Daily News on the Issues Affecting Africa for October 9th

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 piracy in Somalia, violence in Central African Republic, US aid to Egypt, East African response to DRC conflict, HIV research in South Africa, political stability in Sudan, and the drought in Namibia.

EU may help Somalia establish coast guard to combat piracy
The European Union wants to help Somalia establish a coast guard service to combat piracy in the Horn of Africa.  The possibility of a Somali coast guard was discussed during a press conference by Etienne de Poncins, head of the EU's regional maritime capacity-building mission, known as EUCAP Nestor. Options for a Somali coast guard will be discussed later this year during a strategic review of the maritime training mission to the Horn of Africa and the western Indian Ocean. – Defense News
To read more, please visit the Defense News site here

30 killed in clashes in Central African Republic
"Fierce fighting has claimed at least 30 lives ... but the clashes were still going on as of mid-morning," the source close to the military high command in Bangui told AFP. – Times Live
To read more, please visit the Times Live site here

US to cut military and economic aid to Egypt
The Obama administration is poised to slash hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Egypt, US officials have said. An announcement is expected this week. The US has been considering such a move since the Egyptian military removed the country's first democratically elected leader in June. It would be a dramatic shift for the Obama administration, which has declined to label President Mohamed Morsi's ousting a coup and has argued it is in US national security interests to keep aid flowing. The decision is likely to have profound implications for relations between the US and Egypt after decades of close ties that have served as a bulwark of security and stability in the Middle East. – The Guardian
To read more, please visit the Guardian site here

Rwanda and Uganda distance themselves from DRC conflict
Rwanda and Uganda have distanced themselves from the on-going conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They told a United Nation Security Council delegation it was not their responsibility to restore peace in the neighboring country. – eNCA
To read more, please visit the eNCA site here

South Africa: SA offers HIV vaccine research hope
South Africa is the only country in the world where a large AIDS vaccine trial is being planned, as the global scientific community struggles to find a way to eradicate HIV.  Announced at this week's international AIDS Vaccine Conference in Barcelona, the South African trial will involve the only vaccine shown to have some effect on the virus when it was tested among 16,000 people in Thailand. Released in 2009, the Thai trial's results showed that HIV infection rates were 31 percent lower in participants who had received the vaccine than those who had not.  –allAfrica
To read more, please visit the allAfrica site here

Beyond economics: subsidies and stability in Sudan
While the decision by the Sudanese government to reduce subsidies on fuel prices triggered the unrest that led to violent confrontations between security forces and groups of protesting citizens across Sudan, there are many, deeper causes. The thousands who took to the streets were not only reacting to the consequent increases in fuel prices (and anticipated second round inflationary effects). They were expressing deep-seated dissatisfaction at the widening economic inequality and extreme frustration with the regime in Khartoum. Sudan's youthful population seized the opportunity to protest a system of government which they believe offers a blighted future for the vast majority of Sudanese. This is why the response to the demonstrations and protests should not only focus on fiscal re-engineering or attempts to combat perceived criminality. An effective response must focus on deeper social and governance factors that underlie persistent instability and entrenched inequity, which could precipitate societal upheaval. – United States Institute of Peace
To read more, please visit the USIP site here

Namibia battles worst drought in decades
Almost one million people out of Namibia's 2.3 million population face moderate to serious levels of food insecurity. The Namibian government in May estimated this year's harvest would yield 42 percent less than 2012. – Al Jazeera
To read more, please visit the Al Jazeera site here