US warns China it will defend Philippines against attacks on its ships or aircraft in South China Sea
The United States has warned it will defend the Philippines against any attack on its ships or aircraft in the South China Sea. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the statement on the sixth anniversary of a 2016 decision by an international arbitration tribunal that largely ruled in favour...
Environmental expert cautions South Sudan on dredging of rivers, equates ongoing projects to treason
South Sudan’s president has ordered the suspension of all dredging-related activities in the country until evidence-based studies are carried out on their impact on surrounding communities and the ecosystems they rely on. President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s announcement, which was made during his address on the country’s 11th independence anniversary on...
Kenya heads to elections with serious integrity concerns hanging over polls agency, technology reliability
Leading candidates in next month’s presidential election in Kenya, Raila Odinga and William Ruto have expressed reservations about the country’s polls agency’s capacity to deliver free, fair and credible election. They fear the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is unprepared for the upcoming polls, raising alarm bells that the...
How long running and bitter standoff between Kenya president and deputy will impact August 9 polls results
Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto had a falling out with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, ending a decade-old partnership dubbed “Uhuruto.” Ruto presents himself as an “insurgent candidate,” deriding the Odinga ticket as a continuation of the dynastic politics of the Odinga and Kenyatta families that have loomed large over...
Kenya’s August 9 elections a test of its bumpy road to democracy in politically volatile continent
Kenya’s competitive presidential elections reflect hard-earned progress in establishing independent constitutional and judicial guardrails, although a history of electoral violence demands all sides show restraint. Kenyans will vote on August 9 in their fifth presidential election since the re-introduction of multiparty politics in 1991. The competitiveness of the elections, and...
From Covid stress, to downtime and recovery: How health workers are coping with post-pandemic ‘emptiness’
There’s job stress, and then there’s the crushing pressure paramedics went through during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The uncertainty, the dread, the constantly changing protocols, the shortages of personal protective equipment, the multiple calls to the same nursing home – it was almost too much for Kate...
How Canadian anti-terror law is impacting on humanitarian support in Afghanistan a year after Taliban takeover
As Afghanistan recovers from an earthquake that killed more than 1,000 people, and amidst an already dire humanitarian situation, Canadian aid organisations say their hands are tied by a restrictive anti-terrorism law that has effectively banned their work since the August 2021 Taliban takeover. Because the Taliban is listed as...
In DR Congo, the challenge of supporting rebels willing to lay down weapons is a big obstacle to peace – expert
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) M23 rebel’s foreign links – and abuses its fighters committed a decade ago – help explain the media attention and public criticism it has received. But many other armed groups also pose a serious threat to civilians in the east. To address that threat,...
Kuje prison break is stark possibility that Nigeria is out of security options and criminal gangs run the show
On July 5, the Boko Haram breakaway faction Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) led a successful attack on a well-secured prison in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. The group shot its way into the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre after overpowering security guards in a well-coordinated assault. The government said 879...
Revived M23 rebellion has worsened security in DR Congo as agencies fear further serious humanitarian crisis
More than 170,000 people have escaped their homes in the past four months in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo amid an offensive by a previously dormant armed group that has reignited regional tensions between Great Lakes states. For several months, the M23 rebel group has fought Congolese troops in North...
