Egypt launches major assault on militants ahead of election

Egypt launched a major assault against militants on Friday focused on the Sinai peninsula, aiming to crush an Islamic State insurgency by an end of February deadline set by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The former general on Nov. 29 last year, ordered the military to defeat militants in North Sinai within three months, after an attack on a mosque which killed more than 300 people, the deadliest such incident in the Arab world’s most populous country.

Residents said they saw warplanes flying above the Suez Canal city of Ismailia, which borders North Sinai to the west.

U.N. welcomes investigations into Uganda's refugee fraud allegations

The United Nations (UN) has welcomed investigations by Uganda into allegations of inflating refugee numbers, trafficking of women and children and fraud.

The allegations were first reported by Ugandan newspaper Daily Monitor which said the UN representative in the country, Rosa Malango questioned the numbers of refugees after a spot check in the capital Kampala found 7,000 people against the official figure of 19,000.

On Friday, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) issued a statement welcoming ‘steps taken by the Ugandan government to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in refugee programmes’.

Mozambique to restrict water supply as long dry spell looms

As the World Food Programme warns of deeper hunger across Southern Africa, water authorities in Mozambique have warned of imminent water supply restrictions, particularly to southeastern Maputo city and neighbouring Boane and Matola towns.

Reduced rainfall has lowered the water levels of the Umbeluzi and Sabie rivers, which supply people in the affected areas with water.

“The rain is not falling sufficiently both in Maputo and in Swaziland, where most rivers supplying water to Maputo, Boane and Matola come from,” said Agostinho Vilankulos, head of the department of the management of rivers in the country’s southern region.

Workers in Zambia strike over cholera 'risk allowance' dispute

Workers at National Heroes Stadium cholera centre in Lusaka yesterday downed their tools demanding for an increment in their risk allowances from the government.

The workers who abandoned the cholera patients alleged that they were paid only K50 ($5) each per day instead of the agreed K350 ($36).

The Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr Kennedy Malama however dismissed the strike action saying the protesting workers were community workers who were engaged to participate in the cholera response at an agreed small allowance.

Ethiopian journalist refuses to sign confession form in exchange for his freedom

Ethiopian journalist and blogger, Eskinder Nega’s freedom is in doubt after he reportedly refused to sign a ‘false confession form’ in exchange for his prison release.

Eskinder, who has been in jail since 2001, convicted of having links with banned groups, was among the over 740 prisoners that have been pardoned by Ethiopian authorities as part of political reforms.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) quoted Eskinder’s wife, Serkalem Fasil, saying that at 11am, local time, a prison official asked Eskinder to sign a form which falsely stated that he was a member of Ginbot 7, an organization that the government deems a terrorist group.