Africa

The mixed-race Irish people searching for their African roots.

A new network in Africa aims to combat the “infodemic” of misinformation online surrounding COVID-19 and other health emergencies on the continent, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday. 

As 300 UK troops arrive in Mali, the BBC's Frank Gardner looks at the role of Islamist militants across Africa.

The 20,000 foreign fighters now in Libya represent “a serious crisis” and “a shocking violation of Libyan sovereignty”, UN Acting Special Representative Stephanie Williams said on Wednesday, during the latest meeting under the country’s political dialogue forum. 

The UN on Wednesday announced that agreement has been reached with the Ethiopian Government to allow “unimpeded, sustained and secure access” for humanitarian supplies to reach those in need across areas now under its control in Tigray.

How a group of people set out to clean up Cape Town's beaches.

BEC hacking is one of the most common types of cyber-attack and experts say Nigeria is its epicentre.

Child trafficking is rising in Mali, along with forced labour and forced recruitment by armed groups, due to conflict, insecurity and the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Tuesday. 

Doreen Moracha was born HIV positive is now an advocate raising awareness and fighting the stigma.

A Rwandan entrepreneur is pioneering the use of innovative farming technology that, he believes, is set to play a major role in feeding the growing population in his country, amid increasing pressure on arable land.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has launched an appeal for $147 million to support as many as 100,000 people fleeing Ethiopia’s Tigray region into neighbouring Sudan, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Monday.

How South African women defeated plans to restrict the movement of black South Africans.

Nurse Tshego is fighting a virus that brings her face to face with stigma, poverty and corruption.

A climate activist has won a prestigious prize for leading the battle to block it being built in Ghana.

The United Nations has strongly condemned an attack, on Saturday, against civilians in Nigeria’s restive Borno state, and underlined the need to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

The country has rebuffed African efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Tigray conflict.

BBC correspondents across the east Africa region explain the impact for Ethiopia and its neighbours.

November 28, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The Ethiopian Ambassador to Sudan Yibeltal Aemro said the sharp decrease in refugee flows into eastern Sudan confirms that life has returned to normal in Tigray region.

Amero sent a written to Sudan Tribune on Friday in response to an article published on Thursday about the sudden decline of the refugee's number crossing into Sudan after the control of the border area by the Ethiopian forces which prevent them from reaching the refugee camps.

The article also mentioned a report by the AFP correspondent about the situation in the border area of the Ethiopian side. He said that the government despatched Ahmarah officials and militiamen are now controlling the border area of Humera.

Ambassador Aemro, hover, denied the presence of the government forces near the Sudanese border saying they are deployed around Mekele city, 300km from Humera, where they are fighting the recalcitrant Tigray forces.

"The decline in the number of people who are crossing the border is because of return to normalcy in most parts of Tigray not because of the ban by the government forces," he said an email he sent to Sudan Tribune.

The Ethiopian diplomat went further to say that elements of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) who fled to the refugee camps in eastern Sudan seek to manipulate the international media.

"One also should understand the fact that the criminal elements within the TPLF, including those who crossed the border with the civilians, are deliberately trying to misinform the international community on the matter," he stressed.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, Friday was at Eastern Sudan's Ethiopian border to inspect the humanitarian situation of the refugees.

"Most of them want to return home, but only if fighting ends and they can feel safe and secure. Meanwhile, we are stepping up efforts to address their basic needs," said Grandi in a tweet posted after the visit.

UNHCR head said that over 43,00 refugees are now in Sudan.

In a statement on Tuesday, the UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the "free and safe movement of people searching for safety and assistance, regardless of their ethnic identity, across both national and international borders".

Yaqoub Adam Yaqoub, the director of the reception centre in Hamdayet told the Sudan Tribune on Friday that they are facing a severe shortage of shelter and housing equipment. He also complained of poor services despite the cold weather.

Yacoub added that more than 75% of the people fleeing the violence in the Tigray region are now in the centre.

He attributed the delayed transfer of refugees to the Um Rakuba camp, 70 kilometres inside Gadaref State to the severe fuel crisis and the shortage of vehicles.

For its part, the UNHCR said they helped to relocate nearly 10,000 refugees to Um Rakuba, as work continues to put up shelters and improve services.

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November 27, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Fadlallah Burma Nasser has been chosen as interim leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) until the general conference which will elect a new leader.

Nasser, a former general from the Misseriya tribe of South Darfur, was the firest de deputy of the late Sadiq al-Mahdi who died on Thursday 26 November.

The interim leader stressed the solid unity of the party membership and commitment to the vision of Sadiq al-Mahdi.

In his statement to the Sudan News Agency, Nasser, 81, said they work seriously to hold the party's general conference soon.

"Base conferences will be held at the level of city or county, district, states, then the general conference. Also, the various colleges will be represented," he said stressing that "the general conference will be attended by those who actually represent their grassroots."

The NUP was the first political party in Sudan, in accordance with the result of the last democratic election of 1986. Darfur region was the bastion of the Umma party in the past.

However, it is not clear if the party will be affected by the 17-year armed conflict and the emergence of armed groups which now seeking to be political forces.

Regarding the leadership of the religious brotherhood of Ansar, Nasser said that the current Secretary-General of the Ansar Affairs Authority, Abdel-Mahmoud Abu, will chair the group until the conference.

Al-Mahdi used to combine the leadership of the party with the brotherhood, which is the religious arm of the National Umma Party.

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Families fleeing the conflict in Tigray tell the BBC they have been cut off from relatives.