Author: WAJ Team

Ghana’s cocoa industry is bracing for another shortfall, with official figures indicating the country is unlikely to meet its seasonal production target of 650,000 metric tonnes. The shortfall is being driven by a prolonged dry spell and increasing levels of cross-border smuggling, according to data from the Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod). Despite early optimism for a rebound this season, cocoa arrivals at warehouses had only reached 570,000 tonnes by May 2—leaving an 80,000-tonne gap with just weeks remaining before the end of the 2024/25 season in July. “Given the trend between May and July, we don’t expect to reach the…

At least 42 people were killed in a surge of coordinated attacks across Benue State’s Gwer West district over the weekend, in the latest outbreak of violence linked to Nigeria’s deepening land-use conflict in the Middle Belt. Local authorities confirmed that 32 bodies were recovered from the villages of Ahume and Aondona following Sunday’s assault. A separate incident on Saturday claimed 10 lives in Tyolaha and Tse-Ubiam villages. “This is a community under siege,” said Victor Omnin, chairman of the Gwer West local government, during a press briefing on Tuesday. “We are still recovering corpses as we speak. The scale…

Presley Chweneyagae, the South African film and television star whose breakthrough as a hardened young criminal in the Oscar-winning Tsotsi (2005) brought him global acclaim, has died at 40. His agency, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (MLA), confirmed the news, extending heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues and fans. Chweneyagae first captured attention as the title character in Tsotsi, a gritty Johannesburg drama that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2006, he received the Golden Horn Award for Best Actor at the South African Film and Television Awards, establishing himself as one of the nation’s foremost talents.…

Egyptian archaeologists have uncovered three ancient tombs in the historic necropolis of Dra Abu al-Naga, Luxor, shedding new light on burial customs and administrative life during the New Kingdom period. Announced Monday by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the discovery includes tombs that span from the Ramesside period to the 18th Dynasty, with inscriptions revealing the identities and roles of those buried—ranging from estate officials to temple supervisors. The excavation was led by local experts under the Supreme Council of Antiquities, whose secretary-general, Mohamed Ismail Khaled, noted that further analysis of the inscriptions is underway. “These findings are only…

Mozambique has launched a national campaign to recover cultural artifacts taken during the colonial period, with authorities pledging to intensify efforts to trace and repatriate hundreds of stolen historical items currently held in foreign museums and institutions. Speaking during Africa Day celebrations in Maputo on Sunday, Minister of Education and Culture Samaria Tovela described the restitution process as an essential path toward cultural restoration and historical redress. The government estimates that over 800 cultural objects were removed without consent during colonial rule, many of which remain abroad. “These acts of cultural dispossession did not just rob Mozambique of objects—they stripped…

Eleven people have been confirmed dead and seven others injured following the collapse of a building under construction in Touba, central Senegal. The tragedy unfolded Sunday afternoon and was confirmed by the Ministry of Health and Social Action on Monday. The incomplete three-storey structure gave way suddenly, trapping workers and bystanders. Emergency teams mobilized quickly, with the injured rushed to Cheikh Ahmadoul Khadim Hospital and Matlaboul Fawzaini Hospital for medical care. Two remain in critical condition. Authorities say the collapse was preventable. According to Senegal’s National Director of Construction, Moussa Tine, the structure failed due to a disregard for basic…

Five contenders are vying to lead the African Development Bank (AfDB), with the presidential election set to take place this Thursday during the institution’s annual meeting in Abidjan. At a time when Africa’s development financing is under pressure from global economic shifts, the outcome could reshape the continent’s approach to infrastructure, trade, and financial independence. The AfDB’s $318 billion capital base is emerging as a critical lifeline as concessional funding dwindles, donor support contracts, and borrowing costs climb. Against this backdrop, the candidates are laying out bold agendas to strengthen the bank’s impact across Africa’s 54 nations. Swazi Tshabalala Bajabulile:…

Nigeria is set to commission two large lithium processing plants this year, marking a pivotal shift in the country’s mining strategy from exporting raw minerals to enhancing local value addition. The announcement was made by Mining Minister Dele Alake, who emphasized the government’s focus on leveraging mineral resources for economic growth and industrial development. The first facility, a $600 million lithium processing plant near the Kaduna-Niger border, is slated to begin operations this quarter. A second plant, valued at $200 million and located on the outskirts of Abuja, is nearing completion. Both projects are expected to generate employment opportunities, transfer…

A new report from SBM Intelligence has revealed that more than 700 lives have been lost in Nigeria’s southeast since 2021 due to the enforcement of sit-at-home orders by the proscribed separatist group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The movement, which seeks the secession of the southeast—a region predominantly inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group—has been classified as an armed group organization by the Nigerian government. The deaths, according to the report, have resulted from violent enforcement measures targeting civilians who refused to comply with the orders, as well as direct clashes between IPOB members and security personnel. The…

A tragic fire swept through a family’s home in the Marikana informal settlement, Ekurhuleni, early Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of six family members and leaving only one young survivor in critical condition. William Tladi, spokesperson for Ekurhuleni emergency services, confirmed that the fire ignited in the early hours and quickly consumed the family’s four-room shack, where seven people were asleep at the time. Emergency services received the distress call at 3:08 am but by the time firefighters arrived, the shack was already fully engulfed in flames. Despite courageous efforts from neighbours who tried to control the fire using…

One of the continent’s last vital breeding grounds for the lesser flamingo has been lost following years of untreated sewage contamination at Kamfers Dam, conservationists report. The disappearance of the iconic pink birds from this artificial reservoir near Kimberley marks a serious blow to the species’ survival prospects in Africa. Until recently, lesser flamingos bred at four primary sites across Africa: two salt pans in Botswana and Namibia, a soda lake in Tanzania, and Kamfers Dam in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. With the ongoing pollution crisis forcing flamingos to abandon Kamfers Dam, only three breeding habitats remain. The International…

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for stronger global efforts to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support Palestinian rights during a ministerial meeting of the Madrid Group held in Spain’s capital on Sunday. In a statement from the Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty welcomed the evolving positions of several countries regarding the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, urging the international community to maintain pressure for justice and human dignity. He warned that the humanitarian disaster in Gaza has reached levels never seen before. Israeli forces have blocked the entry of essential supplies—such as food, fuel, and medicine—for more…

In a decisive move to curb petroleum-related crimes, the Nigerian Army announced on Sunday that it has dismantled 19 illegal crude oil refineries operating in the oil-rich Niger Delta region. The military operation, which took place between May 19 and 25, is part of an intensified nationwide effort to tackle the persistent challenge of oil theft and pipeline vandalism. According to Lieut. Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, acting deputy director of Army Public Relations for the 6 Division, the operation led to the seizure of approximately 589,000 liters of refined petroleum products. Twenty individuals suspected to be involved in the illegal…

Uganda has announced the suspension of all military and defense cooperation with Germany following accusations against the German Ambassador to Uganda, Mathias Schauer, of involvement in activities deemed hostile by the Ugandan government. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson, Chris Magezi, confirmed the decision on Sunday, citing intelligence reports that allege Ambassador Schauer’s engagement with pseudo-political and military groups operating against the state. Magezi stated that the suspension will remain in effect until the matter is fully investigated and resolved. This move comes amid heightened political tensions within Uganda, where opposition figures have faced arrests on charges related to…

In a significant archaeological breakthrough, an Egyptian excavation team has uncovered a two-level mudbrick building dating back to the 6th–7th centuries in the Manqabad area of Assiut Governorate, located roughly 12 kilometers northwest of Assiut City in Upper Egypt. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Sunday. The structure, believed to have served a religious or monastic function, was coated in white mortar and contains several detailed wall paintings that offer insight into Coptic religious practices and symbolism of the period. According to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, one of…

All 260 miners trapped underground at the Kloof-seven shaft in South Africa’s Gauteng province have been safely evacuated, following a mechanical malfunction that temporarily disrupted mining operations at one of Sibanye-Stillwater’s gold facilities. The incident, which occurred late Thursday, was linked to a technical fault in the shaft’s rock winder system. According to the company, a skip door unexpectedly opened at the level 39 loading station, cutting access to deeper sections of the mine including levels 40, 41 and below. As a result, miners working in the lower zones were unable to return to the surface. Sibanye-Stillwater confirmed in a…