Sudanese police clashed with farmers in the country’s agricultural heartland on Wednesday. Witnesses said police used batons to break up a group of about 400 farmers in Gezira state. The protesters gathered at the headquarters of the Gezira Scheme, a vast state-run farming project south of Khartoum and between the Blue and White Nile rivers. […]
Somali Pirate Sentenced to 15 Years in South Korea
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
A South Korean court has sentenced a Somali pirate to 15 years in prison for his involvement in the hijacking of a South Korean ship. Abdulahi Husseen Maxamuud was convicted Wednesday of maritime robbery and other charges connected to the hijacking of the chemical carrier Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea. Maxamuud on Wednesday apologized […]
Kibaki: Kenyan Government Trying to Cushion Rising Costs
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 10:40 am (UTC-5)
Kenya’s president says the government is taking steps to protect its citizens from the effects of rising food and fuel prices. Speaking in Nairobi Wednesday, President Mwai Kibaki said he is “fully aware” of the hardships Kenyans face because of the price increases. Mr. Kibaki said measures to ease the impact include duty reductions on […]
Burkina Faso Soldiers Protest, Fire Shots
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC-5)
Witnesses in Burkina Faso say dozens of soldiers took to the streets late Tuesday and fired shots into the air in the country’s second largest city. Residents say the protest began at a military barracks in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. There are conflicting reports about whether the soldiers looted businesses and buildings. The West African […]
Ethiopia Commutes Death Sentences of Mengistu Officers
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 9:00 am (UTC-5)
Ethiopia has commuted death sentences given to 23 former officials for crimes committed during the rule of dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam. Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis announced Wednesday that he had reduced the officials’ sentences to life in prison. The action follows an appeal for leniency by a group of religious leaders. The officials were convicted […]
North Sudan Proposes Solution to Abyei Crisis
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 8:30 am (UTC-5)
North Sudan’s government has laid out proposals for resolving its dispute with the south over the oil-rich Abyei region. North Sudanese forces occupied Abyei on May 21, prompting tens of thousands of residents to flee the area, and raising fears the north and south could return to civil war. The government now says northern and […]
UN Refugee Agency Concerned About Sudan’s Abyei Region
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
The United Nations refugee agency says it is concerned that the number of displaced people in Sudan’s Abyei region could rise after a recent outbreak in fighting. The UNHCR said Tuesday the security situation in the region remains precarious a week after fighting erupted involving forces from both north and south Sudan. The agency said […]
WHO Says Child Injuries Reach New High in Somalia Fighting
Posted June 1st, 2011 at 12:45 am (UTC-5)
The World Health Organization says increased fighting in Somalia’s capital has pushed the number of child casualties to a new high. The group says children under the age of 5 suffered nearly half of the weapons-related injuries in Mogadishu last month. That number is up from 3 percent in April. The WHO says the main […]
