The Commonwealth of Nations is celebrating its 60th Birthday in London this year.
This is not only a good time to reflect on its history, but also on its relevance to members today.
In other words, is the Commonwealth, as some argue, an organisation with marginal global influence and neo-imperialist tendencies that is no longer of any [...]
The current BBC Radio 4 series “Parting Shots” which recounts the practice by British Ambassadors and High Commissioners of sending a valedictory despatch on completion of their posting overseas has raised a few eyebrows around Africa and beyond. Traditionally outgoing ambassadors had complete freedom to write whatever they wished in their final despatch home – [...]
British foreign secretary David Milliband has said his government ‘makes no apology’ for the progress made in Libya’s entry back into the community of nations. He also rejected ‘repeated charges’ that pressure was put on the Scottish authorities by the British government to release the Libyan convicted of the Lockerbie bombing Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi.
In a statement [...]
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has been quoted as saying Chinese investment in Africa fuels development of the private sector in Africa, whereas western countries have mostly exploited the continent’s resources.
Kagame, who has won praise for running a disciplined administration and attracting foreign investors, told the German daily Handelsblatt Monday 12th October that European and [...]
Two African activists, Rene Ngongo and Catherine Hamlin, on Tuesday won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize”.
Ngongo, an activist working in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been recognised for his efforts in protecting his countries rain forests. Hamlin, based in Ethiopia for the last five decades, has dedicated her [...]
Burkina Faso
African leaders met to discuss their positions on climate change just two months before a crucial UN summit in Copenhagen.
The forum was held last week in the country’s capital Ouagadougou and concluded that billions of dollars will be needed to cope with the impact of global warming on the continent.
Salifou Sawadogo, Burkina Faso’s environment [...]
The UN has warned that more international effort is needed to cope with global hunger.
The annual report published Wed 14th October by the UN’s food and agriculture organisation (FAO) and the world food programme (WFP) reveals that 1.02 billion people – representing a sixth of the world’s population – are undernourished worldwide in ‘09.
This means [...]
When the announcement of a conference in London to ‘showcase Sierra Leonean progress to investors and donors from around the world’ was made last month it ignited the debate on aid once again.
Because, the conference would be about aid; frankly no serious investor would put substantial money into Sierra Leone at this point in time [...]
The international pressure is mounting for junta leader Capt Moussa Dadis Camara with the International Criminal Court (ICC) opening an investigation into the suppression of an anti-government protest last month.
The announcement comes just a day after Karel de Gucht, the EU’s development chief told reporters on Wednesday, that the incident in which more than 150 [...]
