Proud Boys leaders free after Trump releases all January 6 rioters
The FBI classified the Capitol riot as an act of domestic terrorism, and the DOJ has spent the years since trying to hold those involved in the riot to account, a massive and costly undertaking. Nearly 1,600 defendants have been hit with federal charges in connection to the riot.
How and why Benin’s Voodoo Festival is gaining popularity as Africa’s mecca of divine spirits, attracting foreigners and adherents
The festival gained popularity over the years from within and outside Africa, organisers say, and attracts thousands of locals and foreigners who flock to the Atlantic coast town to experience one of the world’s oldest religions.
Invasive weed threatens fishermen’s earnings on only freshwater lake in Kenya’s Rift Valley
Water hyacinth was first sighted on Lake Naivasha about 10 years ago. Now it has become a large, glossy mat that can cover swathes of the lake. To fishermen, the invasive plant is a threat to livelihoods.
Eastern Congo capital, Goma, braces for M23 militia assault as UN warns of imminent biting humanitarian emergency
Since the UN peacekeeping Mission, MONUSCO, withdrew from South Kivu in June 2024, peacekeepers have defended key positions in North Kivu, including Goma and Sake, where clashes between the M23, the Congolese Armed Forces and many other armed groups have continued.
Beatification of Congolese civil servant murdered for fighting corruption picks up, inspires generation
The Rev Francesco Tedeschi, an Italian priest who is spearheading the beatification cause as the postulator, said the Vatican decree of martyrdom indeed recognizes Kositi died out of hatred for the faith, because his decision to not accept the spoiled food was profoundly inspired by the Gospel.
Fresh fears of regional war as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels push into eastern Congo’s capital Goma
On Friday, the governor of eastern Congo’s North Kivu province, where Goma is the provincial capital, died of wounds sustained on the frontline. The circumstances of Maj-Gen Peter Cirimwami’s death were not immediately known – he was visiting troops fighting the rebels when he was wounded.
Corruption in successive Haiti interim governments forces civilians to opt for self-protection against coordinated gangs
It’s no surprise that Haitians have increasingly felt the need to protect themselves. A vigilante movement known as the Bwa Kale, and whose members systematically kill and burn people they suspect of being gang members, has grown significantly in recent months.
‘I heard there were Kenyan police officers in Haiti, but why are they here if we don’t see any difference?’
Wary of the lack of results, foreign governments have been reluctant to stump up the money they pledged to the mission’s trust fund. According to several sources, it now has around $100 million – far less than the $600 million needed. There are concerns that the United States, which promised $300 million, may pull back once Donald Trump takes office next week.
Cracks emerge in South Africa’s ruling coalition as President Ramaphosa is told to take responsibility for death of 87 miners
The tragedy at the abandoned gold mine near the town of Stilfontein began to unfold in August, when police cut off food supplies for a period of time to the miners working illegally in the mine’s tunnels.
Africa’s invisible wars, visible suffering: Conflicts are compounded by vulnerabilities, mass displacement and lack of political attention
Despite the grim realities, Patrick Youssef conveyed a note of optimism. He highlighted a MOU recently signed by the ICRC with the African Development Bank as a beacon of hope, and a positive step toward addressing these challenges collectively, in 2025.
