January 2006 in Africa

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Events in Africa

"This page deals with January 2006 events in or of interest to the continent of Africa. "

25 January 2006 (Wednesday)

* Nigerian militants attack the industrial facility of a subsidiary of the Italian oil giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company in Port Harcourt killing eight policemen and a civilian worker. [http://allafrica.com/stories/200601250129.html (allAfrica)]
* The president of Ethiopia's largest state-owned bank, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Gezahegn Yilma is found shot to death in his home. Police later rule it a suicide. [http://www.eitb24.com/portal/eitb24/noticia/eitb24-international-news-ethiopia--president-of-leading-bank-found-shot-dead-in-his-home?itemId=D8112&cl=%2Feitb24%2Finternacional&idioma=en]

23 January 2006 (Monday)

* United Nations says eight Guatemalan special forces soldiers deployed as U.N. peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo were killed and five wounded in a battle with Ugandan LRA rebels. [http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-23T181104Z_01_L23782549_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGO-DEMOCRATIC-UN.xml&archived=False (Reuters)]
* A five-story building in Nairobi, Kenya, collapses and kills at least eight people, burying dozens more. Rescuers use their bare hands to dig through the rubble. [http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1210041,00.html (Sky News)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4639532.stm (BBC)] [http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060123/nairobi_building_060123/20060123?hub=TopStories (CTV)]

18 January 2006 (Wednesday)

* Fighting is being reported between Bangladeshi UN peacekeepers and supporters of Laurent Gbagbo's "Young Patriots" in Côte d'Ivoire. At least three people have been killed, and the UN has warned that the country is sliding towards war. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4626100.stm (BBC)]

17 January 2006 (Tuesday)

* In Côte d'Ivoire, supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo attack United Nations peacekeepers after the Ivorian Popular Front withdraws from the Ivorian Civil War peace process. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4620838.stm (BBC)]

16 January 2006 (Monday)

* Nine people have died in heavy fighting between rival militias over the control of Somalia's port city of Kismayo. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16782563.htm (Reuters)]
*Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is sworn in as Liberia's new president. She becomes Africa's first female elected head of state. [http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/01/16/liberia/index.html (CNN)]
* The United Nations is appealing for US$240 million of food aid for West Africa to feed at least 10 million people affected by the food crisis, with Niger being the worst-affected country. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16774239.htm (Reuters)]

15 January 2006 (Sunday)

* President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya has declared the ongoing drought a national disaster and appeal for US$150 million to feed the hungry. The lack of rains over the last three years has left 2.5 million people close to starvation. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L14235639.htm (Reuters)]

11 January 2006 (Wednesday)

* Violence in Democratic Republic of the Congo’s “triangle of death” in the province of Katanga has forced tens of thousands to flee their homes and threatens to disrupt national elections. Some 280,000 people are displaced in the province [http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/113699480518.htm (Reuters)]

6 January 2006 (Friday)

* Janjaweed militants cross the Sudanese border into Chad and attack the villages of Boroto, Ade, and Moudaina, killing nine and seriously wounding three others. Chad once again warns Sudan that it will retaliate for attacks by Janjaweed and UFDC rebel attacks. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0644250.htm (Reuters)]