Tag: UN Africa News

The incident took place that morning near the village of Songobia, in central Mali, as their supply convoy was heading to its base in Sévaré. El-Ghassim Wane, the head of MINUSMA, condemned the attack and offered his deepest condolences to the families and colleagues of the deceased peacekeepers. “This is another tragic illustration of the complexity of our operational environment… Read More

Mr. Guterres praised the many African Union (AU) initiatives aimed at bringing about this vision for the continent – including Agenda 2063 a blueprint for the Africa of the future, and the Decade of Women’s Financial and Economic Inclusion – and the decision to focus on the African Continental Free Trade Area at the Summit which, he said, represents a… Read More

“The suffering across the country remains immense,” Commissioner Barney Afako said at a press conference in Juba, the capital. “South Sudanese women and girls continue to face unspeakable sexual violence.” On the penultimate day of a five-day visit, the Commission took stock of reports from civil society and stakeholders in Juba and Upper Nile state, where the UN runs Protection… Read More

“What is urgently needed is the political will to break the protracted political stalemate and achieve progress on multiple fronts,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the latest meeting of the High-level Committee on Libya, taking place in Addis Ababa. Progress is sorely needed towards holding elections and advancing gains in security, national reconciliation and human rights, he said, adding… Read More

The Regional Migrant Response Plan, launched this week, will address the dire needs and protection risks facing people along the treacherous Eastern Route towards the Arabian Peninsula.  Other objectives include scaling-up delivery of lifesaving and resilience-building initiatives and implementing long-term sustainable solutions for both migrants and host communities.  Dangerous journeys  The Eastern Route is one of the busiest, most complex… Read More

“The large-scale humanitarian and protection crisis shows no sign of abating,” said Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria. “An estimated 2.4 million people are in acute need – impacted by conflict, disaster and disease – and require urgent support.” Warnings of catastrophe The “ticking time bomb” of child malnutrition is escalating in Nigeria’s northeast, with the… Read More

The security plan represents “an essential tool” paving the way for the coming local elections, UN mission spokesperson Vladimir Monteiro said. Voters will be casting ballots in local elections for the first time since 1988. The Government of CAR and the UN stabilization mission (MINUSCA) signed a new plan on Tuesday amid recent flaring tensions. Over the past week, the… Read More

Almost 400 women leaders from 15 African countries joined the UN-backed three-day conference, which opened on Monday, including former and current presidents. The goal is to advance progress, tackle pressing concerns and find sustainable solutions to issues affecting women and girls in South Sudan and across Africa. The conference’s theme is GuwaTaMara, meaning the strength of women. During the meeting,… Read More

Across the continent, cases in January were 30 per cent higher than for the whole of last year.  Most new infections and deaths have occurred in Malawi, which is facing its worst outbreak in 20 years.  10 countries affected  Overall, 10 African countries are affected by cholera.  The waterborne disease causes acute watery diarrhoea and can kill within hours but… Read More

Somalia is in the midst of the longest and most severe drought in its history, following five consecutive poor rainy seasons, which has devastated the country.  Roughly 8.25 million people, nearly half the population, require immediate lifesaving aid and protection.  Lives on the line  They warn that famine is a strong possibility from April to June and beyond if humanitarian… Read More