In a post shared on X, renowned Ugandan journalist Sudhir Byaruhanga, who is also said to be a distant relative of the late Ssali, wrote, “He had requested to be cremated and his ashes sent back home and to other countries in Africa.”
He further stated that the family will honor his request, with details of his sendoff services in Washington, D.C., and Uganda to be announced soon.
“We shall respect his wish, and soon, a date for his sendoff service in Washington, D.C., and Uganda will be communicated. #RIPShakaSsali,” Byaruhanga wrote.
For over two decades, his show, Straight Talk Africa, provided a vital platform for critical discourse, engaging African leaders and intellectuals while bridging the gap between the continent and the global stage.
His signature introduction, “I’m profoundly honored and exceedingly humbled,” along with his famous phrase, “Let’s keep the African hope alive,” became defining elements of his enduring legacy.
The appointment follows the conclusion of the term of office for the previous Commissioner, H.E. Amb. Albert Muchanga, and serves as a transitional measure to ensure continuity in the department’s strategic and operational responsibilities.
The decision was made in accordance with Article 18(4) of the AU statute on the procedure for election of commissioners and after consultations with the Chairperson of the Executive Council.
“In this regard, I hereby appoint you as the Acting Commissioner for economic development, trade, tourism, industry, and minerals.… until the assumption of duty of the substantive commissioner,” the official AU memorandum reads.
H.E. Vilakati brings a strong background in both public service and regional economic development. He previously served as Eswatini’s Minister of tourism and environmental affairs from 2018 to 2023, during which he championed sustainable tourism, conservation, and regional trade integration.
His leadership is widely credited with positioning Eswatini as a key destination in Southern Africa and promoting green economic policies. The African Tourism Board (ATB) has lauded his appointment, describing it as a symbolic and transformative moment.
In a congratulatory message, ATB Executive Chairman Hon. Cuthbert Ncube wrote: “You have walked with us over the years as a trusted leader and ally, always grounded in purpose and committed to Africa’s collective advancement. Your leadership across these key sectors is not only a blessing to the continent but also an inspiration to all who believe in Africa’s promise.”
Although the appointment is temporary, it comes at a time when the AU is ramping up efforts under Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for inclusive and sustainable development.
The substantive ETTIM Commissioner position has been allocated to the Central African Republic (CAR), and once elected, H.E. Vilakati is expected to step down within 48 hours, per AU regulations.
Until then, he will oversee key portfolios vital to the continent’s economic resilience, trade liberalization, and industrial transformation. His dual role positions him to strengthen synergies across agriculture, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.
This means that in 2024, roughly for every seven people in the labour force, there was one person unemployed. This represents a decrease of 2.3 percentage points compared to 2023.
The report indicates that Rwanda’s working-age population stands at approximately 8.3 million individuals. Of this, around 4.4 million are employed, while 780,000 remain unemployed.
Additionally, 3.1 million people are not part of the labour force. The labour force participation rate has also seen positive growth, rising to 62.9% in 2024, an increase of 3.6 percentage points from 2023, reflecting a larger share of the population engaging in the labour market.
However, the survey also highlights persistent disparities in the labour market. The gender gap in labour force participation remains significant, with males consistently outperforming females. In 2024, the gender gap stood at 15.5 percentage points, a figure consistent with 2023 levels.
The employment-to-population ratio has also improved, climbing to 53.5% in 2024, up from 49% the previous year. However, this ratio was notably higher among males (62.2%) compared to females (45.9%). It was also higher for adults (31 years and above) than for the youth (16-30 years).
Sectoral employment trends show that the services sector has become the primary driver of employment, accounting for 42.9% of total employment in 2024, up from 39.8% in 2023. On the other hand, employment in the agriculture sector has declined to 39.9%, down from 43.4% in 2023.
Despite the decrease in overall unemployment, it remains higher among females, who face an unemployment rate of 17.6%, compared to 12.6% for males. Additionally, the youth (16-30 years) continue to face higher unemployment rates at 18.5%, compared to 12.3% for adults.
Labour underutilization, which includes unemployment and other factors such as time-related underemployment, stood at 54.2% in 2024. This rate was higher among females (61.2%) and the youth (56.2%), compared to males (47%) and adults (52.8%).
The report also sheds light on the prevalence of informal employment, with 82.3% of the employed population working in the informal sector in 2024. This highlights the continued challenges of securing formal employment opportunities.
The enhanced sampling methodology used in the 2024 RLFS, which incorporated data from the 2022 National Population and Housing Census, offers a comprehensive overview of the nation’s labour market.
The insights provided in the report are crucial for policymakers and stakeholders as they seek to address challenges such as unemployment, labour underutilization, and gender disparities, while working towards ensuring decent work for all.
These talks aim to resolve ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the broader Great Lakes region.
The decision to merge the Luanda and Nairobi talks was made during a meeting chaired by the Presidents of Kenya and Zimbabwe, bringing together the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The Luanda talks initially aimed to mediate tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, while the Nairobi talks focused on addressing internal Congolese conflicts.
However, both processes stalled due to a lack of commitment from the Kinshasa government. By merging these efforts, regional leaders hope to achieve lasting peace and stability in eastern DRC and the surrounding region.
To facilitate the process, five prominent mediators have been appointed: Olusegun Obasanjo, Uhuru Kenyatta, Catherine Samba Panza, Sahle-Work Zewde, and Kgalema Motlanthe. Their expertise is expected to be instrumental in guiding the talks toward a peaceful resolution.
On March 24, 2025, the Heads of State instructed EAC Chairperson President Dr. William Samoei Ruto and SADC’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa to engage with these mediators within a week before the talks officially begin.
According to local media in Zimbabwe, Prof. Murwira confirmed on March 30 that preparations were well advanced, and the meeting between Dr. Ruto, Mnangagwa, and the mediators was expected within the set timeframe.
He expressed confidence that the high-level meeting could take place at any time, noting that the agenda had been finalized by March 28, and official letters had been sent to the mediators.
The only step remaining was for the regional leaders to deliver their opening remarks.
Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, Zimbabwean Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, also assured that efforts were being made to ensure that the Luanda-Nairobi talks commence as soon as possible.
While the exact date of the meeting had not been finalized, he acknowledged the ongoing commitment to making the talks a success.
Having spent three decades immersed in the region, Peeters shares his personal experiences, emotions, and observations that inspired him to write this deeply moving and thought-provoking book.
Through vivid portraits and heartfelt testimony, he seeks to preserve the memory of the victims and shed light on the untold truths surrounding the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Peeters discusses the motivations behind his writing, the emotional toll of bearing witness, and his unwavering commitment to honoring the truth.
{{Excerpts:}}
{{IGIHE: Jean-Pierre Peeters, you recently published a booklet titled “30 Years Later: Still the Same Questions.” What inspired you to write this book?}}
{{Jean-Pierre Peeters:}} The 30 years later correspond somewhat to the time I spent there, and I wanted, through writing, to be a witness to what I saw, what I felt, and everything I understood. I wanted to provide, in a few portraits, the testimony of someone sincere. I am not a politician. I am not someone who deals with history. I just wanted to be a witness to what I saw.
{{IGIHE: In your book, you refer to the “scoundrels of history.” Could you explain what you mean by that?}}
{{Jean-Pierre Peeters: }} Thank you for the question, because, in fact, the scoundrels of history is indeed a whole chapter of the book; it is the heart of the book. The other chapters are there only to explain events that culminated to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The core of the story, my true outcry, is precisely to denounce these scoundrels of history who want to impose their narrative in place of those who lived it and who still live it today on the ground, that is to say, in Rwanda.
So, denouncing the crimes is one thing, but we must also point out those who allowed this crime to occur, those who enabled the deaths of over a million people simply because we no longer wanted them on this earth.
{{IGIHE: Could you elaborate on how writing helped you confront and process those haunting memories?}}
{{Jean-Pierre Peeters:}} At first, I wanted to take refuge in writing, a bit like an outlet for an internal pain that was indescribable for years. What I saw, what I experienced was not only in Rwanda, because, in fact, my story begins in Burundi. I lived through the events in Ntega and Marangara in 1988 and everything that followed.
I experienced that as a true wound. But what really pushed me to write was what happened in Rwanda, because the crime of crimes was pushed to its peak, and what happened in Rwanda is something that is difficult to explain. It is hard for people to understand that the genocidaires went to work. They themselves said it like this: they left in the morning for work; they went to kill, and for three months, during those days, they killed between 10,000 and 12,000 people a day.
Why write? Everything I saw deeply marked me, and it took me no less than fifteen years before I could find sleep at night. I was incapable of having a peaceful day; it was a haunting. And I say this: I did not lose anyone from my family; I only witnessed friends and acquaintances die.
I did not lose anyone from my home, but the inner anger was something I could not overcome. I truly thought that writing the book, which took me nearly three and a half years, would serve as an outlet where I could try to absorb this pain and confine it somewhere in my little head so that I could live normally. When you witness this, you can no longer live normally.
What I wanted to convey is that it is essential to maintain memory. And I say this at the beginning of the book; I dedicate this book not only as an individual but also to the memory of all those who will not be able to read it but who are my profound inspiration.
The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic stated that peacekeepers were attacked by an “unidentified armed group” during a long-range patrol in Tabane village, Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, on Friday morning.
In a press statement, the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathies to the victim’s family, as well as to Kenya and the United Nations.
The council reiterated that attacks against peacekeepers may constitute war crimes and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law.
On Saturday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack, urging the Central African Republic authorities to “spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators of this tragedy so that they can be brought to justice swiftly.”
For us Africans, this tragedy resonates deeply, as it reflects the painful history of colonial violence, ethnic persecution, and the struggle for justice that many African nations have also endured.
In March and April 1918, Armenian Dashnak (political party that still exists in Armenia and its diaspora) militants, supported by Bolshevik forces, carried out brutal massacres against Azerbaijanis in Baku, Shamakhi, Guba, Nakhchivan, Zangezur, Ganja and other regions of Azerbaijan.
Dozens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered, villages were burned, and cultural heritage was destroyed. The violence was not just a military operation; it was an attempt to erase Azerbaijani identity from these lands.
In Guba alone, mass graves have been uncovered, revealing the horrifying scale of the atrocities. These crimes were part of a broader campaign to displace Azerbaijani communities and seize their lands, a pattern that, sadly, continued in later decades, including the modern period during the former Karabakh conflict.
For us, this history may feel familiar. The scars of colonialism, ethnic violence, and forced displacement are shared wounds across many nations.
Just as Africa remembers the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the atrocities of King Leopold in Congo, or the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa, Azerbaijan remembers its own martyrs.
31 March, the day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis, declared by the decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated 26 March 1998, is not just about the past, it is a call for global recognition of historical injustices.
Azerbaijan, just like many African countries, seeks truth and reconciliation, ensuring that such crimes are never repeated.
Today, Azerbaijan honors the victims through memorials, educational programs, and international advocacy. The country has rebuilt and restored its territories after the 2020 Karabakh war, but the wounds of history remain.
By remembering March 31, Azerbaijan sends a powerful message that genocide denial is unacceptable, and justice must prevail.
As Africans who have faced oppression, we understand the importance of remembrance. The day of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis reminds us that no people’s suffering should be forgotten. Whether in Africa, the Caucasus, or beyond, the fight against ethnic hatred and historical erasure is a global struggle.
On this day, we stand with Azerbaijan in honoring the victims and demanding that the world acknowledge this tragedy, just as we demand recognition for our own histories.
{ {{The author is a political Analyst based in Addis Ababa.}} }
Elly Mate, the spokesperson for the Uganda Police Force in the Kigezi region, reported that the accident occurred at the Kyanamira trading center along the Mbarara-Kabale highway.
Muhire was driving a Sinotruk truck from Mbarara to Kabale when he lost control of the vehicle at Kyanamira, causing it to veer off the road on Saturday.
According to Mate, the accident was caused by brake failure, which led to the truck overturning. Muhire died instantly at the scene.
His body was taken to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital for a post-mortem examination before being repatriated to Rwanda.
The earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country on Friday, with Mandalay, Bago, Magway, the northeastern Shan state, Sagaing, and Nay Pyi Taw among the hardest-hit regions.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake was also felt in neighboring countries.
In Bangkok, the latest official figures report that 11 people have died, 32 are injured, and 83 are missing due to a collapsed building in the capital.
As the search for survivors continues in both countries, friends and relatives anxiously await news of their loved ones, holding onto a faint glimmer of hope after a woman was pulled from the rubble in Mandalay after 30 hours.
In a phone interview with NBC News, Trump said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” when Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership, adding that the comments were “not going in the right location.”
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia,” Trump said.
“That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” he said. “There will be a 25 percent tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Trump noted that the tariffs on Russia would come within the next month if Moscow does not sign up to a ceasefire with Ukraine.
Trump said Putin knows he is angry, but he has “a very good relationship” with Putin and would speak to the Russian leader again this week.
During a phone conversation on March 18, Trump and Putin agreed that the peace in Ukraine “will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire.”
