Photo : Picture-alliance/SergiCamara/AFP/DPA
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Picture-alliance/SergiCamara/AFP/DPA
IN BRIEF
by Apoorva Sudhakar
Mali: 22 die in boat tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea
On 5 July, the ministry of Malians abroad said 22 people from Mali died in a boat tragedy off the coast of Libya; the casualties included three children. The boat carrying 83 passengers, mostly Malians, had been stranded since 22 June. The International Organization for Migration said that on 2 July, 61 people were rescued and taken to a detention centre in Libya. The 22 casualties were caused by drowning and dehydration. The number of deaths along the Mediterranean route has been increasing; in 2021, the IOM recorded around 2,000 migrant deaths, an increase from the 1,408 deaths in 2020. (“22 Malians, including children, die in boat disaster off Libya,” Al Jazeera, 6 July 2022)
Algeria: President hosts Palestinian leaders
On 6 July, president Abdelmadjid Tebboune hosted the president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas and the chief of the Hamas politburo Ismail Haniya. This marked the first meeting of Abbas and Haniya in 15 years. It was unclear whether the two leaders held separate talks but the meeting witnessed the two Palestinian leaders shaking hands and an embrace between Abbas and the Hamas delegation. (Youssef Taha, “Algerian president hosts rival Palestine leaders,” BBC, 6 July 2022)
Nigeria: OPEC secretary-general passes at 63
On 6 July, the state oil company NNPC announced the death of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) secretary-general Muhammad Barkindo (63) in capital city Abuja. The OPEC tweeted that “his passing is a profound loss to the entire OPEC Family, the oil industry and the international community.” Barkindo was in Nigeria for his farewell as his six-year tenure was coming to an end in July. The cause of death remains unclear. (Ishaq Khalid, “Opec chief Muhammad Barkindo dies in Nigeria,” BBC, 6 July 2022)