Unaccompanied minors aboard the Spanish sea rescue ship Open Arms were permitted to disembark at the Italian port of Lampedusa on Saturday, one day after the head of the rescue organization warned the situation aboard the ship – where migrants have been trapped for two weeks – was rapidly deteriorating….
The juxtaposition of the headlines was jarring, in a way that seemed newly unbearable despite all we’ve learned in recent years about African migrants seeking a pathway to Europe, the horrific realities they encounter in transit and in Libya – and the complicity of European governments in their suffering. The…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
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…
China is again denying any untoward economic goals in Djibouti and other African nations, as Beijing gets set to host the next Belt and Road Initiative forum in April. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang, speaking at Wednesday’s daily press briefing, responded to questions on how China’s investment…
The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States says that new information from sophisticated monitoring systems, as well as insights from the crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, led to its decision Wednesday to ban Boeing 737 MAX8 and MAX9 flights in the U.S. The FAA grounded all flights…
Amid the global aviation chaos caused by the grounding of Boeing 737MAX aircraft in the wake of Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines tragedy, comes the news that a software upgrade planned for the planes is delayed because of a 35-day United States government shutdown in December and January. The Wall Street Journal…
While the European Union has declined to impose additional sanctions against Zimbabwe, there remains much concern over human rights and democratic principles amid the country’s economic and political crisis. “We have seen a crackdown on demonstrations in January – just a month ago – as well as the disproportionate use of force by…
South Africa has issued the latest appeal to the international community to lift longstanding sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe in order to alleviate pressures contributing to its economic and political crises. “Zimbabwe has been going through a challenging socioeconomic situation, which has inadvertently had an impact on South Africa. We have…
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking in Greece, conceded that a migration deal struck between Turkey and the European Union in 2016 isn’t working as planned but Europe will continue to support its implementation. That deal affecting Middle Eastern and North African migrants immediately ended crossings from Turkey into Greece, with…
African Union leaders in Vienna to attend the High-Level Forum Africa-Europe on Tuesday urged their European counterparts to view African nations as equals as they move forward on technology, trade and other key issues. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairman of the AU Commission, delivered forceful remarks that highlighted the continent’s expectations…
The European Union on Monday approved a one-year extension on sanctions placed against 14 people for human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the hand-picked presidential candidate and close ally of outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Emmanel Ramazani Shadary, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) candidate…
The Government of Morocco, under pressure to stem the tide of African migrants crossing into Spain, has established new entry visa rules for travelers from some African nations. Reuters reports that the new requirements apply in up to seven countries that have historically had no visa requirement to visit Morocco….
More than 1,700 people have died this year on the Mediterranean Sea migration route to Europe, and both UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, appealed jointly to European governments on Wednesday to change their “dangerously toxic” discourse on migration. “The current tenor of the political debate…
The 141 migrants aboard the rescue ship Aquarius are headed for Malta, after days of yet another standoff on the Mediterranean Sea as three countries refused to allow the ship port access. Malta originally refused to accept the ship, as did Spain, which previously allowed its passengers to disembark during…
As part of its External Investment Plan, the European Union has approved €800 million for investment earmarked for Africa and the regional “neighborhood” countries, a number of which also are North African states. The funding will support programs including a new lending alternative for refugees or the internally displaced, who…