West Africa: Free Trade With U.S. Would Boost Cotton Farmers

Poor West African farmers' incomes could increase by about 5 percent if the United States eliminated its cotton subsidies, according to a new report released today by Oxfam… Read more »

Cote d'Ivoire: Govt to Burn Weapons in 'Flames of Peace'

Prime Minister Guillaume Soro of Côte d'Ivoire wants to begin disarmament in the north of the country with a high-profile ceremony at which weapons would be burned in the… Read more »

Lesotho: Govt Eases Curfew After Attacks on Politicians

The Lesotho government has slightly eased the curfew it imposed in the capital, Maseru, last weekend after attacks on the homes of leading politicians. Read more »

Lesotho/South Africa: More Regional Integration Necessary

Prime Minister Phakalitha Mosisili of Lesotho has described the postponement of last Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Uganda and Lesotho as a "wake-up… Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: New Government Disappoints

Voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) voted last year in their first multiparty elections since 1965. Incumbent Joseph Kabila, who had assumed the presidency in 2001… Read more »

Niger: Rescuing a Child From a Gold Mine

Child labor activist Aichatou Bety was deeply disturbed some years ago when she came across a 10-year-old boy down a 90-meter hole in Niger, wearing a headlamp and looking for… Read more »

Africa: Aids Battle Makes Progress But More Work Needed, Says World Bank

Africa is making progress in the fight against HIV, according to a report just released by the World Bank. Read more »

Congo-Kinshasa: Opposition Leader's Fate Not in My Hands, Says Kabila

President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo says the future of opposition leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, who left the country for Portugal two months ago, is in the… Read more »

Africa: Small-Scale Farming Key to Fighting Poverty, Says Annan

The key to ending poverty in Africa is the development of small-scale farming, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan told a session of the World Economic Forum on Africa on… Read more »

Guinea: PM Committed to 'Free and Fair' Elections in December

Guinea's recently appointed Prime Minister, Lansana Kouyaté, has committed himself to holding "free and fair" elections in December this year, but has stressed the… Read more »

Lesotho: Drought Creates Food Crisis

One in five people in Lesotho will face food shortages in the coming year as a result of the most serious drought in the country in 30 years, international agencies have warned. Read more »

Africa: Continent Needs Good Policies, Investment, Says Report

Good government policies, better access to finance and more infrastructure are all needed if Africa is to expand its economy. Corruption and lack of skills, energy and transport… Read more »

Guinea: PM Presses for International Support

After widespread unrest in Guinea earlier this year, during which more than 100 people died, President Lansana Conté, who has ruled the country since seizing power in a coup… Read more »

Tanzania: Down the Road to Neo-Liberalism

Issa Shivji, one of Tanzania's premier scholars, has published a new book which provides an introspective look at contemporary politics and social change in Tanzania during a… Read more »

Africa: 'Remarkable Turnaround,' but Aid, Trade Lacking - World Bank Economist

As the 2007 Group of Eight [G8] summit concludes, African countries are still looking for industrialized nations to follow through on aid promises from previous summits. G8… Read more »

South Africa: Central Bank Pushes Up Interest Rates

South Africa's central bank today increased interest rates for the first time in six months in an attempt to curb inflation. Read more »

Sierra Leone/Togo: Helicopter Crash Kills at Least 19

A Paramount Airlines helicopter in Sierra Leone crashed Sunday, reportedly killing at least 19. The helicopter was carrying passengers from an African Cup of Nations qualifying… Read more »

West Africa: Website Launched to Cover Taylor Trial

Civil society groups today launch a project to provide daily news and expert analysis of the war crimes trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. Read more »

Senegal: Police Seize Radio Station Equipment

Sixty armed Senegalese government security agents raided the headquarters of a radio station yesterday, the Senegalese newspaper Wal Fadjri reported. Read more »

Africa: Ethiopian, Zimbabwean Women Journalists Honored

The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) has honoured an Ethiopian publisher for her courage and a Zimbabwean reporter for her achievements in journalism over a period… Read more »

Africa: Bush Launches New Funding Plan for HIV/Aids

U.S President George W. Bush is asking Congress to follow up his Administration's current program to fight HIV/Aids around the world with a new plan doubling spending to $30… Read more »

Africa: Aid Set to Drop, Warns Monitoring Group

Aid flows to Africa have remained static for two years and are set to drop, in spite of donor promises to increase giving, a monitoring group has found. Read more »

Sudan: U.S. Sanctions Welcome But Too Late, Say Activists

Advocacy and activist groups in the United States have welcomed President George W. Bush's new sanctions on Sudan but have said they do not go far enough. Read more »

Sudan: Bush Imposes New Sanctions Over Darfur

The United States has stepped up its sanctions against Sudan and announced that it will press the United Nations Security Council to adopt a new package of international sanctions,… Read more »

Africa: Growth Strong, But Not Enough to Meet Development Goals

Extracts relating to Africa from the United Nations report, World Economic Situation and Prospects 2007, produced by the UN's Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the… Read more »