By Jeffrey Smith One of my personal highlights of 2022 was being present in Kenya in the days leading up to and during that country’s general elections, held on August 9. I was fortunate to have been invited to participate with a diverse team of accredited observers, mostly consisting of…
President Joe Biden of the United States affirmed the goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 on Thursday, calling for the AU’s permanent membership in the G20 while reiterating his support for an African seat on the United Nations Security Council. “African voices, African leadership, African innovation all are critical…
A newly filed lawsuit in Kenya seeks US$1.6 billion from social media giant Meta, in order to establish a victims compensation fund on behalf of people targeted for violence in Ethiopia because of widely shared Facebook posts. Amnesty International announced Wednesday that it filed the suit along with six other…
With the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit set to begin, African leaders have traveled to the United States to discuss trade partnerships, security and governance, climate change and more. On Monday, the White House said the agenda has been shaped by the African Union and African nations to ensure that the sessions…
A painstakingly detailed Reuters report on abortion at the hands of the Nigerian military, forced on women and girls held by Boko Haram members in the country’s northeast since former president Goodluck Jonathan was still in office, has shocked the international community—but not Nigerian defense officials who denied the abortions…
Charlot Magayi used to sell charcoal for cooking in the Nairobi slum community of Mukuru where she grew up. Today, she’s the recipient of a 2022 Earthshot Prize for her work on climate and the promotion of clean cooking alternatives. Magayi, founder of Mukuru Clean Stoves, was one of five…
The European Union failed to fully consider the potential for surveillance-related human rights violations as it equipped African nations with technologies and surveillance training through its EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTFA). That’s the decision of the EU Commission Ombudsman, following a formal complaint filed by a group of…
Global mining giant Glencore will pay US$180 million to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of an agreement to settle all corruption claims alleged between 2007 and 2018 by various authorities, including the United States Department of Justice and the Congolese National Financial Intelligence Unit and Ministry of Justice….
In Uganda, a patient with the last known active Ebola virus infection has been discharged from the hospital in what authorities hope will mean an end to the outbreak is on the horizon. “We continue to follow up actively the remaining contacts till they complete 21 days,” said Dr. Diana…
Electricity providers in Zimbabwe have been forced to stop generating hydropower at the Kariba South power station due to the ongoing low water levels affecting the Kariba Dam at Lake Kariba. The site supports power for both Zimbabwe and Zambia, with the Zambezi River Authority governing the use of resources…
South Africa’s Biovac has announced a deal with the nonprofit International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to begin manufacturing cholera vaccines, a move that will advance the African continent’s goal of manufacturing its own vaccines. The licensing and technology transfer deal will mean that Biovac is equipped to make oral cholera vaccines…
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has been elected to another seven-year term in Equatorial Guinea, where the 80-year-old has held the office since August 1979. The National Electoral Board said Obiang received 405,910 votes, accounting for a notably high 94.9% of all votes cast in the West African nation. In reporting…
Eric Overvest, the United Nations coordinator for São Tomé and Príncipe, thanked authorities on Friday after an attack on a military barracks, part of a reported coup attempt, was shut down. Overvest said military and judicial authorities acted swiftly and appropriately transferred the detainees after the attack. He appealed for…
Angola’s President João Lourenço announced that negotiations between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, held in Luanda on Wednesday, resulted in a ceasefire agreement among parties who have been fighting in eastern DR Congo and along the border near Goma. Lourenço, heading up a peace talk process meant to end…
Kenyan officials have shut down a plan to ship eight native baobab trees to the nation of Georgia, instead insisting that it’s critical to protect Kenya’s own biodiversity and honor its international commitments. “The Convention on Biological Diversity has three objectives,” said Soipan Tuya, who was appointed Kenya’s Environment and…