YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON — Cameroon journalists are calling for an investigation and say their profession is in danger after a popular radio host investigating government corruption was found dead. On his radio program two weeks ago, Cameroonian journalist Martinez Zogo said he had information that people involved in corruption wanted him dead. Then, on January 17, Zogo, the director of the urban radio station Amplitude FM, was abducted, prompting fears for his safety. On Sunday, Zogo’s body was found. Government spokesperson Rene Emmanuel Sadi said that it showed signs of torture…
Read MoreDay: January 27, 2023
Clerics in Somalia Vow to Counter Al-Shabab
MOGADISHU, SOMALIA — More than 300 Muslim clerics meeting in Somalia’s capital this week have declared their support for the government’s war against the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. The clerics issued their declaration following a four-day conference of Muslim scholars that ended Thursday with the formation of a Supreme Council. It was the first time in years that Somali clerics from all sects of Islam came together to denounce terrorism. Even the conservative Wahhabi sect, which has been accused of sympathizing with al-Shabab, participated. The coming together of Somali clerics…
Read MoreSouth Africa Battles Drownings With Survival Pools
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA — A red shipping container lies in a school playground in a small South African town. The imposing steel structure has an unexpected function: to help save youngsters in a country gripped by an epidemic of drownings. Within it is a swimming pool — the only one within 25 kilometers — where children will learn the basics of how to stay afloat. South Africa has thousands of kilometers of beaches, and in rich neighborhoods, swimming pools dot the gardens. Yet just one South African in seven…
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