Full Coverage: Africa

31.01.2005 Africa has come of age, the Nigerian president told global political and business elites at the World Economic Forum, pledging that all funds raised to solve the continent's problems "will be faithfully utilised," and noting that peace and security must come first. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new $85 million anti-malaria contribution at the gathering, encouraging other rich countries to come on board.

31.01.2005 When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck, the people of Hafun lost most of their homes along with their fishing boats - and thereby their livelihoods. Now many are terrified of the sea and need help to overcome their trauma.

31.01.2005 Environmentalists claim a million wild animals are snared annually for their meat, and while the scope of the problem is not fully known, conservationists say it could endanger Africa's wildlife as much the great herd massacres of the 1970s and 1980s.

28.01.2005 En la frontera sur de México se sigue dando la violación a los derechos humanos de los centroamericanos que van en tránsito hacia Estados Unidos, denunció el presidente de la Asociación de Abogados Chiapanecos, A.C., José Manuel Blanco Urbina.

28.01.2005 Medici Senza Frontiere da il via ad una campagna di vaccinazioni contro la meningite nel Ciad orientale, in risposta ad un’epidemia scoppiata nei campi che accolgono i rifugiati sudanesi in fuga dal Darfur. Questa campagna mira a proteggere migliaia di persone contro una malattia estremamente contagiosa e che rappresenta una minaccia ancora più grave in situazioni come i sovraffollati campi di rifugiati. “La meningite è una malattia mortale che, senza cura, uccide tra il 50 e l’80% dei malati che la contraggono” spiega Gianfranco De Maio, responsabile medico della sezione italiana di MSF. “Inoltre, il sovraffollamento dei campi è un elemento che facilita il diffondersi della malattia”.

28.01.2005 The future of Africa took centre stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as some of the world's most influential personalities shared a forum to discuss the continent's crippling debt burden, which now stands at $230 billion.

28.01.2005 Mozambique's most prominent and wanted criminal, the killer of star journalist Carlos Cardoso, "Anibalzinho", has been returned from Canada to Mozambique. The convicted killer escaped from a high-security prison in Maputo in May 2004, and will now face a new trial in the November 2000 slaying.

27.01.2005 Nei giorni scorsi il convoglio di Barbara Contini, inviato speciale del governo italiano per il Darfur, mentre stava portando aiuti umanitari in una zona del Darfur controllata dai "ribelli" al governo sudanese sarebbe stato attaccato dai miliziani Janjaweed ed avrebbe risposto al fuoco uccidendone almeno cinque - informa una fonte, che chiede l'anonimato, contattata da Unimondo. La Contini stava raggiungendo la zona su un elicottero mentre a terra il convoglio era guidato da auto con a bordo "incursori" armati che le fanno da guardia del corpo. Ci sarebbe un report interno di OCHA, ma l'episodio sarebbe mantenuto "top-secret" sia dal Governo italiano che dall'UE.

27.01.2005 Young and old alike will be inspired by the group of African student- and other community leaders speaking at college campuses across the U.S. in February. The "Life over Debt" tour hopes to encourage Americans to get involved in the movements to fight AIDS and cancel Africa's debt.

27.01.2005 The recent UN report on defeating poverty promoted the distribution of bednets as a "quick-win" method of preventing malaria and saving millions of lives. A project in Uganda is taking that idea a step further, developing a successful business model to encourage the distribution of bednets, while making sure the most vulnerable have access.

27.01.2005 Many believe 2005 will finally mark a real turning point for Africa, but will it be another year of "compassionate showmanship" or is a sea change really in store for the continent?

27.01.2005 If U.S. President George W. Bush is serious about re-engaging with the global community and ending genocide in Sudan, he should support a UN move to refer war crimes committed in the country to the International Criminal Court, the grassroots group Citizens for Global Solutions said Wednesday.

27.01.2005 Swasimaan järjestäytyneet työntekijät ovat järjestäneet kaksipäiväisen lakon vaikuttaakseen maan perustuslain uudistustyöhön. Ammatillinen keskusjärjestö vaatii maata hallitsevan kuninkaan vallan rajoittamista perustuslaissa. Ay-liike kritisoi myös hovin ylellistä elämäntapaa, joka on räikeä vastakohta köyhyydessä elävän enemmistön tilanteelle.

27.01.2005 Brasilian Porto Alegressa käynnistyneen Maailman sosiaalifoorumin keskustelujen teemaksi noussee globaalien ongelmien lisäksi myös kysymys foorumin tulevaisuudesta. Monien afrikkalaisten järjestöjen mielestä maailmantapahtuma tulisi ensi vuonna pitää Afrikan mantereella. Niiden mukaan foorumin isännöinti vauhdittaisi muun muassa vuosituhattavoitteiden toteutumista Afrikassa.

27.01.2005 While more than 2,000 business and political leaders from around the globe were arriving in the Swiss mountain resort Davos for the annual World Economic Forum (WEF), the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS for Africa, Stephen Lewis, was just landing in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, calling for the cancellation of poor countries debt.

26.01.2005 Ethiopia has made a gesture to accept the boundary commission recommendations "in principle". Although not enough to bring Eritrea to the negotiating table, this may be a gesture to break the impasse.

26.01.2005 The World Social Forum (WSF), sometimes described as the "carnival of the oppressed", is about to get underway in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. While WSF participants debate the problems facing the international community another issue is also likely to come up for discussion, however: Africa’s prospects of hosting the forum next year.

26.01.2005 Pakolaisten paluumuutto on alkanut Sudanissa tammikuun alussa solmitun rauhansopimuksen myötä. Kirkon Ulkomaanapu tukee paluumuuttajia löytämään toimeentulon lähteitä. Heille jaetaan muun muassa siemeniä, työkaluja ja kalastusvälineitä. Tärkeää on myös vesihuollon ja ympäristöhoidon kehittäminen, sekä koulutuksen tukeminen.

26.01.2005 Media rights watchdogs have long criticised the conditions under which journalists in Zimbabwe operate. Since the start of the year, however, the circumstances of the country’s media have become bleaker still.

26.01.2005 The Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), the Open Knowledge Network (OKN) and OneWorld Africa invite Africa-based projects to submit applications for the Yeomans Award for Local Content. This is a re-advertisement for applicants for the African category of the Award.