Day: February 12, 2023

UNITED NATIONS— The UN team in Zambia is supporting the government’s response to the cholera outbreak along with ongoing severe floods that have displaced over 170,000 people in 22 districts of Zambia, said a UN spokesman.

The disaster challenges the access to basic services, like schools and hospitals. This has also impacted agriculture and livestock and destroyed critical infrastructure, like roads, bridges, schools, clinics and houses, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“Our team is providing technical support to authorities while mobilizing funding to bridge a gap of 32 million U.S. dollars for risk communication, water and sanitation, food and other items, among other needs. We are also tackling a cholera outbreak in three districts, where 90 cases and three deaths have been recorded,” said the spokesman.

Since December 2022, the UN Children’s Fund has provided 4.5 tons of granular chlorine, 20,000 bottles of liquid chlorine for household water treatment, and 250 containers of disinfectant, and other critical supplies to keep the water safe, he said.

For its part, the World Health Organization is working with authorities to strengthen assessment capacities along with surveillance, contact tracing, and lab preparations for cholera vaccination, said the spokesman.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

The cutting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ New Year Cake by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, will take place on Monday, February 13, at 13.00 (1 Akadimias St., ground floor)

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic

Algerian authorities have arrested the mother and sister of wanted activist Amira Bouraoui days after she left for France, a rights group and a radio reported on Sunday.

Bouraoui, a French-Algerian doctor by training, had been arrested in Tunisia last week and risked being deported to Algeria, but she was finally able to board a flight to France on Monday evening.

The 46-year-old was sentenced in Algeria in May 2021 to two years in jail for “offending Islam” and for insulting the president.

Her departure, following French intervention, created a diplomatic incident between Algiers and Paris, with Algeria recalling its ambassador from France for consultations.

On Saturday, officers in Algiers arrested her mother, Khadidja Bouaroui, 71, and her sister Wafa and searched their home, the National Committee for the Liberation of Detainees (CNLD) and Radio M reported.

Early Sunday, Wafa was released but Bouraoui’s mother was kept in detention and transferred to Annaba near the border with Tunisia, the CNLD said.

A cousin who lives in Annaba was also arrested, the reports said.

Algeria, in an official statement released by the president’s office Wednesday, “firmly protested against the clandestine and illegal exfiltration” of Amira Bouraoui via Tunisia to France.

President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also ordered ambassador Said Moussi to be recalled “with immediate effect.”

Ties between France and Algeria had been frosty since autumn 2021 but warmed when French President Emmanuel Macron visited Algiers last August.

Source: Voice of America

Malawi has dropped criminal charges against Anti-Corruption Bureau Director-General Martha Chizuma in connection with leaked audio in which she apparently complained that some officials were frustrating her fight against corruption.

Director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkakala said in a statement that he has discontinued the criminal case against Chizuma in line with the Malawi Constitution and to ensure that the functions of the Anti-Corruption Bureau are not impeded.

Chizuma was facing two counts of criminal defamation after two top officials she mentioned in a leaked audio as among those hindering her investigations sued her.

The lawsuits led the government to suspend Chizuma until the court case is concluded.

The withdrawal of charges comes a few days after the United States and other international donors accused Malawi of fighting anti-corruption champions instead of corruption.

In a statement Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Lilongwe condemned what it called harassment of Chizuma.

It also said the Malawi government was waging a campaign of intimidation against the country’s anti-corruption chief.

But the Malawi government denied those accusations.

Chizuma’s lawyer, Martha Kaukonde, told VOA that she has taken the news of withdrawal of charges with a pinch of salt, as similar past announcements never materialized.

“As you recall, the same pronouncements were made by the minister of justice a month ago and then nothing changed. We wrote to the minister but there was no formal withdrawal. So we are just waiting for a formal withdrawal,” she said.

However, Chamkakala said he has advised the secretary to the president and cabinet, Colleen Zamba, to reconsider her decision to suspend Chizuma.

In the meantime, lawyers the government hired this week to challenge an injunction against the suspension of Chizuma say they have withdrawn their appeal, which had been expected to be heard Monday.

Source: Voice of America