Four African nations newly elected to UN Human Rights Council

Four African nations newly elected to UN Human Rights Council

Four African nations have been newly elected to the United Nations Humans Rights Council – among them a few that are raising eyebrows – and they’ll replace four outgoing nations beginning in 2020. Libya, Mauritania, Namibia and Sudan are the new nations, according to a UN statement that followed Thursday’s…

Namibia’s drought forces wildlife auction

Namibia’s drought forces wildlife auction

Namibia’s government plans to auction off some of the wildlife living in its national parks because of the severe drought affecting the southwest African nation – a drought that has left them without water and vegetation to sustain them. Stanley Simataa, the country’s information minister, made the announcement during a…

China counters ‘debt trap’ claims over African loans

China again denied claims that its loan policies put African nations and others in the developing world into “debt traps,” countering reports that United States legislators are looking to pass legislation that would limit China’s ability to do so. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday that Beijing’s…

Geingob defends expense for Namibia’s Independence Day party

What if there was an Independence Day celebration but nobody came? That’s not quite what happened Thursday, but President Hage Geingob of Namibia found himself defending the government’s decision to mark the 29th anniversary to disgruntled citizens who thought it was a waste of money. Geingob, with President Uhuru Kenyatta…

African penguins in Namibia are dying, but no one knows why yet

Experts at the Lüderitz Marine Research facility in Namibia are working to understand why hundreds of endangered penguins have died at Halifax Island, an important breeding site for African penguins. “No other species seems to have been affected,” the researchers said. “We are seeing decades of conservation efforts and rehabilitation…

Namibia’s new fishing vessel a boost to its blue economy

Namibia has upped investment in its fishing industry with the welcome of “Oshiveli,” the country’s first brand-new fishing vessel built for Tunacor. The USD$13.8 million ship was built in Spain before arriving in Walvis Bay, where it is set to begin working at the end of December, according to the…

China pushes back after German media questions its African interests

China has pushed back against a German-media article that claimed China is “pocketing” Africa in unscrupulous ways, all intended to deliver undue political influence through unethical practices. The November 7 article written by Nils Kottmann for Bild, a tabloid frequently criticized for its sensationalism, asserted that China was spying on…

Namibia’s Geingob appeals for FDI in Africa, defends China’s role

President Hage Geingob of Namibia made a case for continued investment in Africa during Tuesday’s World Investment Forum in Geneva, while defending the role of China in building and funding much-needed infrastructure. Geingob was participating in the Global Leaders Investment Summit led by Mukhisa Kituyi, the secretary general of the United…

U.S. legislators advance Okavango River Basin wildlife protection

Legislation to protect wildlife from poaching in the Okavango River Basin of southern Africa was passed this week by the United States House of Representatives, where members who sponsored the bill raised the alarm over ties between wildlife trafficking and terrorist organization finance. “This ecosystem spans three countries,” said bill…

Namibians told to stop using Zambezi River as a car wash

Officials in Namibia say they’re cracking down on a pollution problem in the country’s Zambezi region, where it’s people who are washing their cars in the river who are causing environmental damage. The country’s Environmental Management Act establishes fines for pollution, but residents either don’t know or care when they…

IUCN partners put focus on communities to combat wildlife trafficking

There’s a new strategy to combat the illegal wildlife trade in Africa, and it relies on local communities and their role in curbing elephant, rhino and other wildlife trafficking. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, in partnership with the International Institute for International Development (IIED), rolled out a toolkit…