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…
A scientific study of ivory traded by dealers across Europe proves that the sales are illegal, according to the activist groups that released the study Tuesday. Avaaz, working with the Elephant Action League, purchased 109 pieces of ivory in 10 countries across Europe in an attempt to demonstrate to European…
The European Union has signed a new Economic Cooperation Agreement with Liberia, and provided an initial €27 million in funding for the West African nation’s budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The commitment follows President George Weah’s trip to attend the annual European Development Days (EDD) Summit, held this week…
President Adama Barrow of The Gambia is in Brussels Tuesday for a donor conference to help support the country’s democratic transition from the decades of rule under former dictator Yahya Jammeh. The conference, jointly organized by The Gambia and the European Union, will see Barrow co-chair the meeting alongside High…
Officials in Burundi verified on Monday the final vote tally on a referendum, initiated by President Pierre Nkurunziza, which extends presidential term limits to allow him to run for and remain in the office through 2034. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) said the referendum passed with 73 percent of…
Global human rights organization Amnesty International is again pressuring European Union nations to change its policies on migration from Libya, where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped in shocking conditions. That message comes as EU officials said Wednesday that the central Mediterranean transit numbers remain much lower, but the…
Julius Maada Bio, the opposition candidate of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), has won the country’s presidential election runoff with 51.8 percent of the votes, the National Election Commission (NEC) announced late Wednesday. Maada Bio received 1,319,406 votes, narrowly defeating All People’s Congress (APC) candidate Samura Kamara, who took 48.2 percent…
A bottleneck for refugees fleeing Libya into Niger – and waiting to continue on to Europe – is threatening the success of an agreement to free migrants and refugees from Libyan detention centers and slave markets. The deal between the European Union (EU), African Union (AU) and United Nations (UN)…
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…