00:07Welcome to Africa News Today, your weekly news briefing.
00:11I'm Serge-Patrick Mankou.
00:13In today's edition, the U.S. president is threatening to destroy critical Iranian infrastructure
00:18if Tehran does not meet the Tuesday deadline.
00:25Pope Leo XIV used Easter celebrations to call for peace in a context marked by the crisis
00:31in the Middle East.
00:36The leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo have returned home after their historic qualification
00:42for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
00:48The U.S. president has postponed his ultimatum to Tehran by 24 hours.
00:53Iranian authorities have until Tuesday at 8 p.m. Washington time to open the Strait of
00:58Hormuz.
00:58Otherwise, the White House occupant promises to destroy Iranian bridges and nuclear facilities.
01:04As the war in the Middle East enters its second month, mediators are ramping up efforts to
01:08put an end to the violence.
01:10Both the United States and Iran have received a draft urging a 45-day ceasefire.
01:15The proposal also calls for Iran to loosen its grip on the Strait of Hormuz shipping lane.
01:20It was put forward by Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators, who hope that the 45-day
01:25time frame would provide enough time for discussions to come to a permanent truce.
01:30Both sides have not currently responded.
01:32On the ground in Iran, the U.S. and Israel are pressing ahead with their campaign of airstrikes.
01:36On Monday, the leader of Iran's paramilitary revolutionary guard was killed in an attack
01:41targeting him, according to the country's state media.
01:44Iran, for its part, is continuing with its own offensive, launching strikes at Gulf neighbors
01:49and Israel.
01:53The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is having repercussions in Africa.
01:57In Zambia, fuel supplies are now considered a national emergency.
02:03As the war in the Middle East continues to drive up fuel prices, the Zambian government has
02:08called the current fuel supply situation an emergency.
02:12Although they're thousands of kilometers away from the front line, residents say they're
02:16feeling the impact.
02:20You have to spend some time on looking for fuel.
02:26The war should come to an end.
02:29Yeah, and then the fuel supply will flow.
02:33My business is down.
02:36I can't move regularly like I used to because of the fuel problem.
02:41The energy insecurity is huge.
02:44It's not just for Zambia.
02:46It's about 75 percent of other African countries.
02:52And for Zambia, the price definitely is also going to swing up, just like other countries.
02:58And also, there is another fear, apart from just the price going up.
03:05The other fear is the availability factor.
03:08Late March, the cabinet approved zero rating of value-added tax and the halting of excise
03:14duty on petrol and diesel imports for a period of three months.
03:20As the war in the Middle East continues, Pope Leo XIV is calling for de-escalation.
03:25Let those who have the power to start wars choose peace, the pontiff declared on Sunday during
03:31Easter Mass.
03:35Catholic Christians gathered at Masses around the world on Easter Sunday to share the message
03:41of hope as a celebration of Jesus Christ's resurrection.
03:47During his first Easter blessing in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo XIV took the opportunity to
03:54promote a message of peace, urging those who have the power to start wars to choose peace
03:59instead.
04:06Addressing more than 50,000 faithful, the pontiff warned against the globalization of indifference,
04:13echoing his predecessor, Pope Francis.
04:16The war has impacted the lives of Christian minorities in the Middle East.
04:21In the Holy Land, the historic alleyways of Jerusalem sat in haunting silence.
04:27Security restrictions turned the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the very site of the resurrection,
04:33into a limited zone for the few.
04:44The heroes return.
04:46In the DRC, thousands of people celebrated in Kinshasa on Sunday as the Leopards secured their
04:52place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
04:56The Democratic Republic of Congo's Leopards were given a rapturous welcome in Kinshasa just days after
05:04qualifying for the World Cup, their first appearance since 1974.
05:09I promised them that if they took us to the World Cup, the Congolese people and the Congolese
05:14government will do whatever they asked.
05:19What I am about to tell you has already been done.
05:22Every Leopard player here has already been given a car and a house by the government.
05:31Chancellor Member, the captain, took the opportunity to appreciate the fans, including the government,
05:36for the enormous support throughout the campaign to qualify for the World Cup.
05:39We are still here.
05:40The war isn't over yet.
05:42But first of all, I want to say thank you because it's been 52 years and thanks to the
05:47head of state, we, the children, have had this opportunity to fight for our country.
05:53We did not fight alone.
05:54You have stood by us from the very beginning and the honour belongs to the whole country.
05:59Others started before us and now it is our turn.
06:02Today, we will fight for this country.
06:05Thank you very much.
06:06At the People's Palace, thousands more supporters park the Espanade.
06:11Many were dressed in the national colours like blue, yellow and red, waving flags, beating
06:16drums and blowing vuvuzelas.
06:19It's an honour and the president paid the players the tribute they deserve.
06:23They've made enormous sacrifices.
06:25We all know the realities of our country.
06:27It's never easy.
06:28There have been betrayals, but they gave it their all right to the end.
06:33They never gave up.
06:34They were fully focused and a congratulation to them.
06:38All eyes will now be turned into this summer's World Cup in the America.
06:42In the group stage, the DRC will first face Portugal on June 17th in Houston.
06:50In Sierra Leone, a boat race shows how communities are managing to balance survival, climate pressures
06:56and the promise of tourism.
06:59Eric Kawa is our correspondent in Freetown.
07:04A competition for coastal communities.
07:07This boat race reveals how they are balancing survival, climate pressure and the promise
07:12of tourism.
07:13The atmosphere is lively and you can feel the excitement.
07:16Over 16 communities are here contesting for the coastal unity boat race in which they are
07:21promoting tourism and culture.
07:23Even as environmental challenges intensify, Sierra Leone's coastline remains a lifeline, sustaining
07:29communities and now, more than ever, bringing them together.
07:33This is the winning team.
07:36We came here to prove that Kissi Terminal, Port Loco, has the team.
07:43We are the winners.
07:46For locals, the competition is all about speed, skill and bragging rights on the water.
07:51This is such a fantastic program, my brother.
07:55Wow.
07:56Wow.
07:57I wish you were here.
07:59You would feel it too.
08:00You feel good.
08:01It was really nice and exciting.
08:03I came with my family and friends and people actually turned up and it was nice.
08:08Organizers believe this coastal unity boat race showcases coastal communities' efforts
08:13to preserve tradition while adapting to rising seas and creating new opportunities for the future.
08:19We know that there is a vast resource out there in the ocean and these coastal communities live right at
08:24the door of the ocean.
08:26So by identifying them, by showcasing them, you may have people who are interested in investing in them
08:30and that will help to promote GDP growth.
08:32It's really, really heartwarming to see how the private sector actors are coming together to support activities
08:41that really enhance our touristic appeal.
08:43The historic boats are handmade using traditional skills with designs that showcase local identity and community pride.
08:53And like every week on African News Today, here is our weekly agenda with dates to remember.
09:00The Trade Union Front for the Defense of Labour has announced a major national march scheduled for the 8th of
09:06April.
09:07It's to protest alleged injustices suffered by workers in Senegal
09:12and to demand urgent measures to improve their working and living conditions.
09:19In Benin, more than 7 million voters are expected to turn out on the 12th of April for the presidential
09:24elections.
09:26Two candidates are vying to succeed outgoing president Patrice Talon.
09:32Pope Leo XIV will arrive in Algeria on the 13th of April.
09:36This will be the first papal visit to the country.
09:44That's all for African News Today.
09:46See you next week for a new edition.
09:48For more information, visit African News and AfricanNews.com.
09:53the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
09:53Business Canada
09:53Society of the States
09:54P
09:54C
09:58common
10:00bank
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