Daybreak Africa - VOA Africa

On Daybreak Africa: In one of the deadliest cult-related massacres ever, at least 436 bodies have been recovered since police raided Good News International Church in a forest some 70 kilometers inland from the coastal town of Malindi Kenya. Plus, Comoros Islands President Assoumani is doing fine following Friday’s knife attack on him. Plus, more than half a million people are seeking refuge in Nigeria’s Borno State capital, Maiduguri. Meanwhile, Nigerian security agencies are hunting for dozens of escaped inmates from the flooded Maiduguri Maximum security prison. South Sudan’s government will brief diplomatic missions and United Nations agencies on Tuesday after extending the transitional period for elections. Uganda’s Electoral Commission declines to register a political party aligned to former presidential aspirant Dr. Kizza Besigye. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is the target of another assassination attempt. For this and more tune in to Daybreak Africa!

Comoros Islands authorities say the person who tried to assassinate President Azali Assoumani on Friday is dead. According to Reuters, Assoumani was injured Friday in a knife attack by a 24-year-old policeman. Mohamed Said Mchangama, CEO and editor-in-chief of Hayba FM radio in Moroni, tell VOA’s James Butty, President Assoumani is doing fine, while the body of the attacker has been laid to rest

The government of South Sudan will brief diplomatic missions and United Nations agencies on Tuesday about its decision to extend the country’s transitional period by two years. The government said the extension will enable it to implement the remaining critical protocols of the peace agreement. The extension also postpones the national elections scheduled for December 2024. Daniel Akech, International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for South Sudan, tells VOA’s James Butty, the government will probably be explaining to the diplomats the logic behind its decision

The Uganda Electoral Commission has declined registering a political party aligned to former presidential aspirant Dr. Kizza Besigye. The EC claims the People’s Front for Freedom party resembles another registered party. Supporters of the new party accuse the commission of bias. Reporter Mugume Davis Rwakaringi has more from Kampala

Its day 7 of the Maiduguri floods in Nigeria which have rendered over 500,000 people homeless and about a million affected as search and rescue teams continue operations. So far, about 29 camps have been erected across the state. Our reporter in Abuja gives us an update on the flood situation

Nigerian security agencies are hunting for dozens of escaped inmates from the flooded Maiduguri Maximum security prison housing captured Boko Haram and Islamic States insurgents. Abubakar Mohammed Sani, a security consultant with the University of Abuja’s department of military studies, tells VOA’s Chinedu Offor that the city may be vulnerable to an imminent attack insurgent attack

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is safe after what the FBI said appeared to be an assassination attempt on Sunday while he was playing golf in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was not harmed. Trump was injured in an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania on July 13, raising questions about protection for candidates’ just months ahead of what looks likely to be highly contested Nov. 5 election in which he will face off against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. Samer Shehata, associate professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oklahoma, tells VOA’s James Butty, the prevalence of guns and extreme political polarization are two contributing factors of political violence in the United States

On Daybreak Africa: Head of the African Union's health watchdog said it was time for the West to show it had learned from the Covid pandemic and not abandon Africa during the mpox outbreak. Plus, the US proposes two new permanent seats on the UN Security Council for Africa. A new report says if the Islamic State Somalia branch has become a financial hub, its leader may become overall chief of the IS. Kenyan President William Ruto visits Germany. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye dissolves the National Assembly and calls for new legislative elections on November 17. As the gender gap among voters widens, will women push Kamala Harris to victory in the US election. For this and more tune in to Daybreak Africa!

The International Crisis Group says Islamic State in Somalia has become an important financial influence for terrorism. A report suggests the leader of the IS-Somalia branch might become the new overall head of the militant group, as IS seeks to expand its operations in Africa. Mohammed Yusuf reports

President William Ruto left Kenya Thursday evening for a two-day official visit to Germany aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations. Local media, citing State House spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, say the President’s visit will feature high level engagements, including the signing of the Kenya-Germany Agreement on Comprehensive Migration and Mobility Partnership. Political analyst DAVID MONDA tells VOA’s Douglas Mpuga that the visit is a very important one

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has dissolved the opposition-led National Assembly. President Faye has called for new legislative elections on November 17. The French News Agency reports that government programs had been hampered by the lack of a majority in parliament. Senegalese political analyst Ibrahima Kane tells VOA’s James Butty, President Faye has the constitutional right to dissolve the legislature

The United States has proposed two new permanent seats on the UN Security Council for Africa. But, as the French News Agency reports, the new African seats will not have veto power over council resolutions. African nations already have three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, allocated on a rotating basis for two-year terms. The announcement was made Thursday by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, while speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington-based think tank

The United States has proposed two new permanent seats on the UN Security Council for Africa. Kweku Nuamah, professor in the School of International Service at American University in Washington DC, tells VOA’s James Butty, that he is not sure if the US offer would be acceptable, considering that Africa has been asking for two permanent seats with a veto – which is not included in the US offer

On Daybreak Africa: Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday vowed to "relentlessly track down" migrant traffickers a day after news that at least 35 people had drowned off West Africa. Plus, the United States pledges support for Africa's Artificial Intelligence goals. A study finds conflict has closed 14,000 schools in 24 African countries. A year after Morocco’s earthquake, the country’s High Atlas region is still recovering. Aflatoxin kills hundreds of dogs in southern Malawi. Will South Sudan be able to hold elections this year? Early polls suggest Kamala Harris won the presidential debate, but will it affect the vote. For this and more tune in to Daybreak Africa!

Malawi has recently recorded the sudden deaths of dogs after consuming meals prepared from maize husks contaminated with aflatoxins. Veterinary experts say the country has recorded 450 dog deaths since April, when the first cases were identified in Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre. Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre.

A year after a massive earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, people there say reconstruction has been slow, and many are still living in tents or have been forced to move elsewhere. Lisa Bryant reports.

More than 14,000 schools in 24 African countries have been closed due to conflict and insecurity, affecting the education of millions of children. An international aid agency warns that children who are not in school are at risk of being recruited by armed groups, being forced into child labor, or the threat of physical violence, and sexual exploitation. Mohammed Yusuf report

Delegates from more than 30 African countries and the United States have wrapped up a two-day artificial intelligence summit in Nigeria to promote the safe development and deployment of AI in Africa and beyond. Timothy Obiezu has more on the summit, which was a partnership between Nigerian authorities and the United States

A week ago, participants in the Kenya-led South Sudan peace talks, also known as the Tumaini Initiative, predicted that an agreement could be signed by September 16. In July, First Vice President Riek Machar, a key partner, withdrew from the talks. Meanwhile, South Sudan is supposed to hold elections by the end of the year. Daniel Akech is the International Crisis Group’s senior analyst for South Sudan. The group has just published an advisory on the Tumaini Initiative. Akech tells VOA’s James Butty, that the stakes are high for South Sudan, and that even an agreement – or even an election – will not solve all the country’s problems.

On Daybreak Africa: The price of gold recently reached an all-time high, and the World Gold Council predicts that central banks will increase their gold reserves in the next year. Plus, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met last night for their first debate. Three days of national mourning for students killed in a dormitory fire in Kenya comes to an end Wednesday. The Pan-African Opposition Leaders Solidarity Network condemns the abduction and murder of a Tanzanian opposition member. For these and more, tune in to Daybreak Africa!