.
[Africa In Fact] The African Union is actively mobilising resources to help members implement the Paris Agreement, but funding challenges abound
[Nation] An economist in the US government has challenged African women to advocate for inclusion of gender responsive trade mechanisms under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday defended State security agents’ recent brutal clampdown on protesters, saying they were simply enforcing COVID-19 lockdown regulations. Mnangagwa also dismissed allegations of presiding over gross human rights violations. BY MOSES MATENGA Addressing members of the Political Actors’ Dialogue (Polad) in Harare yesterday, Mnangagwa also insisted that “contrary to social media claims”, there was no crisis in the country. “My compatriots, it is in line with enforcing these measures that some sections of society have cried foul,” Mnangagwa said. He was referring to the July 31 anti-corruption protests which were foiled by security forces, attracting the wrath of the international community. “In the wake of the arrest of some elements whose actions sought to not only incite the public to gather against the set rules, but also bordering on subversive allegations of a crisis has been made mainly in social media circles.” Mnangagwa has come under global spotlight after several countries, churches and rights groups condemned his clampdown on dissenting voices, arbitrary arrests of opposition leaders and civic society activists as well as abduction and torture of civilians. The outcry over rights violations in Zimbabwe last month prompted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy envoys on a fact-finding mission to Harare. Mnangagwa has, however, repeatedly denied that there is a crisis in the country and even accused his critics of working in cahoots with the opposition in a plot to overthrow his government. The Zanu PF leader yesterday said investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition leaders Jacob Ngarivhume and Job Sikhala were arrested for violating COVID-19 regulations as well as inciting despondency in the country. “I wish to unequivocally state that there is no crisis in Zimbabwe as elections were held in July 2018 and a winner was declared in terms of the country’s Constitution. All contestants were invited to join this dialogue in the national interest. The door is still open for those outside,” Mnangagwa said in a jibe directed at his main challenger MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, who has steadfastly refused to recognise his victory. Chamisa has also declined to be part of Polad, insisting on “genuine dialogue” superintended by credible observers and at a neutral venue. On the contentious land compensation issue that has triggered anxiety in the ruling Zanu PF party, Mnangagwa said: “… the land reform programme is irreversible. To this end, there is no vacillation. The current processes with regards to land issues entail the implementation of provisions of our national Constitution.”
[HRW] Beirut -- Transparent Inquiry Needed into Latest Politically Motivated Killing
[Shabait] Asmara, 08 December 2020 - An Eritrean Delegation led by Ambassador Araia Desta, Permanent Representative of Eritrea to African Union and UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), participated at the 21st AU Executive Ministerial Council meeting as well as at the two extraordinary sessions of the African Union Assembly held on 2, 5 and 6 December consecutively.
The African Union has suspended Mali's membership in response to the ouster by soldiers of its president and government in a coup.
On Thursday, January 14, 2021 from 7:30 until 8:30 PM, the International African Arts Festival in conjunction with the National Association of Kawaida Organizations will hold their first virtual program of the new year entitled: Marcus Garvey Goes Home to Africa. The program will focus on efforts to have a statue of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey installed at the … Continue reading \"Marcus Garvey Goes Home to Africa\"
