Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for October 15th

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 Mo Ibrahim prize, France's involvement in Central African Republic, a boat sinking in Mali, food security in Madagascar, security in Kenya, peacekeeping in Darfur, Boko Haram's movement in Nigeria, and violence between DRC's M23 and the UN.

Mo Ibrahim African leaders prize unclaimed again
The world's most valuable individual prize - the Mo Ibrahim prize for good governance in Africa - has gone unclaimed yet again. The $5m (£3.2m) prize is supposed to be awarded each year to an elected leader who governed well, raised living standards and then left office. This is the fourth time in five years there has been no winner. A committee member said the group looked "for excellence in governance but in leadership also". – BBC
To read more, please visit the BBC site here

France 'to send extra troops' to Central African Republic
France will boost its troops presence in the Central African Republic by the year end under a forthcoming U.N. resolution to help prevent the country from spiralling out of control, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Sunday. Fabius and European Union's aid chief, Kristalina Georgieva, are in the country to drum up support and international interest for a largely forgotten crisis. – France 24
To read more, please visit the France 24 site here

43 dead, dozens missing after Mali boat sinking
Passengers on the capsized boat said they believed hundreds of people were on the overladen vessel when it sank Friday. But the ship's owner did not have a full list of who was on board, making it impossible to determine the actual number of people missing. The boat was headed from the central port of Mopti to the northern desert city of Timbuktu, packed full of people traveling ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha this week. Many Malians choose to travel by river even though the journey takes several days and nights because it is easier than traversing the region's poor desert roads. The accident took place near the village of Koubi, about four miles (seven kilometers) from Konna. Authorities said 210 survivors had been registered, leaving dozens missing. – ABC News
To read more, please visit the ABC News site here

Madagascar: Floods, locusts leave Madagascar hungry
Erratic weather and a locust plague have taken a toll on Madagascar's rice and maize harvests this year, leaving as many as 4 million people - 28 percent of households - in rural areas food insecure, according to a recent World Food Program (WFP)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report. – allAfrica
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Kenya's security ranked among the worst in Africa
Kenya's national security is ranked among the worst in Africa according to the latest Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) report released in London Monday. The country recently hit by international terrorists that saw a horrendous attack at the Westgate Mall killing over 67 people last month is grouped with failed nations like Somalia and others facing unmanageable security situations at the bottom of the sheet ranking 52 Africa nations. – Daily Nation
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3 Senegalese peacekeepers killed in Darfur attack
The joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission in Sudan's western Darfur region says three Senegalese peacekeepers were killed and one injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen. – ABC News
To read more, please visit the ABC News site here

Nigeria: Citadels of learning, Boko Haram's new slaughter fields
The insurgency in Nigeria's North Eastern corner has once more brought into sharp relief the precarious balance between life and death in the region. Scores of people are killed on a daily basis and the frequency has also ensured a sense of 'tragedy fatigue' amongst the country's populace.  The sustained escalation of attacks by the Nigerian army on insurgent hideouts has motivated the insurgents to retaliate, targeting areas regarded as soft targets like schools. This became more notable after the offensive at Kasiya forest, which left about 16 soldiers dead alongside 150 insurgents; one of the most deadly face offs between the Nigerian Army and the insurgents. –allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here

U.N. targeted by rebel forces in DRC
Martin Kobler, head of a DRC peacekeeping mission known by its French initials, MONUSCO, said a U.N. helicopter came under fire last week from members of the March 23 Movement in the eastern part of the country. MONUSCO didn't indicate the extent of damage or if any casualties resulted. Kobler said the mission was determined to defend Congolese airspace despite the M23 assault. – UPI
To read more, please visit the UPI site here