Tanzania negotiates safe passage for citizens with Russia
Tanzania has said it has negotiated a safe passage with Russia for its students studying in a Ukrainian university near Kharkiv, local media outlets have reported.
The Tanzanian embassy in Moscow had now asked its nationals studying at the Sumy State University in eastern Ukraine to head to the Russian border, the private Mwananchi newspaper
.
“A statement from the Tanzanian embassy… called on the students to head to Sudja where they will be received by the Russian army,” the report said.
“From Sudja, they will be transported by the army to Belgorod [in Russia] where they will be welcomed by officials from the Tanzanian embassy based in Moscow for processing before heading back home to Tanzania,” the report said, citing the statement.
“The embassy has also advised the students to leave the university in groups and carry the Tanzanian flag for identification while passing through the safe corridor,” the report said.
The announcement of the safe corridor came after diplomatic talks with Russia, the report said. The private ITV Television published the statement from the Tanzanian embassy in Moscow.
It was not immediately clear how many Tanzanian students are in Sumy.
Mwananchi newspaper has reported that more than 400 Tanzanian students in Odesa and 200 in Kyik had already left Ukraine.
Nigerians banned from going to fight in Ukraine
Nigeria has said it will not allow its nationals to be enlisted to fight in Ukraine where Russian forces are bombing cities and rattling neighbourhoods with gunfire.
This follows reports of alleged recruitment of volunteers in the country to fight on the side of Ukraine.
Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the Ukrainian embassy had denied any role in the alleged exercise.
But the embassy confirmed that a number of Nigerians had approached it indicating willingness to join the war, according to a ministry statement
.
The embassy also distanced itself from claims that it was requesting $1,000 (£800) from each Nigerian volunteer for an air ticket and visa.
“Nigeria discourages the use of mercenaries anywhere in the world and will not tolerate the recruitment, in Nigeria, of Nigerians as mercenaries to fight in Ukraine or anywhere else in the world,” the ministry’s spokesperson said.
It comes days after Senegal warned against volunteers enlisting to fight against Russians in Ukraine.
It also ordered the Ukrainian ambassador to take down a Facebook post that had called on Senegalese volunteers to enlist to the war.
South African charity to send aid to Ukraine
South African charity Gift of the Givers has said it will send humanitarian aid to Ukraine where the UN estimates more than one million civilians have fled because of the Russian invasion.
In a statement
, the charity said it will “provide emergency medical and non-medical assistance to front line facilities and internally displaced civilians inside Ukraine”.
“Discussions with various pharmaceutical companies, medical aid societies and corporate companies wanting to support the initiative are underway,” it said.
Some of the aid will be sent to Kharkiv where Russian shells have been raining down on neighbourhoods.
Gift of the Givers will also fund the repatriation of South African students wanting to return home.
The charity has previously sent humanitarian aid to front lines in Syria.
Kenya declares yellow fever outbreak after deaths
Kenya on Sunday declared a yellow fever outbreak after three people died and 15 other suspected cases were detected in the northern county of Isiolo.
The health ministry said it had dispatched a rapid response team to the area.
It also said it would prioritise vaccination in at least another half a dozen neighbouring counties that have now been placed on red alert.
Local media report that the first cases of yellow fever were detected in mid-January in Merti and Garba Tula areas, raising questions an why an an alert was only issued on Saturday.
But these are some of the harshest and remotest parts of the country, where families raise livestock moving from one area to another in search of pasture and water.
Health centres are also poorly staffed and equipped.
Yellow fever is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. It’s symptoms include severe fever, headaches, jaundice and in some cases liver failure.
Yellow fever vaccinations levels are low in the country despite being relatively accessible in government hospitals. It is partly due to its high cost of about $18 (£13) to $20 which is out of reach for many Kenyans especially in rural areas.
The last yellow fever outbreak was in 1992/1993.
Former South Africa President Jacob Zuma has backed President Vladimir Putin in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, describing him as a man of peace.
Western nations have imposed punitive sanctions on Russia, including the freezing of Mr Putin’s foreign assets over his invasion of Ukraine.
But Mr Zuma said Mr Putin’s decision was “justifiable”, according to a statement
released by his foundation.
“We all need peace in this world. Therefore we would like to urge those involved to bring peace as swiftly as possible so that lives can be saved,” the statement said.
Mr Zuma was forced out of office by his own party in 2018, the African National Congress (ANC), over corruption allegations. He denies any wrongdoing.Article share tool
Namibians studying in Ukraine to enrol back home
Namibian students who have arrived home from Ukraine following Russia’s invasion will have an option to enrol in local universities, the education ministry has said.
A ministry official termed it a second chance to the students, although there was no clarity on how grades will be transferred.
The announcement came as some 23 students arrived home on Sunday.
African students who were studying in Ukraine had said that they were uncertain about the fate of their education.
Some countries like Ghana have agreed with Hungary that some Ghanaian students who had fled Ukraine can complete their studies in Hungarian universities.
They will provide space and resources and the students will pay the same fees as in Ukraine.
There is no food in the market, cashpoints are not working and the students are drinking melted snow after running out of water.
An Indian student, Vipin Yadav, who is part of the group trapped in the city, estimates about 1,300 foreign students are still trapped there – including people from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Turkey.
In a phone interview, Mr Yadav told the BBC’s Danny Aeberhard that there was nothing to eat for the last four to five days.
Nigerian and Ghanaian governments have been repatriating their nationals who are fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. The first groups arrived back home last week.
More than 1,000 Ghanaian students were living in Ukraine until Russia invaded the country. The West African nation has so far made two repatriation missions.
Nigeria is expected to evacuate 5,000 citizens who crossed from Ukraine to the neighbouring countries of Romania, Poland and Hungary.
