To mark World Humanitarian Day, the UN released its annual statistics for the number of humanitarian workers killed on the job. 2023 has broken all records, with 280 workers having lost their lives worldwide. Most of them – 163 – were killed in Gaza, but South Sudan and Sudan also appear on this grim podium.
Also, Benin's push to spruce up its market scene stirs up mixed feelings among vendors and shoppers. The sprawling Tokpa market in central Cotonou is West Africa's biggest open-air shopping experience, but it is also a fire hazard that sellers are reluctant to leave.
Finally, the waxing of Wolof, the language spoken by most Senegalese even though French is the official national language. The prominence of Wolof is slowly increasing as more people demand content written in the language of their own ancestors.
