Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for April 29th

Continue reading for a summary of recent news stories relating to some of the most pressing issues on the continent. We draw on a wide range of respected news sources, both from Africa itself and around the world. The themes of today's In the News post are updates on Ambassador Power's comments on security reform, displacement of the Sengwer in Kenya, Secretary Kerry's visit to Africa, progress in democracy of Burundi, foreign leaders assisting South Sudan, Nigerian brutalities, and security in Northern Mali.

Ambassador Power at U.N. Debate on Security Sector Reform
Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, for your briefing and for your constant efforts to enhance the UN's support for Security Sector Reform. I also want to congratulate you, Mr. President, Mr. Minister, for organizing this debate on a topic that is central to the Council's role in preserving international stability and peace. I applaud Nigeria's leadership on this issue. – US Embassy
To read more, please visit the embassy website here.

On the Edge of Home: The Forcible Evictions of the Sengwer in Kenya
This time last year, this community lived in the forest like their parents and countless generations of Sengwer people had for centuries before them. But from this December, the Kenyan government began forcefully removing them, destroying their possession and burning their homes. "The forest service officers even destroyed the fences in our farms, and the livestock destroyed our crops," says Arengwony. – Think Africa Press
To read more, please visit the Think Africa Press site here.

What to Expect from Secretary Kerry's Visit to Africa
Last Friday, the State Department announced that Secretary Kerry will travel to sub-Saharan Africa April 29-May 5, his first visit to the sub-continent as Secretary of State. First stop is Addis Ababa to meet with the African Union and the Ethiopian government "to discuss efforts to advance peace and democracy in the region." – Center for Global Development
To read more, please visit the Center for Global Development's site here.

New election law a step forward for Burundi
In a move likely to ease political tensions, parliamentarians in Burundi on 25 April adopted by consensus a new electoral code to guide the conduct of presidential, legislative and local elections due next year.  In 2010, alleged rigging in local elections led opposition parties to boycott parliamentary and presidential polls. Relations between the ruling party and its rivals have been strained ever since, giving rise to fears the country could slide back into conflict. – IRIN
To read more, please visit the IRIN site here.

UN rights chief arrives in conflict-wracked South Sudan
The UN's top human rights official arrived in South Sudan on Monday, officials said, amid an increase in global concern over the country's civil war and a wave of atrocities. A spokesman of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Joe Contreras, said High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay arrived in the capital Juba on a joint mission with Adama Dieng, the UN's special envoy for the prevention of genocide. – The East African
To read more, please visit the East African site here.

Kerry: US 'Closely' Examining South Sudan Sanctions
Secretary of State John Kerry says the U.S. is considering sanctions on people encouraging unrest in South Sudan, where political and sectarian violence has displaced more than 1 million people.
In an interview with VOA at the State Department Monday, Kerry said the Obama administration is "very, very closely" looking at possible sanctions, although he declined to specify whom the U.S. might target. – VOA News
To read more, please visit the VOA News site here.

Nigeria: surging bloodshed strains 'marriage of irreconcilables'
The March 14 raids by Fulani herders on Ungwan Gata and two other villages killed at least 149 people, locals and officials said. Fulani leaders said their own people had been attacked previously and had a right to defend themselves. Feuding over land and resources between rival communities in the Middle Belt has killed tens of thousands since independence from Britain in 1960. Fuelled by ethnic and religious antagonisms, the violence has been compounded since 2009 in Africa's No. 1 oil producer by a spreading Islamist insurrection in the northeast, led by a group called Boko Haram. That insurgency has killed thousands. – Reuters
To read more, please visit the Reuters site here.

Guns, Money and Prayers: AQIM's Blueprint for Securing Control of Northern Mali
Al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) is occasionally described as an operational branch of the global al-Qa`ida structure. Yet AQIM should not be viewed as an external al-Qa`ida force operating in the Sahel and Sahara. For years, AQIM and its offshoots have pursued strategies of integration in the region based on a sophisticated reading of the local context. AQIM and its offshoots leverage money, guns and prayers to establish their presence in poorly governed areas in the Sahel and the Sahara. Their use of religion is of particular importance in an area where the local governing administration, to the degree that it exists, is generally perceived by the domestic population as corrupt, whereas AQIM and affiliated Islamist militants present themselves as honest and pious Muslims. This is especially the case in northern Mali. – Combating Terrorism Center
To read more, please visit the Combating Terrorism Center site here.