Abuja — Hundreds gathered in Abuja, Nigeria for the 2024 Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk, raising awareness and support for pediatric cancer. Despite progress in cancer care, Nigerian children face high costs and delayed diagnoses, which the walk aims to address.

Titilayo Adewumi joined the walk with her 13-year-old son Shittu, diagnosed with leukemia at age 5. With support from the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, Shittu is now cancer-free.

Adewumi recounts the toll her son’s cancer diagnosis took on her family.

“I had to stop working for like 4 – 5 years so I could concentrate on him,” she said. “We went out of cash, we didn’t have money, that is when the Okapi visited us … I was so excited when the doctor told me that he was free of cancer, I felt like jumping into the roof and back I was so happy because it was not easy.”

Among the walkers was Izuyor Tobi. He brought his daughter Hope, who battled neuroblastoma. Treatment costs nearly drained the family’s finances until Okapi intervened. Today, Hope is healthy.

Tobi believes that spreading awareness about pediatric cancer will save lives.

“If not for Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, I don’t think my daughter will be alive today… What I do is to create more awareness by telling people what Okapi Children Cancer Foundation has done for my daughter,” he said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of childhood cancers occur in low-income countries like Nigeria, where many cases go undiagnosed or are detected late.

Pediatric oncologist Ifeoma Ezeukwu from the Federal Medical Center explained barriers to care.

“Ignorance is also another barrier,” she said. “I have come across so many people who will tell you, I never knew children could have cancer. … Early detection is key to survival in childhood cancer unlike the adult cancers; children, the prognosis are better in them when they are seen early, once you capture cancer early, you know that cure is what is expected.”

Kemi Adekanye founded the Okapi Children Cancer Foundation in 2017 and has been mobilizing community awareness and support. Funded by friends and family, the foundation has helped over 200 children access treatment, despite costs starting at $180.

Adekanye says they’re focused on influencing government action for pediatric cancer.

“As of today, there’s currently no supports being provided to children battling cancer, so we expect the government to intervene in terms of subsidizing treatment costs for children battling cancer, as well as equipping our hospitals more so people don’t have to travel far and wide to access oncology centers,” she said.

Health policy analyst Ejike Oji called for systemic reforms across Nigeria to ease the burden on families.

“The government should establish dedicated pediatric oncology wards across the country to provide grounds for training health care professionals to ensure their skills are good in diagnosing and treating childhood cancer,” he said. “If you look at the cancer from diagnosis to treatment, it’s a lot of money. Radiotherapy is one of the most expensive; most families cannot afford.”

The large turnout at the 8th Childhood Cancer Awareness Walk — ‘Bridge The Gap’ —showed the power of community mobilization.

Nigerians are advocating for better health care, early diagnosis and family support, ensuring no child faces cancer alone.
…

your ad here

PENTAGON — Islamic State in Somalia has approximately doubled in size over the past year, the chief of U.S. Africa Command told VOA.

“I am concerned about the northern part of Somalia and ISIS growing in numbers,” AFRICOM commander Gen. Michael Langley said in an exclusive interview, using an acronym for the terror group.

Langley declined to provide the United States’ estimate of how many Islamic State fighters are in Somalia, other than to say that the group’s had grown about “twofold” in the past year. Previous estimates have put the number of Islamic State fighters in north Somalia at about 200 fighters.

The AFRICOM commander also warned about the possibility of Islamic State increasing its foreign fighter presence in Somalia. 

Somali Brigadier General Abdi Hassan Hussein, the former intelligence and police commander of Puntland, where Islamic State is located in the north, told VOA earlier this year that the number of Islamic State foreign fighters there alone is estimated in the hundreds. This figure has yet to be confirmed by local authorities.

A U.S. official told VOA in June that Abdulqadir Mumin, the leader of Islamic State in Somalia, had been targeted in an American airstrike in May. Mumin appears to have survived the strike. 

Asked whether Mumin was now the global leader of IS, Langley said the U.S. must take those reports as “credible.”

“ISIS professes that. Sometimes you’ve got to take that seriously,” he said.

Al-Shabab 

The increase in Islamic State fighters in northern Somalia comes as the al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab has exploited diplomatic disagreements between Somalia and Ethiopia to raise its recruitment numbers. 

Landlocked Ethiopia and Somalia’s breakaway Somaliland region signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year to use its Red Sea port of Berbera, a deal that Somalia has rejected. Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Friday accused Ethiopia, before the U.N. General Assembly, of actions that “flagrantly violate” Somalia’s territorial integrity.

“The have used that (dispute) to their advantage,” Langley told VOA.

Al-Shabab has been back at high numbers of between 12,000 to 13,000 fighters due to strong financing and heavy recruitment efforts, senior defense officials told VOA in June.

The political rift has bled into counter-terror cooperation between Addis Ababa and Mogadishu, with Langley telling VOA that Somali operations with Ethiopia have been “limited.”

“Time will tell if they can settle their differences and coalesce into a force that’s very effective, because when they do work together, they’re very, very effective at clearing out al-Shabab.’’

Al-Shabab has continued attacks on civilians, including in the Mogadishu area. The terror group claimed responsibility for a gun attack and suicide bombing that killed at least 32 people in August on a popular beach in the Somalia’s capital. The group is also suspected to have carried out two deadly bombings on Saturday, one in Middle Shabelle region and another about one kilometer from the president’s office.

Al-Shabab has suffered defeats from the South West State of Somalia down to the Juba River Valley and has sought to reset and counter-attack in those areas.

However, in central Somalia, al-Shabab has reversed gains made by Somali forces over the last two years as government forces failed to hold the terrain they had retaken, according to senior U.S. defense officials. 

“We need a credible holding force, because sometimes shadow governments of al-Shabaab try to re-insert themselves back in that region and try to influence some of the local leaders,” Langley said. 

He said the time following the clearing and liberating of a region is a “very fragile period” where Somalia and partners like the U.S. Agency for International Development can initiate local services that will increase the population’s faith in the federal government.

“If they can’t sustain that because they’re moving to the next region or next district, it ebbs,” he said, adding that U.S. training was currently focused on helping Somali forces hold liberated terrain.

The Somali government has pointed to the El Dheer and Harardhere areas as evidence that some liberated terrain in central Somalia remains under government control.

ATMIS transition

Later this year, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia will leave the country after nearly two years of helping Somalia fight al-Shabab terrorists and will be replaced in 2025 by a new African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia. Which forces will be comprised in the mission is still being worked out by the African Union and the United Nations.

Langley ruled out any U.S. role in the transition, saying American forces would maintain only their advise-and-assist mission.

“Our piece of enabling is not our boots on the ground. We’re there to advise and assist, and assist in their training, but the fight is theirs,” he told VOA.

Houthis

In addition to Islamic State and al-Shabab, Somalia also must worry about Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, just north of Somalia across the Gulf of Aden, whom Langley says have “aspirations” to collaborate with al-Shabab.

“We’re concerned, and we’re closely watching that, because this can turn into a bad neighborhood real quick,” he said.

Should the Houthis and al-Shabab put pressure on the Gulf of Aden from opposite sides, Langley worries that squeezing this strategic choke point could further hinder the free flow of commerce and affect the global economy. And analysts fear that Houthis could insert more sophisticated weapons into the fight for Somalia.

Houthi militants have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October, seizing one, sinking two and killing at least four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.

The Houthi militant campaign began after Israel launched a retaliatory attack against Hamas in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 terror attack, and the Houthis claim they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians during the war.

Harun Maruf and Mohamed Olad Hassan contributed to this report.
…

your ad here

united nations — The U.N. Security Council on Monday approved a one-year renewal for a multinational police force to help Haiti’s embattled national police subdue gangs in the violence-plagued Caribbean nation, and it will now consider turning the mission into a full-fledged U.N. peacekeeping operation.

“In adopting this resolution today, the Council has helped Haiti continue re-establishing security and creating the conditions necessary to holding free and fair elections,” U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. “So, let us work together to build on the progress of the Haiti MSS [Multinational Security Support] mission. Let us embrace a new approach that sustains it. Let us protect the fragile but inspiring opportunity to build a better future for the Haitian people.”

The United States and Ecuador drafted the resolution to extend the mission through October 2, 2025. In the interim, Haiti’s transitional government has requested that the 15-nation Security Council begin discussions for transforming the non-U.N. force into a U.N. peacekeeping operation.

“The transformation of the MSS into a peacekeeping operation under the mandate of the United Nations appears not just to be necessary, but a matter of urgency,” Haitian Ambassador Antonio Rodrigue told the council.

He said making it one would guarantee more stable and predictable financing and expand the force’s capacities. Currently the mission has faced a continued shortfall in funds, equipment and logistics capabilities.

“We firmly believe that this is an approach which is crucial to maintain the gains of the MSS to enhance national security and to establish necessary conditions for the conduct of free and fair elections in the near future,” Rodrigue said.

He said despite some progress in the three months since the first contingent of about 400 Kenyan police deployed to Haiti, the country still faces significant and complicated challenges.

“Gang violence continues to rend the social fabric and human rights violations are multiplying, plunging thousands of families into distress,” the Haitian envoy said. “Insecurity is omnipresent, paralyzing the economy, undermining in the institutions and fueling fear among the population.”

Kenya is leading the mission and its president, William Ruto, visited Haiti about a week and a half ago to meet with officials and Kenyan and Haitian police forces. Ruto said at the U.N. General Assembly last week that he plans to deploy another Kenyan contingent to Haiti by January.

So far only about 500 police have been deployed, the majority from Kenya and the rest from Jamaica and Belize. Diplomats say they expect other countries will also be deploying.

Kenya’s U.N. envoy pointed to some initial progress in the capital, Port-au-Prince, including their securing important infrastructure, such as the airport and National Hospital, and several major road intersections.

But he noted the mission needs to quickly reach its fully mandated level of 2,500 personnel and the political transition needs to move ahead.

“I must also emphasize that while the MSS mission is a crucial and innovative intervention, it is only a part of the solution,” Ambassador Erastus Ekitela Lokaale said. “Haiti’s stability will only be accomplished through a multi-pronged approach that addresses the root causes of its challenges.”

Haiti has been rocked by instability since 2021, when President Jovenel Moise was assassinated. Prime Minister Ariel Henry then led the country until he announced his resignation in March. A transitional government is now in place with the goal of organizing free and fair elections. Haiti has not held elections since 2016.

The country is facing a massive humanitarian crisis as a result of the violence. On Monday, international food monitors said more than half the country’s population – 5.4 million people – are struggling to feed themselves. At least 6,000 displaced persons in shelters in the capital are facing catastrophic levels of hunger, while 2 million people are one step behind them.
…

your ad here

Tunis — At least 12 Tunisians including three children were found dead after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of the southeastern island of Djerba on Monday, a judicial official said.  

The boat went down at dawn and 29 people were rescued, Medenine court spokesman Fethi Baccouche told AFP, adding five men and four women were among the dead, and that the cause of the sinking remained unknown.  

The Tunisian National Guard said it was alerted by four migrants who swam back ashore.   

Tunisia and neighboring Libya have become key departure points for migrants seeking better lives in Europe, often risking dangerous Mediterranean crossings. 

The exodus is fueled by Tunisia’s stagnant economy, with only 0.4% of growth in 2023 and unemployment soaring.  

The North African country has also been shaken by political tensions, after President Kais Saied orchestrated a sweeping power grab in July 2021.  

Each year, tens of thousands of people attempt to make the crossing, with Italy — whose Lampedusa island is only 150 kilometers (90 miles) away — often their first port of call.  

Since January 1, at least 103 makeshift boats have capsized and 341 bodies have been recovered off Tunisia’s coast, the government says.  

Last year, more than 1,300 people died or disappeared last year in shipwrecks off Tunisia, according to the FTDES rights group.  

The International Organization for Migration has said more than 30,309 migrants have died in the Mediterranean in the past decade, including more than 3,000 last year. 
…

your ad here

…

your ad here

WASHINGTON — Bomb blasts in Mogadishu and a town in the country’s Middle Shabelle region killed at least six people and injured 10 others Saturday, police said and witnesses confirmed to VOA.

“An explosives-laden vehicle, which was parked on the road near a restaurant in the busy Hamar Weyne district, went off. I could see the dead bodies of at least three people, two of them women,” Mohamed Haji Nur, a witness, told VOA.

The explosion site is opposite of Somalia’s National Theater, about one kilometer from the president’s office.

The target of the attack is still unknown, but the affected Gel Doh restaurant is frequented by government staff and people from the diaspora for serving traditional Somali food.

In a separate incident, a bomb planted in a livestock market in Jowhar city in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region killed one person and injured three other civilians, Jowhar police Commander Bashir Hassan told a news conference.

It was not immediately clear who had carried out the attacks. However, the Islamist militant group al-Shabab is known for orchestrating bombings and gun attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the Horn of Africa country.

Barre addressed UN General Assembly

Somalian Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre publicly accused Ethiopia before the U.N. General Assembly on Friday of actions that he says “flagrantly violate” Somalia’s territorial integrity.

This accusation comes as tensions continue to escalate between the two neighboring countries since January, when Ethiopia struck a controversial maritime deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland.

This region, at the northern tip of the country, declared independence in 1991 but lacks international recognition.

Under the deal, Somaliland would lease 20 kilometers of shoreline to Ethiopia in return for recognition, a move that raised alarms in Mogadishu.

“Somalia currently faces a serious threat from Ethiopia’s recent actions, which flagrantly violate our territorial integrity,” Prime Minister Barre stated at the U.N. General Assembly.

Somalia has accused Ethiopia of unlawfully attempting to build a naval base and commercial port in Somaliland.

“Ethiopia’s attempt to annex part of Somalia under the guise of securing sea access is both unlawful and unnecessary,” Barre emphasized, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

Ethiopia, a landlocked nation, has long sought access to the sea, but its move to deal with Somaliland infuriated the Somali government.

Barre elaborated on the implications of Ethiopia’s actions, saying, “Somalia ports have always been accessible for Ethiopia’s legitimate commercial activities, reflecting our commitment to regional trade and cooperation.”

He warned, though, that “Ethiopia’s aggressive maneuvers undermine Somalia’s sovereignty and embolden secessionist movements, which could threaten national unity.”

“These actions also serve as propaganda for terrorist groups like al-Shabab, who exploit Ethiopia’s provocations to recruit and radicalize vulnerable individuals,” he said.

Ethiopia denies accusations

Addressing the General Debate of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Taye Atske-Selassie, minister for foreign affairs of Ethiopia, denied Somalia’s accusation.

“Ethiopia’s memorandum of understanding with Somaliland is based on existing political dispensation in Somalia,” he said.

“Our objective is a shared growth and prosperity in the region. Similar agreements have been concluded by other states, and there is no reason for the government of Somalia to incite hostility that obviously intends to cover internal political tensions. I therefore reject the unfounded allegations leveled against my country.”

In a show of defiance, several times Somalia has threatened to expel Ethiopian troops who have been part of an African Union mission against al-Shabab militants since 2007.

Afyare Abdi Elmi, a Mogadishu-based professor of international affairs, told VOA that recent Egyptian military cooperation with Somalia raised concerns in Addis Ababa.

“The stakes are raised further, as Mogadishu has signed a military deal with Cairo and received weapons shipments that have alarmed Ethiopian officials.”

“I am afraid that the unfolding events signal a crucial moment in the Horn of Africa, with the potential to reshape the region’s geopolitical landscape and security dynamics,” said Somalia analyst Abdiqafar Abdi Wardhere, who is based in Virginia.

Last week, the Somali government accused Ethiopia of sending an “unauthorized shipment of arms and ammunition” to Somalia’s semiautonomous region of Puntland.

“Ethiopia must be held accountable for actions threatening to destabilize the Horn of Africa,” Barre warned in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

As the African Union mission prepares to transform at the end of the year, Egypt has offered to replace Ethiopian troops for the first time.

Somalia may also push for the removal of the estimated 10,000 Ethiopian troops stationed in Somalia’s regions along the border, aimed at preventing incursions by Islamist militants.

Although he did not name Egypt, Ethiopia’s foreign minister said that other actors’ actions are undermining regional stability.

“The recent maneuvers of actors from the outside of the Horn of Africa region undermine these efforts. Ethiopia will not be deterred from its resolute commitment to combating terrorism,” Atske-Selassie said. “I am confident that the government of Somalia will reckon and recognize the sacrifice we made to Somalia’s liberation from the grip of terrorist groups.”

Some information in this report is from Reuters.
…

your ad here

New York — On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Kenyan President William Ruto sat down with VOA’s Peter Clottey for an in-depth conversation Thursday. 

Ruto discussed his recent visit to Haiti, where he met with the top police commanders leading efforts to combat gangs and restore order in the Caribbean nation. He also addressed the proposal for Africa to secure two permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, as well as the growing protests by Kenya’s Gen-Z demanding reforms in the East African country.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

VOA’s Peter Clottey: Thank you very much, Mr. President, for having us this morning. What was your overarching message during your speech at the U.N. General Assembly?

Kenyan President William Ruto: Three messages: the ravaging war around the world, tensions and conflict — you know, from Ukraine, Darfur, Sudan, DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] — and the failure of the multilateral system, especially the U.N. General Assembly and specifically the U.N. Security Council, to be a force of good and a place where we resolve issues.

In fact, it has become a gridlock and part of the problem. There is urgency in reforming the U.N. Security Council so that it reflects the dynamics and responds to the urgency of the situation that we face at the moment. It is our position that the U.N. needs to be reformed yesterday — to make it democratic, representative and agile — so that it can respond to the times of challenges of our time.

Number two is the challenge we have about the debt situation, the economic situation globally, and the fact that many countries in the Global South, many countries are facing the possibility of debt default. And a need to reform the international financial system, deal with credit rating agencies, ensure that there is longer-term financing, there is concessional financing, there is financing that is at scale to make sure that countries can be able to push their development programs, pay for social services and manage the serious challenges of debt.

Thirdly, climate change and the huge potential and opportunity that we have, especially in the Global South, and more particularly in Africa, for the huge resources, energy resources that we have, mineral resources that are in plenty, and the human capital that exists, that we can use to turn the climate change that is ravaging the world into an opportunity for Africa to industrialize, to create jobs, and to decarbonize the whole world. So, these were my very three pointed messages. Of course, not forgetting the challenge we have in Haiti and what Kenya is doing about it.

VOA: You were there recently and met with Kenyan police officers. What were your observations, and what did the Kenyan police officers tell you about the challenges they face in Haiti?

Ruto: I met with Haiti’s political leadership, and we had a candid conversation. I was supposed to be there for an hour but stayed for four. I also met the commanders of the Kenyan contingent, the Multinational Security Support Mission [MSS] and the Haitian police leadership. My assessment was more positive than I initially thought. The reports I received indicated that the pessimists and critics who saw no hope in Haiti are changing their tune. The airport, which used to be under gunfire, is now safe, with more flights coming in and out. The palace is secure, the National Hospital is in good hands, and the National Police Academy, which had been overrun by gangs, is now training officers. I see a very positive trajectory.

The Kenyan commanders on the ground and the Haitian police confirmed this to me, though they still face logistical challenges and need more resources and personnel.

VOA: Will Kenya provide that additional support?

Ruto: I immediately made the decision that Kenya is going to have another 600 security officers sent to Haiti to add on to the 400 already there — 300 next month, and 300 in November. And I am going to mobilize the rest of the global community to make sure that by January, we have 2,500 police officers so that we can execute the mandate that was given to us by the U.N. resolution setting up the MSS in Haiti.

VOA: There are suggestions that perhaps the U.N. should lead this effort. Where does Kenya stand on that?

Ruto: Whichever way we go, so long as we deploy the requisite personnel on the ground, mobilize resources necessary, the logistics that are needed for us to do the job in Haiti, whatever name we call it, whatever color we give it, my position is that we must focus on making sure that within a year.

VOA: What is your plan for the youth of Kenya in terms of listening to them instead of coming up with specific plans to meet their calls and demands? And how do you react when they said, “Mr. President must go. He has not kept his promises. He has to go”?

Ruto: Kenya is a robustly democratic country. I mean, because we are a democracy, I see people even in New York here demonstrating and making all manner of statements, and that is the beauty, that is the diversity of democracy.

I have a very clear, elaborate plan on job creation, our housing plan. Our digital footprint plan, our plan on export of labor. We just signed today here in New York a bilateral labor agreement with Austria, where Kenyan young people, the best resource we have, will find jobs in Austria. I came last week from, the other week, from Germany, doing the same thing, creating opportunities for the young people of Kenya to work in Kenya and to work abroad.

This is my plan. It is elaborate, understood, and I’m rolling out, and I’m confident that before leaving Nairobi, I launched Climate Works. That is going to hire another 200,000 young people across Kenya on climate action and make sure that we deal with the environmental issues and climate change that is threatening humanity and having significant adverse effects on the people of Kenya swinging from drought to floods, and that program is now on its way beginning 1st of October.

This Q&A originated in VOA’s English to Africa Service.
…

your ad here

Abuja, Nigeria — Leaders in Africa say the fight against malaria on the continent is facing significant funding gaps due to the ongoing global financial crisis and the impact of climate change.

African leaders this week met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and called for a concerted effort to avert a funding crisis they say could set back decades of progress in the fight against malaria.

The African Leaders Malaria Alliance, or ALMA, which hosted the high-level meeting, said if malaria funding continues to shrink, there will be an expected additional 112 million cases and some 280,000 deaths by the year 2029.

Africa already accounts for an estimated 236 million malaria cases — or 95% of the global total — and 97% of deaths. Nigeria accounts for nearly a third of that burden.

Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who serves as chair of ALMA, said that Africa stands at a critical moment in the fight against malaria.

“We must act urgently to protect lifesaving malaria intervention,” he said. “This is very important because our target is to finish with malaria in Africa.”

Experts said Africa needs up to $6.3 billion in malaria funding annually to eliminate the disease and called for continued support for malaria financing within the global funding framework.

ALMA also said the impact of climate change and growing resistance to insecticide and antimalarials are further hampering progress against the disease in Africa.

Ngashi Ngongo, head of the Executive Office at the Africa Union, said, “Achieving the elimination of malaria alongside progress toward other endemic diseases such as HIV and TB will lay the foundation for reducing Africa’s disease burden and further propel the achievement of universal health coverage on the continent.

“This progress is essential for strengthening health systems, and it is a necessity as we prepare for future pandemics, which are inevitable,” he said.

Following the World Health Organization’s approval last year, the first malaria vaccines are being introduced into routine child immunization schedules across Africa.

And on Thursday in New York, Nigerian health authorities signed a deal with U.S.-based drone company Zipline to use artificial intelligence-powered drones to expand access to medical supplies, including blood and vaccines.

Abdu Muktar, who is the national coordinator of Nigeria’s Unlocking Healthcare Value-Chain Initiative, commended the “very bold agenda” for producing health care products locally.

“But now we also have to be able to deliver,” he said. “What Zipline is doing is using technology to make sure you deliver. You’ll be able to reduce wastage in whatever it is — vaccines, therapeutics. You’ll be able to be accountable. … You are able to reach more people.”

In 2022, governments of malaria-endemic countries contributed about $1.5 billion toward combatting the disease.
…

your ad here

United Nations — Sudan’s de facto ruler said Thursday that he wants to end the war in his country, but he said he will not sit with his rival general unless he withdraws his fighters.

“We are keen on stopping the war and restoring peace and security, without any pre-conditions,” Army Chief Abdel-Fattah al Burhan told reporters in New York, where he was attending U.N. General Assembly meetings.

However, he stated several conditions for talks to start.

“We will never sit with Hemedti unless his forces pull out, and unless they implement what we agreed to,” he said referring to his rival, the head of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti.”

Once allies in Sudan’s transitional government following a 2021 coup, the two generals have turned into bitter rivals for power. On April 15, 2023, fighting erupted between their forces in the capital, Khartoum. It has since spread across Sudan, resulting in widespread atrocities and killing.

Burhan was asked about new fighting that erupted between his forces and the RSF in Khartoum on Thursday, but did not offer any new details.

Earlier Thursday, Burhan addressed the U.N. General Assembly annual debate. He used most of his speech to talk about the war in his country. Not to be outdone, his rival, Hemedti, issued a “General Assembly speech” of his own, on the social media platform X.

Ten million people have been displaced and half of Sudan’s population, 26 million people, are struggling with crisis levels of food insecurity.  Famine was confirmed in August in Sudan’s Darfur region, which has seen heavy fighting. At least 14 other areas of Sudan are considered at risk of famine in the coming months.

“The food gap is there, but it hasn’t reached the level of famine yet,” Burhan told reporters.

Regarding efforts by the United States and Saudi Arabia to bring the parties to the negotiating table in Switzerland in August, the army chief said it didn’t happen because “external parties interfered” with the process.

The Sudanese military accuses the United Arab Emirates of arming and equipping the RSF. The UAE was invited to a meeting in Switzerland in August and Burhan did not attend.

He said he was also not happy with how the invitation was sent to him – in his personal capacity, not as head of state. He added that any peace process should be purely Sudanese-led.

Asked about a July phone call he had with the leader of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Burhan said he told the Emirati that the RSF has received either direct or indirect assistance from the UAE in the forms of weapons and training.

He said MBZ, as the UAE leader is known, “promised to reconsider the situation.”

A report by a U.N. panel of experts earlier this year said there was substance to media reports that cargo planes originating in the UAE capital had landed in eastern Chad with arms, ammunition and medical equipment destined for the RSF.

Publicly, the UAE denies that it arms the RSF and says it has only sent humanitarian aid to Sudan.
…

your ad here

Gaborone, Botswana — U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, is working with southern African countries to combat gender-based violence in the military. This week, AFRICOM and regional military officials are holding a series of workshops in Zambia to strengthen regional collaboration in the fight against workplace harassment.

AFRICOM and its component, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, or USAFE-AFAFRICA, have united with the Zambia Defense Force to foster strategies to tackle gender-based violence in the region.

Botswana and Zambia are participating in efforts to strengthen regional initiatives against sexual assault.

Lieutenant Colonel Linda Jones, USAFE-AFAFRICA chief for African health engagements, said it is imperative to come up with strategies to fight gender-based violence in the armed forces.

“It is the responsibility of leaders that all of us set the tone, including an environment where everyone is valued and empowered to speak up against misconduct,” she said. “This involves not only enforcing policies but also modeling respect for behavior and actively supporting those who report incidents.”

In 2021, U.S. Defense Department officials reported sexual violence had reached the highest level ever reported, with 8.4% of women assaulted on duty.

U.S. Air Force Tech Sergeant Samara Brown said if left unchecked, gender-based violence can affect execution of military tasks.

“Gender-based violence undermines the core values of any military organization,” Brown said. “It erodes trust, disrupts unity, cohesion and ultimately compromises mission readiness. We must take a firm stand against it, not just as a matter of policy but a commitment to uphold the principles of honor, integrity and respect that define our service.”

Retired U.S. Air Force official and workplace development consultant Keith Castille facilitated the Lusaka workshop. He said such collaborations with the Zambia Defense Force can ensure gender-based violence is addressed within regional militaries.

“No military can tackle this issue alone,” he said. “By sharing knowledge and collaborating across branches and communities, we can develop more effective strategies to combat gender-based violence. Engaging in open dialogue, facilitating workshops and creating joint initiatives will enable us to learn from one another and strengthen our collective efforts.”

Attending the workshop in Lusaka, Zambian Defense Force Major Stephen Muleya said the military workplace must be free of gender-based harassment.

“When individuals know that they can perform their duties without the threat of harassment or violence, they are more likely to focus fully on their missions,” he said. “We must actively cultivate an atmosphere where everyone can thrive free from fear and intimidation.”

Zambian officials said they’re planning to open a regional office for innovative gender-based violence solutions.

Zambian air force legal adviser Major Glory Musonda said collaboration with U.S. partners should result in solutions to gender-based violence within the force.

“We all have a responsibility to build military environments where respect and dignity are upheld,” Musonda said. “It’s not enough to simply acknowledge the issue, we must  actively work toward solutions that ensure the safety and well-being of every service member.”

Meanwhile, officials representing the U.S. Army War College are in Lusaka for discussions on women, peace and security, which aligns with efforts to address gender-based violence in the region.
…

your ad here

johannesburg — South Africa is planning a massive mouse eradication project on a sub-Antarctic island to try to stop the invasive species from wiping out the precious seabirds that nest there.

Marion Island, in the southern Indian Ocean almost 2,000 kilometers from Cape Town, is a remote and windswept South African territory that’s home to extensive bird life, including the wandering albatross.

But those birds face an unusual threat: predatory mice that have been feasting on their chicks. The mice are an accident of history, but their population has been increased by climate change.

“The mice were introduced accidentally in the early 1800s,” said Anton Wolfaardt, a conservationist who is leading the program to eradicate the mice. “They came ashore – they were essentially stowaways on the vessels of the early seal hunters that visited the island.”

Huge jump in population

As the island has grown warmer and drier because of climate change, it has also grown more favorable for the mice. Now, by the end of the summer, the mouse population will have increased by 500 percent, he said.   

It was only fairly recently that researchers on Marion observed the mice preying on chicks, but the phenomenon has increased. 

The rodents are such a threat now, Wolfaardt said, “that experts predict that 19 of the 29 bird species on Marion Island face local extinction in the presence of mice.” 

Elsa van Ginkel, a researcher who was employed by the University of Pretoria to collect data on the island last year, said the island region was “truly out of this world. Walking among wandering albatross chicks every day and watching them grow into fledglings – wow, just wow, it’s an absolute privilege.”

But they are slowly being wiped out.

“These fledglings have no means of defending themselves from a mouse that actually starts eating it alive,” van Ginkel said. “It’s quite horrific.”

So Birdlife South Africa, a nongovernmental organization, and South Africa’s forest, fisheries and environment department are planning a major intervention to try to save the seabirds and restore the island to its natural state. 

Wolfaardt is heading the initiative, which is still seeking funding and is scheduled to take place in a few years.  

“Very simply, the operation involves broadcasting a specialized rodenticide bait, from bait spreader buckets that are slung beneath helicopters that are guided by GPS technology,” he said.

The pellets of rodent poison won’t negatively affect the rest of the flora and fauna on the island, experts say.  

A similar project has been undertaken before. In the 1940s, feral cats were introduced to Marion Island to try to control the mice, but then the felines started preying on the seabirds.  

The cats were successfully eradicated in the early 1990s, although that, of course, left the mice to flourish.
…

your ad here

Nairobi — As cases of mpox rise across the African continent, public health experts and world leaders are sounding the alarm, saying more needs to be done to contain the viral outbreak.

Fifteen countries in Africa are assessed as having active outbreaks, with Morocco being the latest to report a case.

Samuel Boland, mpox incident manager for the World Health Organization regional office for Africa, said that while the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi account for almost 90 percent of confirmed cases, more instances are popping up in other countries.

“DRC, Burundi [are] especially affected but also Cameroon, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, Liberia, Uganda, Kenya, Gabon, Rwanda, South Africa and Guinea,” he told VOA, speaking from Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo.  

The WHO says two distinct clades, or strains, have been identified. Clade I was formerly known as the Congo Basin clade, and Clade II was formerly West African clade. 

Previously known as monkeypox, the viral disease can spread through close contact between people, according to the World Health Organization, and occasionally via objects and areas touched by a person with mpox. 

Signs and symptoms include fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.  

Boland said there have been 6,580 confirmed cases so far this year, but there’s a bigger number of suspected cases. Suspected cases are clinically compatible with mpox but may not have been tested due to various limitations in several countries. That number has climbed to nearly 32,000. 

“Now amongst that large number of suspected cases, 844 people have died. But when focusing on the confirmed cases this year as in from the first of January, 32 people have, unfortunately, passed away,” Boland said.

In a virtual briefing last week, Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said mpox is not under control in Africa. He said that while vaccine donations are trickling in, the amount is insufficient to contain the outbreak. 

“Today, we have almost around 4 million commitments of doses, but we say we need more,” Kaseya said. 

U.S. President Joe Biden, in an address to world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 24, 2024, highlighted the need to “move quickly” to confront the mpox outbreak in Africa.  

“We’re prepared to commit $500 million to help African countries prevent and respond to mpox and to donate 1 million doses of mpox vaccine now,” he said. 

No specific date was given as to when the vaccines will arrive in Africa, but Biden said the investments will be delivered bilaterally, through existing relationships with partner countries, as well as through multilateral institutions.  

In addition to vaccines, Boland said this mpox outbreak requires interventions across the full spectrum of the public health sector. He said the world needs to scale up and make sure it can deliver in several areas.  

“Things like surveillance, which will include case investigation and contact tracing — both going out into communities and looking for cases,” he said. “Also engaging and encouraging communities to report cases when people become unwell.”  

He said this approach includes infection prevention and control, case management and vaccination. 
…

your ad here