On 3 March, the state governors decided to block a vote that could have set in motion President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s enforced resignation on medical grounds. This has won his supporters in Abuja more time but does nothing to resolve the crisis caused by the power vacuum at the centre of government.
Go here to see the original:
Nigeria: Reappearance of the President Has Worsened the Political Paralysis - and the Splits in the PDP Government
The Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Niger-Delta have destroyed fresh 500 illegal crude oil refineries and arrested six suspected oil thieves at Egbekebor and Gbelekumor communities in Delta State.
Originally posted here:
Nigeria: Task Force on Niger-Delta Destroys Illegal Refineries, Arrests 6 Suspected Oil Thieves
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has directed the military junta in Niger Republic to immediately conduct elections to replace former President Mahmoud Tandja who was ousted in a coup last week.
Continued here:
West Africa: ECOWAS Leader Demands Fresh Polls in Niger
An approaching food crisis in Niger has prompted the United Nations and its NGO partners to issue an appeal for aid internationally. According the United Nations, 7.8 million Nigeriens, or three-fifths of the country’s population, are facing moderate to severe food security due to lack of rainfall during the rainy season and resulting insufficient harvests.
Read more:
Niger: UN Calls for International Aid to Thwart Second Food Crisis
Sub-standard antimalarial medicines are still sold widely in Madagascar, Senegal, and Uganda, according to a recently published study by United States Pharmacopeia (USP), a non-governmental organization dedicated to monitoring standards and quality of medicines and food around the world.
Invasive bush species in Namibia makes large areas of land unusable and creates a problem for rural farmers. The bush infestation in Namibia affects 26 million hectares and has lead to a 60 percent decline of commercial livestock over the last 40 years, causing losses to the national economy, according to Combating Bush Encroachment for Namibia’s Development (CBEND).
More:
Namibia: Converting Country’s Bush Encroachment Problem into Clean Energy
A joint mission of United Nations and African officials have met with those responsible for last week’s coup d’état in Niger as they visited the capital, Niamey, to assess the situation on the ground.
Read the original here:
Niger: UN, African Officials Meet with Coup Leaders during Mission
New research could bolster arguments for a controversial approach that could eradicate HIV transmission in South Africa within five years, said Dr Brian Williams of the South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA).
View original post here:
South Africa: New Research Fuels ‘Test and Treat’ Debate
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned the coup d’état in Niger after renegade soldiers reportedly stormed the presidential palace on Thursday with the stated aim of returning the country to democracy.
Go here to see the original:
Niger: Deploring Coup in Niger, Ban Calls for Peaceful Resolution
Opposition parties, Niger’s largest union and members of civil society announced their support on 19 February for a military ruling council that abducted President Mamadou Tandja the day before and suspended a contested constitution.
Original post:
Niger: Is Coup Retaliation for Tandja’s Wrongs?