UN rep in Libya keeps focus on harsh realities at LPDF

UN rep in Libya keeps focus on harsh realities at LPDF

Stephanie Williams, the interim United Nations special representative for Libya, delivered a blunt message to a country in crisis while speaking Wednesday to a meeting of the second round of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum. “You have foreign actors who are behaving with complete impunity. You have domestic actors who…

Global calls for action on Cabo Delgado grow louder

World leaders are speaking out against the violence in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, which has escalated since a first attack in October 2017 made clear that Islamic extremists were active in a region where foreign energy investments have helped to make it a target. President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe said…

UN says South Sudan officials embezzled US$36 million

Senior government officials in South Sudan have embezzled US$36 million from the country’s coffers with the aid of international institutions and multinational banks, says Yasmin Sooka, the head of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights for the nation. “It is worth noting this is just what we were able to…

Mauritius says it’s making progress on MV Wakashio oil spill

Officials in Mauritius say they’ve offloaded nearly all the fuel that was still trapped aboard the ill-fated MV Wakashio, the Japanese-owned ship that is stranded and leaking oil into a protected marine area of the Indian Ocean island nation. That’s according to Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Wednesday, as he…

AU to review Nile dam talks as Ethiopia, Egypt remain at impasse

There has been little progress in the stalemate over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), according to the Ethiopian government as it continues lengthy and oft-contentious negotiations with Egypt and Sudan. Ethiopia’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that the three nations have been unable to resolve their differences over access to…

9 Nigerians abducted in Gulf of Guinea piracy attack

Nine Nigerian nationals working aboard the Sendje Berge have been abducted by armed attackers, according to vessel operator BW Offshore. The nine were taken about 4:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, said the company in a statement. The incident happened on the Okwori oil field, located offshore of Bonny Island…

New AU report zeroes in on COVID-19 economic impacts

There are now nearly 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in 51 African nations, with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reporting 442 fatalities as of Monday. Yet as the global pandemic continues to impact the continent, there’s growing concern over the economic impacts as well. A newly released report…

Egypt, Ethiopia dam stalemate could lead to conflict

Ethiopia’s withdrawal from United States-led negotiations over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project have led to much speculation over what happens next if a deal falls through, and some are fearing the worst now that talks appear to have completely collapsed. “Ethiopia has a general election later this year, which…

Canadian courts greenlight lawsuit on Eritrean mine workers

Human rights campaigners say they welcome the decision by Canada’s Supreme Court to allow a lawsuit against the Nevsun mining firm, which is accused of human rights violations during operations in Eritrea. Human Rights Watch said a 2013 investigation first found that an Eritrean construction firm owned by the country’s…