Day: April 7, 2021

WASHINGTON – The death toll from inter-communal clashes in Sudan’s West Darfur state has climbed to 87, with 191 people injured, according to the United Nations. Thousands have fled the state capital, El Geneina, where fighting has raged for several days between Arab militia and Masalit tribesmen. About 3,300 people fled the neighborhoods of Hay Al Jabal, Al Jamarik, Althawra and Tadamon to nearby mosques and public buildings, the United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. Some civilians fled to neighboring Chad. The OCHA statement said…

JOHANNESBURG – About 80 law enforcement and judiciary officers participated in last week’s inaugural West Africa Joint Operations regional exercise — a small figure compared to the thousands of personnel who sometimes take part in military-led counterterrorism exercises. But this modest exercise could have a big impact against terrorism, said Julie Cabus, deputy assistant secretary and assistant director of the training directorate in the U.S. Bureau of Diplomatic Security. For this exercise, Cabus said, trainers and participants examined the complex systems of courts and law enforcement in several West African…

JOHANNESBURG – A pandemic has blanketed the planet. Economies have cratered. Across the world, people are scared, anxious and unsteady about the future. And you want to talk about climate change? Yes, say African leaders. Now. African heads of state met virtually this week to make a push for the global community to do more to fight climate change in Africa, arguing that this environmental crisis could — and in fact, is — making the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic worse in the developing world. They are pushing a bold,…