The World Health Organization said Friday 116 million children are to receive polio vaccines in 13 countries in west and central Africa as part of efforts to eradicate the disease on the continent. “The synchronised vaccination campaign, one of the largest of its kind ever implemented in Africa, is part of urgent measures to permanently … Read more
Former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba and four associates will be sentenced on Wednesday for bribing witnesses during his war crimes trial, in the first such case before the International Criminal Court. Hoping it will serve as a deterrent, prosecutors have asked for an eight-year sentence against Bemba, already serving an 18 year-term behind bars … Read more
Prosecutors in Paris have called for the case to be dropped against French soldiers facing allegations they raped children in the Central African Republic while on a peacekeeping mission, judicial sources told AFP Tuesday. What happens next is up to investigating judges in France, but as no one has been charged a trial appears unlikely. … Read more
Ivory Coast have named former Belgium international Marc Wilmots as their new head coach to replace Michel Dussuyer. The 48-year-old Wilmots was coach of Belgium between 2012 and 2016 and lead them to the World Cup in Brazil. He was sacked in July 2016 after Belgium lost 3-1 to Wales in the quarter-finals of the … Read more
A commercial plane on Monday made a crash landing in poor weather at an airport in South Sudan, causing several injuries among the 43 on board. “It is miraculous, completely,” said Ateny Wek Ateny, the South Sudanese presidential spokesperson. “There are only minor injuries. There was no single death.” The incident took place at the … Read more
Ghana has been ranked the 131st happiest country to live in, according to the new report. Dubbed “World Happiness Report 2017’, the report ranked 155 countries in the world based on key indicators including GDP, healthy life expectancy, freedom of choice and corruption perception. According to the report, Norway is the happiest country in the … Read more
Ghana has been ranked the 131st happiest country to live in, according to the new report. Dubbed “World Happiness Report 2017’, the report ranked 155 countries in the world based on key indicators including GDP, healthy life expectancy, freedom of choice and corruption perception. According to the report, Norway is the happiest country in the … Read more
Norway is the happiest place on Earth, according to a United Nations agency report – toppling neighbour Denmark from the number one position. The World Happiness Report measures “subjective well-being” – how happy the people are, and why. Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and and Finland round out the top five, while the Central African Republic came … Read more
With a spike in militia killings, a deepening humanitarian crisis and the army still in shambles, the Central African Republic’s bid for peace and stability remains elusive. A three-year civil war that erupted in 2013 between Muslim and Christian militias left thousands of people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands of others, disrupting farming, transport … Read more
The United Nations on Thursday proposed a series of new steps aimed at stamping out sex abuse by peacekeepers as a report showed an increase in abuse allegations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in an annual report that there had been a total of 145 cases of sexual exploitation and abuse involving troops and civilians … Read more
Scientists announced Thursday that they have developed a vaccine to shield endangered chimpanzees and gorillas against Ebola, which has wiped out tens of thousands of the wild apes in three decades. The vaccine is given orally, the developers said, which means it can be put into food bait and left out for the animals to … Read more
South Africa has formally revoked its controversial decision to leave the International Criminal Court following last month’s High Court ruling that such a move would be unconstitutional. Notice of Pretoria’s decision to end the withdrawal process was posted on the UN’s treaty website this week, although it does not necessarily spell the end of its … Read more
The Germans were latecomers to the scramble for Africa. Even if there may have been individual Germans scouring the coasts of Africa (as slave traders?), it was only after the Berlin Conference of 1844-85 that Germany became an established colonial power in Africa. The conference (also known in German as Kongokonferenz or Westafrika-Konferenz) is said … Read more
Today the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Judge Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, began a visit to Uganada to meet victims of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The Hague-based court is currently trying a former LRA commander, Dominic Ongwen. And it still has a warrant out for the arrest of the infamous LRA leader … Read more
UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic have prevented heavily armed militia launching an attack on the town of Bambari. A spokesman for the UN peacekeeping mission, Vladimir Monteiro, said about 40 fighters from the FPRC militia were spotted gathering in the town, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades. Mr Monteiro told … Read more
On the night of July 15, 2017, Turkey went through the most catastrophic tragedy in its recent history as a result of the attempted military coup. The events of that night could be called a serious terror coup. Turkish people from all walks of life who thought the era of military coups was over showed … Read more
A South African court on Wednesday ruled the government’s plan to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was “unconstitutional and invalid”, providing a boost to the embattled Hague-based institution. The ICC has been rocked by threats of withdrawal in recent months, with complaints focusing on its alleged bias against Africa. South Africa announced in … Read more
The United Nations remains wary of security in the Central African Republic as violence persists in the outskirts of the capital. UN envoy Herve Ladsous told the Security Council the new upsurge of violence warrants continued international support. Already, some 100,000 people have fled their homes and more than half of the population needs humanitarian … Read more
The UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded armed groups in the Central African Republic immediately halt fighting and join peace talks after UN airstrikes targeted rebel fighters. UN attack helicopters opened fire over the weekend on gunmen advancing on the central city of Bambari. UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told the council there were about … Read more
The Gambia’s new government has asked the United Nations to halt the process of withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) begun by the regime of former leader Yahya Jammeh. The Hague-based court, set up in 2002, is often accused of bias against African nations, leading The Gambia, Burundi and South Africa to send notice … Read more