
<p>NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Several African governments on Sunday closed borders, canceled flights and imposed strict entry and quarantine requirements to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, which has a foothold in at least 26 countries on the continent as cases keep rising.</p>



<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster and warned the outbreak could have a “potentially lasting” impact on the continent’s most-developed economy, which is already in recession.  </p>



<p>Measures to be taken there include barring travel to and from countries such as Italy, Germany, China and the United States.  </p>



<p>“Any foreign national who has visited high-risk countries in the past 20 days will be denied a visa,” he said, adding that South Africans who visited targeted countries would be subjected to testing and quarantine when returning home. </p>



<p>South Africa, which has recorded 61 cases, will also prohibit gatherings of more than 100 people, Ramaphosa said. [nL8N2B8163] </p>



<p>Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said his government was suspending travel from any country with reported COVID-19 cases.</p>



<p>“Only Kenyan citizens, and any foreigners with valid residence permits will be allowed to come in, provided they proceed on self-quarantine,” he told the nation in a televised address.  </p>



<p>The ban would take effect within 48 hours and remain in place for at least 30 days, he said.   </p>



<p>Schools should close immediately and universities by the end of the week, he added. Citizens would be encouraged to make cashless transactions to cut the risk of handling contaminated  money.  </p>



<p>Kenya and Ethiopia have now recorded three and four cases respectively, authorities in each nation said on Sunday, two days after they both reported their first cases.  </p>



<p>In West Africa, Ghana will ban entry from Tuesday to anyone who has been to a country with more than 200 coronavirus cases in the past 14 days, unless they are an official resident or Ghanaian national. Ghana has recorded six cases.     </p>



<p>President Nana Akufo-Addo said in a televised Sunday evening address that universities and schools will be closed from Monday until further notice. Public gatherings will be banned for four weeks, he said, though private burials are allowed for groups of less than 25 people.  </p>



<p>In southern Africa, Namibia ordered schools to close for a month after recording its first two cases on Saturday.  </p>



<p>Djibouti, which has no confirmed case of COVID-19, said on Sunday it was suspending all international flights. Tanzania, which also has no cases yet, canceled flights to India and suspended school games.  </p>



<p>Other nations have also shuttered schools, canceled religious festivals and sporting events to minimize the risk of transmission. Some 156,500 people worldwide have been infected and almost 6,000 have died. [nL4N2AY3AS] </p>



<p>(Reporting by Wendell Roelf in Cape Town, Edward McAllister in Dakar, Omar Mohammed and Duncan Miriri in Nairobi, Giulia Paravicini in Addis Ababa, Nyasha Nyaungwa in Windhoek and Christian Akorlie in Accra; Writing by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Alexandra Hudson, Peter Cooney and Diane Craft)</p>



<p>This article was first published on Reuters Africa <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN2130YS-OZATP">https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN2130YS-OZATP</a> and is republished with its permission.</p>


African nations close borders, cancel flights amid coronavirus pandemic


<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Ethiopian_Airlines_Wikimedia-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-129387"/><figcaption>The accident killed all 157 people on board when the new Boeing plunged into farmland six minutes after taking off from the capital. It was the second accident involving the 737 MAX in five months and led to the plane being grounded worldwide. </figcaption></figure>



<p>ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) &#8211; Families who lost loved ones aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 visited the crash site on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy, a day after interim results of a probe focused on faulty systems on the Boeing 737 MAX jet.</p>



<p>The accident killed all 157 people on board when the new Boeing plunged into farmland six minutes after taking off from the capital. It was the second accident involving the 737 MAX in five months and led to the plane being grounded worldwide.</p>



<p>People from 33 nations were aboard Flight 302, many of them working with the United Nations, and hundreds of relatives and friends from across the world travelled to Ethiopia for the memorial.</p>



<p>Families from countries including Canada, the United States, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Italy and France attended the ceremony at the crash site, about a three-hour drive from the capital, Addis Ababa.</p>



<p>The programme included a tree planting and the reading out of victims’ names, organisers said. Police set up a roadblock a kilometre from the site to prevent the public from attending.</p>



<p>At the United Nations offices in Addis Ababa, friends and families lit candles in front of wreaths in honour of loved ones and colleagues.</p>



<p>“We are traumatized all over again,” said Huguette Debets, who lost her husband Jackson Musoni, father of their three children.</p>



<p>“I want the world to never forget these horrific plane crashes…it could happen to any of us and it should never happen again.” </p>



<p>In a separate event, employees of Ethiopian Airlines gathered at the pilots’ association, where pictures of the dead were lined by arrangements of white roses, the traditional colour of mourning in Ethiopia.</p>



<p> A small string orchestra played as a slideshow displayed pictures of the dead in happier times.</p>



<p>Getachew Tessema, the father of the captain, said his family had been filled with pride when his son began working for the airline.</p>



<p>“He died at the tender age of 29. The only hope I have is to see him in the afterlife. Our wounds will never heal.”</p>



<p>The 737 MAX, Boeing’s best-selling aircraft, remains grounded. The plane maker has lost billions of dollars since the Ethiopian crash and an October 2018 accident involving Indonesia’s Lion Air, which killed all 189 people aboard.</p>



<p> Boeing’s CEO was forced to step down and the company is facing hundreds of lawsuits from bereaved families.</p>



<p>Monday’s interim report from Ethiopia’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau bolstered the findings of Ethiopia’s initial assessment, which linked the crash to the plane’s MCAS anti-stall software.</p>



<p>It identified no issues with the airline or the pilots’ handling of the plane. </p>



<p>Inaccurate sensor readings activated the plane’s MCAS anti-stall system, pushing the nose of the aircraft lower as the pilots struggled to control it, the report said.</p>



<p>Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; additional reporting by Kumerra Gemechu in Addis Ababa; writing by Omar Mohammed and Katharine Houreld; editing by Jason Neely, David Goodman and Mike Collett-White </p>


Memorial marks first anniversary of Ethiopian 737 MAX crash

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The Ethiopian government has rejected the decision by the Arab League to endorse Egypt’s position on the Nile waters. Meanwhile, Sudan has urged Egypt and Ethiopia to return to negotiations to reach a deal regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. CNBC Africa spoke to Mikael Arage, Analyst for more.</p>


Finding solutions to the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute

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Telecommunications group Econet is reportedly looking to acquire a license in Ethiopia which is opening up industry to foreign investment for the first time. Sabelo Dlamini, Senior Research and consulting Manager at International Data Corporation joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Zim billionaire Masiyiwa to bid for Ethiopian telecoms licence


<p>By Giulia Paravicini</p>



<p>ADDIS ABABA, Feb 18 (Reuters) &#8211; The United States will provide financial assistance to Ethiopia as it pursues political reforms, the office of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.</p>



<p>&#8220;An agreement has been reached regarding the strengthening of the holistic and ongoing reform in Ethiopia to which the United States Government plans to provide substantial financial support,&#8221; the statement said.</p>



<p>Neither Pompeo nor Abiy provided further details. Ethiopia, Africa&#8217;s second-most populous nation, has long been an ally of the United States, which supplies about $1 billion in aid annually.</p>



<p>Pompeo praised political reforms Abiy has spearheaded ahead of Ethiopia&#8217;s upcoming elections. Ethiopians are due vote on Aug. 29 in a balllot Abiy has promised will be free and fair in a bold break from decades of repression.</p>



<p>&#8220;A free and credible vote will show that there is no false choice between democracy and security and it will ensure that everyone has a choice,&#8221; Pompeo told reporters.</p>



<p>Abiy took power in 2018 following years of anti-government protests. He freed thousands of political prisoners, won the Nobel Peace Prize for ending a long-running conflict with neighbouring Eritrea, and put prominent dissidents and human rights activists in positions of power.</p>



<p>&#8220;These aren&#8217;t reforms imposed by somebody on the outside. These were reforms that came from Ethiopian people,&#8221; Pompeo said.</p>



<p>A senior U.S. State Department official told pool reporters said Abiy appeared committed to holding elections on time, although he said Ethiopian security agencies &#8211; long used to suppressing political opposition &#8211; might need some more training on respecting human rights.</p>



<p>Abiy&#8217;s reforms, while applauded abroad, have also unleashed simmering ethnic and political tensions at home as regional powerbrokers jockey for position. More than 2 million of Ethiopia&#8217;s 109 million citizens have been displaced, according to the United Nations.</p>



<p>&#8220;The most important challenge for us is security,&#8221; Ethiopia&#8217;s foreign minister Gedu Andargachew told reporters. &#8220;Most of our youth have no job… this situation is difficult to maintain peace and order.&#8221;</p>



<p>Abiy has also overseen economic reforms, promising to open its bureaucratic, state-run economy to foreign investment and liberalise the telecoms and banking sectors. Ethiopia struggles with foreign exchange shortages that inhibit investment. Gedu also said there had been &#8220;progress&#8221; in a dispute that the U.S. Treasury has been trying to mediate between Ethiopia and Egypt over Ethiopia&#8217;s giant Blue Nile hydropower dam.</p>



<p>Pompeo is on a tour that has already taken him to Germany, Senegal and Angola. His visit comes as some African governments are questioning U.S. President Donald Trump&#8217;s commitment to their continent. </p>



<p>(Additional reporting from pool reporters, Editing by Angus MacSwan Writing by Katharine Houreld)</p>


U.S. to offer financial support for this East African country’s political reforms

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Uganda and Tanzania are the latest East African economies that are being affected by locust swarms. For months, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia have been ravaged by locust swarms which have decimated crops and risk reducing economic growth, creating inflationary pressures, and increasing food insecurity in the agriculture-dependent East African region but is there cause for alarm? CNBC Africa&#8217;s Arnold Kwizera spoke to Kelvin Dalrymple, the Vice President of Moody&#8217;s for more on this.</p>


Uganda

Uganda, Tanzania latest to be affected by locust swarms – how will this impact food security & EA economies?

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The Interim Director of One Africa, Edwin Ikhuoria, says to silence the guns of conflict in Africa, the continent’s leaders must first deal with the root cause which is unemployment. Ikhuoria argues that if youths are employed, they will not be available to be radicalised. He discussed this and more with CNBC Africa’s Godfrey Mutizwa on the side-lines of the concluded 33rd African Union Summit.</p>


AU Summit 2020: “This is the year of dealing with root causes of conflicts in Africa” – One Africa’s Edwin Ikhuoria

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For the past few weeks, locusts have been swarming across East Africa with farmers in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya now counting losses. The devastating insects are moving fast through the region and have reached Tanzania and Uganda. Masokoyi Wasswa, Chief Administrative Officer of Amudat District which is one of the areas affected, joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Tracking the impact of locust invasions on Ugandan agriculture

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The Commissioner for Trade and Industry at the African Union, Albert Muchanga, says the union is ready for the commencement of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement on the first of July this year. While speaking to CNBC Africa’s Godfrey Mutizwa, Muchanga added that the union is almost done with its work on the rules of origin. They discussed this and more on the sidelines of the 33rd African Union Summit.</p>


AU Summit 2020: AFCFTA: How prepared is Africa for July 1st?

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The Community for Eastern and Southern African States (COMESA) sees the creation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area as further enhancement of its work and a bigger opportunity for business from the region rather than as a threat. CNBC Africa caught up with the COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Kapwepwe on the side-lines of the AU summit.</p>


AU Summit 2020: Chileshe Kapwepwe brekas down COMESA’s 3 pillars of development

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Silencing the guns is a slogan at this year’s AU summit as part of this the continental body held discussions on the role of women in this initiative. CNBC Africa spoke to UNECA&#8217;s Executive Director, Vera Songwe for more.</p>


AU Summit 2020: UNECA on the role of women in promoting development & security in Africa

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Minister in the presidency, Jackson Mthembu spoke to CNBC Africa’s Godfrey Mutizwa on the side-lines of the 33rd African Union Summit in Addis Ababa about South Africa&#8217;s approach to its stewardship of the continent following its first stint 2002.</p>


AU Summit 2020: Minister Mthembu on SA’s agenda at the summit

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) has warned that a failure to end conflicts on the continent will undermine plans to accelerate economic integration on the continent. AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina spoke to CNBC Africa on the side-lines of the on-going African Union Summit.</p>


AU Summit 2020: Africa’s youth are our greatest asset & we have to invest in them – Adesina

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The President of African Export-Import Bank, Benedict Oramah says there is political will and support towards initiatives and tasks set out by the bank across Africa. He spoke to CNBC Africa’s Godfrey Mutizwa on the sidelines of the 33rd African Union Summit to share his thought on political support on the continent.</p>


AU Summit 2020: Afreximbank President Oramah: Political will remains key to African free trade

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Athletes set new records at this year’s Access Bank Lagos City Marathon. David Tumo, a Kenyan athlete, emerged winner at two hours, ten minutes, twenty-three seconds. That was seven minutes and three seconds faster than Ethiopia’s Sintayehu Legese&#8217;s finishing time in 2019. Tumo was also 4 mins 41 seconds faster than Abraham Kiprotich’s record in 2018. Access bank’s Executive Director, Victor Etuokwu, and the Lagos State Governor. Bababjide Sanwo-Olu spoke to CNBC Africa’s Christy Cole on the sidelines of the 42 kilometer race.</p>


Athletes set new records at Access Bank’s 2020 Lagos City Marathon

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The 37th African Union Development Agency &#8211; NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC) Session took place over the weekend and there, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was elected Chairperson of one of its new agencies that will drive the continent towards achieving Agenda 2063 . CNBC Africa spoke to Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of NEPAD, for more.</p>


AU Summit 2020: 37th HSGOC Session – Kagame tasked with driving Agenda 2063

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South African president Cyril Ramaphosa flew off from Waterkloof air base near Johannesburg to take up the reins of the African Union. He is on the way to Addis Ababa to take up the chair of the AU on behalf of South Africa.  CNBC Africa&#8217;s Kopano Gumbi filed this report.</p>


Ethiopia

African nations close borders, cancel flights amid coronavirus pandemic

Memorial marks first anniversary of Ethiopian 737 MAX crash

Finding solutions to the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute

Zim billionaire Masiyiwa to bid for Ethiopian telecoms licence

U.S. to offer financial support for this East African country’s political reforms

Uganda, Tanzania latest to be affected by locust swarms – how will this impact food security & EA economies?

AU Summit 2020: “This is the year of dealing with root causes of conflicts in Africa” – One Africa’s Edwin Ikhuoria

Tracking the impact of locust invasions on Ugandan agriculture

AU Summit 2020: AFCFTA: How prepared is Africa for July 1st?

AU Summit 2020: Chileshe Kapwepwe brekas down COMESA’s 3 pillars of development

AU Summit 2020: UNECA on the role of women in promoting development & security in Africa

AU Summit 2020: Minister Mthembu on SA’s agenda at the summit

AU Summit 2020: Africa’s youth are our greatest asset & we have to invest in them – Adesina

AU Summit 2020: Afreximbank President Oramah: Political will remains key to African free trade

Athletes set new records at Access Bank’s 2020 Lagos City Marathon

AU Summit 2020: 37th HSGOC Session – Kagame tasked with driving Agenda 2063

AU Summit 2020: Ramaphosa on assuming the AU Chairmanship & what it means for SA

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Ethiopia

African nations close borders, cancel flights amid coronavirus pandemic

Memorial marks first anniversary of Ethiopian 737 MAX crash

Finding solutions to the Egypt-Ethiopia Nile dam dispute

Zim billionaire Masiyiwa to bid for Ethiopian telecoms licence

U.S. to offer financial support for this East African country’s political reforms

Uganda, Tanzania latest to be affected by locust swarms – how will this impact food security & EA economies?

AU Summit 2020: “This is the year of dealing with root causes of conflicts in Africa” – One Africa’s Edwin Ikhuoria

Tracking the impact of locust invasions on Ugandan agriculture

AU Summit 2020: AFCFTA: How prepared is Africa for July 1st?

AU Summit 2020: Chileshe Kapwepwe brekas down COMESA’s 3 pillars of development

AU Summit 2020: UNECA on the role of women in promoting development & security in Africa

AU Summit 2020: Minister Mthembu on SA’s agenda at the summit

AU Summit 2020: Africa’s youth are our greatest asset & we have to invest in them – Adesina

AU Summit 2020: Afreximbank President Oramah: Political will remains key to African free trade

Athletes set new records at Access Bank’s 2020 Lagos City Marathon

AU Summit 2020: 37th HSGOC Session – Kagame tasked with driving Agenda 2063

AU Summit 2020: Ramaphosa on assuming the AU Chairmanship & what it means for SA

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