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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 26 February 2020

East Africa's huge locust outbreak now spreads to Congo

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) statement.
— A small group of desert Locust swarms can reach
locusts has entered Con- the size of major cities and
go, marking the first time can destroy crops and dev-
the voracious insects have astate pasture for animals.
been seen in the Central Experts have warned that
African country since 1944, the outbreak is affecting
the U.N. Food and Agricul- millions of already vulner-
ture Agency said Tuesday able people across the re-
as U.N. agencies warned gion.
of a "major hunger threat" Uganda's government said
in East Africa from the flying Tuesday it was trying to
pests. contain a large swarm and
Kenya, Somalia and Ugan- will need more resources to
da have been battling control the infestation that
the swarms in the worst lo- has spread to over 20 dis-
cust outbreak that parts of tricts in the north. Soldiers
East Africa have seen in 70 have been battling swarms
years. The U.N. said swarms using hand-held spray
have also been sighted in pumps, while experts have
Djibouti, Eritrea and Tanza- said aerial spraying is the
nia and recently reached only effective control.
South Sudan, a country The U.N. recently raised its
where roughly half the aid appeal from $76 mil-
population already faces In this photo taken Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, desert locusts jump up from the ground and fly away as lion to $138 million, saying
hunger after years of civil a cameraman walks past, in Nasuulu Conservancy, northern Kenya. the need for more help is
war. Associated Press urgent.
A joint statement Tuesday "This funding will ensure that
from FAO director-general biblical proportions" and ern shore of Lake Albert in country still grappling with activities to control the lo-
Qu Dongyu, U.N. humani- "a graphic and shocking eastern Congo on Friday complex conflict, Ebola custs can take place be-
tarian chief Mark Lowcock, reminder of this region's vul- near the town of Bunia. The and measles outbreaks, fore new swarms emerge,"
and World Food Program nerability." country has not seen lo- high levels of displacement, the U.N. officials said, not-
Executive Director David The FAO said mature lo- custs for 75 years, it said. and chronic food insecurity ing that to date only $33
Beasley called the swarms custs, carried in part by the "Needless to say the poten- would be devastating," the million has been received
of locusts "a scourge of wind, arrived on the west- tial impact of locusts on a U.N. officials said in the joint or committed.q

Officials say US airstrike kills telecom worker in Somalia

By ABDI GULED mand and Somalia's gov- tion of anonymity because nation with Somalia's gov- nya and Somalia, the state-
Associated Press ernment said the airstrike he was not authorized to ernment. ment said, adding that his
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) killed a member of the al- speak to the media. In a separate statement, wife, also an al-Shabab
— A U.S. military airstrike has Qaida-linked al-Shabab Somali authorities have the U.S. Africa Command member, was killed.
killed a worker for a tele- extremist group. But offi- long accused some busi- said an airstrike it carried The United States has car-
com company in Somalia, cials at Hormuud said the nessmen of having ties out Saturday killed a senior ried out a growing num-
officials in the country said airstrike killed their local with al-Shabab, which ex- al-Shabab leader associat- ber of airstrikes against al-
Tuesday. manager in Jilib. torts significant amounts of ed with the group's deadly Shabab during President
Mohamud Haji Sirad, 55, a A Somali intelligence offi- money from businesses to attack in January on a mili- Donald Trump's administra-
local manager of Hormuud, cial said the man targeted finance its activities in the tary airstrip in Kenya that tion. Some have been fol-
Somalia's largest telecom by the airstrike appeared Horn of Africa nation. killed a U.S. service mem- lowed by allegations of ci-
company, was killed when to have been on the secu- The U.S. Africa Command ber and two U.S. contrac- vilians killed.
two missiles struck his farm rity radar, but he declined statement said that "we tors and destroyed several The U.S. says it carried out
on the outskirts of the rebel- to confirm whether officials currently assess no civilians U.S. aircraft. 63 airstrikes in Somalia last
held town of Jilib on Mon- were aware that their tar- were injured or killed as a The man organized and year. At least a dozen have
day, Somali officials said. get was a telecom worker. result of this airstrike" that directed operations in the been carried out this year
Both the U.S. Africa Com- The official spoke on condi- was carried out in coordi- border region between Ke- against al-Shabab.q