Africa News Headlines for 12 December 2014

Antiporn law screws risque Ugandan singer
Source: Mail & Guardian

Why Rwandan men are rushing to be circumcised
Source: News of Rwanda

Mozambique sex workers learn to put life before money as HIV rates increase
Source: The Guardian

Africa Check: Does South Africa face an electricity grid collapse?
Source: Daily Maverick

South Africa: Don’t Let a Country’s Reputation Fool You
Source: Value Walk

Media Report: Advertising in Africa’s biggest economy
Source: MarkLives.com

Tutu marks 30 years since Nobel Prize
Source: Weekend Argus

Mugabe’s new ministers take oath
Source: SAPA

The Future of Egypt is in Education
Source: Egyptian Streets

Pulitzer-winning photojournalist dies in Liberia
Source: The State/AP

Six Africans Vie For $1m Global Teacher Prize
Source: Ventures Africa

Obama: US must remain vigilant in Ebola fight
Source: News & Observer/AP

Bad Hair Selfies Put Africa’s Rhino Poaching Crisis In the Spotlight
Source: The National Student

Three wise men from Africa promote reconciliation through interreligious dialogue
Source: National Catholic Reporter

Yale Programs Help Strengthen African Leaders, Businesses
Source: Yale University

China's Cnooc Says $2 Billion Uganda Oil Field Development on Course
Source: Capital.gr

FOREX Africa: How Will Oil Price Collapse Affect Africa’s Big Three Economies?
Source: AFK Insider

Moody's assigns first-time Ba3 rating to the Republic of Gabon; outlook stable
Source: Moody's Investors Service

Ugandan shilling edges down, outlook seen stable
Source: Reuters

Africa Focus: Ghana seeks law to protect HIV persons
Source: Shanghai Daily

Clearing Land Mines Becomes Women's Work in Mozambique and Beyond
Source: National Geographic

PHOTOS: 'Thousands' of Gambians Attend Antigay Rally
Source: The Advocate

Petition hopes to halt gay rights campaigner’s deportation to Uganda
Source: Pink News

Nigeria to Ghana Eurobonds Plunge as Oil Rout Hits Africa
Source: Bloomberg

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni lashes out at ICC, wants Africa to pull out
Source: Standard Digital

Vaalco strikes oil at Etame 8-H offshore Gabon but H2S remains a problem
Source: Oil and Gas Technology

Cameroon army kills 180 Boko Haram militants
Source: African Spotlight

A dynamic African woman lives up to Michelle Obama’s call to give girls the chance to go to school
Source: The Washington Post

EXCLUSIVE: Notorious British criminal and millionaire slum landlord Nicholas van Hoogstraten is bankrolling Mugabe’s ruthless wife ‘Gucci Grace’ to be the world’s first female dictator
Source: Daily Mail

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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

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Speeches to the United Nations General Assembly by African Leaders - Part IV

Nearly every sitting African head of state has spoken during the opening debate of the 69th United Nations General Assembly.

Here are brief excerpts from the speeches delivered by heads of state or their representatives on Saturday, September 27, with links to the full reported remarks, in chronological order.

For the speeches by African leaders that were delivered on  Wednesday, September 24, see this previous post. For those from Thursday, September 25, see this post. For speeches from Friday, September 26, click here.

His Excellency Ibrahim Boubacar Keita
President, Republic of Mali

[UN summary] "Terrorist attacks were on the rise in Libya, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tunisia and the Middle East, he said, expressing regret that terrorism was taking root under the name of religion. The Malian crisis in 2012 had led to the adoption of the United Nations Integrated Strategy for the Sahel. Ministers for Foreign Affairs in the region had decided to meet every six months. At the second meeting in Bamako on 16 May, the Malian Road Map had been adopted. He also expressed concern about extremists in Syria and Iraq, particularly the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), calling for the implementation of relevant United Nations resolutions. His country was committed to cutting the flow of illegal light and small weapons, a factor contributing to violence. The Arms Trade Treaty as a genuine step forward."

His Excellency Salva Kiir
President, Republic of South Sudan

"The conflict in South Sudan is purely a political struggle for power -- not an ethnic conflict as reported. The citizens displaced by the conflict, especially in the three States of Jonglei, Unity, and Upper Nile, have sought refuge in the neighbouring states of Lakes, Warrap, Central Equatoria, and Eastern Equatoria, and in the neighbouring countries. These innocent victims of the conflict urgently need and deserve humanitarian assistance. We, therefore, thank the United Nations, the Government of Norway and the other stakeholders for organizing the Donor Conference in Oslo, Norway, in May 2014, to support our humanitarian needs. We also deeply appreciate and welcome the High-level Ministerial Meeting on South Sudan, which the UN organized in the margin of the 69th Session of UN-GA on 25 September 2014 during which a number of donors made [pledges] of support. My Government is fully committed to render humanitarian access and has taken the necessary measures to facilitate access for Humanitarian Agencies."

Her Excellency Catherine Samba-Panza
President, Transitional Government of the Central African Republic

[UN summary] "On the humanitarian front, she said that the number of internally displaced persons had dropped; 81 per cent had left the camps and returned to their communities. Yet, the situation was generally concerning as it hinged on fragile security. The conflict had cut the country's economic growth rate by 36 per cent in 2013, plunging it into recession. She expressed hope that the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on rapid disbursement of funds would put the country on a path of growth. On the political front, she had focused on "disarming hearts and minds" through national reconciliation. The Ebola outbreak and the spread of Boko Haram and the Lord’s Resistance Army, or LRA, terrorist groups in neighbouring Nigeria and Cameroon were also worrying."

His Excellency Prosper Bazombanza
Vice-President, Republic of Burundi

[UN summary] "His Government was preparing for the upcoming presidential and general elections, scheduled to begin in May 2015, he said. Owing to the adoption of a road map for the various political parties, the elections should be transparent, free and democratic. Parliament already had adopted the electoral code. The Independent National Electoral Commission announced the elections schedule last June. Among his Government’s efforts towards good governance was a law passed by Parliament to set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission under the 2000 Arusha Agreement. Consultations were under way for the election of its 11 commissioners. In addition, an ad hoc committee for the selection of candidates had been established by general consensus."

His Excellency Oldemiro Marques Balói
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Republic of Mozambique

"The principle of the right to self-determination continues to be central to the full enjoyment of human rights. In this context, the United Nations ought to continue to be engaged in the fulfillment of these rights by the peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara.

"Mozambique reiterates its full support to a just and lasting solution to the problem of Palestine through peaceful means, in accordance with the International Law and all the relevant Resolutions of the United Nations.

"On the Western Sahara, we note with encouragement the new initiative taken by the Chairperson of the African Union to appoint H.E. Joaquim Alberto Chissano, former President of the Republic of Mozambique, as a Special Envoy to the P5+Spain, an effort to step up the search for a solution that will ensure the fulfilment of the right of the Saharaoui people to self-determination, to which Mozambique reaffirms its unconditional support."

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Africa News Headlines for 14 July 2014

Nadine Gordimer, South African author, dies at 90
Source: BBC News

U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Approaches, Website Goes Live
Source: The White House

Cape Town carves out new African art museum
Source: eNCA

Are These New Rules A Lift For Uranium?
Source: OilPrice.com

Malala meets parents of abducted girls
Source: IOL News

Africa battles to get games on phones
Source: IT Web

Africa looks to youth for future development
Source: African Brains

Swaziland: Africa's last absolute monarchy
Source: Deutsche Welle

Dartmouth College welcomes fellows from Africa
Source: WCAX

Maputo regains its place as a trade hub for Southern Africa
Source: Macauhub

Power grid will be set up in West Africa – Mahama
Source: CitiFMOnline

CPJ urges respect for media freedom in South Africa
Source: Committee to Protect Journalists

Globeleq completes 138MW Jeffreys Bay wind farm in South Africa
Source: Energy Business Review

Cold Nights in Africa: How Temperature Threatens Birds
Source: NatGeo Newswatch

US father takes unclaimed African kingdom so his daughter can be a princess
Source: The Telegraph

Chinese firms indulging in corrupt practices in Africa: Envoy
Source: Business Standard

US offers Egypt late invite to Africa summit
Source: Channel NewsAsia

Lack of equity: A cause of many conflicts in Africa
Source: Sudan Tribune

China bemoans its people’s behavior in Africa—including undergarment ivory smuggling
Source: Quartz

External forces responsible for Africa’s instability – Wynter Kabimba
Source: Lusaka Times

Wealthy Somalis Flout Kenyan Law to Have Daughters Circumcised
Source: Bloomberg

Kenya begins potentially painful civil service shake-up
Source: Standard Digital

China Touts $14.4 Billion in Foreign Aid, Half of Which Went to Africa
Source: The Wall Street Journal

President Uhuru says role of women in Government to grow
Source: Standard Digital

Africa News Headlines for 9 July 2014

Americans Think Africa Is One Big Wild Animal Reserve
Source: The New Republic

US: African Leaders Should Honor Constitutional Term Limits
Source: Voice of America

Boko Haram: Terror’s Insidious New Face
Source: Newsweek

Canal+ launches new channel for Africa
Source: Digital TV Europe

Sasol begins study for gas-to-liquids plant in Mozambique
Source: SouthAfrica.info

Gabon signs Global Tax Convention
Source: Business Ghana

Sudanese president hold talks with Qatar’s Emir in Doha
Source: Sudan Tribune

Museveni era and the killing of the civil service
Source: The Observer

SABMiller to reduce water use by 14% in sustainability pledge
Source: Moneyweb

Big Beer: How Does SABMiller Stack Up?
Source: Guru Focus

Facebook Officially Doesn't Approve of Dead Animals or Baby Butts
Source: The Wire

Global effort needed to stem elephant slaughter: CITES
Source: Business Recorder

Djibouti In Legal Dispute With DP World Over Port Concession
Source: Gulf Business

Africa's Challenges Are Tech Startups' Opportunities
Source: The Wall Street Journal

Vatican, exorcism and witch hunting in Africa
Source: Sierra Express Media

Why Is Namibia Killing Its Rare Desert Elephants?
Source: Scientific American

Ugandan gay activist John Abdallah Wambere, unable to return home, visits Portland to screen "Call Me Kuchu"
Source: The Oregonian

Immunity for African Leaders?
Source: Africa in Transition

President Uhuru Kenyatta banks on reform agenda to create more jobs
Source: Standard Digital

Now Small Farmers In East Africa Can Sell On The World Market
Source: Huffington Post

UNSC concern over Ebola, terror threats in West Africa
Source: Firstpost

W’Africa gets innovative cancer care facility
Source: The Guardian Nigeria

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 12 June 2014

Sex toys may be illegal in many African states but social taboos are fading
Source: The Guardian

Afreximbank to inject over $18m into Gabonese economy
Source: StarAfrica

African Wildlife Conservation and Kenya’s Wildlife Policy Act
Source: Africa in Transition

Total starts new oil operations in Angola
Source: UPI

FEATURE: Is there enough funding for startups in Africa?
Source: HumanIPO

Canada not exploiting competitive advantages to boost African trade: forum told
Source: Montreal Gazette

Economic and Financial Integration, a Must for Africa: Moroccan Minister
Source: Morocco World News

Africa-America Institute Begins Conversations on Africa Series in Washington
Source: Sierra Express Media

Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Population a Humanitarian Disaster Waiting to Happen
Source: Africa in Transition

Made In Africa, Duty-Free In The US, And About To Expire. Will the Sun Set On AGOA?
Source: AFK Insider

Germany adopts new Africa policy: ambassador
Source: Global Post/Xinhua

Hillary Clinton says in memoir that there's very little U.S. military presence in Africa
Source: Tampa Bay Times/Politifact

Kenya, Israel to resume direct flights after 12 years
Source: World Bulletin

Towards Making Africa an Innovation Hub
Source: This Day Live

Zimbabwe leads Africa in literacy
Source: Bulawayo 24

What Africa's children need to succeed
Source: The Guardian

Is Brazil losing interest in Africa?
Source: Eye Witness News

Q&A with the South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool
Source: Africa Agribusiness

Terrorism threat cripples Kenya's tourism industry
Source: Sowetan

West Africa needs to look at partially decriminalising drugs, says thinktank
Source: The Guardian

Why a U.S. Partnership with Africa Makes Sense
Source: Institutional Investor

Africa and West pledge more support in war against Boko Haram
Source: Reuters Canada

MasterCard Index Ranks Africa’s Cities with Highest Growth Potential
Source: StarAfrica

Africa and the FIFA World Cup - a historical journey
Source: GhanaWeb

Metals of Africa raises funds; focus on Rio Mazoe Project in Mozambique
Source: Proactive Investors Australia

Meet Ranger Jay: The extraordinary adventures of Jay Katzen
Source: Anchorage Press

Engaging Wall Street On Power Africa
Source: 3BL Media