By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | NEW YORK (IDN) – For the first time ever, the UN Security Council has put human traffickers on an international sanctions list by imposing sanctions on six leaders operating networks in Libya. Four are Libyans, including the head of a regional coast guard unit, and two Eritrean nationals. By resolution 1970 […]
Ivory Coast President’s Agenda 2030 Evokes Protests
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YOK (IDN) – In a recent interview with a French magazine, Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara revealed his vision of two more terms in office despite having repeatedly said he would step down at the end of his second term in 2020. The news throws cold water on […]
Infighting Delays a ‘New Dawn’ in South Africa
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – South Africa’s former leader Jacob Zuma is among those said to be impeding efforts by his successor, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to create a “new dawn” for citizens and foreign investors – free of corruption and cronyism which became associated with the Zuma regime. Zuma was […]
Mamadou and Ramatoulaye Opt Out Of Migrating To Europe
Following is the text of an epilogue in Chapter 6, titled ‘recommendations and conclusions’ of Economic Development in Africa Report 2018: Migration for Structural Transformation, published on June 1, 2018 by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). – The Editor. GENEVA (IDN | UNCTAD) – The news on the radio about Libya […]
Gambia Ex-President Tied to 2005 Murders of Refugees
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | ACCRA (IDN) – Strong evidence has been gathered linking the former president of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh, to the murder of 44 West African migrants mostly from Ghana by operatives of the ex-president. The sole survivor of the mass killing, also from Ghana, promised himself not […]
Me Too Movement Challenges African Halls Of Power
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | JOHANNESBURG (IDN) – A promised investigation into gender discrimination at the African Union appears to be idling on the back burner, according to the South African Mail & Guardian. Some 37 women employees at the African Union Commission (AUC) have complained of “ill-treatment and humiliation”, investigators […]
Governments Do Little as West African Countries are Plundered
By Will Fitzgibbon In the region’s largest-ever journalism collaboration, reporters from 11 countries expose the financial secrets of some of West Africa’s most powerful politicians, moguls and corporations. The following article first appeared on the website of International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on 22 May 2018 with the headline WEST AFRICA LEAKS: How Officials, […]
Conference Calls for Action on Access to Justice for Children in Africa
By J Nastranis NEW YORK | ADDIS ABABA (IDN) – The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges all members of the world body to respect and ensure the rights of each child “within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind”. While some progress has been made to fulfil the objectives set out […]
Trump Apparently Met His Match in Nigerian President Buhari
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Try as he might, President Trump couldn’t land a deal with Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari at their tête-à-tête in Washington end of April 2018. Deploying his usual tough talk on trade, the U.S. president was shooting for a deal that would open the doors to […]
Access to End-Use Technologies Key to Catalysing Development in Africa
By Joshua Masinde NAIROBI (IDN) – Productive use of energy holds the key to livelihood transformation in Africa’s rural areas. Small industries could improve their production processes and efficiency if they had better access to electricity and technologies. Without electricity, rural micro-enterprises make do with labour intensive and time-consuming manual tools, and often pass up […]