Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | XINHUA | The impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent could be long-lasting, a senior African Union (AU) Commission official stressed on Wednesday. “The consequences of the pandemic could be long-lasting,” an AU statement issued on Wednesday quoted Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for …
Read More »Why Africa’s anti-epidemic efforts yield better results
Quick actions and cooperation among African countries helped slow down the spread of COVID-19 and avert a full-blown catastrophe in Africa, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said last week. | THE INDEPENDENT | His remarks were backed up by data from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). …
Read More »Postponing AfCFTA would be a mistake-African business leaders
But CSOs say carrying out negotiation virtually will defranchise majority of the stakeholders Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | African Business leaders across the continent have signed a joint letter calling for the ministers and heads of state to stick to the July 1 deadline for the free trade agreement …
Read More »I am optimistic about Africa’s future
Bience Gawanas is the special adviser on Africa to the UN Secretary-General. She spoke to the Africa Renewal’s Zipporah Musau on her role and priorities for 2020 What would you say are the three biggest challenges facing Africa today? I would rather talk about the opportunities in Africa. I want …
Read More »Sister Gladyce Kachope one of best teachers in Africa, wins $10,000 prize
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s Sister Gladyce Kachope of Immaculate Heart Girls Rukungiri, is one of three winners of the first Continental Teacher Prize. Kachope, Eric Ademba of Kenya and Augusta Lartey-Young from Ghana each win a prize of $10,000 for secondary school teachers. The African Union (AU) on …
Read More »Sudan’s next disaster
THE LAST WORD: Why the plan to hand Bashir over to the ICC is misguided and will likely be counterproductive THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | The new government of Sudan has given a major indication that it will hand its former president, Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, …
Read More »Counting the Somalia peacekeeping deaths
For the first time, a reliable count on how many fatalities AMISOM has suffered | PAUL D. WILLIAMS | New evidence has made possible a more accurate estimate of how many African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) personnel have died since the mission deployed in March 2007. My previous report …
Read More »Africa’s free trade area: the journey begins
The African Union launched the operational phase of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) at a summit in Niger last month. Vera Songwe is the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa that has been providing support for the AU during negotiations and ratifications. She spoke to …
Read More »Africa’s historic free trade deal a game changer?
Economists say significant challenges remain, including poor road and rail links, excessive border bureaucracy and petty corruption | THE INDEPENDENT | On July. 07, African nations officially unveiled a landmark trade agreement at the African Union Summit in Niamey, Niger, with the long sought-after agreement hailed as a historic …
Read More »AU leaders set to sign landmark trade deal at African Summit
Niamey, Niger | AFP | African leaders will meet Sunday in Niger for the African Union (AU) summit, to sign a landmark free trade agreement, and to discuss looming security and migration crises on the continent. In a “historic” moment for the 55-member bloc, according to its chairman Moussa Faki, …
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