CONTINENTAL DRIFT

Egypt arrests journalist

Egyptian journalist Lina Attalah was arrested by security forces while interviewing someone for a story. Attalah was held at a police station for undisclosed charges before being questioned by a prosecutor. Attalah is the editor-in-chief of Mada Masr, Egypt’s only independent media outlet, and the arrest is believed to be part of a crackdown on independent expression in relation to Covid-19 reporting. She has been released on bail.

Genocide suspect arrested

After decades of hunting for a fugitive suspected of playing a key role in the Rwandan genocide, an 84-year-old man was arrested by French police. Félicien Kabuga was known as one of Rwanda’s richest men and is believed to helped to finance Hutu extremists during the Rwandan genocide. He had been living under a false identity in an apartment in Paris. Kabuga is expected to appear before French magistrates and is likely to be then transferred to The Hague.

Breaking fast at an unholy cost

During the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, consumers in Nigeria have been hard-hit by prices of food. In Abuja, some buyers have reported that the costs of produce has doubled, and prices are not expected to stabilise after Ramadan has ended. Nigeria’s Price Control and Commodity Board has been inactive for more than 30 years, which makes food costs more difficult to regulate, particularly in market environments.