Image source, Getty Images

Kenya's anti-drugs abuse agency, Nacada, has raised concern over drug addicts injecting themselves with animal tranquilisers as an alternative to heroin.

It follows the emergence of videos that have been shared widely on social media of people in the coastal region suspected to be drug abusers in “zombie-like” stances.

Nacada said in a statement on Sunday that it had not found in the samples it collected any presence of fentanyl - a deadly, synthetic opioid, many times more powerful than heroin - as was widely believed.

It found that the symptoms were due to a high dosage of heroin and a combination of heroin and other drugs including xylazine (a veterinary tranquiliser), prescription drugs and other substances.

Nacada said the abuse of the veterinary drugs “presents a potential public health crisis” in managing drug overdose cases.

“With the emerging evidence of non-medical use of veterinary drugs, there is urgent need to institute measures to regulate and control the diversion of such drugs into the illegal market,” it said in a statement.

Image source, Getty Images

An unspecified number of Kenyan soldiers are feared dead and several others injured after their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) in the coastal Lamu county on Sunday.

Military spokesperson Brig Zipporah Kioko told the local Nation website that the incident occurred in volatile Lamu's Boni Forest.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF ) in a statement, external on Monday said the soldiers were on patrol along the Milimani Baure road when the incident happened.

"The injured were airlifted to Manda Base Hospital for medical care," read the KDF statement. The statement did not mention the number of soldiers killed.

The al-Shabab militant group said it carried out the attack.

The Somalia-based militants have increased raids in Lamu in recent weeks, often targeting security forces.

The surge in attacks have forced the government to suspend plans to reopen the Kenya-Somalia border.

Image source, Eckart Demasius/Giraffe Conservation Foundation

A giraffe conservation organisation has announced the sighting of a spotless giraffe calf in Namibia.

The unique giraffe is thought to be one of the first of its kind to be spotted in its natural habitat.

Another spotless giraffe was born on 31 July this year at a zoo in Tennessee in the United States.

The public voted to name the baby giraffe “Kipekee”, a Swahili word meaning “unique”.

“Only weeks after the birth of a spotless giraffe in the USA, the first spotless giraffe has been spotted in the wild in Africa!” the Giraffe Conservation Foundation posted on Facebook, external.

According to the organisation’s post, photographer Eckart Demasius photographed the animal near the Mount Etjo Safari Lodge.

The giraffe calf was reportedly observed running alongside its mother.

Morocco’s education ministry has temporarily suspended learning for students in the regions most impacted by the earthquake.

It said on Sunday that it was looking into ways that students could continue learning as their regions recover.

The ministry added that so far, seven teachers were known to have died, while 39 others had sustained injuries.

It said 585 schools were damaged by the earthquake and some pupils may have to transfer to different schools.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

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The head of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, has pledged to support humanitarian organisations to deliver aid to those affected by the war.

Hemedti made the commitment in a telephone conversation with the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief co-ordinator, Martin Griffins.

He said that RSF was ready to enhance "collaboration and coordination... to ensure a seamless provision of aid to those affected".

The RSF chief also vowed to "to safeguard the aid" and ensure "ease of operations for humanitarian personnel".

Mr Griffiths wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that he affirmed "the urgent need for stepped up access to people in need" during the talks with Hemedti.

On 13 August, the RSF announced that it had formed an agency to facilitate aid delivery in areas under its control.

The Sudanese army and international rights organisations have on several occasions accused the RSF of obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Fighting continues between the army and the RSF in several parts of the country and regional and international mediation efforts have so far failed to end the conflict.

Favour Nunoo
BBC News, Accra

Image source, Charles Nunoo

Four people have died and others are still missing after an explosion at a granite quarry in western Ghana on Saturday.

The victims are believed to be workers who were on night shift at the Chinese-operated quarry in Shama district.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast which destroyed buildings near the quarry and shook houses in the neighbouring villages.

Officers from the Ghana National Fire Service are currently on the site helping with rescue efforts.

In January, a truck carrying explosives to a gold mine in south-western Ghana crashed with a motorcycle triggering a blast that killed 14 people.

Image source, Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mali's interim leader Assimi Goïta have called for a political settlement in Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in July.

In a phone call on Sunday, the two leaders said the Niger crisis should be resolved “through political and diplomatic means”, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Mr Putin and Mr Goïta also discussed bilateral relations, including talks on “anti-terror” operations, the statement said.

The Russian leader had in August also emphasised the need for a peaceful solution in Niger.

West Africa's regional bloc, Ecowas, has threatened military intervention to restore Mr Bazoum to power.

The juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea have warned against military intervention in Niger.

Read more here: Niger coup: Russia warns Ecowas not to take military action

Yūsuf Akínpẹ̀lú
BBC News, Lagos

Image source, Getty Images

At least 26 people died in Nigeria's northern Niger state after a wooden boat they were travelling in capsized in a dam on Sunday.

The vessel was carrying more than 100 passengers, including women and children, who live in communities between Jebba and Kainji dam in Mokwa area of the state, before it hit a reservoir.

More than 30 people have been rescued.

A combined rescue operation by marine police and local divers in collaboration with Niger State Emergency Management Agency is ongoing, Bologi Ibrahim, the spokesperson to the state governor, said.

The cause of the accident is not yet known.

Mr Ibrahim however blamed overcrowding and lack of life jackets.

Official reports say that most of the passengers were crossing the dam to attend to their farms.

In June, more than100 people died when an overloaded boat travelling to Niger state capsized after part of the vessel collapsed, causing water to flood the boat, in one of the worst such disasters in recent years.

Alfred Lasteck
BBC News, Dar es Salaam

Image source, AFP

Tanzania's main opposition leader, Tundu Lissu, and at least three others were briefly detained by police on Sunday after being accused of holding an unlawful assembly.

Mr Lissu was arrested in the northern town of Karatu, some hours before attending a rally near the Ngorongoro conservation area.

His party, Chadema, said they were detained at a hotel in the northern Arusha region. They were later released on bail.

Mr Lissu returned from exile in Belgium in January after President Samia Suluhu Hassan lifted a six-year ban on political rallies - imposed by her predecessor.

He has been criticising President Samia's administration for its handling of a controversial ports management deal and human rights violations.

Mr Lissu survived an assassination attempt in 2017 after being shot at least 16 times. He ran for president in 2020 but lost to the late leader John Magufuli.

Read more about Tundu Lissu.

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