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Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for January 22nd

In the News 615w

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  political leadership in South Sudan, France's military presence throughout Africa, planning for the US-Africa summit this summer, the future of Zimbabwe's leadership, health concerns in Madagascar, prospects for Rwanda's future post-genocide, environmental concerns in Mozambique, and the repercussions of the recent Nigerian anti-homosexuality measures.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir hits out at UN
South Sudan President Salva Kiir has accused the UN peacekeeping mission of acting like a "parallel government" in his country. His comments come after his government accused the UN of hiding rebels and guns at their camps - which it denies. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here.

France to up Africa Military Presence
France will broaden its military presence in Africa's turbulent Sahel region with specialized new outposts to better fight the terror threat from extremist groups such as al-Qaida, the defense minister said Tuesday.  – ABC News
To read more, please visit the ABC News site here.

Obama to invite 47 leaders to US-Africa summit in August
President Barack Obama will invite 47 leaders to a landmark US-Africa summit in August, seeking to widen US trade, development and security ties with an increasingly dynamic continent to which he traces part of his ancestry. Obama will send out invites to all African nations that are currently in good standing with the United States or are not suspended from the African Union — meaning there will be no place for states like Egypt or Zimbabwe. – Yahoo News
To read more, please visit the Yahoo News site here.

Mugabe holds on – but for how much longer?
There was a death in the Mugabe family this week – it just wasn't Robert's. Defying the rumours yet again, the octogenarian put in a public appearance at his sister's memorial service on Sunday. This might have proved that he is alive, but Mugabe looked dreadful, fuelling even more speculation about the state of his health. One of these days, those rumours will be true. – Daily Maverick
To read more, please visit the Daily Maverick site here.

Bubonic plague kills 20 in Madagascar
Once feared as the Black Death, the rodent-borne disease that wiped out one-third of the world's population in the Middle Ages, bubonic plague has killed 20 villagers in Madagascar in one of the worst outbreaks globally in recent years, health experts have confirmed. – Irish Times
To read more, please visit the Irish Times site here.

Rwanda in diplomatic trouble 20 years after genocide
As Rwanda marks 20 years since its 1994 genocide, the government is seeking to stress the strides the country has made since those dark days, despite international concern over its hardline leader.  Fiercely proud of its legacy, Kigali is displaying a country at peace, enjoying some of the best security on the continent and hailed by global financial institutions for its pro-reform, business-friendly agenda.  But the seemingly hardening stance of strongman Paul Kagame, Rwanda's president, is casting a shadow over the country's relations with the outside world. – IOL News
To read more, please visit the IOL site here.

Mozambique fishermen decry gas drilling
Discoveries of gas off the coast of northern Mozambique in the early 2000s left many predicting that the country would become the continent's new economic powerhouse. But, almost 14 years later, many people have yet to see much benefit.  According to the World Bank, 55 percent of Mozambique's population still lives below the poverty line.  – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here.

**To read more about environmental concerns in Mozambique, check out our recent blog post written by Laura Hensen, our colleague at the Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program.

Why anti-gay crackdown is a catastrophe for Nigeria
What the same-sex marriage (prohibition) bill in fact does is negate the principle of fundamental human rights of association, expression and dignity. When a law does this, it runs the risk of breeding anarchy, an experience that people who are or are merely perceived to be gay know all too much about in the form of blackmail, extortion and fear of arrest. The law also acts against the principle of public health. With rates of HIV infection and AIDS running at 3.7% for the general population, and 17.2% among gay men, criminalizing organizations providing intervention for this population puts all Nigerians in jeopardy. – CNN
To read more, please visit the CNN site here.

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Africa Program

The Africa Program works to address the most critical issues facing Africa and US-Africa relations, build mutually beneficial US-Africa relations, and enhance knowledge and understanding about Africa in the United States. The Program achieves its mission through in-depth research and analyses, public discussion, working groups, and briefings that bring together policymakers, practitioners, and subject matter experts to analyze and offer practical options for tackling key challenges in Africa and in US-Africa relations.    Read more