For France’s Sahel Mission, Echoes of Afghanistan
The chaotic aftermath of Washington’s troop withdrawal from Afghanistan is being followed with a mix of trepidation and glee thousands of kilometers away — in Africa’s Sahel, where another foreign power, France, also vows to wind down its long-running…
Report: Final Approval of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine in US Set for Monday
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reportedly intends to grant full approval to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.The New York Times said the agency had planned to complete the approval by Friday but still faced “a substantial amount of paperwork …
Chad to Bring Home Half of Its Troops Fighting Sahel Militants
N’DJAMENA, CHAD – Chad has decided to recall half of its 1,200 troops battling Islamist militants in the tri-border area of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, a spokesperson for Chadian authorities said Saturday. Chad deployed the soldiers in February to su…
US Sidelined by Chinese Influence Campaign in Africa
China’s global ambitions may have taken a hit in the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan and India, but in Africa, its sustained power and influence are forcing Washington to recalibrate its strategy toward the continent, home to 54 nations. The Un…
At 60, Peace Corps Plots Return to World After Virus Hiatus
More than a year after COVID-19 began sweeping the world, abruptly cutting short her Peace Corps stint, Cameron Beach is once again living in rural Malawi — this time on her own dime.The Peace Corps, a U.S. government program marking its 60th anniversa…
Burkina Faso Again in Mourning After Jihadi Massacre
The impoverished Sahel state of Burkina Faso was plunged once more into mourning on Thursday after suspected jihadis killed 49 people in an attack that raised fresh doubts about its armed forces. The national flag was lowered to half-staff for three da…
COVID Pandemic Exposes Somalia’s Weak Health Care System
Rights group Amnesty International says Somalia’s struggling health care system has been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. The group released a report Wednesday titled ‘We Just Watched COVID-19 Patients Die.’ It calls for urgent investment in Som…
Biden Administration Official Congratulates Zambia’s President-Elect
The U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power congratulated Hakinde Hichilema Tuesday on his election as Zambia’s next president.A statement released by the agency said Power and Hichilema discussed how the “vigilant oversi…
Democracy Dims in Tanzania as Opposition Leader Remains Behind Bars?
When Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan took office in March, she vowed a U-turn in politics from her predecessor, the late John Magufuli. But the arrest of opposition leader Freeman Mbowe in July has dimmed hopes that Hassan will her turn back o…
People at Risk of Ebola in Ivory Coast Get Vaccinated
GENEVA – The World Health Organization has begun giving the Ebola vaccine to high-risk people in Ivory Coast, after a woman was diagnosed with the Ebola virus in Abidjan. On Saturday, Ivory Coast declared its first case of Ebola in more than 25 years….