Today's News
US to assist South Sudan army in building defence capacity
The United States' Department of Defense (DOD) has initiated a dialogue with South Sudan Armed Forces (SSAF) in order to raise its capacity as a professional army, according to South Sudanese officials.
New Army Units To Tackle Military Co-Op Missions
The first of up to seven new Army units, created to train and help foreign militaries will be operational by the next fiscal year.
Libyan city of Sirte on the brink of falling
Fighters celebrate capture of Gaddafi's son Mutassim and tighten grip on troops loyal to former leader
Ethiopia releases former junta officials
Senior former officials of the military regime who have been sentenced to death by Ethiopian court for genocide crime against humanity have been pardoned after almost 21 years imprisonment and the public reaction is positive with some reservations.
Africa: UK to Reduce Aid to Anti-Gay Regimes
African countries which persecute gays will have their aid cut, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has said.
Uganda MPs block oil deals after corruption claims
Uganda's parliament has voted to suspend all new deals in the oil sector following claims that government ministers took multi-million dollar bribes.
Is Uganda finally getting serious about tackling corruption?
Abuse of office charges against the former vice-president and a volley of criminal summonses have raised hopes of action
Biofuels, Speculators Driving Food Price Surges
A new report on global hunger pinpoints factors at the heart of spikes in food prices it says are exacerbating the unfolding food crisis in the Horn of Africa.
British and US marines storm ship hijacked by Somali pirates
Armed marines overwhelm vessel's captors after being alerted by a message in a bottle thrown through porthole
Al-qaeda chief urges Islamic rule in Libya
Al-Qaeda's new leader is calling on Libyan fighters who overthrew Moammar Gadhafi to set up an Islamic state and urges Algerians to revolt against their longtime leader in remarks in a new Internet video.
Revulsion over Nigeria rape video shows power of social media
In Nigeria, rape video depicting an apparent gang attack on a woman by college students sparks a criminal investigation, and raises questions of how much smartphones have changed Nigerian society.
Liberia election: Voting went smoothly, but how about the results?
Foreign observer missions are praising Liberia's first domestically organized national elections since the end of civil war in 2003, but experts warn that a likely runoff election could still trigger violence.
Gambia jails eight foreigners for drug trafficking
A Gambian court sentenced eight foreign nationals to 50 years in prison Wednesday for attempting to traffic millions of dollars worth of cocaine into Europe. The convicts were from Venezuela, The Netherlands, Mexico and Nigeria.
SWAZILAND: Corruption exceeds social services budget
Swaziland's Minister of Finance, Majozi Sithole, has told the Senate that each year the country loses nearly double the annual social services budget to corruption, and non-governmental organizations are not being spared.
Libyan rebels 'torturing suspected gaddafi mercenaries'
Libyan rebels are illegally holding and torturing up to 2,500 alleged mercenaries, many from sub-Saharan Africa, rights groups have claimed.
Liberia counts votes in tight presidential election
Liberia tallied votes on Wednesday in a hotly-contested presidential poll pitting the incumbent, Nobel peace laureate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, against former United Nations diplomat Winston Tubman and 14 others.
Camels, Minority Rights Spur Battle in Libya
Next to a pitted airport runway, more than 100 displaced victims of war forage on desert shrubs and poke their noses at a perimeter fence.
Africa's Population Explosion
A Standard Bank analyst is predicting that sub-Saharan Africa's population will reach two billion over the next forty years.
Mo Ibrahim Prize: It's Good Governance, Not the Size of a Country that Matters
On Monday 10 October the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, through its Prize Committee, announced Cape Verdean former President Pedro Verona Pires as the winner of the 2011 Ibrahim prize for Achievement in African leadership.
London funds counter-piracy initiatives
The British government announced it was spending roughly $7 million to fund a package of counter-piracy projects that complement naval efforts.
Libyan crisis, AQIM and smuggling in the Sahel
The Libyan crisis has left the field open to all kinds of smuggling and drug traffickers who are increasingly organizing in the countries of the Sahel. The latter, have taken advantage of the war situation in Libya, and act with impunity in a desert region difficult to control.
Narcoterrorism and the Long Reach of U.S. Law Enforcement
In testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, Vanda Felbab-Brown speaks on the relationship between drug trade and criminal and belligerent groups in Afghanistan, Mexico, Colombia and West Africa. Felbab-Brown outlines several recommendations for U.S. policy addressing this difficult and complex problem.
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