https://www.salo.org.za/countries/africa-wide/Recent content in Africa-wide on Southern African Liaison OfficeHugo -- gohugo.ioen-zaFri, 19 Aug 2016 18:12:57 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-19-august-2016/Fri, 19 Aug 2016 18:12:57 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-19-august-2016/SA won’t interfere in Zimbabwe’s affairs: minister South Africa shouldn’t get involved in Zimbabwe’s affairs – unless it’s asked to. That’s according to International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. She made the remarks during an interview with eNCA’s Thulasizwe Simelane. The minister was responding to calls by Zimbabwean activists for South Africa to pressure President Robert Mugabe’s government.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-12-august-2016/Fri, 12 Aug 2016 14:10:36 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-12-august-2016/SA trumps Nigeria South Africa’s economy regained the position of Africa’s largest in dollar terms more than two years after losing it to Nigeria as the value of the nations’ currencies moved in opposite directions. Based on gross domestic product at the end of 2015 published by the International Monetary Fund, the size of South Africa’s economy is $301 billion at the rand’s current exchange rate, while Nigeria’s GDP is $296 billion.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-august-2016/Fri, 05 Aug 2016 19:23:36 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-august-2016/ANC takes battering while opposition heads for coalition talks Whatever the final outcome of the 2016 local government elections, the African National Congress (ANC) has received a nasty wake-up call from the electorate. With almost 90% of the votes confirmed by late Thursday night, the ANC had already lost one metro and was locked in a nail-biting race for control of the three Gauteng metros.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-29-july-2016/Sat, 30 Jul 2016 17:51:05 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-29-july-2016/AUC chair shocked by Burundi assassination Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has expressed her horror at the assassination of Hasfa Mossi, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly and a former minister in Burundi, in the capital Bujumbura on Wednesday. Dlamini Zuma, the African Union Commission Chairperson (AUC), currently attending the 27th AU Summit in Kigali, condemned the “barbaric act” and called on all Burundians to exercise utmost restraint and to refrain from any acts of retaliation that would only further escalate and complicate the tension in the country.https://www.salo.org.za/amec-insights-a-failed-coup-and-the-domestic-regional-and-global-aftermath/Thu, 28 Jul 2016 14:43:51 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/amec-insights-a-failed-coup-and-the-domestic-regional-and-global-aftermath/28 July 2016 Although Turkey survived the recent coup attempt, the impact of that operation will be felt for a long time, and there are serious implications for the putchists as well as the rest of Turkish society and the Middle East region.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-22-july-2016/Fri, 22 Jul 2016 20:30:42 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-22-july-2016/AU self-funding plan cautiously welcomed The African Union’s decision that all African countries will impose a 0,2 percent levy on their imports to enable the organisation to finance its own activities, including peacekeeping operations, has been cautiously welcomed. The continent’s leaders made the decision at the AU summit in Kigali, Rwanda, which was due to end on Monday.https://www.salo.org.za/condolence-of-the-east-african-community-eac-citizens-on-the-assassination-of-hon-ms-hafsa-mossi/Thu, 21 Jul 2016 19:24:03 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/condolence-of-the-east-african-community-eac-citizens-on-the-assassination-of-hon-ms-hafsa-mossi/21 July 2016 The Pan African Lawyers Union have released a letter of condolence on the assassination of Hon. Ms. Hafsa Mossi, other high-profile Burundians, as well as ordinary Burundian citizens in the Republic of Burundi. The letter was released on behalf of 8 Burundian and Pan-African organisations.https://www.salo.org.za/apo-news-release-brexit-impact-on-africa/Fri, 08 Jul 2016 11:40:33 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/apo-news-release-brexit-impact-on-africa/8 July 2016 The short-term implications of Brexit for African economies will be mainly noticeable through market volatility. However, according to Control Risks and NKC African Economics, the longer-term impacts on Africa from Brexit are speculative and depend as much on the attitude of future British governments as on the terms of exit.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-8-july-2016/Fri, 08 Jul 2016 08:45:26 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-8-july-2016/Zimbabwe tense amid national shutdown Tensions still remain high as the national shutdown of public services persists in Zimbabwe. The industrial action by civil servants in Zimbabwe got off to a slow start on Tuesday, with 14 civil servants unions, including doctors and all workers in the health sector, resolving to go on an indefinite strike.https://www.salo.org.za/amec-insights-tunisian-ennahdas-second-founding/Mon, 04 Jul 2016 11:00:37 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/amec-insights-tunisian-ennahdas-second-founding/3 July 2016 Ennahda’s Tenth Congress in May 2016 was a leap of faith into re-endorsing the movement’s historical leadership as well as learning to ‘Tunisify’ its specific brand of Islamism – or whatever is left of it. The stakes are high, and so are the challenges lurking ahead.https://www.salo.org.za/brexit-is-bad-news-for-africa-period-by-alex-de-waal/Wed, 29 Jun 2016 10:50:38 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/brexit-is-bad-news-for-africa-period-by-alex-de-waal/27 June 2016 The British diplomatic corps is in a state of shock. Overnight, Great Britain has been reduced to Little England and the country’s global stature has shrunk by a fraction far greater than the economic losses registered on the London Stock Exchange — or even the plummeting value of the pound sterling.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-24-june-2016/Fri, 24 Jun 2016 15:56:15 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-24-june-2016/Uganda Says to Pull Troops Out of Somalia by End of 2017 Uganda plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia by December 2017, signalling it is scaling back regional military interventions after it said it planned a similar pullback from Central African Republic.https://www.salo.org.za/pambazuka-news-special-issue-financing-development-in-africa/Thu, 23 Jun 2016 11:53:16 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/pambazuka-news-special-issue-financing-development-in-africa/23 June 2016 A special issue of Pambazuka Newsentitled ‘Financing development in Africa’ is now available. This special issue of Pambazuka News brings you analysis and commentary by experts, most based on the continent, outlining what it will take for Africa to achieve its much sought after transformation in the post-MDGs era.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-17-june-2016/Fri, 17 Jun 2016 15:47:14 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-17-june-2016/Japan backs African call for UN Security Council reform Japan said Thursday that it will support calls by Africa – and Turkey – for UN Security Council reform when it takes the council’s helm next month. Masakazu Hamachi, the Japanese parliament’s vice-minister for foreign affairs, made the remarks in Gambia, at the opening session of the preparatory ministerial meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD).https://www.salo.org.za/africa-3-june-2016/Fri, 03 Jun 2016 21:17:07 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-3-june-2016/Uganda to cut ties with North Korea Uganda will cut defence and security ties with North Korea in compliance with a broad array of the UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang in March for its nuclear test and ballistic missile launch. The announcement was made by former Foreign Affairs minister, Sam Kutesa, during a press conference at State House in Entebbe on Sunday.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-may-2016/Fri, 27 May 2016 10:54:16 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-may-2016/Sudan and Eritrea Crackdown on Migrants amid Reports of EU Incentives Authorities in Sudan have launched a crackdown on Eritrean migrants - arresting those living in the capital, Khartoum, and intercepting hundreds travelling north through the country towards Libya, the launching point for smugglers’ boats heading for Europe.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-20-may-2016/Sat, 21 May 2016 09:54:04 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-20-may-2016/Peace and prosperity continue to elude Africa five decades on Three years ago, to mark the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organisation of African Unity, the African Union (AU) signed a solemn declaration to end strife on the continent and to work for peace and prosperity.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-may-2016/Fri, 13 May 2016 09:29:43 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-may-2016/AU to launch investigations into human rights abuses in Burundi The African Union Peace and Security Council has reiterated its concerns about persistent human rights violations and other abuses against civilian populations in Burundi. According to a report by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on its findings in the East African country, AU will take required steps to carry out an “in-depth” investigation into the abuses cited in the report.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-29-april-2016/Fri, 29 Apr 2016 09:47:30 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-29-april-2016/The U.N. Is Ending Its Arms Embargo on the Ivory Coast and Planning a Withdrawal The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted Thursday to remove 12-year-old arms embargo, travel and financial sanctions against Ivory Coast, welcoming the West African nation’s “remarkable progress towards lasting peace, stability and economic prosperity.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-22-april-2016/Fri, 22 Apr 2016 16:17:21 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-22-april-2016/Africa moves centre-stage in global security debate Two high-profile security conferences in Ethiopia have underlined the significance Western policymakers attach to enlisting African support when shoring up global security and meeting the growing terrorist threat. Ethiopia was a good choice of venue.https://www.salo.org.za/pambazuka-news-special-issue-africa-and-the-drama-of-migration/Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:39:20 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/pambazuka-news-special-issue-africa-and-the-drama-of-migration/*21 April 2016* A special issue of Pambazuka News entitled ‘Africa and the drama of migration’ is now available. Migration is as old as Africa itself. People have always moved in search of a better life. The economic crisis in Africa fuelled by development policies imposed on the continent by the World Bank, IMF and other donors is one of the factors forcing some Africans to undertake dangerous journeys to Europe in an attempt to improve their lot.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-15-april-2016/Fri, 15 Apr 2016 09:56:08 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-15-april-2016/Somalia, Sudan agree to boost ties Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his Sudanese counterpart Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir have agreed to step up cooperation in various fields during a State visit by the former to Khartoum, Garowe Online reports. Bilateral meeting between delegations of Somalia and Sudan has focused on strengthening partnership in economy, trade, security, culture, education and governance.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-8-april-2016/Fri, 08 Apr 2016 16:55:42 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-8-april-2016/Security issues to dominate AU-EU meeting THE insecurity risks posed by the Boko Haram sect are set to be among the most prominent issues on the agenda when the African Union Commission and the European Commission hold their annual College to College meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday.https://www.salo.org.za/europe-and-africa-benefit-when-they-work-together/Fri, 08 Apr 2016 15:24:36 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/europe-and-africa-benefit-when-they-work-together/8 April 2016 As we face the challenges of the 21st century, there is more that unites Africa and Europe than divides us. We share a common history of thousands of years. Today more than ever, we need to work together to build our common future and to work jointly on the defining global issues of our age.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-1-april-2016/Fri, 01 Apr 2016 16:16:04 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-1-april-2016/Darfur Forever War Defeats South Africa There are not enough UN peacekeepers to protect refugee camps, monitor ceasefire violations in South Sudan and monitor the Sudan-South Sudan border. When the South Sudan civil war began in December 2013, frightened civilians took shelter near UN compounds, particularly those housing UN peacekeepers.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-march-2016/Fri, 18 Mar 2016 09:14:31 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-march-2016/Angolan leader ‘to step down’ in 2018 Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos said on Friday he plans to step down in 2018 after being at the helm since 1979, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Angola, a member of OPEC and Africa’s second largest oil exporter after Nigeria, relies on crude export revenues for more than 90 percent of foreign exchange revenues.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-11-march-2016/Fri, 11 Mar 2016 12:20:09 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-11-march-2016/Zuma hopes for deeper ties after Nigeria trip President Jacob Zuma arrived back in South Africa on Wednesday after he concluded his two-day state visit to Nigeria with an agreement to formalise the South Africa-Nigeria Business Council, the Presidency said “The president said the agreement reached to formalise the South Africa-Nigeria Business Council will assist in managing and advancing the economic relations between the two countries,” said the Presidency late on Wednesday.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-4-march-2016/Fri, 04 Mar 2016 15:54:04 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-4-march-2016/UN warns over rising tension after Uganda vote The UN’s rights office voiced concern on Tuesday over rising tensions in Uganda following the arrest of opposition leaders and intimidation by the security forces during the country’s presidential election. Uganda’s long-serving leader Yoweri Museveni was declared winner of the February 18 vote with 60% support against 35% won by his main challenger, Kizza Besigye, who has rejected the results.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-12-february-2016/Fri, 12 Feb 2016 12:25:50 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-12-february-2016/AU Peace and Security Council Calls for Urgent Solution to Western Sahara Conflict African Union Peace and Security Council called, in its recent report on peace and security in Africa, to find an urgent and just solution to the Western Sahara conflict, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the international legitimacy.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-2-feb-2016/Tue, 02 Feb 2016 12:07:40 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-2-feb-2016/African Union backs away from imposing peacekeepers on Burundi The African Union will send a team to Burundi to try to convince the government to accept a peacekeeping force that it had rejected, backing away from an earlier plan to send them with or without consent, a top AU official said.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-10-november-2015/Tue, 10 Nov 2015 07:50:32 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-10-november-2015/Burundi experiencing ‘deep political crisis’ with hundreds dead since April, Security Council told Senior United Nations officials today warned the UN Security Council that Burundi is at a critical juncture, experiencing a deep political crisis and rapidly escalating violence with serious implications for the country’s stability and ethnic harmony, as bodies are regularly dumped in the streets of the capital, Bujumbura, and thousands of people flee the bloodshed.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-october-2015/Tue, 27 Oct 2015 09:50:20 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-october-2015/African Standby Force closer to becoming a reality The Amani Africa II field training exercise — made up of over 5 400 troops and police — kicked off at the Army Combat Training Centre in the Northern Cape. The training will last until 5 November and is conducted by the African Union (AU) with the intent of evaluating the state of readiness of the African Standby Force (ASF) and its Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC).https://www.salo.org.za/africa-20-october-2015/Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:11:09 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-20-october-2015/U.S. Commitments to Women, Peace, and Security Fifteen years since United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 was adopted in 2000, the United States remains a strong advocate for women’s equal and full participation in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace building, and peacekeeping.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-october-2015/Tue, 13 Oct 2015 12:42:53 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-october-2015/African spending challenged by debt cost rise High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. Sub-Saharan African countries are being forced to reconsider development projects as the sell-off in emerging markets makes access to international finance increasingly unaffordable.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-30-september-2015/Wed, 30 Sep 2015 08:13:14 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-30-september-2015/African Leaders Call for Reinstatement of President of Burkina Faso West African leaders called on Tuesday evening for the reinstatement of Burkina Faso’s interim president, who was overthrown in a coup last week. Leaders of several nations in the region — including the largest, Nigeria — said they would travel here on Wednesday morning to try to broker a peaceful resolution to the political crisis.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-16-september-2015/Wed, 16 Sep 2015 11:38:40 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-16-september-2015/Survey finds that democracy is far from universal in Africa Barely half of citizens in 28 African countries surveyed by Afrobarometer consider their country a “full democracy” or a “democracy with minor problems,” and less than half are satisfied with how their democracy is working, according to the research network.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-1-september-2015/Tue, 01 Sep 2015 12:50:37 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-1-september-2015/Real estate investments in Africa are on the up Four years ago, few South African institutions and developers expanded their real estate footprint on the African continent, amid perceived risk. Now, African strategies are on the agenda for most developers. It’s no surprise, especially with prospects of 20% plus returns on real estate projects, according to PwC figures.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-25-august-2015/Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:49:14 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-25-august-2015/Burundi Burundi police ’tortured’ anti-Nkurunziza protesters Burundi’s security forces have tortured suspected opponents of President Pierre Nkurunziza’s third-term bid, Amnesty International says. The rights group details how people arrested for allegedly taking part in demonstrations have been mistreated to extract information.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-19-august-2015/Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:07:15 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-19-august-2015/Burundi Ban condemns assassination of senior army officer amid ‘troubling’ political violence United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the assassination Burundi’s former Army Chief of Staff, Colonel Jean Bikomagu, who was shot dead by unknown assailants in the capital, Bujumbura, on 15 August, the second killing of a senior official in the crisis-torn country this month.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-29-july-2015/Wed, 29 Jul 2015 08:57:17 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-29-july-2015/US President Barack Obama says time for world to ‘change approach to Africa US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that it was time for the world to change its approach to Africa, as he made the first address to the African Union by a US leader.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-16-july-2015/Thu, 16 Jul 2015 13:14:41 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-16-july-2015/Groups press Obama to meet activists on Africa trip Washington - More than 50 African and global human rights groups on Tuesday called on US President Barack Obama to publicly meet democracy activists when he visits Ethiopia and Kenya later this month.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-2-july-2015/Thu, 02 Jul 2015 14:59:27 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-2-july-2015/France suspends two of its soldiers in Burkina Faso over child sex abuse France has suspended two soldiers over allegations of child sex abuse, including of a five-year-old girl, in the west African country of Burkina Faso, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-25-june-2015/Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:29:02 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-25-june-2015/British police arrest Rwandan spy chief British police have arrested Rwandan Intelligence chief Karenzi Karake at the request of Spain, where he is wanted in connection with war crimes. The director general of Rwanda’s National Intelligence and Security Services, Karenzi Karake, was arrested at London Heathrow Airport on Saturday for crimes related to the Rwandan genocide.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-june-2015/Thu, 18 Jun 2015 11:20:33 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-june-2015/Nigeria: Boko Haram Kills 100 in Monguno Town in Borno Suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Tuesday killed nearly 100 people in Monguno town in northern part of Borno State, witnesses and security sources said. All Africa African Union to send military experts to Burundi African leaders meeting at a summit in Johannesburg on Monday agreed to send military experts to Burundi, which has been rocked by weeks of violence over the president’s controversial bid for a third term.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-11-june-2015/Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:40:55 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-11-june-2015/World Economic Forum Africa 2015: Predicting Africa’s future is tricky, but we still must dream If the market will allow it, the next 25 years will be a golden opportunity for even stronger growth in Africa. BUSINESS, political and civil society leaders gathering in Cape Town this week for Africa’s World Economic Forum have a hard task in front of them.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-3-june-2015/Wed, 03 Jun 2015 10:17:53 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-3-june-2015/The growing appeal of popular uprisings in Africa It’s been a month since protesters in Burundi began their campaign to block President Pierre Nkurunziza from seeking a third term in office. A May 13 coup against the 51-year-old former sports professor failed, but demonstrators are rolling out on a daily basis, calling for him to step down.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-26-may-2015/Tue, 26 May 2015 12:21:45 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-26-may-2015/Africa brings huge benefits for SA: Patel Xenophobia must be countered by spreading the message to ordinary South Africans about the huge benefits which the rest of Africa brought to this country, Minister of Economic Development Ebrahim Patel said on Monday.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-april-2015/Mon, 13 Apr 2015 10:06:24 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-april-2015/Renamo Moves Troops South & Warns Government Army to Keep 20 Km Away Renamo is moving soldiers toward Maputo and there was a confrontation with the government army in Gaza province last week. And after the 100th round of government-Renamo negotiations in Maputo on Monday, government chief negotiator Jose Pacheco accused Renamo of threatening to open a military headquarters in Muxungue, Sofala province.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-6-march-2015/Fri, 06 Mar 2015 12:43:21 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-6-march-2015/Lesotho elections transparent and fair, says SADC The elections in Lesotho were transparent and fair, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission said on Monday. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of Lesotho organised, conducted and delivered credible elections at a short notice, SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) head Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said in a statement.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-march-2015/Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:14:52 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-march-2015/Explosions in Nigerian Towns in North Kill at Least 34 Explosions in Nigeria’s north central city of Jos and the northeastern town of Biu over the past two days have killed at least 34 people, witnesses said Thursday. NY Timeshttps://www.salo.org.za/africa-28-jan-2015/Wed, 28 Jan 2015 08:05:41 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-28-jan-2015/Zambia’s new leader drops white vice president As interim president since the death in office of Michael Sata in October, Scott had been the first white leader on the continent since the end of apartheid 20 years ago. He was replaced as vice president by Inonge Wina, a former gender minister and chairwoman of the ruling Patriotic Front.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-december-2014/Fri, 05 Dec 2014 12:33:27 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-december-2014/South Africa marks Mandela death anniversary South Africans have started marking the first anniversary of the death of anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, who died last year at the age of 95. Official ceremonies to mark the passing of the former South African leader will include an interfaith prayer service early on Friday, followed by a wreath-laying commemoration by veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle, as well as a cricket match.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-1-december-2014/Mon, 01 Dec 2014 11:17:40 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-1-december-2014/Namibia votes in Africa’s first electronic poll The ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (Swapo) is expected to win the poll and Prime Minister Hage Geingob to become president. Opposition parties had challenged the Indian-made e-voting machines, citing concerns that a lack of a paper trail could encourage vote rigging.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-november-2014/Tue, 18 Nov 2014 14:39:59 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-november-2014/Gloves off as Zambia succession battle spills into the courts, and ruling party picks mystery candidate Zambia’s acting President Guy Scott attends on November 11, 2014 the funeral of late President Michael Sata at Heroes Stadium. BARELY had deceased Zambian president Michael Sata been buried Tuesday, than the gloves came off.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-9-december-2014/Sun, 09 Nov 2014 22:58:03 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-9-december-2014/Burkina Faso: African leaders meet to plot path to civilian govt An AU delegation has begun talks with military leader Isaac Zida after he pledged to relinquish power to a civilian transitional government. A delegation of West African presidents opened talks with Burkina Faso’s new military leader on Wednesday to plot a path to a civilian-led transition in the wake of the resignation of longtime ruler Blaise Compaoré last week.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-31-october-2014/Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:14:14 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-31-october-2014/Sub-Saharan Africans worst affected by undernourishment Africa is lagging behind in tackling hunger with reports showing that over 25% of Africa’s population suffer from acute undernourishment. Undernourishment measures the quality of food available, laying particular emphasis on protein and energy content.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-oct-2014/Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:39:37 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-oct-2014/Deal for the return of captured Nigerian girls Obasanjo’s son shot by Boko Haram, 24 soldiers dead | 09 September 2014 Nigeria’s military says it has agreed a truce with Islamist militant group Boko Haram - and says the schoolgirls the group has abducted will be released.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-26-september-2014/Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:04:47 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-26-september-2014/ICC to investigate Central African Republic atrocities The International Criminal Court has opened a formal investigation into an “endless list” of atrocities committed in the Central African Republic.The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Wednesday: “My office has gathered and scrupulously analysed relevant information from multiple reliable sources.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-september-2014/Fri, 05 Sep 2014 11:45:46 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-september-2014/Lesotho PM: I’m safe thanks to SA Prime Minister Tom Thabane says foreign forces are keeping the peace following the attempted coup. Embattled Lesotho Prime Minister Tom Thabane admitted to feeling much safer in the presence of South African Police Service and intelligence agency personnel.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-22-august-2014/Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:56:37 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-22-august-2014/No Nato deed goes unpunished Diplomats warned chaos and violence would follow a Libya intervention. They were right.Black smoke billows across the sky when a petrol depot was set ablaze after a rocket assault. The attack, along with the attempted takeover of Tripoli’s airport, signifies an increase in the intensity of the fighting.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-15-august-2014/Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:04:14 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-15-august-2014/US counters Sino-African trade boom President Barack Obama took a swipe at China in a speech to a summit of African leaders in Washington this week, claiming that the United States is interested in the continent for more than just its minerals and oil.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-10-august-2014/Sun, 10 Aug 2014 12:11:10 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-10-august-2014/‘Africa has everything except leadership’ The entry of Barack Obama as United States President was characterised by inflated and buoyant expectations by most Africans who thought the Washington song would be sweet melody for the rest of the continent. In reality, there has been a lingering sense of disillusionment, anxiety and in some instances, outright disappointment in the hearts and minds of many African brothers and sisters.https://www.salo.org.za/israel-gaza-concerned-africans-forum-statement/Thu, 31 Jul 2014 11:44:48 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/israel-gaza-concerned-africans-forum-statement/The statement put out by Concerned Africans Forum on the Gaza Israel crisis: CAFIsraelGazahttps://www.salo.org.za/africa-31-july-2014/Thu, 31 Jul 2014 09:25:05 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-31-july-2014/US-Africa summit: Mugabe snubbed, Malema’s group blast US President Barack Obama, whose election in 2008 as the first black American president sparked huge expectations in Africa, will at last hold a summit next week for the continent’s leaders. Invitations were sent to 50 heads of state and government for talks that seem designed as a counterweight to China’s decade-long surge in investment and trade with Africa.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-july-2014/Sun, 27 Jul 2014 16:51:20 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-27-july-2014/Zuma to send envoys to Mid-East Two special envoys will head for war-torn Palestine, President Jacob Zuma told MPs on Thursday. “I’m sending two special envoys to the Middle East. They are the former Minister of Social Development and former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Zola Skweyiya, and the former deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aziz Pahad,” he said.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-july-2014/Fri, 18 Jul 2014 20:11:28 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-18-july-2014/The new BRICS Bank should offer a new vision for development, not more of the same Today leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa –better known as the BRICS- finalized their 6th summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, consolidating the creation of a new development bank that will provide fresh sources of financing for emerging economies.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-11-july-2014/Fri, 11 Jul 2014 20:19:21 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-11-july-2014/African nations still top ‘10 Worst’ in Fragile States Index but Liberia, Sierra Leone give hope Zimbabwe surprisingly took the top spot for Africa’s most improved nation this year, and Central African Republic declined the most in the world The time of year has come when the Fund for Peace publishes the Fragile States Index.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-4-july-2014/Fri, 04 Jul 2014 16:48:41 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-4-july-2014/Terror threat puts African leaders on back foot Beyond signing pledges to co-operate in fighting Islamic extremists like Boko Haram and al-Shabab, no real strategy is in place. Poverty and underdevelopment create fertile soil for terrorism and fundamentalism, and the domestic problems of African countries are becoming regional issues.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-26-june-2014/Thu, 26 Jun 2014 17:45:11 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-26-june-2014/Egypt hands Al Jazeera reporters jail sentences Three Al Jazeera journalists have received sentences of seven to 10 years each after being detained in Egypt for the last six months. Protesters rally in support of the detained Al Jazeera journalists. (Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Reuters) An Egyptian judge sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists on Monday to seven years in jail after finding them guilty on charges including helping a “terrorist organisation” by publishing lies.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-19-june-2014/Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:24:45 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-19-june-2014/[Open letter to African Union heads of state - ‘Its time to focus on people’](Open%20letter to African Union heads of state - ‘Its time to focus on people’ Judging from the daily outpouring of commentary, opinions and reports, you would think that there were two African continents.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-june-2014/Fri, 13 Jun 2014 20:35:04 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-13-june-2014/The foreign minister spells out Pretoria’s policy of opening up trade with neighbours. Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane says Africa must fight growing terrorism and instability caused by political conflicts. Photo: Oupa Nkosi Increasing terrorism in Africa is a hindrance to the continent’s economic development and must be fought to the end, said Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane.https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-june-2014/Thu, 05 Jun 2014 20:05:51 +0200https://www.salo.org.za/africa-5-june-2014/West and Central Africa to join forces against Boko Haram An extraordinary Ecowas security summit has announced plans for a partnership with Central African states to fight “terrorism” in the region. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) announced plans on Saturday to increase co-operation with Central African states in the battle against “terrorism”, amid fears of Boko Haram’s insurgency spreading across the region.