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The ASEA Daily News & Resources

Africa Southeast Area Thursday 10 September 2015

The ASEA Daily News and Resources is now available online at

South Africa Mormon Newsroom (Click on “ASEA Daily News” link on page-

find the date of news you would like to read)

The Church has: . 37 Official General Authority Facebook Pages & 27 Official Church Organizations Pages

Africa Southeast Area Websites

Countries Mormon Newsroom Sites

Link from these sites to Facebook!

Mormon Newsroom Facebook sites.

Church HQ Mormon Newsroom Mormon Newsroom Facebook page

Angola Angola Mormon Newsroom Angola Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Botswana none Botswana Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Cameroon none (Awaiting Approval)

Congo DR DR Congo Mormon Newsroom DR Congo Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Congo Rep none (Approved-This should be active shortly!)

Indian Ocean Indian Ocean Newsroom Indian Ocean Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Kenya Kenya Mormon Newsroom Kenya Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Madagascar Indian Ocean Newsroom Madagascar Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Malawi None Malawi Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Mozambique None Mozambique Mormon Newsroom Facebook

Namibia None Namibia Mormon Newsroom Facebook

South Africa South Africa Mormon Newsroom South Africa Mormon Newsroom Facebook page

Uganda Uganda Mormon Newsroom Uganda Mormon Newsroom Facebook page

Zambia none Zambia Mormon Newsroom Facebook Page

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom Zimbabwe Mormon Newsroom Facebook page

Totals for ASEA 7 Country-Mormon Newsrooms! 13+2 Country Newsroom Facebook pages!

ASEA YouTube ASEA (Africa Southeast Area) Public Affairs YouTube Channel

AFRICASE Africa Southeast Page Africa Southeast Area Facebook page

Helping Hands Mormon Helping Hands - Africa Southeast Facebook page

Public Affairs All Public Affairs individuals are able to access the Public Affairs Network (Secure Site) at this link: Public Affairs Network

Online Resources Use of Online Resources in Church Callings When carefully used, the Internet can help coordinate the work of the

Church, strengthen faith, and minister to the needs of others. The Internet can also help with missionary work as people connect with friends and family and share Church content. However, electronic communication should not replace face-to-face contact.

Law and Religion Symposium BYU Law International Center for Law and Religion Studies

Emergency Preparedness: Emergency Preparedness and Response

Africa Southeast Area (ASEA)

Calendar

September 2015 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Johannesburg SA Temple

18 October 2015 Tanzania Presidential and Parliamentary elections

20 October 2015 Kenya Mashuja Day (Heroes Day)

25 October 2015 DR Congo Provincial elections

25 October 2015 Tanzania Parliamentary and Presidential elections

26 November 2015 African Girls Summit to end child marriage. Lusaka, Zambia

Tuesday 16 December 2015 South Africa, Day of Reconciliation

25 October 2015 Tanzanian General Elections

27 November 2015 DR Congo Presidential Election

21 February 2016 Niger Parliamentary and Presidential elections.

Keyword News Topics below in Tan

Country Specific News Topics in Light Blue

Church Articles of Interest to Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

LDS mission president from Orem shot during robbery in Mexico SALT LAKE CITY — An Orem man serving as an LDS mission president in Mexico is recovering after he was shot

in the legs Monday during an armed robbery at a Subway restaurant in the city of Juchitan de Zaragoza. President Lynn Richard Madsen, 55, leader of the Mexico Oaxaca Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is under medical care, according to a church spokesman. "President Madsen sustained injuries to both legs from a single gunshot," Eric Hawkins said. "Fortunately, his wounds are not serious in nature. He is receiving medical treatment and is expected to make a full recovery." He is being treated at a local hospital, his daughter wrote in a Facebook post

on Tuesday afternoon. Kayla Madsen Jarrett's post said her father was shot in the calves during the robbery. "The bullet went through both calves, leaving four bullet holes," she wrote. "I talked to him today, and he is doing just fine. He will be at the hospital for observation for a few more days. I don't know all the details, but I'm sure he'll make a full recovery, just not without some pain. We know the Lord is watching over him right now, and we are all very thankful that this incident wasn't worse. Thanks in advance for all your prayers." A report published by a Mexican news outlet said Madsen was with three missionaries at the restaurant when two males between the ages of 16 and 18 approached the building on a motorcycle. One entered with a pistol drawn and began to take the belongings of employees and guests. Free LDS exhibit marks 100 years since "Jesus the Christ" publication SALT LAKE CITY — A temporary exhibit at the LDS Church History Library opened Tuesday, commemorating 100 years since the publishing of Elder James E. Talmage's "Jesus the Christ." Possibly one of the most influential books in LDS literature, "Jesus the Christ" has influenced doctrine, has been used as curriculum for priesthood meetings twice and is part of the official missionary library, according to the LDS Church Public Affairs Department. A former member of The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Talmage wrote the book by compiling information and insights from the lectures he taught about Jesus from 1904 to 1906.

Africa Southeast Area (ASEA) Mormon Helping Hands Projects and Pictures are

NOW BEING POSTED! See each of the ASEA Country Facebook pages as well as the

Mormon Helping Hands Facebook page (links above)

for Mormon Helping Hands projects pictures and stories!

Interesting Stuff about Africa & ASEA area Found in the news stream.

Birth of a baby wildebeest Masai Mara Kenya Africa (4:38 vid) Skating is all the rage in Kenya's capital NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A flock of speedskaters flashed across a parking lot past children learning to roller skate and hundreds of other people who had gathered to skate or just to watch the action on a recent Sunday in

downtown Nairobi.

A craze for roller skating has hit Kenya, fueled by its growing middle class and a love for speed. Lameck Wafula has seen this phenomenon up close. For 27 years, he has taught choir in the sunken parking lot that covers a whole city block on Aga Khan Walk, using the spot because he didn't have to pay rent and he enjoys the open air.

KENYA SEEKS TO WIN BACK HOLLYWOOD TO ITS EXOTIC LOCATIONS NAIROBI - When Out of Africa was filmed in Kenya three decades ago, the images of elegant safaris drew

tourists in droves but it has struggled to repeat that kind of success. Now Kenya wants to put itself back on the film-makers’ map, competing for business that often ends up in South Africa, by offering tax incentives and touting scenery that ranges from dusty savanna to tropical forest and white sandy beaches. “We’ve been losing out hugely to South Africa, certainly in terms of feature films, and the main reason

has been their tax rebate system,” Chris Foot, chairman of the Kenya Film Commission, a state corporation, told Reuters.

Medical News Found in the news stream.

Plague Outbreak in Madagascar is Reported to WHO The Ministry of Health of Madagascar has notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of an outbreak of plague. The first case was identified on Aug. 17 in a rural township in Moramanga district. The patient died on Aug. 19. As of Aug. 30, 14 cases, including 10 deaths, were reported. All confirmed cases are of the pneumonic form. Since Aug. 27, no new cases have been reported from the affected or neighboring districts. Ebola transmissions over in Liberia, enters 90-day watch MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) - The World Health Organization declared Liberia Ebola-free for a second time on Thursday after the country hardest hit by the deadly virus saw a brief resurgence of cases not long after the first time it thought the disease was gone for good. More than 4,800 people have died in Liberia since the outbreak began in West Africa in late 2013. The country celebrated what it thought was the end of Ebola in May, but then six more cases emerged the following month. That started the clock over - 42 days or two incubation periods of 21 days - before Liberia could return to being free of transmission. On Thursday, officials announced they had made it without any more cases. Sex and masturbation may hamper Ebola eradication efforts GENEVA – Isolated flare-ups of Ebola may point to a higher risk of transmission via the semen of male survivors than previously thought, undermining hopes of ending West Africa's deadly outbreak by the end of the year. The World Health Organization's advice is that all male survivors should be tested three months after the onset of symptoms and then monthly until they know they have no risk of passing on the virus through their semen, Bruce Aylward, head of the WHO's Ebola response, told a news conference. But a forthcoming study in the New England Journal of Medicine, based on around 200 survivors, found that around half still had traces of the virus in their semen after six months, a clinician familiar with the study told Reuters. "The old advice of three months is no longer good," the clinician said. "The number of people with persistent virus in their semen is much greater than expected." The clinician, who was not authorized to speak about the study, added that the risk might not only be from sex but also from masturbation. "It's not the sex that is dangerous, it's the semen that is dangerous," said Aylward, who mentioned the study during a news conference but did not give details. "How people actually get exposed, in soiled linens or whatever, is not clear." 3 New Ebola Patients Found in Sierra Leone Kenya: Panic As Two Children Die, Seven in Critical Condition After Measles Vaccination Two children died on Tuesday and seven others were hospitalised in serious condition after receiving measles vaccinations in Kerio Valley, Elgeyo-Marakwet County. Hundreds of other children who received the immunisation have been recalled to medical centres in the county. Health authorities desperately recalled the children who had been immunised for immediate observation, with the seven said to be in critical condition after falling ill soon after the botched jabs.

Social Media Found in the news stream.

Religious Freedom Found in the news stream.

Misc. Found in the news stream.

Animal Conservation and related articles

Multiple African Countries Sinking currencies reflect grim African prospects JOHANNESBURG, Sept 9 (Reuters) - A slump in commodity prices and flight by global investors from risky "frontier" markets has hammered currencies and state budgets across Africa, increasing dollar borrowing costs and raising the prospect of political instability. From Nigeria and Ghana in the west to Kenya in the east and South Africa and Zambia in the south, currencies have all fallen against the dollar, and in many cases crashed through historic lows plumbed in the 2008-09 financial crisis. Things took a turn for the worse in mid-2014 when prices of oil and other commodities, the export mainstay of many African economies, dived largely due to a sharp slowdown in one of the biggest consuming countries, China. This accelerated a flow of funds out of frontier markets, a less developed set of emerging markets, as investors anticipated a rise in U.S. interest rates which has yet to happen. Although the decline in prices and prospects has been less precipitous than during the global crisis, the fallout from China could be even worse for Africa since state finances have failed to recover from the last upheaval.

Angola

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 64% / 26% Population: 24,316,360

Penetration of population w/ internet 19.4% Labor Force: 9,298,000

GDP per capita USD$ 8,100 Life Expectancy: 52

Unemployment / year est. 26% / 2014 Church Members: 1,436

Population below poverty line: 40.5% Congregations: 8

Botswana

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 164% / 26% Population: 2,115,710

Penetration of population w/ internet 13.2% Labor Force: 1,017,000

GDP per capita USD$ 16,000/2014 Life Expectancy: 47

Unemployment / year est. 17.8% / 2009 Church Members: 3,104

Population below poverty line: 30.3% Congregations: 12

Botswana ruling party to introduce electoral reforms Ruling Botswana Democratic Party is considering introducing electoral reforms that if approved would see the country introduce a hybrid electoral system combining First-Past-the-Post and Proportional Representation, APA learnt here Wednesday.The Telegraph newspaper states that the party’s central committee has agreed to enlist the services of University of Botswana’s Professor Mpho Molomo to guide the party on what reforms to implement to save the party from threat posed by a combined opposition in 2019 general elections. Botswana concerned over HIV infection increase among children Botswana’s National AIDS Coordinating Agency (NACA) has raised concerns that there is an increasing HIV/AIDS transmission among children, The Voice newspaper reported here on Wednesday.Speaking at a Civil Society Forum in the capital Gaborone NACA Director of HIV Prevention Joseph Kefas said HIV prevalence among 15-19 year old children has increased from 3.5 percent in 2008 to 5.0 percent in 2013.

Burundi

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 25% / 2% Population: 11,010,900

Penetration of population w/ internet 1.4% Labor Force: 4,806,000

GDP per capita USD$ 900 Life Expectancy: 54

Unemployment / year est. 35% / 2009 Church Members: 526

Population below poverty line: 68% Congregations: 3

Two killed as gunmen attack military camp in Burundi - official Gunmen wearing military uniforms on Tuesday evening attacked a military camp at Kiyenzi, some 20 km east of the Burundian capital Bujumbura, a local official has said, Xinhua reported. "The attack targeted Kiyenzi military post at about 18:30 (local time). During the fighting, two assailants were killed and three soldiers injured," Dieudonne Bizimana, a senior adviser to the governor of Bujumbura province, told Xinhua. Local residents have been asked to leave their villages because the clashes "are still going on", he said, adding soldiers are pursuing the assailants. The attack comes after massive clashes between gunmen and soldiers in the northern provinces of Kayanza and Cibitoke near the border with Rwanda in July. During those clashes, 31 assailants were killed and 170 others captured, according to the army Burundi: Spokesman for Opposition Party Is Killed Gunmen fatally shot an opposition official in Burundi, witnesses said on Tuesday, the latest in a spate of killings after the disputed re-election of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Witnesses heard gunshots in the Gasenyi district of the capital, Bujumbura, on Monday evening and then found Patrice Gahungu, a spokesman for the opposition Union for Peace and Development party, dead in his car. Burundi was plunged into a political crisis in late April when Mr. Nkurunziza announced that he would seek a third term, which opponents and Western powers said violated a peace deal that ended an ethnically charged civil war in 2005. Protests in April and June left dozens dead and prompted tens of thousands to flee. In Burundi, stevia is savior and target BUJUMBURA, Burundi — Before he died, Epitace Bayaganakandi’s dream was to see stevia, a natural plant-based sweetener, transform the lives of poor farmers in his home country. The new darling of diet drinks, stevia was already in use in products such as Coca-Cola Life, and had been projected to take over 30 percent of the $84 billion dietary sweetener industry. The way Bayaganakandi saw it, the “miracle plant” could be an economic silver bullet. Burundi is a tiny, landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of central Africa where the math simply doesn’t add up: there are too many people and not enough land or economic opportunities to support them all. Last year, the country’s 10 million-person population expanded at a rate of over three percent, giving it among the most rapidly increasing population densities in the world. Ninety percent of Burundians rely on agriculture,

but food security is a significant problem. The country has the world’s highest levels of hunger — over half of the population is chronically malnourished. While the West is trying to cut down on calorie intake, the average Burundian gets just three quarters of their recommended daily amount. With 90% of export earnings coming from coffee and tea, what was needed, Bayaganakandi thought, was a new crop to diversify people’s income streams. What he might not have expected was that the plant would become a target of politically motivated attacks.

Cameroon

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 71% / -% Population: 23,248,261

Penetration of population w/ internet Labor Force: 9,105,000

GDP per capita USD$ 3,000 Life Expectancy: 55

Unemployment / year est. 30% / 2001 Church Members: 1,498

Population below poverty line: 48% / 2000 Congregations: 7

Cameroon troops with U.N. peacekeeping mission demand back pay Around 200 soldiers from Cameroon marched through the streets of the capital on Wednesday to demand eight months of back pay for their service with the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic. It is the first time the soldiers, who form part of the 1,260 Cameroonian contingent with the U.N. mission (MINUSCA), have demonstrated and the government deployed heavily armed troops to block off streets and impede their passage. Cameroon's longtime ruler President Paul Biya has assured the troops that they would be paid on Thursday arrears amounting to 6 billion CFA francs ($10.2 million), Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary later told a news conference. Money for the salaries is supposed to be provided by the United Nations and the African Union under an agreement. Radio France Internationale correspondent in Cameroon held over a month, denied access to lawyer New York, September 8, 2015--The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned by the detention of a Nigerian journalist who has been held for more than a month in Cameroon and denied access to his lawyer for two weeks. CPJ also calls on Cameroonian authorities to explain the reason for Ahmed Abba's detention and allow him immediate access to his lawyer. Abba, a Nigerian national and a correspondent for Radio France Internationale's Hausa service, was arrested by Cameroonian officials in Maroua, the capital of the Far North Region, of Cameroon on July 30, according to a report by RFI. He was taken to the capital, Yaoundé, where he has been held for questioning. The journalist has been denied access to his lawyer for the past two weeks, the report said. It is unclear if he has been charged.

Central African Republic (CAR)

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 33% / 1% Population: 4,851,884

Penetration of population w/ internet 3.4% Labor Force: 2,217,000

GDP per capita USD$ 600 Life Expectancy: 50

Unemployment / year est. 8% / 2001 Church Members: 216

Population below poverty line: na Congregations: 1

UN establishes "weapons-free zone" in Central African Republic The United Nations has established a "weapons-free zone" in a town in Central African Republic to protect civilians from armed groups involved in inter-religious clashes that killed more than 10 people last month, the head of peacekeeping operations said. Thousands of Central Africans have died and more than 800,000 remain displaced following two years of violence that erupted after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the majority Christian country in 2013. Fighting in the town of Bambari, a Seleka stronghold, began when members of the mainly Christian "anti-balaka" militias, which have emerged in response to Seleka abuses, beheaded a Muslim youth. Reprisals by Muslims followed.

Chad (This country borders ASEA)

47% / -% Population: 13,288,797

Penetration of population w/ internet 2.4% Labor Force: 4,919,000

GDP per capita USD$ 2,600 Life Expectancy: 51

Unemployment / year est. 22% / 2009 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: 80% / 2001 Congregations:

Congo Rep. (Brazzaville)

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 100% / 7% Population: 4,753,445

Penetration of population w/ internet 2.0% Labor Force: 2,890,000

GDP per capita USD$ 6,600 Life Expectancy: 59

Unemployment / year est. 53% / 2012 Church Members: 6,053

Population below poverty line: 46.5% / 2011 Congregations: 17

Congo DR (Kinshasa)

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 59% / 8% Population: 71,509,992

Penetration of population w/ internet 2.0% Labor Force: 27,590,000

GDP per capita USD$ 700 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 50

Unemployment / year est. 46% / 2009 Church Members: 42,689

Population below poverty line: 63% Congregations: 145

UN says rights violations escalating in Congo ahead of elections KINSHASA (Reuters) - The United Nations said on Wednesday human rights violations by authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo are escalating ahead of a round of elections during which President Joseph Kabila is set to step down. News Analysis: Capacity of DR Congo, UN forces questioned over continued killings KINSHASA, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Repeated massacres perpetrated by rebel groups in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have made some analysts to question the capacity of DR Congo forces and the UN Mission for Stabilization of Congo (MONUSCO). A Ugandan rebel group, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has been operating in eastern DR Congo for the last 20 years, has been accused by the UN, DR Congo government and civil society groups of killing over 400 people in the last ten months in Beni territory, near the Ugandan border.

Equatorial Guinea

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 87% / -% Population: 802,008

Penetration of population w/ internet 16.0% Labor Force: 195,200

GDP per capita USD$ 32,600 Life Expectancy: 53

Unemployment / year est. 22.3% / 2009 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: na Congregations:

Ethiopia

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 26% / 49% Population: 101,683,016

Penetration of population w/ internet 1.7% Labor Force: 47,320,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,500 Life Expectancy: 64

Unemployment / year est. 17.5% / 2012 Church Members: 1,854

Population below poverty line: 39% / 2012 Congregations: 64

Ethiopian court charges 2 with human smuggling as government tries to stop trafficking ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — A court in Ethiopia charged two men over the deaths of four Ethiopians who died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to go to Italy. The two suspects, Ethiopians identified as Umer Musa and Abdel Menan Adem, were charged with "holding people hostage," the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported Wednesday. Prosecutors said the two defendants, in collaboration with accomplices in Sudan and Libya, accepted money to transport the four migrants who drowned in the Mediterranean in March 2015. "As soon as they reached Tripoli, they were locked in a container and forced to call their family members to force them (to) send money," the charge sheet said. Members of the victims' families sent a total of $3,400 to the suspects, but their boat sank off the Mediterranean while they were attempting to reach Italy, it said.

Gabon

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 175% / -% Population: 1,742,265

Penetration of population w/ internet 9.9% Labor Force: 636,000

GDP per capita USD$ 21,600 Life Expectancy: 63

Unemployment / year est. 21% / 2006 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: na Congregations:

Kenya

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 83% / 67% Population: 46,764,772

Penetration of population w/ internet 36.7% Labor Force: 17,700,000

GDP per capita USD$ 3,100 Life Expectancy: 62

Unemployment / year est. 40% / 2008 Church Members: 12,471

Population below poverty line: 43,4 / 2012 Congregations: 62

Kenya says that a bomb scare at a massive Nairobi mall was a false alarm Kenyan police have said that a bomb scare at Nairobi’s newest mall was a false alarm. Three man were arrested on Tuesday (Sept. 8) after one of them attempted to bring a handheld device believed to be a bomb into the Garden City Mall, in the northeast of the Kenyan capital. The man attempted to enter the mall by foot around 4pm and was detained after he began acting suspiciously, according to a statement from the mall. He was carrying a small handheld device that authorities identified as a “live device.” It has since been “safely neutralized” by Kenya’s Explosive Ordinance Department, according to the statement. The security company in charge of the mall told Bloomberg that the device connected to a mobile phone had contained about 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of explosives. But Joseph Boinnet, the city’s police inspector, called the device “an amateurish collection of phone wires strapped together to look like an IED.” Kenya’s Teachers down tools (teachers strike) Sarah Nasira, 12, leads her classmates as they revise their class work without a teacher on the second week of a national teachers' strike in Kenya. The teachers' unions have more than 280,000 members. The walkout comes after the government refused to hike pay by up to 60 percent, although the Court of Appeal supported the demand by state schoolteachers in a ruling in August. A body representing Kenyan unions on 9 September threatened widespread strikes next week if the government does not meet teachers' demands, piling pressure on a government facing a big budget deficit.

Lesotho

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 95% / 24% Population: 2,074,095

Penetration of population w/ internet 5.3% Labor Force: 894,400

GDP per capita USD$ 2,900 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 49

Unemployment / year est. 25% / 2008 Church Members: 867

Population below poverty line: 49 / 1999 Congregations: 2

Madagascar

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 40% / ? Population: 24,540,641

Penetration of population w/ internet 73.5% Labor Force: 12,150,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,400 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 65

Unemployment / year est. 3.6% / 2013 Church Members: 10,322

Population below poverty line: 50% Congregations: 38

37 people go on trial over lynching of three men in Madagascar Thirty-seven people have gone on trial in Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo for the lynching of two Europeans and a local man wrongly accused of killing a young boy. Residents of Madagascar’s tourist island of Nosy Be went on the rampage on 3 October, 2013, after the body of an eight-year-old local boy, who had been missing for a week, was found on a beach. Incensed by false rumours of foreign involvement and a link with paedophilia , a mob attacked Sebastien Judalet, a French tourist, and Roberto Gianfalla, a Franco-Italian resident of the island, and beat them before burning them on a beach. The uncle of the dead boy was also killed and burned later the same day.

Malawi

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 37% / 10% Population: 17,393,962

Penetration of population w/ internet 72.2% Labor Force: 5,747,000

GDP per capita USD$ 800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 55

Unemployment / year est. 6.6% / 2013 Church Members: 1,931

Population below poverty line: 53% / 2004 Congregations: 8

Mauritius

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 128% / 40% Population: 1,322,860

Penetration of population w/ internet 6.2% Labor Force: 600,200

GDP per capita USD$ 17,900 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 74

Unemployment / year est. 8.3% / 2013 Church Members: 458

Population below poverty line: 8% / 2006 Congregations: 2

Mozambique

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 58% / 22% Population: 27,282,161

Penetration of population w/ internet 5.6% Labor Force: 12,250,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,100 Life Expectancy: 50

Unemployment / year est. 17% / 2007 Church Members: 7,943

Population below poverty line: 52% / 2009 Congregations: 26

Namibia

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 137% / 32% Population: 2,325,019

Penetration of population w/ internet 14.8% Labor Force: 1,168,000

GDP per capita USD$ 10,800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 6

Unemployment / year est. 27.4% / 2012 Church Members: 793

Population below poverty line: 28.7% / 2010 Congregations: 2

Niger

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 25% / 2% Population: 19,289,323

Penetration of population w/ internet 1.6% Labor Force: 5,800,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,000 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 58

Unemployment / year est. 2.25% / 2009 Church Members: 793

Population below poverty line: 63%

Congregations: 2

Nigeria

(This country borders ASEA)

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 97% / 15% Population: 179,825,664

Penetration of population w/ internet 37.6% Labor Force: 54,970,000

GDP per capita USD$ 6,100 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 52

Unemployment / year est. 23.9% / 2011 Church Members: 129,989

Population below poverty line: 70% Congregations: 416

Buhari To Review Nigeria's Diplomatic Missions, Embassies, Consulates Overseas To Determine Which Are 'Essential' Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday ordered a review of the country’s 119 diplomatic missions overseas to determine which are vital to Nigerian trade and foreign interests. Buhari will establish a presidential committee to look at “the number of essential missions Nigeria needs to maintain abroad so that appropriate standards and quality can be maintained,” a statement from his office said, according to AFP news agency. Buhari, 72, speculated whether keeping embassies and consulates “with dilapidated facilities and demoralized staff” was wise when the need for some of the diplomatic postings was “questionable.” “Let’s keep only what we can manage. We can’t afford much for now. There’s no point in pretending,” he said Tuesday after meeting senior foreign ministry officials in Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja, according to Nigerian newspaper Premium Times. Official: 9,500 Nigerian refugees return from Cameroon YOLA, Nigeria (AP) - At least 9,500 people have returned to Nigeria since the Cameroonian government said last month it will expel unregistered Nigerian refugees as part of the fight against Boko Haram, a Nigerian official said. Some of those who have returned claimed they were mistreated by the Cameroonian authorities, including being crammed in trucks leading to suffocation and alleged deaths. The official coordinating Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency activities in Adamawa state, Saad Bello, said late Tuesday that 9,500 people have come through the Sahuda border post in the state and many of the returnees are from Borno state which has seen constant attacks by Boko Haram extremists.

Reunion Island

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 105% / 48% Population: 874,345

Penetration of population w/ internet Labor Force:

GDP per capita USD$

Life Expectancy:

Unemployment / year est. 40% / ? Church Members:

Population below poverty line: Congregations:

Rwanda

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 61% / 28% Population: 12,540,798

Penetration of population w/ internet 9.2% Labor Force: 6,061,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,700 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 64

Unemployment / year est. 3.4% / 2012 Church Members: 281

Population below poverty line: 44.9 / 2011 Congregations: 3

Rwanda court to hear case on president's third term Rwanda's Supreme Court has said it will hear a case on whether the country's President Paul Kagame should be allowed to run for a third term as leader. The move on Wednesday came after parliament voted to change the constitution and lifted a two-term limit amid widespread calls for Kagame not to stand down after his current term. The proposals were voted on after the presentation of a petition to legislators that had garnered more than 3.8 million signatures in support of the move. Rwanda: Fate of Wanted Genocide Suspect Held in U.S. Remains Unclear Rwanda awaits a US decision on the fate of Dr Leopold Munyakazi, a Genocide suspect, recently arrested in Maryland State after almost 10 years after he fled Rwanda. Munyakazi who is accused of genocide crimes, was once indicted by Gacaca (Rwanda traditional tribunals), arrested and detained in Muhanga Prison for two months before he was temporarily released as investigations continued. Nevertheless, the 65-year old man, who once taught at the Kigali Institute of Education, managed to sneak out of the country in 2004 and applied for asylum in the US, which has been pending since then. Last week, there were reports that the US immigration and custom enforcement department had apprehended and sent him to Maryland's Howard County Immigration Centre for possible deportation. He had been wearing movement tracking GPS devices for the past five years.

Somalia

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 50% / 2% Population: 10,742,489

Penetration of population w/ internet 1.5% Labor Force: 3,011,000

GDP per capita USD$ 600 / 2010 Life Expectancy: 55

Unemployment / year est. 25.4% / 2012 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: na Congregations:

Yemen’s forgotten refugees are so desperate they’re fleeing to Somalia As of Aug. 2015, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) estimates there are over 1,439,000

internally displaced people in Yemen—the result of conflict between Houthi rebels and coalition forces led by Saudi Arabia. Their plight has been largely overshadowed by the humanitarian emergency spilling out of Syria and ISIL-occupied regions of Iraq to the north, but the situation is no less dire. Boats carrying Indians bombed between Yemen and Somalia SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Warplanes bombed two boats carrying 20 Indian crew members as the vessels traveled

between Somalia and Yemen, India's Foreign Ministry said Wednesday, a day after the Yemeni coast guard said a Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemeni Shiite rebels bombed boats off the war-torn country's coast.

South Africa

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 154% / 35% Population: 51,621,506

Penetration of population w/ internet 46.8% Labor Force: 20,230,000

GDP per capita USD$ 12,700 Life Expectancy: 57

Unemployment / year est. 24.9% / 2013 Church Members: 61,221

Population below poverty line: 31.3% Congregations: 159

MINISTER: NO DETAILS FROM US ON POSSIBLE TERROR ATTACKS IN SA JOHANNESBURG – State Security Minister David Mahlobo says the US embassy has not shared specific details about its warning of a possible terrorist attack in this country. Mahlobo says there is no immediate danger or threat to any South Africans. On Tuesday, the US embassy released a statement warning its citizens that it has credible information of a possible attack by extremists in South Africa. But Mahlobo says they have done their own assessment and no imminent attacks are possible. “We’re not saying that we’re dismissing it but in terms of our working relations, the information has been shared on the ground and the assessment that my office has come to a conclusion that there is no immediate threat or danger that is faced by any person who is within the Republic of South Africa.” Malema ejected from South Africa's parliament for calling deputy president 'murderer' Julius Malema, leader of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, was thrown out of the South African parliament on Wednesday after he called Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa a "murderer". Malema, clad in his party's trade-mark red overalls, was ejected from the chamber after he refused to withdraw his comments, saying "I will never apologize to Cyril". Malema and his party accuse Ramaphosa of having a hand in the 2012 killing of 34 striking miners who were gunned down by police near the Marikana mine operated by platinum producer Lonmin. Signs of a third term for Zuma? Durban – Subtle hand gestures of the number three were common practice at the ANC Youth League congress in Midrand, Johannesburg at the weekend. Some have speculated the three fingers symbolised a third term for Jacob Zuma – an assertion the ANC and the ANCYL leadership has downplayed. Addressing the media on Sunday, newly elected ANCYL president Collen Maine told the media that he was merely imitating what the delegates were doing and that the media should not read too much into it. “Twenty years into democracy, I really don’t understand why hostels still exist” Following several killings at hostels in KwaZulu-Natal over the past year, government representatives and King Goodwill Zwelithini will conduct a cleansing ceremony, with hopes of bringing violence to a halt. LIZEKA MADUNA asked Durbanites whether they think the ceremony is the right solution for ending the violence.

Sudan

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 70% / 31% Population: 40,313,269

Penetration of population w/ internet 24.0% Labor Force: 11,920,000

GDP per capita USD$ 4,500 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 62

Unemployment / year est. 20% / 2012 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: 46.5 / 2005 Congregations:

Rights Group: Sudanese Forces Committed Mass Rape Members of Sudan's Rapid Support Forces raped at least 60 women in the country's troubled western region, after taking over the town of Golo in January, according to a new report by the rights group released Wednesday. It says many women were attacked in a hospital where people had taken shelter. "Many of the women were gang raped, often in front of community members who were forced to watch," the report says. "Some of those who resisted were killed. The naked bodies of many dead women were later discovered in the streets; other women were burned alive."

South Sudan

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration

28% / 12% Population: 11,749,434

Penetration of population w/ internet unkn Labor Force:

GDP per capita USD$ 2,000 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 62

Unemployment / year est. 12% / 2008 Church Members:

Population below poverty line: 50.6% / 2009 Congregations:

Swaziland Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 70% / 11% Population: 1,280,595

Penetration of population w/ internet 23.8% Labor Force: 435,000

GDP per capita USD$ 7,800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 49

Unemployment / year est. 28.5% / 2010 Church Members: 1,768

Population below poverty line: 69% Congregations: 4

Cosatu calls for unbanning of political parties in Swaziland Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has called for the immediate unbanning of political parties in Swaziland. Swaziland banned political parties in 1973. Cosatu and the tiny kingdom's pro-democracy groups blockaded the busy Oshoek Border in protest. Swaziland is Africa's last and only absolute monarchy. The monarchy controls cabinet, legislation, and the judiciary. Swaziland is one of the world's poorest nations and its population live on less than a dollar a day. Cosatu's deputy international secretary, Zanele Mathebula says, “We are calling for democratic Swaziland because we feel that if that should happen, the people will govern themselves just like South Africa does, and that will improve the education system, health system and improve social benefits.”

Tanzania

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 62% / 24% Population: 50,998,619

Penetration of population w/ internet 15% Labor Force: 25,000,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,900 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 61

Unemployment / year est. 10.7% / 2011 Church Members: 1,336

Population below poverty line: 36% / 2002 Congregations: 6

Uganda

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 64% / 11% Population: 40,777,196

Penetration of population w/ internet 16.8 Labor Force: 18,000,000

GDP per capita USD$ 1,800 Life Expectancy: 59

Unemployment / year est. 4.2% / 2010 Church Members: 13,248

Population below poverty line: 25.5% Congregations: 26

Uganda should scrap its repressive NGO bill IN RECENT years in East Africa, an insidious trend toward authoritarianism has been taking root. From Kenya to Tanzania, governments increasingly have attempted to restrict media freedom, silence political criticism and hamper the activities of civil society organizations. Some nations, such as Kenya and Ethiopia, have used antiterrorism as a pretext to shut nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and silence journalists. As a number of these countries gear up for elections in the next two years, the protection of independent civil society is critical to safeguarding democracy. Uganda has become the latest theater in this struggle. Uganda introduced the NGO Bill of 2015, ostensibly in response to what the government deems a “rapid growth of non-governmental organizations [that] has led to subversive methods of work and activities, which . . . undermine accountability and transparency.” The bill requires that organizations “not engage in any activity which is . . . contrary to the dignity of the people of Uganda.” Such vague language gives the government wide berth to monitor and control the activities of organizations, many of which provide essential services. NGOs would be required to register with an established NGO board, which can revoke a permit at any time if it is in the “public interest to refuse to register the organization.” Additionally, leaders of organizations that operate without a permit are subject to fines, prosecution and even four to eight years in prison. Such harsh penalties for civic work have no place in any democratic society and should be scrapped, along with the provisions enabling outsize government interference with independent NGOs.

Zambia

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 73% / 10% Population: 15,549,296

Penetration of population w/ internet 15.4% Labor Force: 6,338,000

GDP per capita USD$ 4,100 Life Expectancy: 58

Unemployment / year est. 15% / 2008 Church Members: 3,359

Population below poverty line: 60.5% Congregations:

Zimbabwe

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 102% / 85% Population: 15,762,551

Penetration of population w/ internet 19.5% Labor Force: 5,0 63,000

GDP per capita USD$ 2,000 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 60

Unemployment / year est. 95% / 2009 Church Members: 26,156

Population below poverty line: 68% / 2004 Congregations: 64

United States Data Provided for comparison

Cellphone/Smartphone penetration 102% / 85% Population: 324,343,287

Penetration of population w/ internet 86.8% Labor Force: 156,000,000

GDP per capita USD$ 54,800 / 2014 Life Expectancy: 79

Unemployment / year est. 5.5% / 2015 Church Members: 6,466,267

Population below poverty line: 15.1% / 2010 14,018 Congregations

Travel Advisories/Warnings US embassy warns of possible terror threat in SA 9 September 2015 The US Diplomatic Mission to South Africa has issued a warning that extremists may target American interests in South Africa. According to the embassy's website, they don't know when or where the terrorists are supposed to strike, but their targets may include ' U.S. Government facilities and other facilities identifiable with US business interests.' The embassy is calling on Americans to 'Be vigilant and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.' The US State Department does not appear to have issued a travel warning targeting South Africa at this time. According to the US State Department, "Anti-US violence is not common in South Africa, but the Department of State remains concerned about the continued worldwide threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas."

Tanzania Travel Alert, Saturday, September 05, 2015 : The State Department alerts U.S. citizens residing in or traveling to Tanzania to the upcoming general elections scheduled for October 25, 2015.

US asks its citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pak 28 August 2015 Citing increased terror activities in Pakistan, the United State on Friday asked its citizens to defer their all non-essential travel to the country. "The department of state warns US citizens against all non-essential travel to Pakistan," a travel advisory said. US Renews Travel Warning to Cameroon as Boko Haram Targets Americans 10 August 2015

Niger Travel Warning 18 July 2015 The Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Niger and specifically recommends citizens avoid travel to the Diffa region, particularly those areas adjacent to Niger’s southern and eastern border, and Lake Chad.

US issues travel advisory for Burundi (17 May 2015) Washington - The United States issued a travel warning on Thursday for strife-torn Burundi, telling its citizens not to go there and urging those in the country to get out as soon as possible. Burundi's government survived a coup attempt this week that saw fierce fighting between rival army factions. It was the culmination of weeks of violent street protests against the president's bid to seek a third term in the poor east African country. In a statement, the US state department said Burundi was faced a "deteriorating security situation". It said it had ordered all non-emergency US government personnel and dependents of American staff to leave Burundi on Thursday.

Sources of information:

All church membership information is provided by Mormon Newsroom by clicking on the ‘Africa’ continent on the map (at the right) and then finding the desired country on the list. The information is reviewed from the list each month for correctness.

All keywords and country information is collected from an Internet scan of about 60 specific keywords that is supplied to me at 0300 each morning via Google alerts. This keyword list is reviewed and updated daily.

All Population data are from Country Meters and is updated each month for correctness.

All Cellphone and smartphone data are from GMSA Intelligence and is updated each month for correctness.

All Internet users by country data are from Internet Live Stats and Internet World Stats is reviewed each month for correctness.

GNI (Gross National Income per capita) and Life Expectancy data is from The World Bank

Unemployment and other data are from Photius , IECONOMICS, Quandl, Wikipedia, Theodora & The World Factbook.

Elder Berg Elder Berg & Sister Berg Africa Southeast AreaAssistant Directors of Public Affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Email: ASEAPublicAffairs@ldschurch.org Cellphone……. +27 (0)83 443 3829 Office…………... +27 (0)11 645 1538

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