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Moroccan Nomads Festival returns after two years’ absence

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A popular Moroccan Nomads Festival which was rested two years ago following the global outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has returned.

The festival, which normally holds deep in the desert lasting three days, is aimed at “keeping alive the old ways in a fast moving society dominated by new technology”, according Festival Director, Nourredine Bougrab.

The annual event is taking place in the small town of Mhamid El Ghizlane in southeast Morocco,
famous for its rich heritage and legendary hospitality.

“The international nomads festival is looking to connect with various activities all linked to nomadism,” Bougrab said.

“This festival is coming back this year with a rich programme: exhibitions and activities all linked to nomadism such as the camels race and preparing then cooking bread loaves in the sand,” he said during the opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Going by the history of the festival, the event is central to nomadic culture of the camel, an animal that played a major role both in war and establishing trade routes through the desert.

“It’s thanks to camels that the Arab and Islamic culture was spread over the Sahara, from Essaouira to Cairo and Tangier to Timbuktu. For me, the role of the camel is endless. The camel keeps the nomads heritage alive,” according to the Director.

“Since the year 2000, it was made an intangible heritage by the UNESCO,” Issa Dicko, Director of the Tumast Cultural Centre in Bamako, Mali, a special guest of honour at the festival added.

“For the first time, the festival invited three storytellers from Mali, France and Morocco who captivated the audience with their tales.

“Nomads and the Moroccan society in general, were basing the education of their families and children on storytelling. At night, the grandma used to gather her family to tell them stories she learnt herself from her mother and grandmother
She was telling them stories full of strong messages”, said Moroccan storyteller, Nabila El Fahmy said.

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Culture

DRC authorities arrest six over break-in at Lumumba’s Mausoleum

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Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say six people have been arrested over a break-in and vandalism at the mausoleum of the country’s assassinated independence leader, Patrice Lumumba, in Kinshasa, the country’s capital.

The police had announced the six arrests late Wednesday and said they were still looking for two more suspects.

Interior Minister, Jacquemin Shabani, said in a statement that during the break-in which occurred on Monday, a case containing a single gold-capped tooth, the only part of the former leader that remained after his assassination, was broken by the vandals.

“We assure that the relic is secure and it is protected,” the minister said, without offering more information.

The return of Lumumba’s tooth from former colonizer Belgium in 2022 had been celebrated around Congo, with the tooth taken around the vast country so people could pay their respects.

Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped end colonial rule in the DRC and went on to become the country’s first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa’s most promising new leaders, but he was assassinated within a year in 1961.

His body was dismembered and dissolved with acid in an apparent effort to keep any grave from becoming a pilgrimage site.

For many in Congo, Lumumba is a symbol of the positive developments the country could have achieved after its independence but instead, it became mired in decades of dictatorship that drained its vast mineral riches.

A military coup toppled Lumumba, who was arrested, jailed and later killed. His assassination, blamed on separatists, cleared the way for the rise of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country he later renamed Zaire for decades with support from Western powers until his death in 1997.

His one remaining tooth was kept by the Belgian police commissioner who oversaw the destruction of his body.

The tooth was returned to Congo after the visit of Belgium’s King Philippe, who expressed regrets for his nation’s abuses in Congo when it was a Belgian colony.

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Miss SA opens up on why she withdrew from Miss Universe pageant

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Reigning Miss South Africa 2024, Mia le Roux, has opened up on the reasons behind her withdrawal from the Miss Universe pageant which was held in Mexico, where Nigeria’s Chidinma Adetshina was the first runner-up.

While narrating her experience in a video she shared on social media on Wednesday, le Roux said her body was taking so much physical strain.

“Hello everyone, I’m back in South Africa and wanted to reach out to you all. Thank you so much for all of your kind wishes, your support and prayers,” she said in the video.

“I wanted to be transparent with you and share my story. A lot of you would’ve seen the video that I made about vertigo, while I was in Mexico at Miss Universe.

“Vertigo is a condition where it feels like you are dizzy and there’s a sense of the world spinning around you. It’s very intense and can cause major issues with your imbalance.

“Mentally I was very strong, I was ready, but physically, my body was taking strain. I had to even seek medical help in Mexico City. And even after the medical help, my condition still wasn’t improving.”

She added that during the preliminary rounds of Miss Universe, she had continued to push herself but her vertigo intensified and it became unmanageable.

She stated that while she was waiting backstage, she fell repeatedly and couldn’t stand up without support and was not in a position to safely walk on stage.

“It was not easy. As I was not doing it just for myself but for all of you in South Africa,” she said.

“I will continue to serve as your Miss South Africa, to support and uplift those who come after me. With my unbreakable spirit and an exciting year ahead, I will keep fighting for myself and for everyone with dreams and passions. I am so proud to still be your Miss South Africa,” she added.

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