Africa 54 - June 4, 2021

You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis.

Top Stories:

We begin in the Horn of Africa where millions of people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, are in desperate need of food aid, and even in Mekelle, the regional capital, displaced families say that on some days, they have nothing to eat. As VOA’s Heather Murdock reports from Mekelle, hunger is only one element of the growing crisis stemming from the conflict in the region.

France said Thursday it would suspend joint military operations with Malian forces after the West African country's second coup in nine months. The decision comes after Mali's military strongman Assimi Goita, who led last year's coup, ousted the country's civilian transitional president and prime minister last week. The move sparked a diplomatic uproar, prompting the United States to suspend security assistance for Malian security forces and for the African Union and the West African regional block- ECOWAS to suspend Mali. Both Mali and France play key roles in the fight against a bloody insurgency plaguing the Sahel region. Goita will be officially inaugurated as Mali's transitional president on Monday when a new prime minister is also expected to be nominated.

The White House has announced it will deliver the bulk of its first 25 million donated doses of COVID-19 vaccine through COVAX, the United Nations-backed program delivering vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. Thursday’s announcement says it's part of a down payment on a pledge to donate 80 million doses by the end of June. President Joe Biden’s administration has been under pressure to share its vaccine supply.

A group of Nigerian health workers teamed up last week for a covid-19 musical aimed at comforting those impacted by the Coronavirus Pandemic, thanks to a grant given by the U.S. mission in Nigeria to Kunle Adewale; Founder and Executive Director of the Art Medicine Project, which is supported by the U.S. Department of State.

Amazon’s plan to build its Africa headquarters in Cape Town South Africa has been met with fury and protests from indigenous people who say its choice of land for the giant company would desecrate a key heritage site.

A Dutch entrepreneur, Joost de Kluijver realized he needed to reshape his business of recycling electronic waste in Africa, if it was going to survive—but there’s a caveat.

For the first time in 12 years, Israel will likely have a new government that does not include Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  Pending approval by the Knesset, the new government coalition also includes an Arab party for the first time.

South Africa, Uganda, and Nigeria have produced some of the most exciting dance videos in recent months. Host of Music Time in Africa, Heather Maxwell brings us this report of her Top 3.

#Ethiopia #Tigray #France #Mali #COVID_19 #Nigeria_Musical #Netanyahu #Uganda

Видео Africa 54 - June 4, 2021 канала VOA Africa