Goma, DR Congo | AFP | UN chief Antonio Guterres started a three-day tour of the Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday, expressing “solidarity” with a region ravaged by violence and an Ebola epidemic. The secretary general first visited Goma, the capital of North Kivu province which is trying to …
Read More »Tanzania to send back Burundi refugees from Oct 1
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Tanzania on Tuesday announced it would send back all Burundian refugees on its soil from October 1, saying it was working with the UN to secure their return. But the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued a statement that insisted any returnees should go home …
Read More »Aid groups warn against Kenya’s UN bid to sanction Al-Shabaab
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenya is urging the UN to list Al-Shabaab under the same sanctions as Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, but foreign donors say the move could leave millions in drought-stricken Somalia without aid. The proposed listing — which could take effect as soon as Thursday — comes …
Read More »Africa’s free trade area: the journey begins
The African Union launched the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at a summit in Niger last month. Vera Songwe is the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa that has been providing support for the AU during negotiations and ratifications. She spoke to …
Read More »Why UN appointed new HIV/AIDS chief
UN appoints new HIV/AIDS chief after controversy United Nations, United States | AFP | United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed a new HIV/AIDS chief on Wednesday after the previous incumbent left accused of serious mismanagement. Oxfam International executive director Winnie Byanyima of Uganda will lead UNAIDS, a spokesperson for …
Read More »Kidnappings soar in Niger amid Boko Haram insurgency
Niamey, Niger | AFP | In the desert landscape of southeastern Niger, a radical Islamist insurgency has claimed hundreds of lives, fractured families and ravaged communities, fearful of the next Boko Haram attack. Strategically located in the Lake Chad basin in the middle of the Sahel, the Diffa region’s borders are …
Read More »Air strike kills 42 in southern Libya town
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | At least 42 people were killed and dozens wounded in an air strike targeting a town hall meeting in southern Libya, a local official and the UN-recognised government said Monday, accusing forces of military strongman Khalifa Haftar. The Government of National Accord (GNA) said Sunday’s raid …
Read More »Internet a distant dream for many in oil-rich E. Guinea
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea | AFP | Equatorial Guinea is awash in oil, although little of the wealth has trickled down to the poor. Yet one of the most glaring inequalities here is access to the internet. Other parts of the world are pushing ahead with plans for fast, free — …
Read More »UAE shielding reputation with drawdown from Yemen ‘quagmire’: experts
Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | A surprise UAE troop drawdown in war-torn Yemen aims to restore the Gulf country’s reputation, but may strain ties with key ally Saudi Arabia at a time of heightened tensions with Iran, experts say. “The political, reputational and operational risks Abu Dhabi incurred in …
Read More »Starved, tortured, bombed: the fate of refugees trapped in Libya
Paris, France | AFP | Acute malnutrition, forced labour, torture: NGOs have sharpened their tone against the shocking conditions endured by refugees and migrants in Libya, where over 40 people were killed in an air strike on a detention centre. Tuesday night’s strike on the centre at Tajoura near the capital …
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