U.S., Spain issue appeals on behalf of EG opposition leader Esono

U.S., Spain issue appeals on behalf of EG opposition leader Esono

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…

U.S. court upholds travel ban for Libya, Somalia

U.S. court upholds travel ban for Libya, Somalia

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that a controversial travel ban affecting citizens of Libya and Somalia hoping to enter the U.S. will stand, despite legal challenges dating to the first days of President Donald Trump’s administration. The 5-4 ruling keeps in place a reworked version of the ban…

Amnesty’s West African human rights researcher Gaetan Mootoo dies

The global human rights community was in mourning Sunday after hearing the news that Gaëtan Mootoo, a well-respected French Mauritanian researcher for Amnesty International in West Africa, has died. The 65-year-old Mootoo died at the weekend in Paris, according to Amnesty International Benin. His cause of death was not immediately…

U.S. lifts travel ban for Chad

The United States has lifted its travel ban for Chad, citing a positive review of the Sahel nation’s identity-management and information sharing practices. “Chad is a critical and vital partner to the U.S. counterterrorism mission. Chad has made significant strides and now meets the baseline criteria,” the U.S. Department of…

Leaving Kenya, Tillerson heads for Chad, Nigeria

United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson headed to Chad and Nigeria on Monday, resuming his tour of African nations after briefly falling ill at the weekend while in Kenya. While in N’Djamena, Tillerson was expected to focus on counterterrorism efforts in West Africa, where Chad plays a key role…

Brussels conference boosts G5 Sahel force funding to $509 million

The international community has pledged more than USD$500 million to support the regional G5 Sahel security force, the European Union said following a high-level conference hosted in Brussels Friday. The funding for the joint military force of the five nations – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger – includes…

EU reiterates G5 Sahel support ahead of Brussels conference

The European Commission, speaking ahead of a Friday conference on the Sahel, reiterated its support for the G5 nations and the regional security initiative launched this year. “The EU has fully supported this African led initiative from the very beginning and provided an initial contribution of €50 million to help set it…

South Africa’s Tutu resigns from role with scandal-hit Oxfam

In South Africa, the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has resigned from his position as global ambassador for Oxfam International, the UK-based development and humanitarian aid organization at the center of allegations of sexual misconduct among its relief workers in Chad and Haiti. “The Archbishop is deeply disappointed by allegations…