French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heads to the Central African Republic on Sunday to formally end Operation Sangaris, begun three years ago to halt mass killings there but which failed to disarm militias terrorizing the population. The formal end to the French mission comes as a fresh wave of bloodshed shook the troubled nation, … Read more
South Africa and Burundi’s decision to quit the International Criminal Court (ICC) and an attack by Gambia against its supposed ‘Caucasian’ justice are likely to embolden other African states to leave the world’s only permanent war crimes tribunal. Although criticising the Hague-based institution for perceived anti-African bias has long been a favourite pastime for many … Read more
Former Congolese Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba has been found guilty by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of bribing witnesses. Bemba was found guilty earlier this year of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and jailed for 18 years. On Wednesday he was convicted of corruptly influencing witnesses and falsifying evidence in that trial. Four close … Read more
Nigeria misses out in air passenger growth projection for African nations – Report Global demand to double by 2035 Growing population of the country notwithstanding, Nigeria missed out among top 10 African countries with fastest growing market for air passenger and potential growth in the next 20 years. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) in … Read more
1.3 million Kenyans in 23 counties are in need of food aid – Report Despite the progress Kenya has made in reducing hunger, it is among 50 countries where levels of hunger remain serious or alarming, a new global report reveals. Kenya’s score of 22 places it at number 72 out of a list of … Read more
“He who finds a wife finds a good thing…” – PROVERBS 18: 22 Fellow Nigerians, please forget the shakara of all men who try to act macho, most men are ultimately controlled by their wives, and sometimes girlfriends. Right from the Biblical Genesis, women had always known their enormous power and they’ve mastered how to … Read more
Russia on Tuesday (11 October) said that it would not be in favour of imposing arms embargo on South Sudan despite UN Chief Ban Ki-moon criticising President Salva Kiir’s government in failing to cooperate with the UN peacekeeping mission. The UN had threatened to impose embargo on arms in the world’s youngest nation within five … Read more
Chad, Niger, Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia have been ranked at the top of an index of countries listing the hardest place to be a girl. The report, called Every Last Girl, ranks countries based on schooling, child marriage, teen pregnancy, maternal deaths and the number of women in parliament. The study by Save … Read more
One girl under the age of 15 is married every seven seconds, according to a new report by Save the Children. The study says girls as young as 10 are forced to marry much older men in countries including Afghanistan, Yemen, India and Somalia. Save the Children says early marriage can trigger a cycle of … Read more
The sight of President John Mahama clad in a military uniform has apparently shocked quite a number of people. And for a very good reason. Few in Ghana remember military rule with fondness. For however well military rule begins, the end is usually ruinous. It comes with the territory: if you are trained to do … Read more
Armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been told to leave the schools they are occupying or face forceful eviction by UN troops. The UN says 10,000 children have been unable to resume their education this year because militiamen have set up base in their schools. A third of all schools have either … Read more
The Hague (AFP) – The International Criminal Court will hand down its verdict next month against former Congolese vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba and four close associates accused of bribing witnesses, the tribunal said Wednesday. Prosecutors have charged ex-militia leader Bemba, 53, of masterminding a network from his prison cell at the ICC’s detention unit to … Read more
– Rates of HIV, malaria, and TB diseases have decreased since 2000; suicide and binge drinking have become greater threats to health – International collaborative Global Burden of Disease enterprise offers insights into progress and challenges in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals By successfully combating diseases like HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, Ghana has made … Read more
Today, September 21, marks a very important day in the history of Africa and the world. Today marks the birth of a Visionary Leader, a Revolutionist, a Path Breaker and a strong Pan-Africanist, a man named Francis Nwia-Kofi, later known as Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. If today marks the birthday of my mentor and founder … Read more
UN peacekeepers were sent to the CAR in 2014 Several people have been killed in fighting between rival rebel groups in the Central African Republic, the UN mission in the country says. The UN the clashes took place in a village about 350km (220 miles) north of the capital, Bangui. Aid agencies say up to … Read more
The International Criminal Court (ICC) which was established under a multilateral treaty called the “Rome Statute” (which was adopted on 17 July 1998 and entered into force on 1 July, 2002) is based in The Hague, Holland. It has 124 members. Unfortunately, the ICC does not enjoy much support in enlightened circles in Africa. This … Read more
Governance and Corruption Adviser to the president Daniel Batidam has made a case for a second term for the president John Dramani Mahama. According to Mr. Batidam, the President and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government deserve second term in office to continue with measures put in place to especially deal with corruption in the … Read more
The African Union is the west’s gendarme in Africa with it’s combined national armed forces increasingly primed to invade and occupy rather than keep the peace. The latest potential victim of the African Union, backed by its big brother, the UN, is South Sudan. Before that Burundi was threatened with invasion by the AU “peacekeepers”. … Read more
Gabonese opposition candidate Jean Ping declared himself president on Friday, after a disputed election that triggered two days of post-election riots against President Ali Bongo. Violence erupted across the Central African country on Wednesday following the announcement of a slim victory for Bongo, who was first elected in 2009 after the death of his father … Read more
Nairobi (AFP) – The results of a three-year aerial survey of Africa’s elephants published Thursday revealed a dramatic 30 percent decline in savannah elephant populations, largely due to poaching. “We completed a successful survey of massive scale, and what we learned is deeply disturbing,” said Paul Allen, the Microsoft co-founder and billionaire philanthropist who spent … Read more