Investigations reveal ‘Biden says he told Nigeria to kill fewer civilians, but Nigeria keeps killing lots of civilians’
Between 2000 and 2022, the US provided, facilitated or approved more than $2 billion in security aid, including weapons and equipment sales to Nigeria, according to report by Brown University’s Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies and the Security Assistance Monitor at the Centre for International Policy, a Washington think-tank. Over that time, the US also carried out more than 41,000 training courses for Nigerian military personnel.
Elections security gets top priority as South Africa turns to 350 private firms to assist police
Police and voting stations have received threats and intimidation before Election Day
Kaizer Chief FC player Luke Fleur’s murder is grim reminder of South Africa’s endemic crime ahead of this month’s polls
At 45 per 100,000 people in 2022/23, South Africa’s murder rate was the highest in 20 years, police figures show, roughly equivalent to Ecuador’s and higher than that of Honduras, a country plagued by extreme gang violence. The murder rate in the United States, one of the highest in the developed world, was six per 100,000 in 2022, according to government data.
Climate change funds flow to Africa has risen markedly but a yawning funding gap remains
Funding for climate tech startups in Africa from the private sector is growing, with businesses raising more than $3.4 billion since 2019. But there’s still a long way to go, with the continent requiring $277 billion annually to meet its climate goals for 2030.
Wary of disruptive Umkhonto Wesizwe’s influence, South Africa’s ruling ANC is investigating ex-president Zuma’s party for forgery
The new investigation into the MK Party came after a national newspaper reported on Sunday that a former party official has told police there was an elaborate scheme to forge some of the 15,000 signatures required for parties to register for the elections.
Arrest warrant out for forrmer Central African Republic president Bozizé for human rights abuses
Bozizé lives in exile in Guinea Bissau, where that country’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló said he had not received any request from Bangui about the arrest warrant, and that the country’s laws do not allow for extradition.
Burkina Faso slapstwo-week suspension on BBC, VOA radio broadcasts over extrajudicial killings coverage
In the report based on its own investigation, the watchdog said that the West African country’s military summarily executed about 223 villagers, including at least 56 children, in February as part of a campaign against civilians accused of collaborating with jihadist militants.
Chad and Niger question US counterterrorism role in Africa as Washington influence recedes
Called status-of-forces agreements, these deals allow the US to conduct critical counterterrorism operations within both countries’ borders and have supported military partner training. The reversals have prompted concern that US influence in Africa is losing ground to overtures from Russia and China.
Why pessimism has dethroned optimism in South Africa 30 years after Nelson Mandela gallantly rode to power
As the country gears up for celebrations on Saturday to mark 30 years of freedom and democracy, much of the enthusiasm and optimism of that period has subsided as Africa’s most developed economy faces a myriad of challenges.
Human Rights Watch report accuses Burkina Faso army of killing 223 civilians, including babies
The once-peaceful nation has been ravaged by violence that has pitted jihadis linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group against state-backed forces. Both sides have targeted civilians caught in the middle, displacing more than two million people, of which over half are children. Most attacks go unpunished and unreported in a nation run by a repressive leadership that silences perceived dissidents.
