Guinea has declared three days of national mourning, starting Tuesday, December 2024, following the tragic deaths of at least 56 people in a stampede during a football match in Nzérékoré on Sunday night. The stampede occurred during the final match of a local tournament, leaving many injured and hospitalized, with concerns that the death toll could rise. The incident has left the nation in shock and grief.
In international developments, South Africa has assumed the G20 presidency from Brazil, preceding the 2024 summit to be hosted by the United States. President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to prioritize the interests of Africa and the Global South during his tenure. However, he faces potential challenges in navigating relations with a U.S. administration that has expressed skepticism toward multilateralism and shown resistance to BRICS members in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the United Nations agency responsible for promoting communication technology has highlighted Africa’s struggle to keep pace with the global surge in internet access. While 5.5 billion people, or 68% of the global population, are now online—a 227 million increase from 2023—Africa lags behind with an average internet penetration rate of just 38%. The digital divide varies significantly across the continent, posing challenges to equitable development in an increasingly connected world.
