Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for March 26th

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 Boko Haram's international impact, U.S.-South Sudan foreign policy, Ebola in West Africa, state of South Africa's military, ethnic division in Mali, anti-homosexuality legislation in Ethiopia, actions against refugees in Kenya, and continued strife in the Central African Republic.

Boko Haram insurgency causes sparks at White House meeting
On March 18, governors from Nigeria's north and Middle Belt met with US National Security Advisor Susan Rice and other US officials at the White House.  The governors come from states where economic development is slow or non-existent and includes those where the radical, Islamist insurgency "Boko Haram" is active. – CS Monitor
To read more, please visit the CS Monitor site here.

US to give extra $83m in aid to South Sudan
The United States has said it is increasing its humanitarian aid to South Sudan to $411m, funneling it through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The State Department said Washington was adding an extra $83m in aid to address the needs of South Sudanese affected by an armed conflict that has been raging since December 15. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here.

Guinea Ebola outbreak: Bat-eating banned to curb virus
Guinea has banned the sale and consumption of bats to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, its health minister has said. Bats, a local delicacy, appeared to be the "main agents" for the Ebola outbreak in the south, Rene Lamah said. – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here.

Exclusive: South African military in 'critical decline', review says
South Africa's cash-strapped armed forces are in a "critical state of decline" that will take at least a decade to fix even with urgent action, according to a military strategy review seen by Reuters. It said "neglect" of defense capability could impact everything from border security to trade and constrain Pretoria's continental peace-keeping and diplomatic ambitions. – Reuters
To read more, please visit the Reuters site here.

Lines in the Malian Sand: Tuareg Fractures Widen as Talks Continue to Stall
Divisions within northern Mali's various Tuareg groups have slowed down negotiations with the government and reawakened old regional rivalries. –Think Africa Press
To read more, please visit the Think Africa Press site here.

Ethiopia to pass anti-gay bill
Ethiopia is set to pass a bill that puts homosexuality on a list of offences considered "non-pardonable" under the country's amnesty law, a measure that continues a trend of anti-gay legislation across Africa. The bill, endorsed last week by Ethiopia's cabinet, is widely expected to pass when MPs put it to a vote next week. – Herald Sun
To read more, please visit the Herald Sun site here.

Kenya orders all refugees back into camps
Kenya has ordered all refugees living in urban areas to return to their camps in a bid to end attacks by armed groups carried out in retaliation for Kenya's intervention in neighbouring Somalia. Kenyans were asked to report any refugees or illegal immigrants outside the overcrowded camps - Dadaab in the east and Kakuma in the northwest - to the police, the AFP news agency reported on Tuesday. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here.

African force declares war on C. Africa's 'anti-balaka' group
The head of African peacekeepers in the Central African Republic said Wednesday that vigilante groups known as "anti-balaka" will be considered and treated as "enemies" from now on. The announcement by Congolese General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko followed days of fighting in which around 20 people died and peacekeepers were fired on in the former French colony. – AFP
To read more, please visit the AFP site here.