In The News

Saharan Dust Plume Hits US: Washington Post

Andrew Freedman, Matthew Cappucci and Jason Samenow June 26, 2020
Storm winds have pushed a thick, 5,000-mile long dust cloud from the Sahara Desert to the United State, deteriorating air quality even as the region struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic. “Although plumes of Sahara Desert dust are routinely ejected from Africa’s west coast during June, the ongoing event is extraordinarily rare, scientists said,” reports the Washington Post. “This event stands out...

Paying Migrants to Go Back Home Fails: Euronews

Lillo Montalto Monella and Sara Creta June 20, 2020
Migration from Africa to Europe is treacherous, yet many are still desperate to flee poverty, repression, conflict and hunger. Euronews describes one man’s experiences traveling through multiple countries, endurig a Mediterranean shipwreck, a gunshot wound, and two years of abuse and torture in a Libyan detention center. Families and friends shun some who return home and failing to send...

Ethiopia to Plant 5 Billion Trees: Quartz Africa

Samuel Getachew June 11, 2020
Ethiopia has an ambitious plan to plant 20 billion trees by 2024, including 5 billion this year, part of the Green Legacy Challenge to confront climate change. The program costs more than 4 billion Birr, or $117 million, reports Samuel Getachew for Quartz Africa, adding, “The initiative has been getting support from nations including Norway, Sweden and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP...

Turkish Strategy - Libya’s Haftar on Defensive: DW

Tom Allinson May 7, 2020
Since 2014, two factions have divided Libya: Libyan National Army forces in the east led by Khalifa Haftar, supported by the UAE, France and Russian mercenaries, versus Fayez Serraj's Government of National Accord in the west, recognized by the United Nations and supported by Turkey and Syrian mercenaries. Control has shifted abruptly to the GNA side, Reports Tom Allinson for Deutsche Welle...

Governance and Climate Disruption: Mail & Guardian

Sipho Kings May 4, 2020
Climate change is changing communities and their surrounding environment, exacerbating floods, droughts, wildfires, storms and other challenges associated with human interventions. “It has a cruel way of exposing existing failures, which is why good governance is so important in countries preparing for a changing climate,” explains Sipho Kings for the Mail & Guardian. He offers examples: Dams...

Libya Defies Calls for Global Ceasefire: Guardian

Patrick Wintour April 2, 2020
The civil war in Libya has escalated even though the United Nations called for a “global ceasefire.” Warlord General Khalifa Haftar and his forces, the Libyan National Army, or LNA, claim to occupy some towns in the northwest and repel attacks by the UN-backed government army aiming to capture the key airbase. After the two warring parties recently agreed to a humanitarian truce, the peace...

Militant Threats in Africa: Wall Street Journal

Michael M. Phillips March 28, 2020
Africa is confronting increasing militant threats from extremists, including Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and Boko Haram. However, the United States has reduced its military presence in Africa by cutting 17 percent of personnel over the past two years – actions aligned with an adjustment of its worldwide troop commitment and the Trump administration’s strategy of reducing dispersed actions against...