Egyptians head to the polls on Saturday to begin three days of voting on a referendum that would allow President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to extend his current term until 2024, and remain eligible for another term that could see him in office until 2030. The National Election Authority set the…
The Anglophone crisis in Cameroon must remain a priority for the European Union, particularly the need for humanitarian support for those displaced, said EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini in an address to the European Parliament. “Regrettably, unlawful killings and atrocities continue to be reported regularly, allegedly involving both the…
Paleontologists at Ohio University in the United States say they have discovered a new species of large carnivore, after taking a second look at fossils stored in a drawer at the National Museums of Kenya. The 22-million-year-old fossils were found in Kenya decades ago by researchers focused on ancient apes,…
The Human Rights Watch organization is the latest to press the case for turning over the ousted Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court (ICC), to face charges on war crimes that date to 2009 and 2010. The HRW appeal comes as Uganda signals that it’s open to…
China will welcome African leaders to Beijing next week for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, but ahead of the event it also welcomed praise from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on how the Belt and Road Initiative can boost African jobs. “The positive…
Members of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) in Equatorial Guinea continue appeals for the release of their leader, Andrés Esono Ondo, who was arrested April 11 in Chad while meeting with that nation’s opposition party, the National Union for Development and Renewal (UNDR). They’re now getting some response from…
Attacks on residential neighborhoods in Tripoli continued overnight into Wednesday with new fatalities reported in Abu Salim, as the death toll continued to rise since the advance of Libyan National Army (LNA) forces led by Khalifa Haftar on April 4. President Fayez Al-Sarraj, leader of the internationally recognized Government of…
Environmental defenders in mining areas of South Africa face harassment, intimidation, and violence, according to a joint report issued Tuesday by four advocacy organizations including Human Rights Watch. “The attacks and harassment have created an atmosphere of fear for community members who mobilize to raise concerns about damage to their livelihoods from…
People all around the world were riveted by the flames as the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris burned on Monday night, heavily damaging the centuries-old landmark and cultural symbol of France. The fire broke out during a Roman Catholic Mass shortly before 7 p.m. local time, and quickly spread…
The human rights record of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is under renewed scrutiny after he appeared at the weekend with Christian pastor Rick Warren, left, at his Saddleback Church to focus on reconciliation and the recovery of trauma. Kagame, who has a long relationship with Warren’s Baptist-affiliated megachurch in…
An investigative report from Global Witness accuses a high-ranking though disreputable military leader in Democratic Republic of Congo of acquiring illegally traded timber licenses in a matter of days, and then selling the associated company to a Chinese timber kingpin already operating in the country. General Gabriel Amisi Kumba is…
About 1.6 million children impacted by Cyclone Idai in southeast Africa are in dire need of assistance, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Saturday in an international appeal for help. The storm affected one million children in Mozambique, another 443,000 in Malawi and 130,000 in Zimbabwe, UNICEF said, adding…
As of Saturday, the number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo had risen to 1,240 cases – a troubling jump of more than 100 in one week – with 1,174 of them confirmed and 66 probable. The Congolese Ministry of Health reported 792 deaths, on the rise especially in…
In the United States, Somali-American Rep. Ilhan Omar – a legislator serving the state of Minnesota in the U.S. Congress – is pushing back at President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim Twitter attack against her, which on Friday followed introduction of a Democratic Party bill to overturn a U.S. travel ban that…
The World Bank plans USD$15 billion in new funding for African development in the next few years, as part of a 50 percent investment increase in human capital projects through fiscal 2021-2023. The new Africa Human Capital Plan aims to boost sub-Saharan Africa’s ability to invest in the next generation,…