Often the hardest thing is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn – David Russel
Posted in Africa on Nov 23rd, 2009
The European Commission has signed a $1bn (£602m) development pact with Nigeria, aimed at tackling corruption and promoting peace. A substantial amount of the funding will be spent on resolving conflict in the oil-rich and crime-plagued Niger Delta, the EU’s development chief said. The money will also target electoral reform and improving human rights.
But […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 21st, 2009
The Zimbabwean government says it is pulling its soldiers out of the Marange diamond mine following allegations of abuse. Earlier this month the Kimberley Process group, the diamond industry’s watchdog, urged Zimbabwe to reform its running of the diamond mine, giving it a June 2010 deadline. Human rights activists have called for Zimbabwe to be […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 19th, 2009
Islamists in Somalia have stoned to death a 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of adultery. Sheikh Ibrahim Abdirahman, the judge for the group al-Shabab, said Halima Ibrahim Abdirahman was killed on Tuesday in front of a crowd of 200 people. Judge Abdirahman said the woman had confessed to having an affair with an unmarried 29-year-old man […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 18th, 2009
Western Sahara’s most prominent human rights activist has been told to appear in a Spanish court for public disorder after starting a hunger strike in the Canary Islands. Aminatou Haidar, who campaigns for indigenous Sahrawi rights, started her protest at Lanzarote airport on Sunday after Morocco refused to allow her to return to the disputed […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 17th, 2009
Gold continues to be smuggled out of the Democratic Republic of Congo despite sanctions, the United Nations claims. The coordinator of UN arms embargo experts, Dino Mahtani, told the BBC around 40 tonnes of gold continues to be taken out of the country each year. He said most of the profits from the illegal gold […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 13th, 2009
South Africa’s deputy police minister Fikile Mabula yesterday defended his force’s shoot-to-kill policy, just days after a police officer shot dead a three-year-old boy. Mr Mabula argued it is inevitable that innocent people will be caught in the crossfire against what he called “incorrigible criminals” and urged police to “shoot the bastards”. Three-year-old Atlegang Phalane […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 12th, 2009
Africa does not have enough information about the impact of climate change on its water supplies, according to experts. Scientists from around the continent are gathered this week in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the second Africa Water Week organised by the African Ministerial Council. They argue that it is essential for the continent to collect […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 11th, 2009
Pervasive high food prices are putting millions of people in dozens of poor countries at risk of critical food insecurity, according to the United Nations. The UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization made the claim in its latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation report, released yesterday ahead of next week’s World Summit on Food Security in […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 11th, 2009
The Ugandan government will put to death all gay citizens caught gaving sex and throw into jail those who touch others in a “gay” way if a new proposed bill becomes law.
A new Bill, the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, seeks to legislate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) people in Uganda. And it wants to pave the […]
Posted in Africa on Nov 10th, 2009
The Democratic Republic of Congo army is using vaccination clinics to attract and attack thousands of ethnic Hutu civilians, according to aid agency Medecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The head of MSF programmes in Central Africa, Luis Encinas, said soldiers raided seven clinics in North Kivu as a massive vaccination campaign to combat measles epidemics had […]
