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.
Trump’s second coming dashes hopes of Somali refugees in sprawling Daadab camp in Kenya to live in US
Refugee admission quotas overall were also slashed. Tough new security checks meant the numbers of arriving refugees tumbled from the 84,994 recorded during Barack Obama’s last year in office to a record low of 11,814 in 2020 – although the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic also affected numbers.
Israel and Hamas swap hostages and prisoners in second phase of ceasefire deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinians in Gaza will not be allowed to cross back to the northern part of the territory until the issue is resolved. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had been displaced from northern Gaza during the war and many were expecting to return from Sunday.
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.
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.
Africa to bear brunt of US’ broad freeze on foreign aid as Trump orders review
A USAID official, who requested anonymity, said officers responsible for projects in Ukraine have been told to stop all work. Among the projects that have been frozen are support to schools and health assistance like emergency maternal care and childhood vaccinations, the official said.
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.
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.
Burundi’s pull out of soldiers from Somalia worries Bujumbura about how it’ll raise salaries for the military
As funding sources dried up in response to state repression, AMISOM participation became an increasingly important financial lifeline for Burundi’s government, which needed the revenue to pay its troops. Engaging in peacekeeping abroad had become vital to keeping peace at home.
