Africa News Headlines for 11 December 2014

UN Launches International Decade Of People Of African Descent
Source: Bernama

Nigerian Ex-Ruler Buhari Wins Opposition Presidential Ticket
Source: Voice of America

Dissident ‘choirboy’: Rwandan gospel star on trial
Source: Aljazeera

The Radio Battle to Educate Ebola’s Kids
Source: The Daily Beast

Ebola outbreak: Vaccine trial put on hold
Source: The Independent

More Ebola victims found in Sierra Leone
Source: UPI

US Analysts Weigh Nigeria, Russia Arms Deal
Source: This Day Live

Lesotho parties sign electoral pledge
Source: The Citizen

S. Africa pledges to address power outages
Source: Global Post/Xinhua

Uganda launches food aid initiative to South Sudan
Source: New Vision

Sioux Falls group brings relief to South Sudan
Source: Argus Leader

Uhuru to switch on Sh6bn lighting project for Nairobi
Source: Capital FM

Low grid capacity dampens Nigeria’s trans-African power export hope
Source: Business Day

Seychelles accepted as a member of the World Trade Organisation
Source: Seychelles News Agency

Ethiopian voted as The Best Airline to Africa by Premier Traveler Magazine Survey
Source: Ethiosports

Museveni in Kenya for Northern Corridor Summit
Source: New Vision

South Korea avails US$25m loan for Mozambican hospital
Source: StarAfrica

South African president begins state visit to China
Source: Capital FM

Kenya, Ethiopia sign border security agreement
Source: StarAfrica

What we can learn from Tanzania’s hidden socialist history
Source: The Guardian

Security Council voices concern over security in Central Africa
Source: Business Standard

Gov’t, stakeholders debate cyber security, internet freedom
Source: New Vision

Capital FM video was among most watched in Kenya
Source: Capital FM

African Universities or Universities in Africa
Source: Inside Higher Ed

Governance is a key tool for MCC in changing Africa
Source: The Hill

IMF warns on South African economy
Source: Financial Times

Dr. Dan Leads $139 Billion Fund in South Africa’s Frail Economy
Source: Bloomberg

About Sub-Saharan Monitor

African Union sponsors AGOA retreat for Washington diplomatic corps

On July 2 and 3, the African Union Mission to the United States will host a retreat for African diplomats based in Washington, D.C., to discuss prospects for renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

Held at the Bolger Center in the Washington suburb of Potomac, Maryland, the two-day event will feature several panel discussions, presentations, white papers, and open-ended conversations about AGOA's past successes and failures and what the future holds for U.S.-African trade relations.

The opening panel on the morning of July 2 will be moderated by Tanzanian Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, with remarks by Ambassador Amina S. Ali of the African Union Mission, the AU's commissioner for trade and industry, Mrs. Fatima Haram Acyl, and Ethiopian Ambassador Girma Birru, who also chairs the AGOA Consultative Group.

The second panel of the day is called "Reauthorization of AGOA: The State of Play, Challenges, and Opportunities." The moderator will be Ambassador Girma, with a presentation by Botswana's Ambassador Tebelelo Mazile Seretse and a white paper read by Jane Karonga, a program management officer at the African Trade Policy Center and the Regional Integration and Trade Division of UNECA (United Nations Economic Commission for Africa). The panel will also include a presentation on strategies for the reauthorization of AGOA by South African Ambassador Ibrahim Rasool.

After lunch on Wednesday, there will be a discussion led by Moono Mupotola, division manager for NEPAD Regional Integration & Trade Department at the African Development Bank (AfDB) on the topic, "The African Development Bank: Its Role in Supporting U.S.-African Trade and in Advocating the Renewal of AGOA." The discussion about this paper will be moderated by Zambian Ambassador Palan Mulonda.

That panel will be followed by a discussion with the unwieldy subject "the Implications of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations and Regional Agreements on the Process of AGOA Reauthorization." Professor Molapi Sebatane, ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho, will moderate the conversation, which will include a presentation about the European Union's economic partnership agreements (EPAs) by Namibia's ambassador in Brussels, Hanno Berkhard Rumpf.

The day's events will close with a discussion about the next AGOA Forum, moderated by Senegalese Ambassador Cheikh Niang.

The second day will begin with presentations by U.S. government officials, moderated by South African Ambassador Rasool, followed by presentations by U.S. congressional staff members from the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee. That second panel will be moderated by Malawian Ambassador Steve Matenje.

The post-lunch panel will include presentations from various private sector organizations, including think tanks and representatives of the African diaspora. Cameroonian Ambassador Joseph B.C. Foe-Atangana will moderate.

The day will close with a summing-up conversation moderated by the Ambassador of Mozambique, Mrs. Amelia Matos Sumbana, and farewell remarks by Commissioner Fatima Haram Acyl.

Africa News Headlines for 19 April 2014

Nearly third of Africa implementing climate “smart” schemes
Source: Energy Live News

Strife-weary CAR nostalgic for bloody 'emperor'
Source: Mail & Guardian

Lesotho’s law rejects women chiefs
Source: IOL News

Can South Africa lead Africa?
Source: Aljazeera

Polio Threatens To Spread Through Central Africa
Source: NPR

In Central African Republic, a town embodies the nation's conflict
Source: Christian Science Monitor

In Shift to Africa, US Troops Find Complicated Relationships
Source: Army Times

For rapid growth, Africa is the new China
Source: The Globe and Mail

Interview: UN official draws attention to Africa's economic potential
Source: Xinhua

ANC faces election backlash by disillusioned South Africans
Source: The Irish Times

Mugabe slams Europe's 'homosexual nonsense'
Source: Mail & Guardian

Coke Creates Giant Rainbows To Help South Africa Celebrate 20 Years Of Democracy
Source: Marketing Land

World Economic Forum On Africa: Experts Seek To Involve SMEs
Source: AFK Insider

Addis Ababa to host U.S.-Africa energy summit
Source: Turkish Press

Africa's financial services sector presents opportunities
Source: Authint Mail

Navy Partners US, Others to Fight Oil Theft in Gulf of Guinea
Source: This Day Live

Rail provides foundation to economic take-off
Source: Standard Digital

Africa News Headlines for 14 April 2014

Tourists head to Gabon seeking psychedelic enlightenment through 'iboga'
Source: The Star

Weekly Map of Political and Ethnic Violence in Nigeria
Source: Africa in Transition

The Long Shadow of Rwanda on (Central) Africa
Source; Somaliland Press

Turkey To Help Kenya Modernise Its Police Force
Source: Bernama

Nigeria’s GTBank Plans Africa Expansion
Source: Ventures Africa

Great potential between SA, Guinea - minister
Source: News24

Bharti's Africa safari goes slowly
Source: Business Standard

Nigeria Pays $10m to Ghana for Failure to Meet Gas Supply Agreement
Source: Energy Tribune

African journalists dodge daily threats
Source: Eyewitness News

Rwanda's Kizito Mihigo and Cassien Ntamuhanga arrested
Source: BBC News

Ethiopia: One of Fastest Growing Economies in Africa wants more
Source: Geeska Afrika

Cuba to be Represented in African Caravan Against Malaria
Source: Radio Cadena Agramonte

Joss Stone makes tour stop in Lesotho to see Prince Harry's charity work
Source: Star Magazine