Africa – Page 44 – Prologue Journal

Gabon’s Leader, Ali Bongo Ondimba, Was More Admired Abroad Than at Home

New York Times Hailed as a climate visionary, Gabon’s president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was once welcomed to Buckingham Palace but was blindsided by this week’s coup. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/world/africa/ali-bongo-ondimba-gabon-coup.html

Fire in Johannesburg, South Africa, Kills 74

New York Times Johannesburg, with a severe shortage of affordable housing, has hundreds of illegally occupied derelict buildings that officials and housing advocates say have become firetraps. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/world/africa/johannesburg-fire-derelict-building.html

Why the Johannesburg Apartment Building Was a Firetrap

New York Times A visit and imagery of the five-story building show that it had a litany of major safety issues that made it vulnerable to a deadly fire. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/world/africa/johannesburg-fire-vulnerabilities.html

Johannesburg Building Fire Photos: Scenes From a Deadly Blaze

New York Times The blaze struck an abandoned building that had become a crowded squatter camp. The authorities were investigating the cause. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/world/africa/johannesburg-fire-photos.html

At Least 58 Dead in Building Fire in Johannesburg

New York Times The early-morning blaze tore through a five-story building that had become a sprawling informal settlement, officials said. The cause was not yet known. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/world/africa/south-africa-fire-johannesburg.html

Nigeria Arrests Dozens Over Same-Sex Wedding

New York Times A 2014 law makes such unions illegal in the country. Anyone found guilty of taking part can also face up to 10 years in prison. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/world/africa/nigeria-same-sex-wedding-arrests.html

Gabon Coup: Officers Say They Are Seizing Power

New York Times The televised announcement came hours after the Central African nation’s president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, was re-elected for a third term. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/30/world/africa/gabon-coup-election.html

Under Uganda Anti-LGBTQ Law, Man Is Arrested on Charge Punishable by Death

New York Times Prosecutors used the death penalty provision of a newly passed law to charge a 20-year-old man. The measure has sown widespread fear among gay Ugandans. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/29/world/africa/uganda-anti-lgbtq-law-charges.html

Zimbabwe’s Neighbors Cast Doubt on Elections That Gave Mnangagwa the Win

New York Times The main regional bloc in southern African and the African Union declined to rubber-stamped the elections and cast doubt on a vote that led to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s re-election. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/27/world/africa/zimbabwe-elections-mnangagwa.html

President Emmerson Mnangagwa Re-elected in Zimbabwe

New York Times President Emmerson Mnangagwa won another five-year term by intimidating voters and manipulating the campaign process. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/world/africa/zimbabwe-election-mnangagwa-wins.html