Malawi’s medium-term growth outlook is improving because of bold reforms undertaken by the government in 2023 to stabilize the economy, although other numerous downside risks related to climate change, continued foreign exchange challenges, delays in the implementation of key macro-fiscal and structural reforms persist. Growth is therefore expected to increase only moderately in 2024, according to the latest World Bank Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM). The World Bank’s MEM provides a semiannual […]

The 20-mile journey from El Geneina, capital of Sudan’s West Darfur state, across the Chadian border to Adré has become a common escape route for people fleeing the violence that has gripped the city for nearly a year. After the Sudan conflict erupted in Khartoum last April, El Geneina quickly became a flashpoint in the fighting, and ongoing instability continues to send civilians in droves to neighboring Chad—including those from the Masalit community […]

The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is extremely concerned about a recent announcement that the global cholera vaccine stockpile has been exhausted. As a high number of countries are reporting outbreaks, more manufacturers—existing and new—must urgently help boost the global supply, said MSF. “The world’s oral cholera vaccine stocks have dried up,” said Dr. Daniela Garone, MSF’s international medical coordinator. “This is a worrisome situation as 16 countries worldwide are reporting […]

Leading IOCs are affirming their commitment to African oil and gas – a positive indication for service providers, drilling contractors and the industry at-large. Speaking in Nigeria earlier this month, high-level representatives from TotalEnergies, Shell and Chevron all confirmed multi-million-dollar investment projects in the pipeline, from driving frontier exploration to delivering gas from mature markets. With the Invest in African Energy (IAE) forum (https://apo-opa.co/3wDmkZa) in Paris fast approaching this May, now […]

“I used to feel fear when it was night time,” mother-of-two Nurto Abdi Osman told UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Ms.Osman was seven years old when she was forced to undergo female genital mutilation. The dangerous procedure left her grappling in agony for days, bleeding until she passed out. Later, she found that her vaginal opening had been blocked. "My wedding days also represent painful memories,” […]

Through a grant from the JSF Programme, Momar Taal realized his dream of creating a processing facility that sources produce from local farmers and packages it for regional distribution. The company is called Tropingo Foods, and it collects the best agricultural produce from the Gambia’s rich, fertile lands and sells it locally, regionally, and internationally. Taal is a business maverick in the Gambia who is always on the lookout for […]

Noureldin Abdelwahid, 12, lives with his parents and 11 siblings at a gathering site for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ed Damazine, the capital of Blue Nile State, in south-east Sudan. Noureldin contracted polio when he was younger, which affected his life profoundly.  His father, Elnour, explained: "We didn’t know much about his condition, and we were also struggling economically, so we did not pay much attention to it. Unfortunately, […]

The newly appointed Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) to Somalia, Mr. Sivuyile Thandikhaya, on Sunday February 25, 2024, arrived at the Mission Headquarters in Mogadishu to begin his duties. Mr. Bam, a South African brings extensive experience in conflict resolution and analysis to the role, having previously served as the Head of the Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) of the African Union Commission […]

The Directorate in charge of Financial Reporting and Grants of the ECOWAS Commission, organizes from 26 to 28 February 2024, in Abuja, Nigeria, a technical meeting to exchange with Technical Departments of the Commission on ways and means to improve implementations for effective and efficient management of grants operations within the ECOWAS Commission. Over the years, gaps in information sharing have been identified between the Technical Departments and the Directorate […]