New U.S. sanctions target Liberian leader

New U.S. sanctions target Liberian leader

Politicians and business leaders from three African nations face new sanctions imposed by the United States on the basis of alleged involvement in corruption and other activities. Among them is Liberia’s Prince Yormie Johnson, a member of the West African nation’s senate who is implicated in the 1990 death of…

Report: Elites are robbing millions in South Sudan

More than US$73 million has gone missing from the coffers in South Sudan in just the last two years, according to a new Commission on Human Rights report. That money was diverted by the country’s ruling elites, the United Nations rights agency said, and is a fraction of the total…

WHO sets new standards on air pollution levels

The World Health Organization issued new guidelines on air pollution Wednesday that dramatically reduce the levels of particulate matter (PM) and other pollutants linked to a range of diseases. These illnesses include heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, and respiratory diseases including asthma. “Since WHO’s last 2005 global update, there has…

Rwandan forces recapture Mozambique’s Mocímboa da Praia

The Rwandan military says it captured the Mozambican port of Mocímboa da Praia on Sunday, while also taking the airport and the regional headquarters. The city has been an insurgent stronghold for more than two years, with catastrophic results for civilians living in this part of Cabo Delgado province and…

G20 environment ministers fail to agree on coal phaseout

South Africa and the other members of the G20 Environment Ministers issued a final communiqué following their meeting in Italy, but they’ve failed to come to terms on a global coal phaseout. The meeting, which in some respects signals what to expect ahead of the COP26 climate meeting in Scotland…

Total declares force majeure on Mozambique LNG project

French oil major Total says it has backed out of its US$20 billion LNG project in Mozambique, just days ahead of an expected decision on military intervention in the southern African nation. “Considering the evolution of the security situation in the north of the Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, Total…

UK court to review Mozambique fossil fuel investment

The British government’s investment in developing liquified natural gas (LNG) projects in Mozambique – projects contributing to the conflict and instability in the country’s north – is headed for judicial review following a successful legal filing from the Friends of the Earth. The London-based NGO says the decision to approve…

SADC puts Mozambique security assistance plan in motion

President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe signaled that regional military support for Mozambique may be on the way in its fight against Islamic State-aligned extremists in the Cabo Delgado region. Mnangagwa made the comment while talking with reporters following Thursday’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting, called to elevate the urgency…