Africa

United Nations relief officials say nearly a million people across Southern Africa have suffered damaging effects from recent floods, cyclones and heavy rains.

The officials say severe weather that began last October has disrupted the lives of about 987,000 people.

They say Madagascar has been hardest hit, with more than 332,000 people affected by several cyclones and floods.

The floods and cyclones have destroyed homes, roads and crops across the region. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says many families are living in temporary shelters, while others have lost their cattle and livelihoods.

The U.N. says the worst weather is over for another year, but problems could persist through the end of April.    » read more »

28 March 2008 -- Somali officials say a U.S. military aircraft has crashed in a coastal area south of the capital, Mogadishu.

Local government officials say the unmanned plane crashed Friday in the Lower Shabelle region, near the town of Marka. Witnesses say the aircraft came from the direction of the ocean.

Security forces have taken possession of the aircraft, which is equipped with video and data devices.

It is not clear what caused the crash.

Unmanned drones often fly over Somalia gathering information on possible terrorist targets for the U.S. military.

Earlier this month, U.S. planes carried out an air raid on the southern Somali town of Dobley, where the U.S. said al-Qaida members were hiding.    » read more »

03 March 2008 -- There was a time when African farmers planted the same crops season after season. But several non-traditional crops are now taking root on farms across the continent because of growing research, education and the emergence of new markets. One of them, allanblackia, has caught the attention of food manufacturers because of the high-quality oil in its seeds. .    » read more »

04 March 2008 -- The onset of a water crisis in Kenya at the time of political instability and ethnic unrest has threatened pastoralists in the far northern and southeastern reaches of the country. The anti-poverty agency Action Aid Kenya has sounded an alert about the shortages and their potential consequences, not only for the survival of grazing herds, but also for the livelihood of the herdsmen. Action Aid international communications coordinator for Africa Eric Mgendi says the drought warning signs are cropping up far beyond Kenya’s borders.    » read more »

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2008 - The World Bank released the following statement today on the signing of the agreement in Kenya:    » read more »

February 29, 2008 -- Chicago, IL -- "I join the people of Kenya and their friends all over the world in welcoming yesterday's power-sharing agreement. I congratulate President Kibaki and Raila Odinga and the people of Kenya for taking the steps necessary to achieve this important agreement. I applaud Kofi Annan, whose persistence and skill made this breakthrough possible, as well as President Kufuor, President Kikwete, Secretary Rice, Archbishop Tutu, former President Mkapa and so many others who worked hard to support the Kenyan people in their time of crisis.    » read more »

29 February 2008 -- Soldiers patrolled the streets in Cameroon's two main cities Friday, restoring order after the worst violence the oil-producing country has seen in more than 15 years. At least 17 people are believed to have been killed when demonstrations over price hikes and a government proposal to eliminate term limits for the president led to clashes between police and protesters.    » read more »

03 March 2008 -- A weeklong conference on “Science with Africa opens Monday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The conference is a follow-up to the African Union summit last year in which the heads of state declared 2007 the year of science and technology. The leaders also called on African countries to allocate one percent of their gross domestic product to research and development by 2020 so as to achieve specific Millennium Development Goals.    » read more »

2/21/2008 -- Senator Hillary Clinton: "Today I received a petition from more than 85,000 Americans who are members of the ONE campaign. I applaud their activism and share their urgent concern for the challenges of poverty and AIDS, especially in Africa. I want to assure the ONE campaign and all Americans that I am committed to aggressively combating poverty and disease around the world.    » read more »

February 13, 2008 -- [WASHINGTON, DC] – United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter to the White House today, expressing concern over the willingness of President Bush to enforce a new law putting economic restrictions on the Sudanese government for their support of the genocide in Darfur. A statement issued at the signing of the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, indicated that the White House would only enforce the law as it saw fit.    » read more »

In Letter to President, African Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Feingold Calls Current Crisis in Kenya a Reminder of the Critical Need for Political Reform

February 4, 2008 -- Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Russ Feingold wrote to President George Bush asking him to emphasize continued democratic reform, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and peaceful conflict resolution during the President’s upcoming trip to Africa. Feingold, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee, wrote that the U.S.    » read more »

Largest Employer on London Stock Exchange Won't Even Agree to Pay Workers to Keep Up with Inflation

February 01, 2008 -- Malawi--Security guards for G4S in Malawi, struggling to survive on poverty pay, today renewed their threat to strike unless Africa's biggest multinational employer agrees to meet their demand for a 30% raise. The guards, paid on average only £15 ($30 USD) per month - a quarter of a living wage - have turned down the company's 12% offer, which doesn’t even keep up with inflation in Malawi.    » read more »

03 February 2008 -- Two strong earthquakes rocked parts of Rwanda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo Sunday morning, killing at least 39 people and injuring nearly 400 others.

Local officials say many people were at Sunday church services when the quakes hit the western Great Rift Valley, a seismically active area.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the first quake at magnitude 6. It jolted Bukavu, n Congo's South Kivu province, where at least five people died.

The second shock hit Rwanda a few hours later with magnitude 5 force, killing at least 34 people.    » read more »

04 February 2008 -- Kenya’s main opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) says it is committed to finding a lasting solution to the escalating violence blamed for the loss of lives and property. This follows reports of gangs from rival ethnic groups clashing in Kenya's Rift Valley. Faced with clubs, bows and machetes, Kenyan police were no match for the throng and seemed underpowered to intervene. The ODM blames embattled President Mwai Kibaki’s recent rhetoric at the Africa Union summit in Addis Ababa for undermining peace talks between the government and the opposition.    » read more »

Bipartisan Resolution Also Calls for International Audit of the December 2007 Kenyan Election Results

January 30, 2008 -- Washington D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution authored by U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and John Sununu (R-NH), condemning the recent violence in Kenya following the country’s December 2007 elections and calling on both of Kenya’s leading presidential candidates to support a peaceful resolution to the electoral crisis.    » read more »