The embassies of Britain, Norway, and the United States have expressed grave concerns about possible new fighting in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State. The warning by the so-called Troika Embassies comes just days ahead of Pope Francis’ first visit to South Sudan on Friday for what the Vatican is calling a pilgrimage of peace.

Serious security alarms have been sounded barely 24 hours before Pope Francis arrives in South Sudan’s capital for what is seen as an attempt by Vatican to find a lasting peace in the war-torn nation.

Already, foreign embassies have sent out warnings of a possible outbreak of war in parts of the country.

The U.S., UK and Norway, who are also peace guarantors for South Sudan’s revitalized transitional government, said violence may break out in Upper Nile, the northeastern state that borders Ethiopia and Sudan on the north.

U.S. Ambassador to South Sudan Michael Adler told reporters in Juba that the Troika Embassies will always stand with those who call and work for peace in South Sudan.

“In that regard, we note with grave concern indications of preparation for renewed fighting in Upper Nile State. South Sudanese transitional leaders and political actors in Juba have a responsibility to act to prevent this and to find peaceful and sustainable solutions.”

Michael English of UNMISS, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, said he is concerned about reports of a military buildup in an area under the control of a militia group — the Agwelek forces. The group is under the command of former South Sudanese army general turned rebel, Johnson Olony.

Agwelek, a militia perceived to be friendly to the national army, has denied these allegations.

Last year, the militia group signed an agreement with the national government to integrate part of their forces into the national army.

Paul Achot is head of the Agwelek delegation to Juba, where he’s talking with government officials about implementing the agreement signed between Agwelek and the army in January 2022.

“There is no preparation of any sort, from our side, to go and attack anybody,” he said. “So I was surprised myself to hear the UNMISS, who is supposed to be neutral, pointing fingers against us, saying that we are preparing to go and attack other forces.”

In 2022, fighting between Agwelek and other militias displaced over 60,000 people.

The South Sudanese army says it is ready to defend the population in case of renewed clashes.

Meanwhile, the government said Thursday that it will deploy over 5,000 security personnel in Juba to ensure calm during the pope’s visit.

Pope Francis is coming to Juba to deliver a message of peace and reconciliation in a country still struggling with inter-communal violence. This will be a continuation of a process that began in 2019 when the pope hosted then-political foes President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar at the Vatican.

Pope Francis will be accompanied on the ecumenical visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.
…

Twelve African countries on Wednesday spelled out plans for ending AIDS in children by 2030 through an array of HIV testing, treatment and prevention programs.

The 2030 goal, which was announced by UNAIDS last year, was unanimously backed by representatives from the 12 nations gathered in Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam.

“All of us in our capacities must have a role to play to end AIDS in children,” Tanzanian Vice President Philip Mpango told the conference. “We must not remain complacent; 2030 is at our doorstep.”

The Dar es Salaam Declaration was announced at the first ministerial meeting of the Global Alliance to end AIDS in Children, which brings together the 12 countries with UNAIDS and other health agencies.

The 12 nations are Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Every five minutes

UNAIDS said that a child dies from AIDS-related causes every five minutes.

Just half of the children living with HIV worldwide are receiving antiretroviral treatments that can stave off AIDS, compared with three-quarters of adults with HIV, it said.

The new plan includes early testing for children, increasing treatment for pregnant women with HIV, preventing infections among breastfeeding women, and addressing rights and gender barriers that hinder access to services.

‘A winnable fight’

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima told the meeting “it fills me with hope that all of us in this room have committed” to the 2030 goal.

“It’s a winnable fight,” she said. “It’s a fight for our children.”

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the ministers “your leadership is crucial.”

“We have all the tools needed to make this a reality,” he said, “but we need your commitment and action.”
…

The United States on Wednesday voiced alarm over Sudan’s release of a man sentenced to death over the killing of an American development worker, denying there was any understanding between the countries.

Islamist gunmen shot dead John Granville, a 33-year-old U.S. Agency for International Development employee, along with his 40-year-old Sudanese driver Abdel Rahman Abbas in a hail of bullets on New Year’s Day 2008.

Sudanese authorities on Monday freed Abdelraouf Abu Zaid, who was convicted over the killing, with his lawyer saying it was a court decision in line with a 2020 compensation package by Sudan to Washington for past terrorism.

“We are deeply troubled by the lack of transparency in the legal process that resulted in the release of the only individual remaining in custody,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

He said it was “inaccurate” that the United States had agreed to the release as part of the 2020 deal, which removed Sudan from a blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism dating from the dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir.

As part of the deal brokered by then premier Abdalla Hamdok, impoverished Sudan paid $335 million to American survivors and families of victims killed in past attacks.

Hamdok, a civilian heading a transitional government, was seeking to reintegrate Sudan into the international community but he was ousted the following year by the military, setting back relations with the United States, which froze $700 million in economic support.

Price said the United States was seeking clarity on the release of Abu Zaid and was offering $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of two other people suspected in the 2008 killings.
…

The leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia met Wednesday in the Somali capital to discuss the ongoing fight against al-Shabab militants. The security summit took place amid an offensive by Somalia and its allies against the Islamist militants. Somalia in the past year has won significant victories against the group, which has also increased its counterattacks.

At least four mortar shells landed near the presidential palace in Mogadishu Wednesday, ahead of a meeting of heads of state and governments from the region.

There were no casualties reported in the attack, for which al-Shabab claimed responsibility.

The Frontline States Summit went ahead with Kenyan President William Ruto, Djibouti’s president, Omar Guelleh, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia and the host, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Earlier, Somalia’s information minister, Daud Aweis, told journalists in Mogadishu the leaders would discuss efforts by the Somali army and its clan militia allies to ensure peace in the region.

He said, the discussions here in Mogadishu will focus more on the operations of the Somali National Army in cooperation with the citizens with the aim of achieving lasting peace in the Horn of Africa and ensuring that the state of security in Somalia does not only end in Somalia but also extends to neighboring countries.

Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia contribute troops to the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia, ATMIS.

However, security analysts say today’s gathering explores more enhanced engagement among Somalia’s neighbors.

A communique from the meeting noted that the regional countries had agreed to mobilize resources to support the ongoing military operations in Somalia.

Matt Bryden is the founder of Sahan Research, a security and policy research group focusing on the Horn of Africa.

“The meeting of the frontline states in Mogadishu today, and the heads of state is really an essential step in advancing the fight against al-Shabab independently of wider peace and security issues, such as the role of ATMIS and security cooperation, economic cooperation between these neighboring states,” he said.

Bryden said the engagement among the regional states is long overdue, noting the regional bloc IGAD has previously called on member states to deal with al-Shabab as a regional problem.

Bryden said although al-Shabab is centered in Somalia, it has carried out deadly attacks throughout the region, especially Kenya, and has made incursions into Ethiopia and Djibouti.

“So, this is about Somalia and its neighbors not simply cooperating on the conventional or counterinsurgency battle against al-Shabab inside Somalia. It is about investigating, identifying and disrupting al-Shabab’s networks of financiers, facilitators and active supporters across the entire region,” he said.

Following the conclusion of the summit, the leaders of the four countries said they had agreed to establish a joint coordination mechanism and jointly plan a decisive operational strategy against the Islamist militants.

The U.N. Security Council has set December 2024 as the exit date for African Union forces from Somalia. However, that milestone has been termed overly ambitious in light of inadequate preparation among Somali security forces and the current strength of al-Shabab. 
…

Pope Francis on Wednesday urged Congo’s people to forgive those who have harmed them as he presided over a Mass before an estimated 1 million people who flocked to his first main event in Africa dedicated to peace and reconciliation for a country wracked by decades of violence. 

Many of the Congolese faithful spent the night before the Mass on the vast airfields of Kinshasa’s Ndolo airport and passed the hours before Francis’ arrival singing, dancing and getting jazzed up for the first papal visit since St. John Paul II’s last trip in 1985. 

They cheered wildly when Francis began a languid loop around the airfields in his open-sided popemobile, some of them running alongside or waving flags. Many of the women wore dresses and skirts made of pagne, a wax print fabric featuring images of Francis or other religious symbols. 

“Today I understand the enthusiasm of my grandmother when Pope John Paul II came,” said Julie Mbuyi, a 45-year-old mother of two who was wearing a Francis-themed outfit. “She was so excited to see him and the night before she couldn’t close her eyes!” 

The crowd cheered again when the Argentine pope greeted them in Lingala, one of four national languages of Congo that is widely spoken in the capital, Kinshasa. And they listened attentively as he urged them in his homily to open their hearts to forgiveness, citing the example of Christ who forgave those who betrayed him. 

“He showed them his wounds, because forgiveness is born from wounds,” Francis said. “It is born when our wounds do not leave scars of hatred, but become the means by which we make room for others and accept their weaknesses. Our weakness becomes an opportunity, and forgiveness becomes the path to peace.” 

Referring to the decades of violence especially in Congo’s east that has forced millions to flee their homes, Francis stressed that forgiving doesn’t mean pretending that nothing bad has happened. But he said the act of forgiveness creates an “amnesty of the heart.” 

“What great good it does us to cleanse our hearts of anger and remorse, of every trace of resentment and hostility!” he said. 

The morning Mass was Francis’ first big event in Congo after he arrived on Tuesday and, in his opening speech to government authorities, condemned the centuries-long plundering of Africa’s mineral and natural wealth by foreign powers. 

Later Tuesday, Francis was to meet with victims of the fighting in Congo’s east, where rebel groups have intensified attacks over the past year as they seek to expand their territory. The meeting was to feature testimonies of people who have suffered unspeakable atrocities. 

Francis had originally planned to visit the North Kivu provincial capital, Goma, but had to cancel the stop due to the fighting that has forced some 5.7 million people to flee their homes, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in Congo where already some 26.4 million people were facing hunger, according to the World Food Program. 

“When we heard that Pope Francis was no longer coming to our province of North Kivu, my husband and I decided to come all the way to Kinshasa to see and hear him,” said Jeanne Kahota as she waited for Francis’ Mass to begin. She said she was old enough to remember John Paul’s visit but wasn’t able to follow it closely. 

“That’s why we said to ourselves that this kind of appointment doesn’t happen every day, it’s exceptional and we didn’t want to miss it again.” 

Roughly half of Congo’s 105 million people are Catholic, according to Vatican statistics. 

Fighting in eastern Congo, which has more than 120 armed groups, has simmered for years but spiked in late 2021 with the resurgence of the M23 group, which had been largely dormant for nearly a decade. The rebels have captured swaths of land and are accused by the United Nations and rights groups of committing atrocities against civilians. 

Francis on Tuesday condemned the fighting and was to repeat his call for peace during his meeting with victims of the conflict. The appointment was to include a joint call for the victims to pardon their assailants, according to Vatican organizers. 

The Vatican estimated that 1 million people were on hand for Francis’ Mass, citing local organizers. The airport fields had a capacity of 1.5 million people and were not full by the time Francis’ Mass began. 

Among the faithful was Clément L’onde, who travelled from Kisantu, a town in the province of Central Kongo, more than 150 kilometers from Kinshasa. He planned to participate in all of Francis’ events. 

“To my children and to the children who stayed in my city, I will bring them the message of the Holy Father, the message of peace and reconciliation,” he said. 
…

A powerful al-Qaida-affiliated leader in the Sahel has been in secret talks with armed groups in northern Mali that, like him, are fighting militants backed by the Islamic State group, sources close to the meetings said.

The jihadist is Iyad Ag Ghaly, an ethnic Tuareg who heads the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), which has been battling the self-described Islamic State (IS) for influence in the Sahel.

He has recently held clandestine meetings in northern Mali, including with leaders of armed groups that have been fighting bloody battles with IS jihadists, the sources said.

They confirmed the talks had taken place but did not comment on mounting speculation that the GSIM would join forces with these groups.

Northern Mali is the birthplace of a jihadist insurgency that has destabilized the entire region and stoked fears that it could spread to countries farther south on the Gulf of Guinea.

Across the Sahel, thousands have died and millions have fled their homes to escape the violence.

“I was received on an individual basis and alone by Iyad Ag Ghaly lkala in the Kidal region last week. Others went in small groups. He said the same thing to everyone, about uniting the sons of the Kidal region,” a local leader told AFP, asking not to be identified.

Kidal is a crossroads region in the north that is not under the control of the Malian state but by a coalition of predominantly Tuareg groups called the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA).

The CMA launched a fight for regional independence in 2012 that was joined by jihadists, and which they later fanned into their insurgency.

In 2015, the CMA signed a peace agreement with the Malian government and pro-state armed groups.

Separate forces against IS

Today, the Kidal region is relatively unscathed from the violence sweeping Mali.

But south of the region, in the Gao and Menaka areas, the CMA, pro-state groups and the GSIM have separately been fighting IS for months.

Hundreds of civilians have died and there has been a mass exodus of people fleeing their homes.

The source who met Ag Ghaly said “he paid tribute to the expected amalgamation” of the CMA’s diverse groups, which could take place in February.

Ag Ghaly has been considered by many Malian commentators and officials as an unavoidable figure in efforts to end the country’s prolonged crisis.  

He was in contact with the government years ago, but the question of a dialogue between jihadists and the authorities has been off the political radar since the 2020 coup.

The recent meetings “aren’t new,” another leader in the north told AFP, saying that Ag Ghaly had always been in touch with powerful men in his region.

Russian ‘mercenaries’

Ag Ghaly also met representatives of the civilian populations, telling them of his willingness to “defend Sharia and protect them from the Malian army and Russian mercenaries,” a local government official said.

The ruling junta has forged close ties with the Kremlin, bringing in operatives that France and others say are from the Wagner paramilitary group.

Ag Ghaly “wants to impose himself as the uncontested leader of the northern Sahel,” said a foreign diplomat, adding that the question was how the junta would respond to “this worrying new landscape.”

The 2015 peace agreement has often been deemed crucial to efforts to end Mali’s bloodshed, but after much fanfare following its signing, it remains dormant.

In December, the CMA and other groups suspended participation in the deal, blaming what they called the junta’s “inertia” in tackling the crisis in the northeast.

An international team is expected to head to Kidal on Wednesday with the aim of reviving contacts over the agreement, diplomatic sources said.
…

Ghanaian photographer and film maker Paul Ninson has opened Africa’s largest photography library in Ghana’s capital, Accra.  The hub called the ‘Dikan Center,’ houses more than 30,000 photography books and collections on African photography pioneers, diaspora, and creatives.  Nneka Chile reports from Accra, Ghana.
…

Pope Francis on Tuesday is expected to land in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa’s largest predominantly Catholic country, for a landmark three-day visit.   

Here are five things to know about this vast nation:   

Mineral wealth, dire poverty  

The Democratic Republic of Congo is awash with minerals and precious stones, from gold, diamonds and coltan to tin, copper and cobalt.    

Harboring the Congo River — the second-largest in Africa after the Nile — the Democratic Republic of Congo also has huge hydroelectric potential, as well as 80 million hectares (197 million acres) of arable land.    

But decades of war and chronic mismanagement means that little of the country’s enormous wealth trickles down to the population of some 100 million people.    

About two-thirds of the Congolese population survive on under $2.15 a day, according to the World Bank.   

Ethnic mosaic  

Occupying a vast area the size of continental western Europe, the Democratic Republic of Congo is about 80 times larger than its former colonial power, Belgium.    

It is the second-largest state in Africa after Algeria.   

Some 250 different ethnic groups live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, speaking hundreds of different languages.    

French is the country’s official language, and local tongues Kikongo, Lingala, Tshiluba and Swahili are also officially recognized.    

Despite its size and diversity — the former province of Katanga tried to secede in the 1960s — there is a fierce sense of national unity.   

Troubled east  

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been ravaged by brutal conflicts in recent decades. The first Congo war, between 1996-1997, resulted in the overthrow of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.   

The second Congo war, between 1998-2003, sucked in nine different countries, involved about 30 armed groups and caused millions of deaths according to some estimates. It also bankrupted the country.    

Most of the Democratic Republic of Congo is now at peace, but its mineral-rich eastern provinces remain plagued by dozens of armed groups and civilian massacres are common. 

Secular, religious  

Secularism has been enshrined in the Congolese Constitution since 1974, which also recognizes freedom of worship.    

According to estimates, about 40 percent of the country is Catholic, 35 percent Protestants of various denominations, nine percent Muslims and 10 percent Kimbanguists — a Christian movement born in the Belgian Congo.    

Official Vatican statistics put the proportion of Catholics in the DRC at 49 percent of the population.   

Atheists are exceedingly rare in Congolese society, which remains deeply religious and influenced by the church. During the colonial period, education was entrusted to Catholic missionaries.    

Rumba, survival  

Congolese people are renowned for their sense of humor and resourcefulness in the face of trying conditions.    

Many jokingly refer to “Article 15” of the constitution, which purports to instruct citizens to sort things out themselves.    

Music also plays an outsize role in the country’s culture. UNESCO listed Congolese rumba as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity in December 2021.    

Congo is also famed for its so-called sapeurs — dandies known for their ultra-elegant clothing and sense of style.  
…

In the 1980s, more than 3 million people worldwide were infected with Guinea worm. At the end of 2022, the number of reported cases globally was down to 13.

There were 15 cases reported a year earlier, “which does not sound like a big reduction, but when you are dealing with very small numbers in very remote areas we take it as a huge step forward,” said Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program.

Guinea worm, a parasite usually ingested through contaminated water, grows inside the human body, then emerges through open sores creating intense pain.

When Weiss’ organization, founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, began spearheading the effort to rid the world of Guinea worm parasites in 1986, it existed in 20 countries.

In 2022, just four countries reported new Guinea worm infections in humans.

“We had six human cases in Chad, five human cases in South Sudan, and one in Ethiopia and one in the Central African Republic on the border with Chad,” Weiss told VOA during a recent Skype interview.

The Atlanta-based global nonprofit Carter Center is marking continued progress in the global fight against Guinea Worm infections as the World Health Organization recognizes World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day January 30.

Across the globe, from his office in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Dr. Zerihun Tadesse Gebreselassie was pragmatic about the overall eradication efforts.

“It’s both good news and at the same time, not so good news,” he explained during a Skype interview with VOA. Gebreselassie serves as the Carter Center’s senior country representative in Ethiopia, a nation on the cusp of complete Guinea worm eradication.

“We are doing surveillance by moving from house to house in each and every village which has historically been reporting cases. So, we found only one person, and we found him before his clinical manifestation — which means we suspected that this could be a Guinea worm case — we kept him in a facility called a case containment center,” Gebreselassie said.

The Carter Center also provides financial incentives for people to report any potential Guinea worm infections. That, coupled with a robust water source filter education program and continued monitoring efforts in countries where the parasite exists, is helping the Carter Center remove obstacles on the path to complete eradication.

“Since this is a global eradication program, even when you have one case, still you have to continue monitoring,” Gebreselassie said. “We have to get rid of all cases for three consecutive years.”

One of the biggest setbacks to declaring the world free of Guinea worm was its discovery in domesticated animals and wildlife.

“It was a punch to the gut back in 2012 when we started seeing infections,” Weiss said.

But after years of dramatic increases in the number of dogs and cats in remote villages carrying the parasite, 2022 showed encouraging results.

“The last several years we went from several thousand animal infections to this year being just over 600 animal infections in the world,” Weiss said.

But the magic number in the overall eradication effort is zero cases in both humans and animals.

“We have to get rid of it from all hosts in order to meet the definition of eradication,” Weiss said.

Gebreselassie is optimistic that the goal of complete eradication is in sight despite setbacks.

“We are in the last mile, which is the most difficult one,” he told VOA.

If the effort is successful, Guinea worm would be only the second disease eradicated from the planet, but the first through prevention as there is no medicine to treat, and no vaccine to prevent, infections.
…

Animal products such as beef, fish, poultry and dairy are heavily featured in many traditional African dishes. Some environmental and animal welfare advocates are hoping to change that by introducing plant-based dining to the continent.

Staff at Senegal’s first and only fully vegan restaurant, Casa Teranga, cook up local West African dishes such as mafe and yassa. But instead of the traditional ingredients of beef and chicken, they use chickpeas, black eyed peas, cassava and a colorful array of veggies.

The Dakar eatery is one of 15 in Senegal that participated in the recent Africa Vegan Restaurant Week, the first event of its kind on the continent. To qualify, participating restaurants were required to offer at least one vegan option on their menus.

Supporters of vegan eating say it’s one of the most impactful actions individuals can take to stop abusive animal agriculture practices and to fight climate change.

The phasing out of animal agriculture over the next 15 years would result in a 68 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions through the year 2100, according to a 2022 study.

Research also shows vegan diets can lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce rates of heart disease.

Dakar native Bashir Niang owns Casa Teranga with his wife. Although the restaurant is extremely popular among expats, he said it’s been difficult to convince his family, friends and other locals of the benefits of veganism.

“In the beginning, they can think that you’re crazy. They can’t imagine food without meat, fish or chicken. But I make a vegan version of mafe and they really appreciate it. They are happy; they say it’s really tasty,” Niang said.

Veganism

Animal products are ubiquitous in traditional Senegalese cuisine. The national dish, thieboudieune, a rice and fish platter, is often eaten for lunch and dinner.

Many locals see veganism and vegetarianism as a Western import that does not align with their culture.

Senegalese business owner Mour Mbengue runs Surf Black and White, a surf rental shop and roadside cafe in Dakar.

Like many Senegalese, he comes from a long line of fishermen and was raised on fish, he says.

For web: “Veganism is not African,” said Mour Mbenge, owner of Surf Black and White, a surf rental shop and roadside cafe in Dakar.

Like many Senegalese, Mbengue comes from a long line of fishermen and was raised on fish.

“God created animals to be eaten so we can survive,” he said. “Just like in nature, the big fish eat the small fish.”

Furthermore, as inflation has pushed many items out of reach for Senegal’s low-income population, he says thieboudieune has become the only dish many can afford.

“Without thieboudieune, we’d have a hard time getting by because everything else is too expensive,” Mbengue said. “Even thieboudieune is becoming more expensive.”

Overfishing along the West African coast has depleted fish stocks, causing prices to increase. Studies show that those that are left risk being contaminated with high levels of microplastics and heavy metals.

Anna Touré is the founder of Globisis, a nonprofit that fights climate change, and the Senegal coordinator for Vegan Restaurant Week.

A Franco-Malian, she maintains that veganism is not a Western concept reserved for the rich – rather, there are many vegan protein sources that are local to the region and have been relied on for generations.

“Eating black-eyed peas is much cheaper than eating meat, chicken or fish, which most of the Senegalese people can’t afford any longer. We are lucky enough to have everything in Senegal that can fit a plant-based diet,” said Touré.

Nuts, grains, and vegetables are all grown locally, Touré said, as are healthy specialties such as baobab fruit and moringa.

Nabaasa Innocent is the Africa coordinator for Vegan Restaurant Week and founder of the Uganda Vegan Society. Historically, she says, African cuisines were plant-based and meat was reserved for special occasions.

“But when the word ‘vegan’ comes in they try to Westernize it. So that’s why we’re bringing it back home to Africa. So, it’s not an import and my appeal to Africans is for us to embrace this practice.”

Across the continent, more than 50 restaurants in at least 20 countries took part in the event.

For a list of the vegan-friendly restaurants, visit www.africaveganrestaurantweek.com or check the hashtag #AfricaVeganRestaurantWeek.
…

The first U.S. Cabinet member to visit Somalia since 2015 urged the world’s distracted donors Sunday to give immediate help to a country facing deadly famine, which she calls “the ultimate failure of the international community.” 

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, heard perhaps the starkest warning yet about the crisis: Excess deaths during what is now Somalia’s longest drought on record will “almost certainly” surpass those of the famine formally declared in the country in 2011, when more than a quarter-million people died. 

This time, the world is looking elsewhere, many humanitarian officials say. 

“Many of the traditional donors have washed their hands and focused on Ukraine,” the U.N. resident coordinator in Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, told Thomas-Greenfield during a briefing in Mogadishu. 

While the U.S. ambassador declined to openly “name and shame” in her speech calling on donors for more help, saying “The countries know who we’re talking about,” the U.N. resident coordinator didn’t hesitate. 

The European Union, for example, funded just 10% of the humanitarian response plan for Somalia last year, Abdelmoula told The Associated Press. The EU gave $74 million and the U.K. $78 million, according to U.N. data. Japan gave $27 million and Saudi Arabia $22 million. 

The United States, meanwhile, funded roughly 80%, giving $1.3 billion to Somalia since the start of the 2022 fiscal year. The ambassador announced another $40 million on Sunday. 

But the U.S. “can’t continue to pay at that level, even if there were no Ukraine,” Thomas-Greenfield told the AP in an interview, adding that Washington would like to see countries in the nearby Gulf region, for example, donate more. 

She spelled out the fatal risks in the weeks ahead if other nations don’t step up. “According to the U.N., without contributions from other donors, critical food and nutrition assistance supporting 4.6 million people in Somalia will end” by April, Thomas-Greenfield said. 

That will be just as a sixth consecutive rainy season in the parched country is expected to fail. The U.S. is “deeply alarmed” by the dire situation, she told humanitarian officials. 

The ambassador delivered her speech in the seaside diplomatic compound at Mogadishu’s international airport, where bunker-bound officials try to respond to the growing crisis compounded by the security threat posed to large parts of Somalia from al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, al-Shabab. 

Tens of thousands of people are thought to have died in the drought that also affects parts of neighboring Ethiopia and Kenya. More than a half-million children under the age of 5 in Somalia alone have severe acute malnutrition, according to the U.N. children’s agency. Millions of livestock essential to families’ health and wealth have died. 

While the latest data assessment released last year found that Somalia had not met the benchmarks for a formal famine declaration, the U.N. and U.S. have made clear that the limited humanitarian aid has only delayed the worst. 

Almost 2 million hungry people in Somalia are at the crisis point where “bodies start to consume themselves,” a Western humanitarian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. 

There are now 2.7 million more people in need than during Somalia’s last famine in 2011, the official added. 

About 900,000 of them have been living in areas under control of the al-Shabab extremists, complicating efforts both to understand the drought’s toll and to reach people with help. 

But the death toll from the drought remains unclear even as fears grow. “I don’t think any of us know the number,” Thomas-Greenfield said. 

The last Cabinet member to visit Somalia was John Kerry as secretary of state in May 2015. 
…

A wave of attacks on villages in eastern DR Congo attributed to Islamic State-affiliated ADF rebels killed at least 15 people Sunday, local officials said. 

These latest killings come a week after a similar attack left more than 20 dead. 

“There were simultaneous attacks this Sunday between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. on three villages,” said local official Dieudonne Malangai. 

“In Manyala village we found seven bodies… at Ofay, there were eight dead, including seven women,” Malangai told AFP, and indicated that the final toll might be higher. 

A humanitarian source confirmed seven fatalities in Manyala and “at least eight” in Ofay. 

“These ADF rebels also attacked Bandibese village but ran into resistance from soldiers who intervened and so there were no civilian deaths,” Malangai said after the raids on three villages in the Ituri province bordering Rwanda. 

“We are tired of giving the death toll day after day,” he added. 

ADF fighters were also blamed for last week’s raids in the neighboring province of North Kivu which claimed at least 23 lives while in the same province at least 14 other people were killed in a bomb blast at a Pentecostal church. 

Islamic State portrays the ADF, which has its roots in Rwanda, as its central African incarnation. 

In an attempt to stem the violence, the government in May 2021 declared a state of alert in North Kivu and Ituri, replacing civil administrators with police and troops. 
…