Category Archives: General
40 Migrants Drown Off Mauritania Trying to Reach EU, UN Agency Says
A boat carrying about 40 migrants sank off the coast of Mauritania, leaving one survivor, the U.N. refugee agency said Thursday. The U.N. says the sole survivor is from Guinea and that the others on board were also from sub-Saharan African countries. The vessel was apparently heading for the Canary Islands. “These are the awful
Victims of Suspected Boko Haram Attack on Cameroon IDP Camp Need Urgent Help
The United Nations refugee agency says victims of a suspected Boko Haram terror attack on an IDP camp in Cameroon’s Far North region remain unprotected and in need of urgent help. At least 18 people were killed and 11 others injured. The camp housing 800 internally displaced people was attacked early Sunday. Militant jihadists reportedly
US Treasury Announces New Sanctions on Ally of Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa
The U.S. Treasury has imposed financial sanctions on an alleged Zimbabwean government ally who it says used corruption to rake in millions of U.S. dollars. Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei and his company, Sakunda Holdings, were targeted Wednesday by the Treasury Department. “Tagwirei and other Zimbabwean elites have derailed economic development and harmed the Zimbabwean people through
Russian Mercenaries in Libya Leave Mines as Deadly Calling Cards, Observers Say
International observers are sounding the alarm about an alliance between Russian mercenaries and a Libyan militia, which they say imperils civilians and risks intensifying Libya’s civil war. In recent weeks, forces loyal to Libyan General Khalifa Haftar have retreated from neighborhoods surrounding Tripoli. In their wake, human rights groups and the U.S. military say they
Attacks, Abuses On the Rise in Africa’s Sahel Region
While global attention remains centered on the coronavirus, a U.S. special envoy is sounding the alarm about crises in Africa’s Sahel region, especially the political unrest in Mali, and the growing number of alleged human rights violations and abuses in the troubled region. Amid the world focus on the coronavirus pandemic, another force is bringing
Fear of Instability Behind Egypt’s Readiness to Send Troops to Libya, Experts Say
Libya’s civil war and its role in regional stability have become more uncertain since June 20 when the Egyptian parliament authorized its troops to cross the border to help the forces of General Khalifa Haftar against Turkey-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Egypt’s military intervention attempt in eastern Libya, some observers say, is largely prompted
Zimbabwean Author Freed After Night in Jail for Protest
An internationally known Zimbabwean author and several other people have been released on bail on Saturday, after spending a night in police cells for protesting against the government. The activists included writer Tsitsi Dangarembga and Fadzayi Mahere, the spokeswoman of the main opposition MDC Alliance party. Dangarembga is the author of the bestselling novel,
Botswana’s Capital Back in Lockdown After COVID-19 Cases Double
Botswana has put its capital, Gaborone, back into a two-week lockdown starting Friday, closing schools and restricting movements, after confirmed local COVID-19 transmissions doubled this week. Botswana’s health minister, Dr. Lemogang Kwape, said a return to lockdown was needed after the capital saw what he called a “worrying rise” in local cases of COVID-19. “I
