Africa: Gender Equality: People Without Reliable Connectivity are Being Left Behind

When I was invited to submit comments to the United Nations on how to best "leave no one behind" during the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I faced a… Read more »

Ethiopia: Ethiopian Statement by Former U.S. Ambassadors

We, former U.S. ambassadors and charges d’affaires to Ethiopia, were heartened by the humanitarian truce announced by the Ethiopian Federal Government and subsequently… Read more »

Somalia: Somaliland in Shock After Fire Guts the Country's Largest Market

A massive fire in the Somaliland's central market in Hargeisa has plunged the country into mourning. The flare-up began on Friday, 1 April and continued into Saturday.… Read more »

South Sudan: Leaders Agree on Key Provision of the 2018 Peace Deal

Four years after the signing of a peace agreement to end the conflict in South Sudan, numerous blockages and weeks of tension raised fears of a resumption of hostilities. Now the… Read more »

Africa: 28 Years Later, the African Union Remembers Rwanda

April 7 marks the start of Kwibuka, the commemoration period of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, a cataclysmic event which saw one million killed in barely 100 days. Read more »

Africa: African Union Blamed for Rights Abuses in Conflicts

The African Union is partly to blame for continuing human rights abuses in Africa's conflicts, says the human rights group, Amnesty International. Read more »

Africa: Sexual Violence Soared During Covid Lockdowns, Reports Amnesty

Coronavirus lockdowns have contributed to “soaring rates” of sexual and gender-based violence across Africa, says a new report. And “almost all actors” in… Read more »

Africa: The Mental Health Crisis Caused by Covid-19 and Conflict

As we move into the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, we've also seen more openness about another global crisis. The rise in stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health… Read more »

East Africa: Activists Opposed to East African Crude Oil Pipeline Call on Pope Francis for Support #AfricaClimateCrisis

Ugandan activists have met Pope Francis to ask for his support in stopping the East African Crude Pipline (EACOP) - a heated crude oil pipeline planned to run from Hoima in Uganda… Read more »

South Sudan: Sexual Violence As A Weapon of War - the Horrifying Details

The 48-page paper presented by the UN Human Rights Council's commission on South Sudan in Geneva on Monday provided horrifying details of the use of sexual violence against women… Read more »

South Sudan: South Sudan Pillages Aid Meant for People, Says UN Commission

South Sudan, the world's newest country, faces a critical moment in its transition from civil war , with a faltering peace agreement and predatory government officials who pillage… Read more »

South Sudan: Warring Parties Use Sexual Violence As 'Weapon of Terror and Political Repression' - Report

Excerpts from the report of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 18: Read more »

Tanzania: Masaai Way of Life Threatened by Govt Plans for Trophy Hunting #AfricaClimateCrisis

More than one thousand community members in Northern Tanzania gathered to protest against the government's plan to evict people of Loliondo from their ancestral land. According to… Read more »

Uganda: Coffee Farmers Unhappy After World Body Exit

Uganda has assured its coffee farmers and exporters that their prized cash crop will still be in high demand in the international market despite the country pulling out from an… Read more »

Kenya: Ongoing Drought Shows Why Kenya Must Invest in Scaling Up Agricultural Innovation #AfricaClimateCrisis

The prolonged drought impacting the north, which has left more than 2.5 million people on the brink of starvation and poverty, is only the latest in an increasingly short cycle… Read more »

Ethiopia: Ethiopia Govt Votes to End State of Emergency

Members of Parliament in Ethiopia voted to end the country's state of emergency, which was declared in November and set to last for six months. Read more »

Africa: Snakebite - A Public Health Crisis Made Worse by Climate Change

We live on opposite sides of the African continent, but we have both recently witnessed the tragedy of snakebite. Read more »

Kenya: Kenyatta, Ruto Set For Lowest Salaries Since Getting Into Power

The Treasury of Kenya has budgeted for a 11.6% pay cut for President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, making it the second reduction in the duo's salaries during their… Read more »

Kenya: Firefighters Battle Inferno Raging Across Aberdare National Park

More than 550 hectares of the Aberdare forest have been reportedly been destroyed by a fire that started on Sunday night (February 5). Read more »

Kenya: Campaigns Intensify as Nation Prepares For August General Election

President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared the start of Jubilee campaigns, after months of uncertainty in the ruling party which does not intend to field a presidential candidate in the… Read more »

Southern Africa: What You Need to Know About Tropical Cyclone Batsirai

Barely a week after Tropical Storm Ana brought winds, heavy rains, damage and destruction to parts of Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, Tropical Cyclone Batsirai… Read more »

Africa: Covid's Lessons Can Make Hospitals Safer

When the SARS-CoV-2 virus caused the Covid-19 pandemic, many patients with other health issues refused to seek treatment. Their fears about the risk of infection was… Read more »

Ethiopia: Tigrayan Forces Recapture Lalibela - Report

Rebel Tigrayan forces have recaptured the Ethiopian town of Lalibela, Reuters reports from Addis Ababa Read more »

Seychelles: Top Figures Charged as Govt Tries to Clean Up Nation's Reputation

One of the Seychelles' wealthiest and most powerful men, his wife and former senior government officials face charges of laundering U.S. $50 million as a new government, elected… Read more »

South Sudan: U.S. Treasury Issues Sanctions on South Sudan Construction Company

Excerpts from a press release issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury: Read more »