Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for February 11th

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 French-American cooperation to counter terrorism, Ethiopia's intervention in South Sudan, Al Qaeda's influence in Mali, the pervasiveness of Nigerian corruption, conditions for the return of Ivorian refugees, a  natural disaster in Bujumbura, and famine in Swaziland.

En Afrique, coopération militaire franco-américaine resserrée contre le terrorisme
Pour préparer la visite de François Hollande, le ministre de la défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, venait alors de rencontrer son homologue, Chuck Hagel, la conseillère à la sécurité nationale, Susan Rice, et le directeur national du renseignement, James Clapper. Objectif : consolider la coopération militaire, discrète mais étroite, que les deux pays ont nouée sur le terrain africain à l'occasion des opérations en Libye, au Mali et en RCA. – Le Monde
Pour en lire plus, veuillez visiter le site Le Monde ici.

Ethiopia calls for foreign troop exit from S. Sudan
Ethiopia on Monday called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, notably Ugandans, from South Sudan, warning of a threat of regional conflict. "Because of this intervention, the conflict might end up as a regional conflict because there are other interests also from other sides," Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told reporters. – Yahoo News
To read more, please visit the Yahoo News site here.

Al Qaeda-linked Islamists abduct Red Cross workers in Mali
An al Qaeda-linked Islamist group has kidnapped a Red Cross team working in northern Mali, a spokesperson for the militants, known as the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), said on Tuesday. The members of the International Committee of the Red Cross team "are alive and in good health" a MUJAO official told AFP by telephone from the capital, Bamako. – France 24
To read more, please visit the France 24 site here.

In Nigeria, where graft is the system
The Nigerian highway is full of surprises, many of them unpleasant. At numerous police and army "checkpoints," money is expected to change hands. The driver smiles, the men in uniform smile, hands reach out, and the car goes on its way, with the passenger from abroad only wondering at how routine it seems. This is not a flaw in the system. It is the system. Political scientists and ordinary citizens confirm it: Corruption, top to bottom, pervades life here, magnifying a continent-wide problem. And by some measures it is getting worse. – New York Times
To read more, please visit the New York Times site here.

Ivorian refugees call for disarmament, reconciliation, and increased grant before return
Ivorian refugees living in Liberia have called for the disarmament of former fighters, stronger efforts at national reconciliation and an increase in the repatriation grant, saying this would encourage more returns to Côte d'Ivoire. Although UNHCR is facilitating the voluntary repatriation of Ivorian refugees, more than 52,000 remain in four camps and various communities in Liberia. – UNHCR
To read more, please visit the UNHCR site here.

51 dead in torrential 'disaster' in Burundi capital
At least 51 people died in flooding and landslides in a night of torrential rain in Bujumbura, Burundi's Security Minister said Monday. – Global Post
To read more, please visit the Global Post site here.

Time running out for Malawi's divisive president
The landlocked southern African country is racked with challenges, its people accustomed to hanging on by a thread. Roughly the size of Pennsylvania, three-quarters of Malawi's 16 million live below the poverty line. Just nine percent of the population has access to electricity. The country's life expectancy hovers around 49. While primary education is free, only 16 percent of girls finish. But one ambitious woman vows to change all that.  "All the ills that have dragged Malawi backwards must be stopped now," said Malawi's 63-year-old president, Joyce Banda. – NBC News
To read more, please visit the NBC News site here.

Swaziland: 'Starvation' to hit Swaziland
People in rural Swaziland are about to die of hunger, a newspaper in the kingdom has reported. The Swazi Observer visited the village of KaMbhoke in the Shiselweni region and described it as a 'valley of death'. Rains have been scarce this season and crops have failed and now, the newspaper reported, food has run out. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.