In a public notice issued Friday, Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Johannes Shoopala said authorities have implemented immediate control measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
The measures include requiring veterinary permits and full vaccination for animals entering or leaving the affected areas, advising owners to vaccinate their animals, quarantining affected areas, recommending night stabling and the use of insect repellents, discouraging horse racing and endurance events, banning imports from infected countries, and reminding the public of existing movement permit requirements.
According to Shoopala, owners of horses are advised that the recommended vaccination period in Namibia is from June 1 to Oct. 31.
African horse sickness is described as a noncontagious viral disease transmitted by midges that affects horses, donkeys, zebras, and other equine species.
Common signs of the disease include fever, difficulty breathing, coughing, sweating, and frothy discharge from the nostrils; the mortality rate can be as high as 70 percent.
While many still associate Haier with air conditioners, refrigerators, and washing machines, the company has moved far beyond these basics. Today, it is actively reshaping industries, from smart homes to healthcare technology through a bold, integrated strategy powered by innovation and global reach.
Haier was founded in 1984 as Qingdao Refrigerator General Factory, under the approval of the Light Industry Department of the People’s Republic of China. In its early years, Haier gained attention for enforcing strict quality standards, famously smashing defective refrigerators in public to send a message.
Over time, the company transformed into a global conglomerate by emphasizing customer-centered design, smart technology, and scalable business models. Its multi-brand strategy allows it to serve various market segments: the Haier brand caters to mainstream users, Casarte serves luxury consumers, while Leader focuses on budget-friendly offerings in China.
Through major acquisitions, Haier has expanded its global footprint, owning GE Appliances (USA), Fisher & Paykel (New Zealand), Aqua (Japan), and Candy (Europe), among others.
In 2024, Haier Group Corporation demonstrated robust financial growth, with consolidated revenue exceeding $45 billion (RMB 324 billion) and net profits surpassing $3 billion (RMB 21.6 billion), driven by its global multi-brand strategy and premium product segments.
Its subsidiary, Haier Smart Home (35% owned by Haier Group), reported standalone revenue of RMB 285.98 billion ($39.6 billion), a 4.29% year-on-year increase, and net profit of RMB 18.74 billion ($2.6 billion), up 12.9% from 2023, with a gross profit margin of 27.8%.
Haier Smart Home’s global operations are anchored by 34 industrial parks and 163 manufacturing centers worldwide, including flagship facilities like the Noida Industrial Park in India, the Russia Smart Ecosystem Park, and the Egypt Ecological Park.
What sets Haier apart is its consistent reinvention, guided by a strategic commitment to annual transformation. It is this internal culture of agility that fuels innovations like the record-breaking 1.88-meter barge caliper balanced on an operating washing machine in 2017, earning a Guinness World Record and showcasing the precision engineering Haier is known for.
{{Expansion into biomedical technology}}
Beyond consumer goods, Haier is making significant strides into the biomedical field—an area now central to its future vision. Through Haier Biomedical, a subsidiary founded in 2005, the company designs and manufactures advanced life science equipment including ultra-low temperature freezers, vaccine cold chain solutions, blood bank refrigerators, and laboratory biosafety cabinets.
These devices serve hospitals, clinics, laboratories, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies across more than 160 countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Haier Biomedical’s products became critical infrastructure for vaccine storage, contributing to public health efforts on a global scale.
What distinguishes Haier in this field is not only the hardware but also its integration of IoT, AI, and cloud platforms into biomedical technology—creating intelligent solutions for asset tracking, temperature monitoring, and predictive maintenance. This aligns with Haier’s broader commitment to smart ecosystems, applied now to healthcare and medical science.
Haier Smart Home Company, in which the group holds publicly a 35% stake, extends its IoT vision into residential living. Under the U+ Smart Life Platform, appliances are interconnected to deliver scenario-based experiences: refrigerators that recommend recipes based on their contents, washing machines that adjust cycles through mobile apps, or air conditioners that sync with sleep data.
These experiences are designed not as individual products, but as interconnected lifestyle systems. At the heart of this approach is the “three-wing bird” philosophy—representing the synergy between smart home appliances, ecosystem-based services, and industrial internet platforms.
Haier’s decision to maintain certain brands as domestic-only, like Leader, is rooted in precision segmentation. While global brands like GE Appliances address premium users, brands like Leader target budget-sensitive Chinese consumers—ensuring Haier maintains relevance across all income levels without diluting brand identity.
This micro-market targeting, combined with Haier’s staggering portfolio of over 40,000 patents worldwide, underlines a strategy built on depth, localization, and technology-led growth.
Visiting Haier’s futuristic headquarters in Qingdao offers a glimpse into the company’s DNA. Designed with immersive digital interfaces, the building is an experiential narrative of its past, present, and future.
Visitors pass through innovation rooms displaying AI-powered appliances, history rooms charting its rise since 1984, and leadership galleries that highlight the values of collaboration, entrepreneurship, and user-driven design.
The facility is not merely an office complex, but a living showcase of Haier’s belief that business is a constantly evolving ecosystem.
The visit is part of General Doumbouya’s three-day official trip to Rwanda, which began on May 1, 2025, and aims to strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
Upon his arrival in Rwanda, General Doumbouya was warmly welcomed by the Guinean community during a ceremony held in Kigali. Attendees displayed messages of support on banners and T-shirts, showing appreciation for his leadership and commitment to his country.
General Doumbouya last visited Rwanda in August 2024 for the inauguration ceremony of President Kagame following his re-election. Earlier, in January 2024, he had also traveled to Kigali on a visit focused on deepening bilateral ties.
Rwanda and Guinea currently maintain a partnership agreement aimed at promoting cooperation in a range of sectors, including technology, agriculture, investment, services, tourism, energy, and trade.
Upon his arrival, President Doumbouya was warmly welcomed by members of the Guinean community in Rwanda during a celebratory event held in Kigali.
Attendees carried banners and wore shirts with messages expressing their support for his leadership and vision for Guinea’s future.
In a statement shared on X, the Guinean Embassy in Rwanda noted:“The President of the Republic of Guinea, H.E. Mamadi Doumbouya, was warmly welcomed by Guineans living in Rwanda during his visit — a moment filled with emotion and pride for the community!”
This marks President Doumbouya’s return to Rwanda following his last visit in August 2024, when he attended the inauguration of President Paul Kagame after his re-election. He had previously visited in January 2024 to reaffirm bilateral cooperation.
Rwanda and Guinea signed a partnership agreement in October 2024, committing to collaboration across several strategic sectors, including technology, agriculture, investment, services, tourism, energy, and trade.
On the same occasion, additional agreements focusing on economic cooperation between the United States and both African countries are also expected to be signed. If all proceeds as planned, significant American investments are anticipated in Rwanda and the DRC.
The U.S. government has stated that this peace agreement represents a vital step forward and will offer a long-term solution to the prolonged instability in the Great Lakes region.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, confirmed to IGIHE that both parties agreed to submit their respective drafts of the agreement by Friday, May 2. He also disclosed that the final signing will take place in June at the White House.
On Thursday evening, U.S. Senior Advisor for Africa, Massad Boulos, announced that both countries had made significant progress on the draft and confirmed they would meet the Friday deadline.
His comments followed a round of talks held in Doha, Qatar, involving delegations from the U.S., Rwanda, the DRC, and Qatar. Rwanda was represented by Brig Gen Jean Paul Nyirubutama, Deputy Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), and Brig Gen Patrick Karuretwa, the Head of International Military Cooperation.
After the draft agreements are submitted, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet again with foreign ministers from the DRC to finalize a unified version of the document. Once finalized, preparations will begin for the official signing ceremony at the White House.
The event, anticipated within the next two months, may also include other heads of state who have played key roles in efforts to address insecurity in eastern DRC.
Before the agreement is signed, the U.S. has emphasized that both parties must first meet several preconditions. Among them, the DRC must fully address internal security challenges, including disbanding the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda).
The DRC is also expected to implement internal governance reforms, including ensuring fair distribution of national resources across its regions.
In addition to the peace accord, both Rwanda and the DRC are expected to sign separate bilateral economic agreements with the United States.
To oversee the implementation of these conditions, a monitoring committee was formed on Wednesday. It includes representatives from the U.S., Qatar, France, and Togo—the latter acting on behalf of the African Union.
Negotiations previously conducted under the EAC-SADC framework have now been formally placed under the leadership of the African Union, with Togo taking the lead in facilitating the process going forward.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), four individuals, including two children, lost their lives after being swept away, while over 45,000 individuals have been affected by flash floods caused by moderate to heavy rainfall in various regions of Somalia since April 15.
OCHA said the Shabelle River burst its banks on Monday in Jowhar district, displacing over 6,000 people and inundating about 11,000 hectares of land.
“OCHA has reached out to partners to provide whatever emergency assistance they can deliver to those affected, particularly shelter, sanitation facilities, and relocation support,” it said in its flash update released in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
The UN agency said the flooding is occurring at a time when partners, especially national non-governmental agencies that often serve as frontline responders, are facing crippling funding reductions, which have severely limited their ability to respond to emerging needs.
The floods were triggered by moderate-to-heavy rains during the Gu (April to June) main rainy season, which typically begins on April 15 in parts of Somalia and the Ethiopian highlands, where the Juba and Shabelle rivers originate.
“The rains have, however, brought relief following six months of prolonged dry conditions by replenishing water points and pasture,” OCHA said.
“The Congolese judiciary has gathered the most tangible and irrefutable evidence supporting the clear involvement, the direct participation of senator for life Joseph Kabila in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the massacres of peaceful citizens”, Mutamba told reporters.
“We expect from the senate the pure and simple lifting” of immunity so the case can be heard by the High Military Court, Mutamba added.
Joseph Kabila served as president of the DRC from 2001 until 2019, after which he entered the Senate.
The current government has long accused him of collaborating with the AFC/M23 coalition, which controls large parts of North and South Kivu provinces in the country’s troubled east.
When Kabila visited Goma on April 18, 2025—a city under the control of the AFC/M23 coalition since late January—the Congolese government declared its intention to seize all his assets, calling his presence in the area further proof of his alleged ties to the rebel alliance.
An individual close to Kabila defended the visit, saying the former president was participating in peace talks aimed at resolving the country’s persistent insecurity in the east.
Minister Mutamba, however, asserted that Kabila played a role in atrocities committed in eastern DRC and went as far as to claim that the former president was among the founders of the AFC/M23 coalition.
He clarified that the prosecution is not targeting Kabila in his capacity as a former head of state, but rather as a sitting senator—hence the request to the Senate to remove his immunity so legal action can proceed.
In March 2025, Kabila publicly denied having any connection to AFC/M23, arguing that if he truly had ties to the group, the conflict in eastern DRC would have escalated far beyond its current level.
Kabila’s political party, the PPRD, also issued a statement denying the accusations. The party claimed there is no evidence that Kabila even traveled to Goma and added that even if he had, it would not prove any affiliation with AFC/M23.
He made the remarks during an interview with France 24, which focused on security concerns in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Ndayishimiye acknowledged recent diplomatic efforts and peace agreements between Rwanda and the DRC—brokered with the support of the United States and Qatar—stating that although the root issues are now better understood and there is renewed hope for peace, the situation remains delicate.
He emphasized that signs still suggest Rwanda harbors intentions to destabilize Burundi, even as Kigali continues to deny the accusations.
“We have information and evidence. It is based on the fact that Rwanda continues to host the individuals behind the 2015 coup attempt,” Ndayishimiye said.
He further alleged that Rwanda could use these individuals in the same way it allegedly backed the M23 rebel group in the DRC, presenting them as Burundians while covertly supporting them.
“We know that Rwanda could use them, claiming they are Burundians, when in reality, it would be Rwanda behind them,” he added. “As long as these individuals are not handed over to Burundian justice, we remain concerned.”
Despite these concerns, Ndayishimiye said the ongoing war in eastern DRC could limit Rwanda’s ability to launch a direct attack on Burundi.
He also accused Rwanda of supporting the armed rebel group RED Tabara, which has been linked to multiple terrorist incidents in Burundi. According to Ndayishimiye, this alleged support is one reason why his country remains on high alert.
The Burundian president noted that he has not spoken with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in some time. Their last conversation, he said, took place during regional peace talks on the DRC, during which Kagame reportedly assured him that the individuals involved in the 2015 coup would be brought to justice.
In February 2025, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told IGIHE that it is, in fact, Burundi that poses a threat to Rwanda—claiming that Burundian actions have already escalated beyond rhetoric.
He added that Burundi has aligned itself with the DRC in efforts to undermine Rwanda’s government and has aligned with armed groups, including the FDLR—a group linked to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi—and the Wazalendo militia.
Despite rising tensions, officials from both countries have recently held talks aimed at easing hostilities and restoring bilateral relations.
In March, Nduhungirehe noted that Rwanda and Burundi were on a constructive path toward de-escalation and mutual understanding, as dialogue between their governments continued.
{{Why Rwanda has not extradited the 2015 coup suspects}}
The individuals at the center of the dispute are accused of participating in the 2015 coup attempt that sought to overthrow former Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Rwanda has consistently stated that it cannot extradite them, citing international refugee law. Under agreements signed with the United Nations, any country that grants asylum to an individual claiming to flee persecution is not allowed to forcibly return them—particularly if the UN has formally granted them refugee status.
Rwandan authorities argue that returning these individuals would violate international obligations and set a precedent that no responsible state should follow.
Burundi, for its part, has previously submitted a list of the individuals it wants extradited, insisting that their handover is crucial to restoring normal diplomatic ties between the two nations.
While Rwanda maintains that legal repatriation is not possible, it has suggested exploring third-country resettlement options for the individuals in question.
The decision will result in the closure of 25 embassies, consulates, and missions in places including the Vatican, Albania, Vietnam, and Seychelles, and merge them into Libyan missions in countries that include Italy, Malaysia, and Kenya.
The decision also calls for the formation of a committee to reduce the number of diplomats and employees at Libyan missions abroad.
During a meeting with the state-owned National Oil Corporation on Tuesday, Dbeibah announced the intention to reduce the number of Libyan diplomats abroad by 20 percent.
“We will close a number of embassies. This is an important decision for the people, and it will help create a surplus of foreign currency consumption, especially since these embassies consume large amounts,” Dbeibah said during the meeting.
Dbeibah’s decision comes amid growing calls to cut government spending in an effort to improve Libya’s economic situation.
Gabon’s reinstatement came after the council in its 1,277th meeting reviewed the country’s political transition and processes, which were found to be “generally successful,” PSC Chairperson Rebecca Amuge Otengo said in a briefing.
Otengo said as a result, the AU has lifted all sanctions and welcomed Gabon back to its full participation in the union’s activities.
Gabon was suspended from the AU following the unconstitutional change of government on Aug. 30, 2023.
“It is with great honor and pride that I announce to the Gabonese people, on behalf of Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, President of the Republic, Head of State, Gabon’s return to the great African family,” declared Gabonese Foreign Minister Regis Onanga Ndiaye from the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The removal of these sanctions allows Gabon to reclaim its position within the African community and extend its participation internationally, the minister emphasized.
Gabon can now actively engage in major international meetings organized by the AU and its partners.
Following the coup on Aug. 30, 2023, which brought General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema to power, Gabon faced several sanctions, including those imposed by the AU.
The country has since returned to constitutional order after a recent presidential election, in which transitional leader Nguema secured a landslide victory with 94.85 percent of the vote.
The official inauguration of the president-elect is scheduled for May 3 in Libreville, the capital of the Central African country.
