🔅 The 'Facebook Rapist' Finally Caught
Plus: Ethiopia's Amhara region faces protests, Nigeria: 74 killed and 80 abducted, Unknown assailants killed 44 in Burkina Faso, And much more... ☕
Photo of the day: Luanda, Angola.
Markets:
🔺 Nigerian SE: 51,952.99 (+1.96%)
🔺 Johannesburg SE: 77,990.54 (+1.14%)
— Ghana SE: 2,758.76 (0.00%)
🔻 Nairobi SE: 113.61 (-0.57%)
🔺 US S&P 500: 4,122.53 (+0.33%)
🔻 Shanghai Composite: 3,313.57 (-0.05%)
Global Markets: The US dollar is taking a bit of a dip, as the Federal Reserve looks likely to hike rates in May but the market is betting that they’ll stay steady after that. Money markets are currently pricing a 71% chance of a Fed rate hike in May (which will make it more expensive for African governments to borrow, and pay back, the mighty dollar), after a resilient US labour market report last Friday. On the cryptocurrency front, Bitcoin is having a good week, hitting a 10-month high of $30,438. It’s been trading between $26,500 and $29,400 for the past three weeks, but it looks like it’s finally breaking free of those ranges.
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
SECURITY
The 'Facebook Rapist' Finally Caught
South Africa's Thabo Bester is known across the country as the ‘Facebook Rapist’.
He was given the name after using social media to lure his victims, and after a year on the run, he was finally apprehended last week Friday — all the way in Tanzania.
Where does the story begin?
It all started back in May last year, when Bester was convicted for the rape and murder of his model girlfriend. It was then reported that he was found dead in his prison cell after apparently setting himself on fire.
But late last year, local media began to raise doubts about Bester’s death after further tests revealed the deceased was not Bester - and that the unidentified person had died from blunt-force trauma to the head.
So, who helped him escape?
G4S security company, which ran the prison where he was held, has been accused of helping Bester flee. Three of their employees have been dismissed in connection with the incident.
But they had a lot of help too – Bester had many reported sightings over the past year, including claims he was grocery shopping in an affluent suburb of Johannesburg, and was living in a rented mansion there. It’s believed that his escape was aided by a third party.
Where is he now?
Bester was apprehended in Tanzania this week with his girlfriend and a third suspect and will be extradited to South Africa. Police said they believe the trio intended to flee into neighbouring Kenya.
Bester’s escape sparked outrage in South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of sexual assault in the world.
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OTHER HEADLINES
Across the Continent
🇪🇹 Curfew as Explosion in Ethiopia's Amhara Region Kills Two | Ethiopia's Amhara region is facing days of unrest due to protests over the integration of local security forces into the national police and army. On Monday, an explosion killed two people and injured several others in Bahir Dar, and a police officer said it wasn't clear whether it was linked to the protests. A night-time curfew has been imposed, but despite ongoing restrictions, protests show no sign of subsiding. Amhara politicians and activists are against the government's move, fearing it will leave them vulnerable to attacks from neighbouring regions. Things got tenser yesterday morning when residents reported hearing gunshots and heavy weapons on the outskirts of Debre Birhan.
🇳🇬 Nigeria's Gunmen on the Loose: 74 Dead, 80 Abducted | In Benue state, 74 people were killed this week by gunmen: 46 bodies were recovered after an attack in a remote village on Wednesday, and 28 bodies were found in a camp for internally displaced people on Friday. In Zamfara state, 80 people were abducted—mostly women and children—while they were out gathering firewood and clearing land for farming. The abduction happened on Friday in Wanzamai village and the victims have not yet been rescued. Meanwhile, the president has condemned the killings in Benue and ordered security forces to increase surveillance in affected areas. Unfortunately, with so many remote villages in the country, many attacks go unreported, and armed gangs continue to target local communities.
🇧🇫 West Africa's Unrest: 44 Killed in Burkina Faso | A new report out of Burkina Faso paints a bleak picture: Unknown assailants killed 44 people in two villages in the West African country, an area overrun by Islamist groups linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State that have carried out repeated attacks for years. The violence, part of a conflict that’s been raging in the region since 2012, has already displaced more than 2 million people and led to a coup. But the worst part? Nobody knows who’s behind the attack. All authorities can say is that it’s “armed terrorist groups”—a sign of just how destabilized the region has become.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Proverb of the Day
“A roaring lion kills no game.”
— Ghanaian Proverb.