August 24, 2022 THE planned return of 72 Benin Bronzes by a British museum to Nigeria should not go ahead because the move will benefit descendants of Africans who sold slaves during the Transatlantic slave trade, an African American group fighting for “slavery justice” has said. Earlier this month, the Charity Commission in the UK […]
African countries increased defence expenditure to $40bn in 2021 April 26, 2022 MILITARY expenditure by African countries increased overall by 1.2 per cent in 2021 to an estimated $39.7 billion, according to new data on global military spending published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on April 25. It said this total was […]
November 23, 2020 THE UK government has honoured 100 Zimbabwean deminers who have cleared the Falkland Islands of around 25,000 lethal mines that were laid by Argentinian forces that occupied the self-governing British Overseas Territory in 1982 for 74 days. Argentina invaded what it called Islas Malvinas to assert its territorial claims but Britain sent […]
‘COVID-19 emergency powers create human rights challenges’ May 3, 2020 WHILE governments around the world moved swiftly to counter the coronavirus, the emergency powers that were handed over to the various security forces are being seen as a threat to human rights. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has published a report on the need to make […]
COVID-19 ‘immunity passport’ won’t work for now -WHO April 27, 2020 THE World Health Organisation has said that there is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies would be protected from a second infection. A WHO guidance said: “Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the […]
ECOWAS plans for economic fallout from COVID-19 April 26, 2020 LEADERS of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have come up with plans for economic recovery after the global COVID-19 pandemic has subsided. During their video conference last week, they agreed to issue long-term treasury bills and bonds “to finance critical […]
Fact-checkers battle spread of coronavirus misinformation April 13, 2020 COVID–19 misinformation is spreading worldwide, but fact-checkers are fighting hard to put things right. The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford in the UK has just published a new piece of research on how misinformation about the pandemic is spreading […]
Climate change conference postponed due to COVID-19 April 13, 2020 THE 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) set to take place in Glasgow in November has been postponed due to COVID-19. This decision has been taken by representatives of the COP Bureau of the UN, with […]
Coronavirus halts Gambian Truth Commission April 8, 2020 AFTER reaching the halfway mark of its two-year mandate, the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) in The Gambia has halted proceedings and outreach programmes because of the coronavirus. With the TRRC’s planned Ramadan break in April, the Commission says it is expecting public hearings to resume […]
Democracy in much of Africa is constrained from delivering on its development potential for three reasons. Scholars and practitioners have summed this up in the lack of governance capacity, and malpractices that undermine electoral democracy. But does this mean the future of democracy is bleak? In this Talking Africa Program, Desmond Davis engages Professor. Karuti […]
Emerging powers such as China are shifting global trade relationships. For example, trade between Africa and China has grown from 10 to 20 percent annually in recent years. Most of China’s imports from Africa have been natural resources. These exports have increased by about 46% from 38 billion dollars to 46 billion dollars over the […]
Leadership is an essential feature of all government and governance. Leadership scholars suggest that weak leadership contributes to government failures, and strong leadership is indispensable if a government is to succeed. But does that mean young people contribute to government failure because they are young and lack the so called leadership skills? In Africa, for […]
Despite being one of Africa’s resource-rich region in Africa, Central Africa Region continues to numerous challenges of autocratic rule, political instability, conflict, poverty and multifaceted humanitarian crisis. In this programme we talk to Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily former United Nation’s Special Representative for Central Africa Regional Office to discuss what is at underpins these challenges.
April 7, 2025 THE US government has imposed visa and travel restrictions on South Sudan, with Washington warning: “It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, making the announcement over the weekend, said: “Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is […]
Crafting better African stories with AI March 19, 2025 ADVANCED technology has been released with the potential of transforming how stories about Africa are told across media, academia, development sectors and beyond. the AI Shop, based in South Africa, announced on Wednesday. Its partnership with Africa No Filter has come up with the Africa Bias […]
Southern Africa grouping backs DRC government amid escalating conflict February 4, 2025 MEMBER countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have given strong support to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo as Goma, the capital of its mineral-rich North Kivu, fell to the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group. SADC leaders met at an […]
AU Special Envoy calls for Sudan conflict ‘de-escalation’ amid more loss of life November 6, 2024 THE African Union Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, Adama Dieng, has called on the two antagonists in the bitter armed conflict in Sudan to “de-escalate the fighting” to prevent more “tragic loss of life” […]
Germany agrees to take Kenyan workers. September 16, 2024 THE Kenyan and German governments have agreed to a migration system that will allow skilled and semi-skilled Kenyans to work in Germany while protecting their rights, in a deal signed in Berlin on September 13 by President William Ruto and Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The agreement is […]
African activists call for more human rights advocacy. September 16, 2024 DELEGATES at the All-African Movement Assembly in Accra have called for Pan-African solidarity, free movement across the continent and “more robust human rights advocacy”. At their recent annual gathering, the largest meeting of African movements, activists and human rights defenders, delegates launched the Pan-African […]
Africa trade book wins award July 4, 2024 AS African countries gear up to take advantage of their Continental Free Trade Area, a book that has been judged to be a highly relevant and “an excellent primer to understanding the often-tangled world of African commerce” has won the Business Council for Africa’s African Business Book […]
Rule of law body calls for restraint in Kenya. June 28, 2024 AS the turmoil continues in Kenya, the Pan African Alliance for Transparency and Rule of Law in Africa (PATROL-AFRICA) has issued a statement on the demonstrations. Below is the full text: The ongoing demonstrations in Kenya have highlighted the immediate need for dialogue […]
PATROL-AFRICA ‘regrets dismal ratification’ of the Malabo Protocol June 12, 2014 TEN years after the adoption of the Protocol on Amendments to the Protocol on the Statute of the African Court of Justice and Human Rights (the Malabo Protocol), the Pan-African Alliance for Transparency and the Rule of Law (PATROL-AFRICA) has noted with regret that […]
AU appoints first special envoy to combat genocide and mass atrocities April 8, 2024 Adama Dieng: the first AU Special Envoy for the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and Other Mass AtrocitiesTHE African Union has appointed its first Special Envoy for the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities, as Rwanda […]