Africa: All of Africa Today – May 19, 2025

Kenyan Lawyer Martha Karua Deported from Tanzania

Kenyan lawyer and former justice minister Martha Karua was deported from Tanzania to stop her from attending opposition leader Tundu Lissu’s court hearing. Two of her colleagues were also reportedly detained and interrogated before being expelled. Tanzanian authorities did not comment on the incident. Lissu, facing treason charges, was arrested after calling for electoral reforms. His party, Chadema, was later barred from the October elections. Rights groups warned of renewed repression under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Karua served as Kenya’s justice minister from 2005 to 2009 and was the running mate of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his failed presidential bid in elections in 2022.

Suicide Bomber Kills Recruits at Mogadishu Military Base

At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured after a suicide bomber targeted a queue of young recruits at the Damanyo military base in Mogadishu, Somalia. Witnesses said the attacker arrived in a tuk-tuk, ran into the crowd, and detonated explosives, causing a deadly blast that scattered shoes and body parts. Medical staff reported receiving 30 injured victims, six of whom died on arrival. Al Shabaab claimed responsibility, saying it killed 30 soldiers and wounded 50. The attack came a day after the assassination of Colonel Abdirahmaan Hujaale in the Hiiran region, amid ongoing militant infiltration and conflict between al Shabaab and Somali forces.

Ghana Confirms Three Cases of Mpox

Ghana had confirmed three cases of mpox, with no reported deaths, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS). The first case involved a 32-year-old man on antiretroviral therapy who had fever, chills, pustular and vesicular lesions on his trunk, gluteal, and anorectal regions for a week. Two other cases, unrelated, were detected earlier in May. The GHS urged the public to maintain good hygiene and report suspected cases promptly. Contact tracing and heightened surveillance were initiated nationwide. The Director-General, Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, assured the public that established health protocols were being followed to contain the outbreak. Across Africa, over 24,200 cases and about 260 deaths had been recorded by March, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo worst affected.

War in Sudan Leads to Catastrophic Rise in Maternal Deaths

The brutal war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now in its third year, devastated women, whose suffering is deepening amid a near-total collapse of the health system. Maternal mortality surged to 295 deaths per 100,000 live births, with 870 pregnant women dying between June 2023 and July 2024. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that more than 1.1 million pregnant women in Sudan now lack access to basic services such as antenatal care, safe delivery, and postpartum care. Health services in many regions, such as Gereida, became nearly non-existent. The UN had previously estimated Sudan’s maternal mortality rate at 270 deaths per 100,000 live births. Since the war, the Federal Ministry of Health now reports a staggering figure of 100 deaths per 10,000 births, a number echoed by the WHO and UNICEF.