Cameroon’s Paul Biya seeks eighth term in power as youth vow to give the election a wide berth
Cameroon faces escalating security crises. In the western region, a secession fight has long brewed mainly among English-speaking citizens who claim they are marginalised by the French-speaking majority. In the north, the Boko Haram insurgency spills over from neighbouring Nigeria, with armed groups routinely attacking border towns.
UN to whittle down peacekeeping missions by 14,000 troops in response to US funding strains
UN peacekeeping operations have grown dramatically. At the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, there were 11,000 UN peacekeepers. By 2014, there were 130,000 in 16 peacekeeping operations. Today, around 52,000 men and women serve in 11 conflict areas in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.