The United States has announced it will publish Thursday the names of 15 oil-industry entities in South Sudan that U.S. officials say are supporting the country’s ongoing crisis with their revenues. The decision to place the South Sudanese businesses on the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List means licensing will…
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…
Djibouti has pushed back against what it called “mercilessly pillorying” over speculation that the strategically located Doraleh Container Terminal (DCT) – seized from former operator DP World by its government last month – could be used to expand China’s footprint in the Horn of Africa while threatening United States interests….
China has fired back at the United States after claims by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that Beijing’s approach to African development is one of dependency and indebtedness. Tillerson, now in Ethiopia as he begins a five-nation African tour, made the remarks prior to departing the U.S. “We partner…
The United States military responded Monday to the weekend release of a propaganda video, reportedly from Islamic State in West Africa, that appeared to show graphic depictions of the deaths of four U.S. personnel who died in Niger in October. The video shows footage from the body cam of at…
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of the United States will travel next week to Addis Ababa, where he will meet with the Ethiopian government as well as with leaders of the African Union Commission. Tillerson’s visit is part of a five-nation tour that begins March 6 and runs through March…
The United States announced Tuesday that it has assigned Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) status to the Ansarul Islam group, and will impose sanctions against members known to have committed terrorist acts or believed to be at a significant risk of doing so. “Ansarul Islam is a terrorist group based…
For this year’s annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates took on 10 tough questions people ask about their philanthropy work. Here’s what the Microsoft founder, shown here in Tanzania, said about President Donald Trump and the impact on United States foreign aid policies: How are President Trump’s policies affecting your…
Fourteen human rights organizations, including the global Human Rights Watch NGO, have called on Western governments to speak out against presidential elections in Egypt they describe as “farcical.” “The United States, European Union, and European states, which provide substantial financial assistance to the Egyptian government, should consistently integrate human rights…
The United States announced new targeted sanctions on Friday against three individuals, including one in Puntland state in Somalia believed to be providing support to Islamic State terrorists. Mohamed Mire Ali Yusuf (Mire Ali) was listed among Specially Designated Global Terrorists, a status assigned by the U.S. Department of the…
As leaders gathered in Addis Ababa in the runup to Sunday’s official opening of the African Union (AU) summit, news came that United States President Donald Trump has sent a letter to AU member nations affirming his respect for Africans and promising an extended U.S. diplomatic visit in March. The…
Burundi’s record on human rights came under scrutiny again at the weekend, as presidential advisor Willy Nyamitwe was met Saturday by a band of diasporan protesters during a visit to the United States. Nyamitwe, the top aide and highly visible spokesman for Pierre Nkurunziza, was visiting his family in Portland,…
Ongoing violations of South Sudan’s ceasefire agreement have prompted the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to speak out in concern, and now the troika governments of the United Kingdom, United States and Norway have joined them. South Sudanese leaders agreed to a ceasefire on December 21 following negotiations with IGAD,…
Egyptian lawmakers on Monday approved a long-awaited law formally establishing the nation’s space agency, while announcing a planned research satellite launch with partners Japan and China. Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, showed MPs a model of the satellite and said its components will be built…
It’s the time of year when the world’s 2.3 billion Christians, alongside those of other faith affiliations warmed by the Christmas tradition, turn toward the city of Bethlehem. Among them are millions of believers across the African continent whose fast-growing faith is centered on the Church of the Nativity and…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times