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Germany to return prized artefacts stolen from Africa during colonial rule

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The German government has agreed to return prized artefacts stolen from Aftican countries, particularly from Cameroon, Namibia and Tanzania, during the colonial times over 120 years ago, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The priceless artefacts which were looted by the German colonial government officials during the colonial era will be permanently returned to their original countries, the Foundation officials said.

The Berlin-based Heritage Foundation which manages museums based in the German capital said it had entered into negotiations on the returns of artefacts to their countries of origin.

According to the Heritage Foundation, some of the artefacts to be returned are a shell-studded statue of a mother goddess named Ngonnso, which holds “great spiritual significance for the Nso’ people of northwest Cameroon.”

The statue, according to the Foundation, has been part of the collection of Berlin’s Ethnological Museum since 1903, after a German colonial officer who had taken it by force from the Nso tribe ‘donated’ it to the government.

The board also approved the permanent return of 23 artefacts including jewellery, tools and fashion items, to Namibia, the statement noted.

The artefacts which were stolen from Namibia during the colonial period from 1884 to 1919, were sent to the southern African country in May for research purposes and will now remain there.

The statement further said the Foundation’s President, Hermann Parzinger, has also been authorised to sign an agreement on the return of objects Germany looted from Tanzania during the Maji Maji Rebellion and other conflicts during its early 20th-century colonial rule.

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Actress Yvonne Nelson lambasts Ghanaian President Akufo-Addo, labels his regime ‘8 years of lies’

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Ghanaian actress and filmmaker, Yvonne Nelson, has lambasted President Nana Akufo-Addo over a viral video from the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Tema General Hospital where a nurse is seen lamenting the deplorable condition of the health facility.

In the video which has brought in a lot of criticism for the government of the day, the nurse is heard saying babies are at the risk of losing their lives due to a power cut at the facility and the general insensitivity of government to the health sector.

The video which was made at the hospital, captured some mothers fanning their new born babies with cloth because of the heat in the wards after the electricity went out.

Before the latest video, there was public outrage over a blackout at the same hospital with many Ghanaian citizens taking to social media to voice out their anger and frustration at the power blackouts across the country.

Their anger was further intensified when it was reported that a newborn baby had died due to the erratic power supply situation at the facility, according to a news report by an Accra-based television station, GHOne TV.

“Erratic power cut on Tuesday evening plunged the neonatal unit of Tema General Hospital into chaos, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of a newborn,” the channel reported on Wednesday as well.

“The neonatal unit, where infants requiring intensive care are housed, relies heavily on electricity to sustain life-saving equipment such as oxygen support and emergency care devices.

“The generator intended to provide backup power for the unit is prone to shutting down when overloaded,” the report said.

While reacting to the video, Nelson took to her verified X account to express her displeasure at the Akufo-Addo government, describing it as “eight years of lies.”

The bitter actress said she was lost for words to describe the situation, and ended up calling the country’s leaders “wicked and heartless”.

“I don’t even know what to type. Our Leaders are WICKED”.

The veteran actress also used the opportunity to call out President Akufo-Addo and questioned how he sleeps at night, considering the poor infrastructure in the country.

“@NAkufoAddo how do you sleep at night? 8 years of lies. #DUMSORMUSTSTOP,” she wrote.

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Moroccans celebrate ‘special towncrier’ who works only during Ramadan

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Moroccans have continued to celebrate a “special towncrier” otherwise known as “Nafar”, who works only during the Ramadan period.

The Nafar, Naoufal Boukhriss, whose seasonal job lasts for one month and ends once Eid al-Fitr is declared, signalling the end of the holy month, is seen as a rare occupation as he “walks the paths and alleys in the early hours of the morning, starting at three am,” alerting faithful to the morning prayers and the Suhoor which is the meal to be taken before commencement of the day’s fasting.

According to Boukhriss who operates in the ancient Moroccan city of Rabat, the “Nafar plays a certain tune with a long trumpet-like instrument to wake people up for the suhoor meal before Muslims start their day of fasting during Ramadan.”

Nafar is the Moroccan way of calling someone who does this job, but the name of this profession differs from country to country. It shares the same name as the instrument in Moroccan Arabic,” he said.

“This craft, once a widespread Ramadan tradition in the past, has become rare today, as it has gradually disappeared with the emergence of technology and new urban areas.

“This (Nafar) is currently only found in the old city. As for the upscale neighborhoods, most of them do not accept the presence of the Nafar, because they say that they have a phone and an alarm clock that they use,” Boukhriss explained.

Local media reports that as a symbol of tradition, Boukhriss usually wears a special set of traditional clothes before he goes on his rounds in the old city.

“He dons a long shirt or ‘Jallaba’, a headpiece or ‘Tarbouch’, leather slippers ‘Belgha’ and white socks.

“While walking through the alleys, Boukhriss plays a special tune that notifies people of the time of suhoor, which is different from the ones they perform inside the mosque.

“Boukhriss considers this work as a reward from God. In return, residents thank him with food, sugar, or a share of money.”

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