The news that a provision of United States law requiring companies to report “conflict free minerals” information will be lifted by President Donald Trump’s executive order has been met with dismay by human rights organizations and activists. Yet are the conflict free rules really helping in the Democratic Republic of…
The leaders of European Union (EU) member states will return to Malta on Friday to discuss strategies to control migration across the Mediterranean Sea. “Our main goal for the Malta summit is to stem the flow of irregular migration from Libya to Europe. This is the only way to stop…
The European Union has signed a €65 million grant to support the expansion of electricity access to some 300,000 people in Zambia. The agreement, signed Thursday in Brussels, targets the funding toward infrastructure serving heavily populated low-income areas of Lusaka, the EU said in a press release. “The rehabilitation of…
Merera Gudina, chairman of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), appeared before an Ethiopian court on Thursday and denied any terrorism allegations in connection with his November 30 arrest. Merera told the court that he has spent his life opposed to violence and terrorism, and to teaching a better way, the…
This weekend’s Mediterranean Dialogues in Rome didn’t shy away from the climate of conflict and crisis that Europe, the Middle East and North Africa have known in recent years. Among the participants was Sudan, and Ibrahim Ghandour, the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, was joined by colleagues from MENA states…
In response to the arrest of longtime Oromo leader Merera Gudina, the Amnesty International organization swiftly condemned the decision of Ethiopian authorities on Thursday. “The arrest of Merera Gudina is an outrageous assault on the right to freedom of expression and should sound alarm bells for anyone with an interest…
An attack early Friday on activists planning a protest in Zimbabwe has met with a sharp criticism of human rights violations from The European Union mission in Harare. The EU officials, as well as the Head of Mission of Switzerland, were responding to the abduction reports of Patson Dzamara amid…
A dengue fever outbreak in Burkina Faso isn’t yet cause for alarm, health officials say, although it has now affected more than 1,000 people in the nation’s central region. Minister of Health Smaila Ouédraog said that as of November 13, there were 15 deaths among the 1,061 probable cases reported….
The European Union and the member-state diplomats in Kenya have praised President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to commute all death sentences for more than 2,700 inmates who remained on death row. Kenyatta announced the decision and held a signing ceremony on Monday afternoon. The prisoners will now serve life sentences, a…
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is urging the Ethiopian government to ensure “the protection of fundamental human rights,” the AP reports. A Ban spokesman said Monday the Secretary General “reiterates his call for calm” and urges inclusive dialogue in Ethiopia. The United States also has expressed its concern over Ethiopia’s…
Russian and Egyptian forces begin joint military exercises this weekend at Al-Alamein, a city on the Mediterranean coast to the west of Alexandria. The nine-day exercise runs through October 26 and will focus on strategies for removing armed terrorists in a desert environment. It is one of 30 such exercises Egypt…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The European Parliament has given its go-ahead for the EU to approve the Paris climate agreement, with its 28 member nations expected to sign the pact this week and push past the global threshold needed to enter the deal into force. Ratification by the EU, which accounts for about 12…
Zimbabwe protest ban lifted as student-activist unrest continues A Zimbabwe court has ruled that a ban on Harare protests issued Friday is illegal, and has lifted the ban for seven days following successful claims that it violates political activists’ rights. The ban forced cancellation of a large National Electoral Reform…
The African continent faces a number of visible challenges within the security sphere. From sizeable but straightforward battles against narcotics dealing and piracy, to issues of immense complexity based on identity and sectarian conflict. Yet, among the 54 states that comprise the African region there are three issues the loom…
The months and years ahead shall pose growing challenges for the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). Though vast differences exist in geography, economy, and governance, there is much the AU can stand to learn from the EU – both in achievement and shortcomings – as it progresses…