Africa

Geneva – At least 43 villages in Nigeria continue to present cases of lead poisoning, 18 months ago after cases were first discovered in the region, the United Nations reported, calling for an increase in preventive measures in the African country.

We publish here the call from burkinabé civil society in order to finally let everyone know the truth regarding the death of Thomas Sankara, President of the republic of Burkina Faso, killed during during a coup d’Etat.

Sankara was one of the great presidents who pushed social reforms at the african independence epoch.

Ayyaantuu News Online reported October 28, 2011 that from mid-October, the Ethiopian army – under the control of the Ethiopian Prime Minster Meles Zenawihas – started forcefully relocating thousands of families in the rural areas around Obole in the restive Ogaden region in southeastern Ethiopia where government forces are engaged in fighting rebels of the ONLF

‘In too many societies girls still face the double discrimination of being young and being female. They are pulled out of school, married early, and are more likely to be subject to violence.’

Currently, about one in seven (15%) of the world’s people live in Africa. By 2050, it will be closer to 1 in 4 (24%). Most of this growth will occur in sub-Saharan Africa, due to a current annual increase in population of 2.6%. Population growth is high because the average woman in sub-Saharan Africa has more than five children.

Recently independent South Sudan will face chronic food shortages next year due to internal and border insecurity, erratic rains and a huge influx of returnees from the North, UN agencies have warned.

The FAO said a Rapid Crop Assessment carried out in August showed South Sudan was likely to produce 420,000-500,000MT of food this year – half the required amount.

While global spending on weapons is set up to further increase in spite of the economic recession, four major UN agencies and their aid partners have just appealed for $18.3 million to help tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing into western Ethiopia to escape violence in Sudan’s Blue Nile state.

Over the past year, the world has watched with great interest as the Arab Spring has dissolved decades of repression. Citizens weary of injustice have stood up and demanded control of their destinies. I wish that oppressed people everywhere in Africa could benefit from the dramatic changes we are witnessing in North Africa.

The United Nations committee entrusted with helping countries tackle terrorism has voiced concern at the close connection between terrorists and transnational organized crime, including the illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials.

On 25 September a caravan of awareness on peace and nonviolence is being launched, towards Nouakchott,
capital of Mauritania, by the Mauritanian Association for a World Without Wars and Violence in
collaboration with the Organization for African Integration (OAI). This action will last a week reaching
completion with a march for nonviolence on 2 October this year.