Africa’s startup founders and investors are watching what happens next for Silicon Valley Bank (SBV), which was shutdown by regulatory authorities in the United States on Friday—essentially freezing thousands of accounts at the tech-friendly bank and raising questions about what happens to startup funds. “Check in on your fellow tech…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The governments of Uganda and Tanzania are pushing back against a resolution, passed by the European Union, that calls for environmental and human rights protections as the two nations develop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The European Parliament resolution warns that the project threatens wetlands and water resources,…
The death of Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, announced Monday by the United States, brings some closure to Kenyans and Tanzanians who remember the 1998 embassy attacks, as well as diplomats who recall the terrorist bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam that claimed 224 lives. “I am thinking of…
More details have emerged from the Democratic Republic of Congo on the border shootings by United Nations peacekeepers that left at least two people dead. Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General António Guterres, said the incident began when a battalion of peacekeepers serving with the MONUSCO mission in DR…
Officials in Mozambique are reporting a polio outbreak, the first in the country since 1992. The case was found in Tete province in the country’s northeast. It was found in a child who experienced paralysis that began in late March, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Tests taken from…
The Nobel Prize in Literature was announced Thursday, with the prize going to Tanzanian native Abdulrazak Gurnah. Gurnah is known for his focus on migration and refugees, within the context of East Africa’s colonial history. He himself was a refugee, arriving in the United Kingdom in 1964 after fleeing from…
Tanzania is implementing new pandemic restrictions meant to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, according to an announcement from health minister Abel Makubi. The new rules include a ban on all flights to or from India, where the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming pace and emerging variants are adding…
President John Magufuli of Tanzania – no stranger to controversy where the COVID pandemic has been concerned – has made new and alarming statements about the coronavirus during a public appearance. Magufuli questioned the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, according to local media accounts of his remarks, and put…
Malawi has denied a report that its government will be sending troops to Mozambique to help fight Islamic militants in the Cabo Delgado region. The report, published by a local news outlet and shared widely on social media, follows a special summit meeting of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)…
Tanzanian environmental minister Hamisi Kigwangalla visited the scene of a wildfire burning through Kilimanjaro National Park on Wednesday, checking on fire suppression efforts and thanking those battling the flames. Community volunteers have joined professionals in working to put out a fire that TANAPA, the Tanzania National Parks authority, said broke…
The head of South Africa’s tax authority (SARS) has warned that it may take years to dismantle the criminal networks that have flourished during the alcohol and tobacco ban implemented as part of the country’s response to coronavirus. SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter said that the ban – which was established…
Tanzanians experienced a moderate earthquake on Thursday evening, one day after an unusually strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck just off the coast. The new quake, measured at 5.0 magnitude, occurred in the same Indian Ocean spot about 93 kilometers southeast of Dar es Salaam. The United States Geological Survey estimated a…
The deadline has been extended for applications for the prestigious Zayed Sustainability Prize, an initiative of the Unite Arab Emirates that engages Africans and their global counterparts in delivering solutions for a sustainable future. The prize coordinators say that because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they’ll now accept entries through…
Tanzania’s main opposition party has called on its affiliated MPs to avoid parliamentary meetings and committee work because of the spread of the coronavirus, which has claimed several of its members. Party for Democracy and Development (Chadema) leader Freeman Mbowe, who has been sharply critical of President John Magufuli’s response…
Ethiopian officials announced new measures to control the COVID-19 outbreak on Monday, as the country’s ministry of health confirmed a new case and a number of African governments enacted more strict controls amid a rising case count. All large gatherings or events are forbidden for the next two weeks, and…