Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for February 18th

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 violence in South Sudan, West African self-sustaining security measures, peace efforts in Central African Republic, religiously-driven attacks in Nigeria, the hijacking of an Ethiopian airplane, pending crisis in Burundi, Obama's reaction to Ugandan anti-homosexuality policies, and the European Union's relationship with Zimbabwe.

South Sudan ceasefire 'ends' amid Malakal fighting
Fighting has broken out in South Sudan's Upper Nile state, officials say, in the first major clashes since the government and rebels signed a ceasefire agreement in January. Both sides have accused each other of starting the violence in Malakal, the capital of Upper Nile state. The government says there has been fighting in most parts of the town. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here.

African nations to boost Sahel security
The leaders of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso agreed on Sunday to create a regional organisation to strengthen co-operation on development and security in the Sahel region. Mauritania will host the headquarters of the new grouping, dubbed the G5 Sahel, and its President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will initially take the chair, according to a statement issued after a meeting in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott. – News 24
To read more, please visit the News 24 site here.

Troops escort Muslims out of Central African Republic
Tens of thousands of Muslims are fleeing what the U.N. calls a campaign of "ethno-religious cleansing" in the Central African Republic. On Sunday, African forces provided a military escort to hundreds of people on a slow convoy toward the Western border with Cameroon. – NPR
To read more, please visit the NPR site here.

Dozens killed in Boko Haram attack
Armed fighters gunned down dozens of villagers overnight Saturday and slit the throats of others in the latest attack on a northeast Nigerian region where armed group Boko Haram reportedly seeks to establish an independent Islamic state. There are differing death tolls, with Reuters reporting as many as 90 people killed in Izghe village in Borno state, and the AP reporting around 50 dead. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here.

Co-pilot hijacks Ethiopian Airlines plane, flies to Geneva, seeks asylum
A co-pilot on an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Rome hijacked the airliner early Monday morning and flew it to Geneva, Switzerland, looking for asylum. The man, an Ethiopian in his early 30s, was arrested when the plane landed at Geneva International Airport, police said. The 202 passengers and crew aboard the Boeing 767-300 were not harmed. – CNN
To read more, please visit the CNN site here.

Burundi: Rising threats to democracy, peace
The UN Security Council voted unanimously last week to renew the mandate for the UN peacebuilding mission in Burundi until the end of the year, despite the position of the country's ruling party that the mission is no longer needed. The decision was phrased in diplomatic language. But it was a clear signal that the international body shares the concerns of Burundi civil society and political opposition voices about rising authoritarianism and political mistrust, as the ruling party attempts to consolidate its position before elections in 2015. – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.

Obama criticizes Uganda's anti-homosexuality measure
President Obama on Sunday sharply criticized Uganda's government for its plans to enact legislation that would apply proscribe strict prison sentences for homosexual acts, as the United States takes a leading role in pressuring other governments to respect the rights of gay citizens. "I am so deeply disappointed that Uganda will shortly enact legislation that would criminalize homosexuality," Obama said in a statement. "The Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda, once law, will be more than an affront and a danger to the gay community in Uganda." – Washington Post
To read more, please visit the Washington Post site here.

EU eases Zimbabwe sanctions but leaves Mugabe blacklisted
The European Union on Monday lifted a visa ban and assets freeze against members of Zimbabwe's ruling elite with the exception of President Robert Mugabe and his wife, who remain blacklisted, EU diplomats said. As the EU continues to ease sanctions against Harare as an encouragement to reform, the 28-nation bloc is expected to take a significant political step Tuesday by agreeing to resume development aid to the government. – AFP
To read more, please visit the AFP site here.