You are here

Month: January 2020

Human Rights 

$1.4 billion needed this year to fund UN’s agency for Palestine refugees

Village Reporter
Christian Saunders said the funds would provide essential services throughout 2020, including life-saving humanitarian assistance for 5.6 million registered Palestine refugees across the Middle East. He noted that the pledges of support UNRWA received at the General Assembly in December was “an overwhelming validation of the agency and of our mandate” and stressed the importance of donors and partners matching… Read More
Africa 

Security Council renews Central African Republic arms embargo

Village Reporter
Thirteen of the 15 Council members voted in favour of the resolution, with China and Russia abstaining.  The resolution prohibits the supply, sale or transfer of weapons, ammunition and military equipment to the country, including vehicles.    Items for the UN peacekeeping operation there, MINUSCA, and European and French forces deployed on training missions, are exempt.  Despite the signing of… Read More
Africa 

US adds Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania, Sudan to Trump’s new travel ban

Village Reporter,
Four African nations have been added to a new travel ban by United States president Donald Trump. Incidentally, only one of the quartet is a Muslim-majority nation i.e. Sudan. The others are Eritrea, Nigeria and Tanzania. The quartet are joined by the Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan. During an engagement on the sidelines of the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland,… Read More
Africa 

ECOWAS attempts to break political deadlock in Guinea-Bissau

Village Reporter,
A visiting commission from the economic community of West African states, ECOWAS wants to save Guinea Bissau from recurrent outbreaks of political instability. The country is currently facing post-presidential election tension following the announcing of the official results by the National Electoral Commission. The former ruling party, the PAIGC contests the outcome. Umaro Sissoco Embalo won the second round of… Read More
Africa 

Morocco: Customs control in the digital age [Morning Call]

Village Reporter,
The world celebrated world customs day on January 26. The day was to recognize the role of customs officers and agencies in maintaining border security. In the wake of this commemoration, a book tackling customs during the digital age was launched in Rabat, Morocco by Larbi Belbachir who has over 40 years of experience in the field of Moroccan customs.… Read More
Investments 

“Teach them smart solutions,” says out-of-the-box thinker Monique Ntumngia, founder of Green Girls, at 2020 African Economic Outlook launch

Elwin Mandowa,
African governments must foster innovation and provide hands-on education solutions to young people if the continent is to beat the challenges of the next decade and meet global development targets. “Reality on the ground and the statistics do not meet, they are on parallel lines. There’s more of cram work in our educational system than actually getting us to think… Read More
Africa 

Media Watch: US embassy busts fake news over ‘visa denial’ of Nigerian bishop

Village Reporter,
As part of our news analysis slot on Africanews, we will be updating a media watch page that deals with major issues of media ongoings across the continent. It will cut across happenings in mainstream and across social media with also a special eye for fake news. US embassy calls out fake news over Nigeria pastor’s visa Nigeria army arrests… Read More
Human Rights 

US Middle East peace plan ‘lopsided’, says independent UN rights expert

Village Reporter
President Donald Trump announced his administration’s ‘Vision for Peace, Prosperity and a Brighter Future’ at the White House on Tuesday, which would legalize Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel also would be allowed to annex around 30 per cent of the West Bank. In response, the UN underlined its longstanding commitment to realizing a two-State solution, with Israelis and… Read More
OP-ED Opinions 

Buhari Won’t Resign Until He Islamise Nigeria By Bayo Oluwasanmi

Elwin Mandowa,
Senator E.H. Abaribe (Abia State) called for the resignation of General Muhammadu Buhari due to the prevalent insecurity, widespread violence, and indiscriminate killings in the country. Abaribe’s statement went blitz in the social media. As expected, it ignited fireballs of attacks and counter attacks from both supporters and critics of Buhari. Abaribe’s statement is in order. If Buhari was the… Read More