Senegal

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A resurgence of coronavirus cases in West Africa is hitting the region hard, inundating cemeteries where funeral numbers are rising and hospitals where beds are becoming scarce.

Those visible shifts are also pushing a reluctant population to seek out the vaccines in larger numbers at a time when shipments of doses are arriving from multiple sources after nearly grinding to a halt in recent months.

DAKAR, July 26 (Reuters) - Equatorial Guinea will close its diplomatic mission in London, the country's foreign minister said on Monday, after Britain last week sanctioned the son of its president for misappropriating millions of dollars.

"The first decision that the Malabo executive has taken is the total closure of our diplomatic headquarters in London," Foreign Minister Simeon Oyono Esono said on state television.

"Equatorial Guinea will not accept interference in the internal affairs of the country, which violates the principle of international law," Esono said.

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A crisis over the supply of medical oxygen for coronavirus patients has struck nations in Africa and Latin America, where warnings went unheeded at the start of the pandemic and doctors say the shortage has led to unnecessary deaths.

DAKAR, June 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Senegal’s President Macky Sall has quarantined himself after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.

The president tested negative but will self-isolate for two weeks as a precaution, his office said in a short televised statement.

A Senegalese lawmaker, Yeya Diallo, announced earlier on Wednesday that she had tested positive for the virus.

She called on people to take essential personal measures such as maintaining hygiene and social distancing.

DAKAR, June 5 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Senegal has announced it will ease a curfew and lift restrictions on inter-city travel following two nights of protests.

More than 200 people have been detained for questioning by police following spontaneous demonstrations in towns across the country overnight.

The protesters had been demanding an end to the curfew introduced in March to fight the pandemic.

Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye said that the start of the curfew would be pushed back by two hours and now run from 23:00 to 05:00 local time.

DAKAR, June 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Senegal has postponed the restart of schools until further notice after several teachers tested positive for the new coronavirus, the education ministry said.

The government announced on May 20 that schools would gradually resume on Tuesday June 2, after weeks of shutdown due to the pandemic. Senegal has recorded 3,739 positive COVID-19 cases since the start of the outbreak, with 43 deaths.

DAKAR, Mar 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Senegalese President, Macky Sall, declared a state of emergency, to curb the spread of COVID-19 in his country, where a total of 79 cases have been reported.

“As of midnight tonight, I declare a state of emergency across the national territory,” the president said, in his speech to the nation, adding that, the state of emergency across national territory, together with a curfew, is to raise the level of response to the spread of COVID-19.

THIES, Senegal (AP) — Crouching in the sparse brush, maneuvering into formations through a divide, and then shooting at a target, about 10 soldiers from Burkina Faso are among a select group of African soldiers being trained to battle West Africa’s fast-growing extremist threat.

They are carrying out drills as part of the U.S. military-led annual counterterrorism exercise in West Africa, which this year takes place in the shadow of possible U.S. troop cuts in Africa although extremist attacks in the region have reached a worrying new level.

DAKAR, Feb 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up a visit to Senegal on Sunday, where he discussed the US role in security issues in Africa.

This visit came as the U.S. Defense Department is conducting a global force review and has indicated there likely will be a reduction, but not a complete withdrawal, of US forces from Africa.

DAKAR, Feb 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Macky Sall defended the country’s criminalisation of homosexuality, telling visiting Canadian prime minister that ‘we’re comfortable with our laws’.

The exchange between Justin Trudeau and Sall highlighted the impasse the United States, Canada and other Western nations have had in persuading Senegal and most African countries not to jail gays and lesbians.

Trudeau told journalists he was “a great defender of human rights” and so had to raise the issue.