How Russian mercenaries have become Putin’s ‘coercive tool’ in Africa for ‘uprooting of democracy’
When abuses were reported in recent weeks in Mali – fake graves designed to discredit French forces; a massacre of some 300 people, mostly civilians – all evidence pointed to the shadowy mercenaries of Russia’s Wagner Group. Even before these feared professional soldiers joined the assault on Ukraine, Russia had...
Protection for women fleeing gender-based violence in Afghanistan has vanished under the Taliban reign
“It’s been closed for months now,” said Zahra, a former employee, as she walked through empty rooms once used to shelter women fleeing gender-based violence in this city in central Afghanistan. The safehouse for women has been shut since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last August. Utensils were abandoned on...
Fresh fears in Horn of Africa about Somalia’s stability as Amisom winds up, mandate given to fragile government
The African Union Mission in Somalia – Amisom – has ended its 15-year political and military experiment in post-conflict state building. On April 1, 2022, a shift took place as the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) came into being. The transition’s mission is to pave the way for...
Traces of racism as Biden administration denies protection to Cameroonian exiles, but swift to embrace Ukrainians
The Biden administration has announced that it will offer temporary protected status to nationals of Cameroon, shielding them from deportation and enabling them to obtain work permits, amid escalating armed conflict that has spawned a humanitarian crisis in the African country. Some 40,000 nationals of Cameroon, many of whom sought...
Russia to Africa: We’ll decide for you economic and political set-ups and America will do nothing
On March 27 – a market day in Mali’s central town of Moura – Malian armed forces and suspected Russian mercenaries descended on the town in a helicopter, guns blazing. In an investigation published last week, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said the troops closed off all exits from...
World’s foremost thinker Noam Chomsky warns that in history Trump has done more to drive the human race to extinction
With the ongoing climate crisis and the looming possibility of nuclear war, Noam Chomsky, 93, often hailed as one of the world’s most important intellectuals alive, warns that “we’re approaching the most dangerous point in human history.” The renowned linguist and social critic has lived through several consequential events of...
As West accuses Russia of war crimes in Ukraine, entrenchment of Putin’s mercenaries in Sudan comes under spotlight
On March 21, the US charge d’affaires and the ambassadors of the United Kingdom and Norway in Khartoum issued an unusually strongly worded statement criticising Russia’s presence in Sudan to mark the first month of the invasion of Ukraine. In particular, the diplomats, known as the Troika, condemned the activities...
Kenya: Winning elections is always the goal, but violence, kidnappings, assault and death are never too far
The countdown to Kenyan elections – such as the August 9, 2022, General Election – carries a certain sense of foreboding for aspiring politicians and their staff. Winning an election may be the goal, but facing threats, kidnappings, assault and even death is never of the question. Recently, Kisii politician...
Marriage equality: Republicans are never happier than when bashing something they don’t understand
As the Supreme Court prepares to strike a blow against Roe v. Wade, it’s beginning to look like Republicans will make Obergefell v. Hodges their next target. Republicans are never happier than when they’re bashing something they don’t understand, so the party’s current genitals-obsessed transphobia is totally on-brand. Attacking the...
Trade sanctions: New report says war in Ukraine will speed up Europe’s move away from fossil fuels
A report last month by Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences, found that Germany could survive the next winter without Russian energy, but only with extreme efforts to replace Russian gas with imports while ramping up coal-fired power plants and promoting largescale conservation and energy efficiency. It also depends...
