Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for March 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 conferences occurring in Nigeria, Ghana, and the Sahel-Saharan states, attacks in central Nigeria, Uganda's involvement within South Sudan, pending Malawian elections, violent outbreaks in Somalia, and anti-piracy policies in West Africa.

Nigeria's national conference starts in Abuja
A National Conference to discuss Nigeria's future is opening, with the division of oil money and powers expected to be the main issues. Some 500 delegates are attending, representing Nigeria's many ethnic, linguistic and religious groups. The National Conference comes 100 years after the mainly Muslim north and largely Christian south were united. Delegates have been barred from discussing whether the country should be divided. However, some groups say they will still raise this issue during the three-month conference in the capital Abuja. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here.

Maritime and Surveillance Conference starts in Accra
The inaugural Maritime and Surveillance Conference, taking place at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana, starts today and runs until 20th March. Attended by naval, government, corporate and military personnel from Ghana and fellow African countries, it is set to be a significant annual event for West Africa. Lead sponsor of the event, Paramount Group, Africa's largest privately owned defence and aerospace business, called for 'African Solutions to African maritime insecurity'. James Fisher, Chief Executive of Paramount Naval Systems says, "Through regional and in-country integration and a strong African shipbuilding industry, West Africa can address the safety of its shores and support economic growth in the territory. Ghana is leading the way in this regard and by doing so, will continue to bolster its naval capabilities to benefit the continent as a whole." – Spy Ghana
To read more, please visit the Spy Ghana site here.

Sahel-Saharan leaders focus on security
Nearly 30 of Africa's top diplomats recently wrapped up a summit in Khartoum aimed at addressing insecurity in the Sahel-Saharan region.  The ministers attending the 20th meeting of the Executive Council of the Community of Sahel-Sahara States (CEN-SAD), which concluded its proceedings on March 12th, adopted a draft framework for development and security and endorsed plans to establish new structures to strengthen the bloc.  They also agreed to create a committee to deepen research and debate on the draft strategy. The final version will be presented at the next CEN-SAD summit of the heads of state and governments, scheduled to be held in Rabat. – Magharebia
To read more, please visit the Magharebia site here.

Herdsmen kill 100 in attacks on Nigerian villages
Gunmen shot, hacked and burned to death at least 100 people and razed homes in central Nigeria, a region riven by disputes over land, religion and ethnicity, local officials and witnesses said on Sunday. Police confirmed the raids by Fulani herdsman at around 11 p.m. on Friday on three villages in Kaduna state, but declined to give a death toll. – Reuters
To read more, please visit the Reuters site here.

Uganda ready to withdraw its troops from South Sudan
Uganda is ready to withdraw its troops from neighbouring South Sudan once the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) deploys the proposed regional stabilisation force in the troubled nation, its chief of defense forces said. – Sudan Tribune
To read more, please visit the Sudan Tribune site here.

Fears of violence grow as Malawi's national poll nears
Two people were killed late on Sunday in a clash between supporters of Malawi's ruling party and the opposition, police said, triggering concerns that violence could mar the buildup to national elections in May. A police officer and a civilian died in what police said was an ambush that followed a rally by President Joyce Banda in the tea-growing district of Thyolo, about 20km east of the commercial capital of Blantyre. – Mail and Guardian
To read more, please visit the Mail and Guardian site here.

Somalia car bomb targets African Union convoy
A convoy of the African Union's (AU) AMISOM force has been targeted by a car bomb just outside the Somali capital, witnesses and a Somali army source have said, though it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. A spokesman for al-Shabab told the AFP news agency that the group carried out Monday's attack, saying it killed seven people, including three foreigners. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here.

West Africa: Shipping industry calls for join action on piracy
West Africa's coastal states need to step up co-ordination to beat the growing incidence of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, says an international maritime organisation. "Unlike Somalia, there is no failed state in the Gulf of Guinea," says the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). "All the states are functioning entities. These states need to be determined and take action to wipe out piracy." – allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here.