insert_link Africa ICC awards $56 million reparations in Ongwen case The International Criminal Court has awarded reparations worth over 56 million dollars to victims in the case involving a former Ugandan rebel commander. Dominic Ongwen was a top commander in the Lord's Resistance Army; a militia rebel group that conducted a two-decades-long rebellion in Northern Uganda. Leon Ssenyange reports. todayFebruary 29, 2024 45
insert_link Africa Local activist opposes Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation Ghana's parliament has approved a bill criminalising LGBTQ+ identity and the formation or funding of LGBTQ+ groups, punishable by up to three to five years in prison, respectively. The bill will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law. Linda Baumann an activist for the rights of women, and the LGBTQI community says the bill should not be enacted into law. todayFebruary 29, 2024 35
insert_link Africa Oromia makes up a third of Ethiopia’s landmass and is key to its fortunes: expert unpacks its significance By Bizuneh Yimenu, University of Birmingham Ethiopia’s largest and most populous region, Oromia, has been in the news following reports of a rise in kidnappings for ransom. The region is no stranger to war and strife. Its people have long fought against political marginalisation. But the region is more than just the site of conflict. We asked Bizuneh Yimenu, who’s researched the region for over a decade […] todayFebruary 19, 2024 42
insert_link World Israeli siege has placed Gazans at risk of starvation − prewar policies made them vulnerable in the first place Displaced Gazan children wait in line to receive food. Belal Khaled/Anadolu via Getty Images Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida The stories of hunger emerging from war-ravaged Gaza are stark: People resorting to grinding barely edible cattle feed to make flour; desperate residents eating grass; reports of cats being hunted for food. The numbers involved are just as despairing. The world’s major authority on food insecurity, the IPC Famine […] todayFebruary 16, 2024 17
insert_link World Cute grandpa or authoritarian in waiting: who is Prabowo Subianto, the favourite to win Indonesia’s presidential election? By Tim Lindsey, The University of Melbourne Ambitious and mercurial, with a dark past, former army general Prabowo Subianto has spent a lifetime vying for the ultimate prize in Indonesian politics. Now, with a large lead in the latest polls ahead of this week’s election, it looks as though the presidency is finally within his grasp. So, who is Prabowo and how will he change Indonesia if […] todayFebruary 15, 2024 11
insert_link Environment HEATED: Challenging objectivity in climate journalism By Mike DiGirolamo, Rachel Donald Objectivity has been a main tenet of journalism since early in the 20th century, but its application is loosely defined and humanly impossible to achieve, some media experts argue. Presenting an issue like climate change as a debate with two sides, as is still somewhat common, is often justified under the banner of objectivity, but it’s only one of many dissonant standards that environmental reporters are […] todayFebruary 14, 2024 18
insert_link Namibia President Geingob supported freedom of speech and journalist safety: Aochamub By Andreas Thomas Former President Hage Geingob was a staunch believer in the rule of law, particularly in freedom of speech, media freedom, and the safety of journalists. This is how the late president’s former press secretary, Albertus Aochamub, who is currently the Namibian Ambassador to France, remembered his former principal. “What was important was his belief in the rule of law. And press freedom for him […] todayFebruary 14, 2024 10
insert_link South Africa South Africa pursues further legal action to stop Israel South Africa is pursuing further legal action on its genocide case against Israel if it continues its deadly attacks in Gaza. Department of International Relations and Cooperation Director-General Zane Dangor says they are writing to the ICJ to "consider additional provisional measures on Israel". Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for restraint in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city following reports of airstrikes in the area. Rafah is currently home to some […] todayFebruary 13, 2024 26
Africa Kenya’s sex workers have solutions to their problems, but international NGOs aren’t hearing them By Lise Woensdregt, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam In Kenya, rights organisations run by sex workers have gone into numerous partnerships with international organisations over the past decade. In recent research, I set out to understand whether these relationships worked in favour of the sex workers and their organisations. My research focused on an organisation in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, that supports male sex workers. Kenya’s laws punish activities related to […] todayFebruary 13, 2024 17