Africa Daily

“Families who have young brothers and sister or sons being killed didn’t even know they were in criminal environments. It caught politicians off guard. It caught everyone off guard.”Sweden’s police chief has described a spike in gang violence – including shootings and bomb attacks - as “unprecedented”. The police force in the capital Stockholm have said they are overwhelmed and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has asked the army to provide support. The police have linked the violence to a widening gap between rich and poor and drug use. More than 40 people have died in nearly 300 shootings in Sweden this year, according to official police statistics. There are many African communities in Sweden, the largest is the Somali community. Second generation Somali-Swedes say the situation has changed life for many there. Victoria Uwonkunda has been speaks to a woman who offers group therapy to young people and a journalist who has covered the story for years.

“Look at the Middle East right now, Israel and Palestine. They could have come to terms with each other a long time ago. We were fortunate that we had a Mandela” – Roelf Meyer, former South African cabinet minister. South Africa’s first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela died on this day, a decade ago. So today, Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje sits down with two of his former ministers, Sydney Mufamadi and Roelf Meyer. What was it like reporting to one of the most prominent political figures of the 21st century? But most importantly, what type of legacy did the man affectionately known as Madiba leave behind? His country is facing a mountain of problems including joblessness, power outages and persistent government corruption. If he was still alive, would Mandela associate with the ruling ANC party? These are some of the questions Mpho is asking his guests.

In November this year, 221 Malawians flew to Israel to start working on farms there. The Malawian government has a labour export deal with Israel, and says it is eventually aiming for a total of 5000 people to travel there for work. According to the World Bank, Malawi is the fourth poorest country in the world.But the deal has provoked debate in Malawi because of the current conflict in Israel. The political opposition says the scheme is putting citizens in danger, pointing out that 39 agricultural workers from Thailand were killed at the start of the fighting. The government in Malawi says they have assurances the workers will be safe.So we got in contact with one of the workers who has just arrived in Israel, Andrew Chunga, to ask him what life was really like there.

Across Africa, the impact of climate change is becoming more and more apparent. This year alone, multiple countries across the continent have been hit with an array of severe natural disasters – ranging from floods to excruciatingly high temperatures. As the United Nations Climate Change Conference - or COP28 - kicked of this week, delegates agreed to launch the long-awaited 'loss and damage' fund to pay for damage from climate-driven storms and drought. The EU, US, UAE and others immediately announced contributions totalling around $400m for poor countries reeling from the impacts of climate change.But in the past pledges for climate funding - for example to the Green Climate Fund - have far exceeded the actual amount of money that has been given.So should Africa be cautious about these new pledges?In a discussion recorded before the launch of the new fund, Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja hears why the issue of money has been so fraught in the past from our resident environment reporter, Peter Musembi - and talks over Africa's priorities for the summit with Eva Masudi, the Environment and Sustainable Development Minister for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Horn of Africa region is experiencing torrential rainfall and floods linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon, claiming dozens of lives and causing large-scale displacement. In Somalia the number of those killed by the floods has surpassed 100, and more than 700,000 have been displaced.The rains are forecast to continue battering East Africa till the end of the year.It comes as the region emerges from its worst drought in four decades after multiple failed rainy seasons that left millions of people in need and devastated crops and livestock.The current El Nino phenomenon had been predicted since the beginning of the year.In today’s Africa Daily Podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to Somalia deputy prime minister Salah Jama, to find out why it has not been possible to mitigate the damage despite this early warning.

Brain drain is an issue across the continent but has become closely associated with Nigeria. Several surveys have found that the country has the highest proportion of young people wanting to move overseas. The tendency even has its own term – Japa – meaning to run, flee, or escape, in the Yoruba language. But does this tell the whole story? On a recent trip to Lagos, Alan Kasujja brought together a group of Nigerians with different perspectives on the topic. Among them are people thinking about leaving and those who have left but later decided to return home. Alan also heard from a couple of Kenyans, who saw an opportunity in Nigeria, the same country some want to leave, and moved there for a better life.

“The water is dirty. You can see it with your own eyes. It looks muddy. When you pour it in a glass and leave it overnight, the following day you start seeing small things swimming in the water” – Kamogelo Stock, South African citizen In this episode, we hear from people who’ve gone through the agony of losing their loved ones to cholera in South Africa. The disease is currently wreaking havoc in several parts of the African continent including Malawi, Cameroon and Mozambique. Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, is currently under a state of emergency following a deadly outbreak. Cholera is an infectious and often fatal bacterial disease which causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. It can spread in places with insufficient water treatment, poor sanitation and inadequate hygiene. In today’s episode Alan Kasujja attempts to find out why so many African countries are still struggling to contain the disease.

Some people may find the issues discussed in this episode upsetting. _____________________________________________________________________ “Some of the children that I talk to who attempted suicide would simply tell me that: 'I think I’m a burden to my parents. They want me to pass, I don’t pass. I think if I die I would solve their problems.'” - Tsepiso Siseoana, Lesotho psychotherapist. Recently released data from the World Health Organisation shows that Lesotho is amongst a group of African countries with an alarming rate of suicide. The southern African nation recorded 87.5 deaths per 100 000 people. Other countries with a similar problem include neighbouring Eswatini, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique. Alan Kasujja attempts to understand why Lesotho’s suicide level is so high. Please note: If you are experiencing emotional stress and would like details of organisations which offer advice and support, visit www.befrienders.org

Last week the Malian army seized the town of Kidal, in the country's north - weeks after the United Nations stabilisation mission, MINUSMA, withdrew from its base there. For the past decade, Kidal has been a stronghold of the Tuareg rebel group - and so its capture was a symbolic success for Mali’s military leaders, who seized power in 2020. They have made the restoration of territorial sovereignty a key priority. The military government has given UN forces until the end of the year to withdraw from the country - triggering a race to seize territory between the army, rebel groups and jihadists. But while the army is now in control of the military base – the question of who’s in control of the region is far more complicated. In this episode of Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to the BBC’s Beverly Ochieng and MINUSMA spokesperson, Fatoumata Kaba.

It’s an astonishing story of political intrigue: a man called Sengezo Tshabangu, who claims to be the Secretary General of Zimbabwe’s opposition party – the Citizens Coalition for Change, or the CCC, has been issuing recall letters, which say they are no longer members of the party – and getting opposition MPs barred from parliament. At the time of recording, 32 MPs have lost their seats. Some already face re-election battles in December.But the opposition MPs say they have no idea who he is – and that he definitely isn’t their Secretary General. So who is this person? And how is he gradually dismantling the opposition party in Zimbabwe’s Parliament? Alan Kasujja has been talking to Zimbabwean journalist Ish Mafundikwa, as well as one of the MPs affected, Gift Ostallos Siziba, the CCC’s Deputy National Spokesperson.