Africa

An estimated 10 million people or more are struggling to get enough to eat across the Sahel region, including 5.4 million in Niger alone, representing over one third of its total population. More than a million children under the age of five risk severe acute malnutrition in the region, up from 300,000 last year.

Food shortages have worsened, with the number of South Sudanese without enough to eat rising from 3.3 million last year to 4.7 million currently, according to a new UN [report.](http://www.wfp.org/news/news-release/high-levels-food-insecurity-south-sudan) This figure represents more than 50% of the recently independent oil-rich country, estimated in less than 9 million.

Journalist Pepe Naranjo writes from Dakar the the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, has acknowledged for some time that he is not legally able to run for a third term of office. Now, he has changed tack and the outstanding issue is that having changed his ‘opinion’ he is going for it and the population sees its democracy endangered.

The United Nations declared an end to famine conditions in Somalia, but warned that the crisis in the Horn of Africa is not over and requires continued efforts to restore food security and help people resume normal lives.

Geneva – A massive humanitarian operation to bring succour to people affected by inter-ethnic violence in South Sudan’s state of Jonglei is under way with United Nations having carried out relief needs assessments in most of the affected areas, a UN official said.

Famous Senegalese singer Youssou N’dour has decided to quit music for politics and to run for next month elections. The musician’s widespread popularity will make him a significant force in Senegalese politics, but his political ambitions are currently unclear.

Libya is heading into the New Year with new leaders and hopes. But it turns out, as the immediate post-revolutionary excitement fades, the different factions of the former rebels are turning on each other in what may become a competition for power.

Nairobi – South Sudan -the world’s newest country– now faces the danger of a wide-spreading “inter-ethnic” war after increasing armed clashes between two major tribes that took around one thousand lives so far.

Somaliland officials are abducting and refouling Oromo, Ogaden and Eritrean asylum seekers. This is against international law as it pertains to refugees. Dr Trevor Trueman has co-ordinated a report on this matter which turns around the incident that took place late December 2011 where twenty refugees from Ethiopia were detained by Somaliland security forces.

Rome – Damaged crops combined with conflict and insecurity are threatening to leave some 2.5 million people in South Sudan – the world’s newest country – in critical conditions unless food assistance is provided immediately, the UN warns.