Africa

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By Momodou Jarju

Senegal has qualified to the next stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) after beating nine-man Cape Verde 2-0 on Tuesday at the Bafoussam Stadium, Cameroon.

The Teranga Lions had to wait until their opponents were down to nine men when two of their players were shown red cards—midfielder Patrick Andrade in the 21 minutes and goalkeeper Vozinha in the 57 minutes.

Bologna and Gambia star Musa Barrow’s 71-minute goal puts the Scorpions in the quarter finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as they beat one of the tournament’s favourites Guinea Conakry by 1-0.

An excellent finish from a smooth pass from Yusupha Bobb was enough for Barrow who has been one of the best players in the tournament yet—contributing a goal in all four matches the country played so far. His splendid performance has earned the Man Of The Match for the second time.

BUJUMBURA, Burundi, Dec 7 – A massive fire tore through an overcrowded prison in Burundi before dawn on Tuesday, killing dozens of inmates and seriously injuring many more, the country’s vice president said.

Many prisoners were still asleep when the blaze took hold in a penitentiary in Burundi’s political capital Gitega, witnesses said. Much of the facility was destroyed.

Vice President Prosper Bazombanza, who visited the scene of the tragedy with several ministers, told reporters that 38 people were killed and 69 seriously hurt.

Khartoum (AFP), Dec 6 – Sudanese police fired tear gas Monday as thousands of protesters rallied against the military-dominated government near the presidential palace in Khartoum, witnesses told AFP.

The demonstrators marched from various districts of the capital, many carrying national flags or chanting, “No to military rule” and, “The army might betray you, but the street will never betray you”.

Protesters, in the latest of many rallies in recent weeks, set up road barricades with rocks and burning car tyres, the black smoke billowing into the sky.

NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 5 – China has rolled out major programs in Africa as part of its continuous efforts to strengthen its cooperation with Africa for mutual benefit.

As a culmination of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Dakar, Senegal from November 29-30, China has committed to investing in various sectors including health, green development, digital innovation, trade, and industrialization among others.

Tripoli, Libya, Dec 2 – A Libyan court on Thursday reinstated Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, son of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, as a candidate in next month’s presidential election, the latest twist in an increasingly shaky transition.

Seif al-Islam had emerged in July after years in the shadows, telling The New York Times that he was planning a political comeback to “restore the lost unity” of Libya, a decade after it was plunged into chaos by the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that overthrew and killed his father.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 2 – Kenya will now host the Regional Secretariat for Eastern and Central Africa which will be responsible for mitigating risks posed by the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) materials in the region.

Paris, France, Dec 2 – Global warming played only a minimal role in the famine that has hit Madagascar, according to a new study published Thursday which contradicts a UN description of the crisis as a “climate change famine”.

The southern Indian Ocean island off Africa has been hit by its worst drought in four decades.

The UN’s World Food Programme said last month that more than 1.3 million people there were considered to be in a food security crisis or emergency as a result.