Burkina Faso commemorated Friday the 34th anniversary of the death of former revolutionary president Thomas Sankara, assassinated on October 15, 1987, and whose bust was unveiled at the university that bears his name in Ouagadougou, in the presence of his widow Mariam.

"This work placed at the entrance of the university is a work of remembrance and memory for current and future generations of teachers and students," said Mariam Sankara in inaugurating the bust.

"My dream is that this statue reminds us daily of the memory of the revolution led in our country by Thomas Sankara and his comrades between 1983 and 1987. It will be the image of a leader who loved his country and who devoted himself to its transformation, brutally interrupted by the enemies of Burkina," she added.

To the students of the Thomas Sankara University, the second in Ouagadougou, she said that they had "the heavy task of acquiring knowledge and putting it at the service of the Burkinabe people in particular and African people in general.

Mrs. Sankara, who usually lives in France, came to Ouagadougou to attend the trial of the alleged killers of her husband, who was killed in a coup d'état on October 15, 1987, along with 12 of his comrades. He had been in power for four years and was only 37 years old.

On Monday a trial to open nvestigations into his sankaras killing was opened Monday before the military court in Ouagadougou, but was suspended until October 25.

Twelve of the 14 defendants were present at the opening of the trial, including General Gilbert Diendéré, one of the main leaders of the Burkinabe army during the coup.

On the other hand, Blaise Compaoré, brought to power by this putsch and who led Burkina for 27 years, was the great absentee: he lives in exile in Ivory Coast - a country of which he obtained the nationality - since his fall in 2014 and did not want to appear at "a political trial" before "a court of exception", according to his lawyers.

"The duty of memory requires us to recognize the work done by this exceptional man, in four years of commitment and sacrifice for his country and for Africa. The memory of Thomas Sankara remains alive," President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré wrote on Twitter.

The head of state had previously laid a wreath in the afternoon at the foot of the huge statue of Thomas Sankara, erected in 2019 on the site where he was assassinated and where a memorial has been created.

Mrs. Sankara did not attend this ceremony: she and her family were opposed to the creation of the memorial on the site of the death of the "father of the Burkinabe revolution".

The Thomas Sankara memorial currently consists only of the statue, but will eventually house an 87-meter high tower - recalling the year of his death - topped by a lighthouse, an exhibition hall, a museum and a library.

During Blaise Compaoré's 27-year reign, the circumstances of Sankara's death were completely overshadowed, and ceremonies in his honor only began after Compaoré was forced out by an insurrection

Hundreds of Sudanese called Saturday in Khartoum for the fall of the government that is supposed to lead the country to its first elections after 30 years of dictatorship, accusing it of having "failed" to get them out of the political and economic stagnation, AFP reporters noted.

Yahya Mohieddine, who came from his northern province to demonstrate in front of the presidential palace in the capital, where the transitional authorities are based, held up a sign demanding "the dismissal of the government" led since the fall of Omar al-Bashir in 2019 by the technocrat Abdallah Hamdok.

"We need a government that includes all revolutionary forces," he assures AFP while the sacred union of civilians and military of the "revolution" of 2019 has fizzled.

On Friday evening, nearly a month after a failed coup, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok denounced "deep divisions" between civilians and military but also within these two blocks. He also declared that the transition was going through its "most dangerous" crisis, saying that the path to democracy was threatened.

On Saturday, a seditious faction of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FLC) - the civilian coalition of the "revolution" - led by two former rebel leaders, including Hamdok's finance minister, called for demonstrations against the government.

"We need a military government, the current cabinet has failed and only the army can bring us justice and equality," said Abboud Ahmed, a self-described "poor" farmer outside the presidential palace.

Around him, pick-ups are dropping off new waves of protesters, some of whom are chanting "One army, one people", while the security forces have blocked many of the capital's main roads since the morning.

"There is no stability and life is too expensive," said the 50-year-old man, whose country, one of the poorest in the world, is caught between inflation approaching 400% and an austerity decreed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

For their opponents, Saturday's demonstrators are supporters of the former deposed regime. Supporters of a complete transfer of power to civilians have already called for "a demonstration of one million people" on Thursday.

The new authorities, made up of military and civilians, are supposed to lead the country towards elections, but they keep pushing back the deadline, currently to 2023.

Sudan's prime minister on Friday announced a series of steps for his country's transition to democracy less than a month after a coup attempt rocked its leadership.

In a speech, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok called the coup attempt an 'alarm bell' that should awaken people to the roots of the country's political and economic challenges.

Authorities announced the coup attempt by a group of soldiers on September 22, saying that it had failed.

They blamed supporters of the country's former autocrat Omar al-Bashir for planning the takeover.

Police in Kenya said a man who had confessed to killing a dozen children and escaped from detention this week has been killed by a mob.

Area Assistant County Commissioner Cornelius Nyariba said the death took place near his home in Bungoma county a day after he had escaped from police cells in Nairobi.

"...... They asked us whether he was hiding here and we became worried. When my mother and I checked the old house, he was squatting in the bathroom.

Immediately my mother recognized him, she started screaming while running out, with Masten following her. ...the neighbors also started screaming, and that was when people came in large numbers to get him".

Authorities have said Wanjala had confessed to killing 12 children in Nairobi Machakos and Bungoma counties when he was arrested in July.

He reportedly posed as a football coach to lure victims.

So far, five bodies have been recovered.

The husband of Olympic runner Agnes Tirop has been arrested and will be charged with her murder after Kenyan police launched a nationwide manhunt and found him in the coastal city of Mombasa trying to flee the country, authorities said.

Ibrahim Rotich was arrested just before 9 p.m. Thursday, police said, but only after crashing his vehicle into a truck in a car chase with police and escaping a first attempt by officers to apprehend him about 460 kilometers (285 miles) from Mombasa. He was finally arrested hours later in the eastern city.

The prime suspect in the gruesome murder of 25-year-old world 5,000m record holder Agnes Tirop, has been arrested. Ibrahim Rotich, who was in a relationship with the athlete was arrested moments ago in Changamwe, Mombasa county, as he tried to flee to a neighboring

Rotich was detained a day after Tirop, a two-time world championship bronze medalist, was found stabbed to death at her home in the western town of Iten, more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Mombasa on the other side of the country. The 25-year-old Tirop's body was found in a pool of blood with stab wounds in the abdomen, police said.

Rotich was immediately identified as the prime suspect and police said he went on the run after making a tearful phone call to his family confessing he had done something terrible.

Rotich was arrested alongside another man he was traveling with and had Tirop's cell phone with him, police said.

The Directorate for Criminal Investigations said Rotich was being questioned at a police station and would be charged with murder.

Rotich and Tirop were married in a traditional Kenyan ceremony but were estranged at the time of her killing. Their families had convinced them to try to reconcile and they had apparently met this week to do that.

Tirop was a rising star in Kenya after winning the 2015 world cross-country title at the age of 19, the second youngest athlete ever to win that event. She also claimed bronze medals in the 10,000 meters at the 2017 and 2019 world championships and finished fourth in the 5,000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics.

Last month, she broke the world record for the women-only 10-kilometer road race.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was one of many who expressed outrage at her killing. Kenyatta, who is on an official visit to the United States, said Tirop was a “Kenyan hero” and ordered police to find her killer.

The Kenyan track federation suspended all its events in the country for two weeks in a mark of respect for Tirop.

Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has indicated that some of the 133 radio stations that were shut down by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in 2017 cannot return to business despite their re-authorisation.

He revealed that the transmitters of some of these stations have been damaged beyond repairs because they were not being used.

The cost of maintenance, he said, was high, a situation that made it impossible for them to continue repairing when no profits were being made.

The ranking member on the select committee on communications further revealed that thieves have stolen properties belonging to these stations.

Speaking on the Key Points on TV3/3FM Saturday, October 16, with host Dzifah Bampoh, he said “133 stations, I know some of the stations that are literally dead.

“Equipment, for four years, had not been used, theft has happened to some of their transmitters so there may be some of these stations that genuinely, as a result of the actions that were taken in 2017, can just not come back on air.

“Their transmitters have developed problems because when you are operating, you constantly service it, many people have not even visited their transmitter-based stations in two years and three years so, they don’t know the state.

“Strangely, two weeks ago, one of the owners of the radio stations called me and said Sam, I am looking to sell my transmitters and I said please don’t, because, maximum, in a month I am confident you will back with your frequency.

“But he said he can’t because they have been trying to manage it and even the cost of keeping security at the site was high.”

The Governing Board of the NCA has approved the grant of a total of one hundred and thirty-three (133) FM radio broadcasting authorisations which include new applications from entities whose FM radio stations were closed down after the 2017 FM Audit as well as existing stations that applied for renewal of their expired FM Radio broadcasting authorisations.

President of the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), Mr Cecil Thomas Nee Lantey Sunkwa-Mills, has said none of the radio stations that were shut down for noncompliance has received letters from the National Communications Authority (NCA) announcing their re-authorisation.

He said on the Key Points on TV3/3FM Saturday, October 16 that GIBA contacted the NCA on the announcement of the re-authorisation but the regulator said they were preparing the letters to be sent to these stations.

He told the host of the show, Dzifa Bampoh, that “because we have members asking exactly who is on this 133 that were existing.

“We have actually not received any clear documentation even though we have heard Radio, XYZ and then Kapital Radio came through.

“There has been no actual confirmation. We have made contact with the NCA and the response we got was they were putting together the letters to be sent to these stations but as of yesternight, no station has received any clear letter from the NCA confirming this.

“So it would have been good if this was made public and then the other news that followed or the perceptions would have been clarified.”

The Governing Board of the NCA has approved the grant of a total of one hundred and thirty-three (133) FM radio broadcasting authorisations which include new applications from entities whose FM radio stations were closed down after the 2017 FM Audit as well as existing stations that applied for renewal of their expired FM Radio broadcasting authorisations.

Ghana is ready to share her learnings and development experiences with other countries as they all seek to better the lives of their citizens, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has assured.
 
Thus, Ghana will continue to develop and enhance cordial and mutually beneficial relations with friends both near and far, with the ultimate aim of accelerated development and improved livelihoods.
 
Dr. Bawumia assured of Ghana’s commitment to the exchange of practical development ideas on Friday, 15 October 2021 when he welcomed H.E. Bharrat Jagdeo, Vice President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, to the Jubilee House, Accra for bilateral talks at the beginning of a three-day visit to the country.
 
Amongst other objectives, Vice President Jagdeo and his delegation are in Ghana to learn about the country’s experiences in the oil and gas sector, with particular reference to local content and participation, the legal framework, and general best practices in exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbon finds, having discovered hydrocarbons on a large scale in 2015.
 
During the visit, technical teams from Ghana’s Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Petroleum Commission (PC), Ghana Gas, Energy Commission and other stakeholders in the energy sector will be engaging their counterparts from Guyana to share ideas and exchange learnings.

“We are here to listen and learn, and given your experiences in the oil and gas sector, I am sure we have come to the right place” Vice President Jagdeo declared, adding, “Our ongoing cooperation is testament to how well we can work together and learn from each other.
 
“We want to deepen our cooperation beyond the oil and gas sector, to trade and investment in each other’s country. We want to learn from you in the areas of agriculture, digitization, health, especially your Agenda 111, and infrastructure development” he indicated.
 
Recalling the longstanding relations between Ghana and Guyana and the uncanny similarities in their histories, Vice President Bawumia said Ghana remains a bulwark for peace and democratic development in the West Africa sub region, and indicated that given the emerging opportunities, particularly in the energy sector, greater cooperation would serve as a catalyst for trade and investment for both countries.
 
As a sign of Ghana’s readiness to provide practical learnings, Vice President Bawumia presented a large, bound folder detailing the origins and implementation plans for Government’s Agenda 111, designed to make health care accessible and affordable at the lowest level of society.
 
A beaming Vice President Jagdeo described the document as the “highlight” of his day.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/ghana

The wireless earbud is the latest trend in the communication world. And virtually all mobile phone brands are coming out with their version of earbuds. One tech entrepreneur has added innovation to the earbuds economy with his own invention.

Danny Manu, a Ghanaian-British man, developed earbuds that auto-translate other languages. According to Keepthefaith, the earbuds can live translate over 40 languages. The product, called Click, is said to be “the world’s first truly wireless earphones” with live voice translation supporting 40 languages.

The wireless Bluetooth headset works by pairing to a smartphone. The earbuds then automatically detect the language being spoken and provide a spoken translation within a sentence or two. Click does not require internet like similar inventions.

The device, which has been on the rise since its invention under the Mymanu brand, has won customers across Europe, U.S and Asia. Manu tells Keepthefaith that the journey has been long and stressful, attributing his success to hard work and determination.

Manu built his business through self-financing. This was down to the challenges Black startups in the UK face in accessing capital or venture funding.

“Like all the other ethnic minority-run businesses within the UK, I had a hard time getting the funding and financial support from banks and government-funded programmes that I needed,” he said.

In the light of the above, Manu had to explore other means to raise funds for his startup. He used his personal savings, own sales and funds he raised from crowdfunding sites.

“If you truly believe in your product and ideas, you shouldn’t have too much trouble convincing other people to believe in them, too,” he said.

According to Keepthefaith, he raised over US$5,000,000 on crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

When COVID-19 struck, the Manchester business owner innovated in order not to go out of business. He saw a business opportunity in producing PPE and other safety equipment to help protect people in the Manchester area from the pandemic.

“I wanted to help my community and do some good, and Medybird was the perfect solution,” said Manu. “I saw how COVID-19 was affecting the BAME communities and my fellow local businesses here in Manchester – it was heartbreaking to watch.”

He established Medybird to go into the production of PPEs and other safety equipment and within weeks, he supplied much-needed PPE and subsequently shipped out over 15 million PPE to countries in need.

For other aspiring entrepreneurs who want to venture into the tech space, Manu said “focus on your successes and believe in yourself.” He continued: “if you surround yourself with your accomplishments and don’t stop believing in your dreams, you’ll have a real chance.”

Source: face2faceafrica.com