This August marks twenty years of peace in Liberia following the end of the brutal civil war there, followed by a successful democratic transition. In this blog, the UN Resident Coordinator in the West African country, Christine N. Umutoni, reflects on the enormous progress Liberians have made. “After the civil war, which claimed the lives […]
Tag: Peace and Security
The former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura was on Thursday one of the 11 generals who officially retired from active service of the UPDF. Gen Kayihura retired after serving for 41 years since 1982. The official retirement function for the 11 generals was held at State House in Entebbe. Also retired was Lt […]
Beijing’s Global Security Initiative may be more compelling than Western approaches, but comes with several challenges. As China offers Africa an alternative to traditional Western partnerships, its deepening multilateral engagements could considerably impact the continent, particularly on governance, human rights and regional cooperation. One aspect that has received little attention is the growing China-Africa security […]
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Africa Can End Its Rash of Military Coups
But sanctions aren’t enough – the AU and states must tackle root causes, including electoral fraud and service delivery failure. Military coups were common in Africa during the Cold War, and now seem to be returning. Between January 2020 and August 2023, there were five attempted and nine successful coups – the latest being the […]
Fresh facts have emerged on the level of implementation of the federal government’s Safe School Initiative since its inception in 2019 when former President Muhammadu Buhari signed its Declaration Ratification Document. Investigation by LEADERSHIP revealed that the scheme, largely implemented by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), had covered 21,000 schools of the […]
Although Africa faces pressing challenges on several fronts, the meeting of security councils was thin on concrete outcomes. Africa’s stability is inextricably linked to international peace and security. For that reason, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meet annually as part of their partnership agreement. But […]
More than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2017. Civilians around the world need greater humanitarian aid than ever before—but countries are instead increasing military spending, which topped USD 2.2 trillion in 2022. That is the picture painted by a new report by UN […]
Addis Ababa — The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released a deeply troubling report today, highlighting the widespread occurrence of sexual violence linked to the conflict in the Amhara region. The report reveals that since July 2021, over 200 cases of rape have been registered at different health facilities, with victims including displaced women and […]
Since the beginning of the year, an average of 800 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition have been admitted each month for treatment to hospitals in Mweso and Masisi, almost double that of the previous year. This alarming situation is paradoxical given that Masisi territory, around 20 km northwest of the provincial capital, Goma, is […]
When Professor Henry Charles “Jatti” Bredekamp began his career as a historian of early Cape Town in South Africa, there was still a commonly held myth that the region’s native people, the Khoisan, had “all but disappeared”. This was in the wake of slavery, colonialism and apartheid, a system of racial segregation by white minority […]
The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has conferred the title of a professor on Abubakar-Surajo Imam, a lieutenant-colonel and Head of Department of Mechatronics Engineering at the institution. Mr Imam is now is now Professor of Mechatronics Engineering. Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field that combines mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and control engineering. He is said […]
Conflict-ridden and fragile countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change and least prepared to deal with it. They are largely excluded from climate adaptation programmes and funding. This is partly because funding is channelled through national governments, which might not be able to work in areas affected by conflict or beyond their control. […]
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Nigeria: Yet Another Tragic Bombing Error
On 17 January 2017, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jet mistakenly dropped bombs on settlements harbouring Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) in Rann, Kala Balge local government area of Borno State. Fifty-three persons died on the spot while no fewer than 200 others, including humanitarian aid workers of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), […]
Caution is crucial in airstrikes to prevent tragic accidents like the recent bombing in Kaduna State. Last week’s accidental bombing of Tudun Biri in Kaduna State by the Nigerian Army’s drone unit is the country’s most devastating military mishap in six years, with 120 casualties. Survivors say they were bombed twice in the 5 December […]
The victims of the strike are mostly children and women celebrating the Maulud (birthday of Prophet Muhammad). The Northern Governors’ Forum has donated N180 million to the victims of a drone attack at Tudun Biri, a community in Igabi Local Government of Kaduna State. The North-west zonal spokesperson of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), […]
With the referendum results now confirmed by the nation’s top court, Chadians are looking ahead to 2024 elections and civilian rule. But analysts don’t expect much to change for the country or its politics. Chad’s new constitution has entered into force after being approved by the country’s Supreme Court, paving the way for civilian rule. […]
Port Sudan / Amsterdam — The government of Sudan has suspended cooperation with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), after it included discussions on the situation in Sudan on the agenda of its upcoming 42nd Extraordinary Summit, scheduled to take place tomorrow in the Kampala, the capital of Uganda. In a statement issued yesterday, the […]
The recent decision of three West African countries, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is expected to have implications for Nigeria and the sub-regional bloc. ECOWAS was formed in 1975 by 16 countries: “To promote co-operation and integration … in order to raise the living […]