Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for April 8th

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 the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Kagame's exclusion of France from the commemoration, famine in South Sudan, economic recalculation in Nigeria, US-Uganda policy clashes, and papal endorsement for chastity to prevent HIV.

Rwandans mark 20th anniversary of genocide amid reminders that justice has yet to be done
On Monday, Rwanda launched a week of official mourning to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the massacres in which more than 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, died at the hands of Hutu extremists. The events, marked by displays of intense grief, began with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center. Later, at Kigali's main stadium, a flame was lighted that will burn for 100 days — the period covered by the killing sprees. – The Washington Post
To read more, please visit the Washington Post site here.

Rwanda president hits out at France during genocide commemorations
Rwandan President Paul Kagame took a thinly-veiled swipe at France on Monday, saying it was impossible to "change the facts" about the genocide 20 years ago. – Times Live
To read more, please visit the Times Live site here.

South Sudan cannot starve
A staggering 3.7 million people, roughly one-third of the population, are facing starvation in South Sudan, where a civil war has created a humanitarian catastrophe. But many countries have ignored or given short shrift to the United Nations' urgent appeal for aid. They must do better. Of the $1.27 billion the United Nations has requested for 2014, only $385 million has been received. – New York Times
To read more, please visit the New York Times site here.

How Nigeria Became Africa's Largest Economy Overnight
Something strange happened in Nigeria on Sunday: The economy nearly doubled, racking up hundreds of billions of dollars, ballooning to the size of the Polish and Belgian economies, and breezing by the South African economy to become Africa's largest. As days go, it was a good one. It was, in fact, a miracle borne of statistics: It had been 24 years since Nigerian authorities last updated their approach to calculating gross domestic product (GDP), a process known as "rebasing" that wealthy countries typically carry out every five years. When the Nigerian government finally did it this week, the country's GDP — the market value of all finished goods and services produced in a country — soared to $510 billion. – The Atlantic
To read more, please visit the Atlantic site here.

U.S. foreign policy and Ugandan domestic politics collide
Just weeks after the United States announced additional American troops and aircraft would be deployed to Uganda to hunt rebel leader Joseph Kony, Ugandan officialsstormed a U.S. military-affiliated research institution, the Makerere University Walter Reed Project, in the country's capital, Kampala. The Walter Reed Project raid highlights challenges to U.S.-Uganda relations, strained both by the fractured nature of U.S. foreign policy toward security allies like Uganda and the lack of coordination across Uganda's numerous security agencies. – The Washington Post
To read more, please visit the Washington Post site here.

Pope presses anti-AIDS chastity strategy in Africa
Pope Francis has praised church workers in Africa who promote chastity as a key way to prevent the spread of HIV. Francis was speaking Monday at the Vatican to bishops from Tanzania. Many non-Catholic health care workers advocate condoms as an important weapon to fight the spread of the HIV virus that causes AIDS. The Vatican opposes condom use because church teaching forbids contraception. – The Washington Post
To read more, please visit the Washington Post site here.