October « 2016 « Afronline – The Voice Of Africa

South Sudan: how cows fuelled the war and how they can consolidate peace

Tracking the progress of South Sudan’s civil war is a near-impossible task. Little reliable news arrives in Juba, and the spin doctors from each opposing side are masters of the art. So the legion of war-watchers in the capital – the diplomats, the peacekeepers, the humanitarians, and the journalists – deploy a crude proxy to figure out what’s going on. “Just follow the president’s cows,” they say. They are only half joking.

Burundi: Hunting for CSOs intensifies

Oct31

Bujumbura – The striking off and suspension of several civil society organizations (CSOs) by the Burundian government causes fear for the regime and doubt about its governance. Five of them are accused of “carrying out activities that are not in accordance with their goals set out in their statutes and which are likely to disrupt the order and security of the state.”

Africa and the Paris Agreement: Which Way Forward?

Oct30

Addis Ababa – The Paris Agreement on climate change is set to enter into force on Nov. 4, after it passed the required threshold of at least 55 Parties, accounting for an estimated 55 per cent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, ratifying the agreement.

Social Media Becomes Mugabe’s Nightmare

Oct27

Rome – In a WhatsApp video that went viral in September, a middle-aged Zimbabwean man addresses President Robert Mugabe, telling him that 90 percent of the people in the country are unemployed and do not contribute to the economy because Mugabe cannot provide jobs.

EU aid: sustainable development at risk

Oct26

The European Union has again failed to meet its commitment to spend 0.7% of Gross National Income on Development Aid by 2015. The CONCORD Aidwatch report 2016 published today, entitled ‘This is not enough’, reveals that only five countries met their 2015 targets: Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom.

Is the EU’s migration partnership approach with African countries balanced?

Oct24

Brussels – The implementation of the Valletta Action Plan and the EU Migration Compact for cooperation on migration with African countries are not perceived as balanced or as being conducted in a spirit of true partnership by all parties, writes ECDPM’s experts. This risks undermining the EU’s image as partner in the area of migration and development and may undermine principles of good donorship.