November 26, 2021

Kenya on High Alert As New Coronavirus Variant Emerges

Kenya has not banned travel to southern Africa but its Ministry of Health says it will carefully screen people arriving from South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong for the new COVID variant discovered in South Africa.

The Kenyan government directs passengers arriving from southern African countries to take the COVID test before being allowed into the country.

South Africa and Botswana have reported a new variant in their countries that scientists say is highly transmittable and vaccine resistant.

Kenya’s Director General for Health Patrick Amoth told VOA his country is on high alert to combat the new variant.

“We are working to ensure that our surveillance system is top-notch and looking specifically at people coming from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong to put them through a robust surveillance system,” said Amoth. “We insist on having you fully vaccinated before you come to the country. And you also need to have a negative PCR test taken 96 hours before your arrival in the country.”

This week, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta traveled to South Africa, where he signed deals to boost trade and economic cooperation between the two countries,

To combat the spread of the virus in the population, the East African nation launched a ten-day mass vaccination campaign Friday. Kenya has vaccinated at least 6.5 million people.

Amoth says they have enough vaccines to inoculate even more.

“It’s part of the ongoing vaccination process and we wanted to scale up in view of the events that are happening in Europe and the rest of the world,” said Amoth. “So to ensure we reach herd immunity and the entire population is protected and now we have more vaccines available we thought to be able to scale up so that we can be able to reach more people.”

Amoth expressed confidence that more Kenyans will get vaccinated.

“For example, yesterday we vaccinated close to 111,000 people from the previous daily rate of about 50,000-60,000,” said Amoth. “So Kenyans are enthusiastic to be able to take the vaccine and also now this emerging information we believe will sway the public opinion towards going for the vaccine instead of vaccine hesitancy.”

Kenya has a policy of not providing government services to unvaccinated people as a way of encouraging them to get inoculated.

Kenya hopes to vaccinate 10 million people by the end of the year.

Source: Voice of America

November 26, 2021

WHO Names New COVID Variant Omicron, Cautions Against Travel Measures

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday classified the B.1.1.529 variant detected in South Africa as a SARS-CoV-2 “variant of concern,” saying it may spread more quickly than other forms.

Preliminary evidence suggested there is an increased risk of reinfection and there had been a “detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology,” it said in a statement after a closed meeting of independent experts who reviewed the data.

Infections in South Africa had risen steeply in recent weeks, coinciding with detection of the variant now designated as omicron, WHO said.

“This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other (variants of concern),” it said.

Omicron is the fifth variant to carry such a designation. “This variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage,” the WHO said.

Current PCR tests continue to successfully detect the variant, it said.

Earlier, the WHO cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the variant of COVID-19, saying they should take a “risk-based and scientific approach.”

Global authorities reacted with alarm to the new variant detected in South Africa, with the EU and Britain among those tightening border controls as scientists sought to find out if the mutation was vaccine-resistant.

“At this point, implementing travel measures is being cautioned against,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a U.N. briefing in Geneva. “The WHO recommends that countries continue to apply a risk-based and scientific approach when implementing travel measures.”

It would take several weeks to determine the variant’s transmissibility and the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics against it, he said, noting that 100 sequences of the variant have been reported so far.

People should continue to wear masks whenever possible, avoid large gatherings, ventilate rooms and maintain hand hygiene, Lindmeier added.

Mike Ryan, WHO’s emergency director, praised South African public health institutions for picking up the signal of the new variant.

But he warned that while some countries had systems in place to do this, the situation elsewhere was often unclear.

“So, it’s really important that there are no knee-jerk responses here. Especially with relation to South Africa,” he said. “Because we’ve seen in the past, the minute that there is any mention of any kind of variation, then everyone is closing borders and restricting travel.”

Source: Voice of America

November 26, 2021

Sudanese Politicians Detained in Coup Start Hunger Strike

Several Sudanese political figures arrested since a coup last month have started a hunger strike in protest at their continued detention, the coalition they were part of said on Friday.

An army takeover on October 25 halted a power sharing deal between the military and civilians from the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) alliance, and a number of ministers and top civilian officials were detained.

Some civilian figures have been released since the military struck a deal on November 21 with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, freeing him from house arrest and reinstating him. The deal provided for the release of all political detainees.

Those who have gone on hunger strike include deposed minister of cabinet affairs Khalid Omer Yousif, senior Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) official Sharif Mohamed Osman, and a third prominent political figure Jaafar Hassan, the SCP said in a statement.

“The step of the strike comes because of their continuous arbitrary detention since the October 25 coup and the deprivation of their basic human rights,” the statement said.

Protests calling for the military to exit politics and be held to account for the deaths of civilian protesters have been ongoing since the announcement of the deal between military leaders and Hamdok. A call has been issued for more mass rallies Sunday.

Meanwhile, five political figures including former trade minister Madani Abbas Madani and well known activist Mohamed Nagi al-Assam have been released, Madani told Reuters Friday.

Another four prominent political figures including SCP leader Omer Eldigair and SPLM-N rebel group deputy head and former Hamdok adviser Yasir Arman were released Monday.

Source: Voice of America

November 26, 2021

Ethiopians, Friends of Ethiopia Sang “No more” at the African Peace Walk in Djibouti

Ethiopians living in Djibouti have participated today in the 14th edition of the African Peace Walk held in Arta, Djibouti.

During the 10kms Peace Walk, Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia have voiced the now popular movement dubbed “No More” that called for an end to mainstream media misrepresentations of the situation in Ethiopia and meddling in the country’s internal affairs.

High-level government officials, Heads of Missions and diplomats as well as nationalities from different countries took part in the African Peace Walk, according to Foreign Affairs Minister.

It is to be recalled that tens of thousands of Ethiopians in the diaspora had held demonstrations in 27 major cities across the globe last Sunday under the Motto ” No More”.

The demonstrators denounced foreign intervention in the internal affairs of Ethiopia and urged western nations to stop supporting the terrorist TPLF which is engaged in distractive activities to dismantle the country in collaboration with internal and external forces.

Source: Ethiopia News agency

November 26, 2021

UN Recap: November 20-26, 2021

Editor’s note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch.

UN Libya Envoy Resigns One Month Before Elections:

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accepted his Libya envoy’s resignation Tuesday, just a month before presidential and parliamentary elections are due to take place in that country. The U.N. Security Council threatened sanctions Wednesday against anyone who undermines the vote or instigates violence.

UN Security Council Threatens Sanctions Against Libya Election Spoilers

New COVID-19 Variant Raises Concerns:

The World Health Organization’s technical working group meets Friday to discuss the emergence of a new coronavirus variant detected in South Africa. Several countries have already suspended travel from South Africa and several neighboring nations over transmission fears.

South African Scientists Detect New Virus Variant; WHO to Assess It

Sudan PM Returns Under Controversial Deal:

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was released from house arrest Tuesday following the October 25 military coup. In a deal agreed upon Sunday, he is to lead a government of technocrats in a power-sharing transition with the military. Thousands of citizens oppose the move and took to the streets Thursday.

Thousands Protest in Sudan Against Deal Between Prime Minister, Military

News in Brief:

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres traveled to Colombia this week, where he participated Wednesday in commemorations marking the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Final Peace Agreement between the government of Colombia and the former FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). He met separately with President Iván Duque, as well as with ex-FARC leader Rodrigo Londoño, now president of the Comunes political party, as well as civil society representatives.

As the security situation in Ethiopia continues to deteriorate, the United Nations said Tuesday that “out of an abundance of caution” it is temporarily moving the dependents of its international staff out of the country. The U.N. has just over a thousand international personnel and dependents in the country. Staff will remain to carry out their work.

Some Good News:

The U.N. has been struggling for more than a month to get any aid into northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region where more than 5 million people are suffering under a de facto government blockade. On Wednesday, the U.N. said it was finally able to move nearly 40 aid-laden trucks into the region, as well as resume humanitarian air cargo flights that had been suspended due to air strikes last month. However, the U.N. says 500 trucks of aid supplies are needed weekly to meet needs in Tigray.

Quote of Note:

“Violence against women is an existing global crisis that thrives on other crises. Conflict, climate-related natural disasters, food insecurity and human rights violations all contribute to women and girls living with a sense of danger, even in their own homes, neighborhoods, or communities. The COVID-19 pandemic, which necessitated isolation and social distancing, enabled a second, shadow pandemic of violence against women and girls, where they often found themselves in lockdown with their abusers.”

Sima Bahous, U.N. Women executive director on Thursday, launching the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence.

What we are watching next week:

On Tuesday, the U.N. General Assembly’s 9-member credentials committee will meet. This panel reviews and approves who represents nations at the world body. It will have two thorny credentials to review: Myanmar’s military junta wants to replace the previous democratically elected government’s envoy with one of their own, and Afghanistan’s Taliban also seeks to do the same. Neither group has received international recognition as those country’s formal governments.

Source: Voice of America