Africa Archives

US sanctions Sudanese military amid escalating war, ‘world’s worst famine’

January 17, 2025

Since 2023, Sudan has been locked in a conflict, pushing the country into a dire humanitarian crisis. As fighting continues, U.S. officials are holding Sudan’s military leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, responsible for much of the devastation, accusing him of using deadly weapons to displace millions and claim countless lives.

The U.S. government condemned the Sudanese Armed Forces for launching airstrikes that have torn apart critical infrastructure, further deepening the crisis.

U.S. intelligence reports also reveal Sudan’s military has deployed chemical weapons against the Rapid Support Forces, a powerful militia operating outside government control.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo emphasized the U.S. would continue to disrupt the flow of weapons into Sudan and hold accountable those responsible for the suffering of civilians.

As the conflict continues, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Sudan is currently enduring one of the worst famines in the world. He condemned Sudan’s military leader for using starvation as a weapon, denying food to the population.

“Part of our challenge in any of these situations is to keep working through it, to keep pushing, to keep pressing, to get to that one day of success.” Blinken said. “We have to see the effective provision of humanitarian assistance to people who need it.”

The U.S. has also condemned the actions of the Rapid Support Forces, imposing sanctions on the group just last week. Blinken further criticized both sides in the conflict, calling out the leaders for committing war crimes and stressing neither is fit to lead Sudan toward peace.

In an update released on Thursday, Jan. 16, the United Nations reported before the war, Sudan’s population stood at 46 million. Today, only a third of that population remains in the country, with millions displaced by the violence.

Eight months ago, U.S. authorities estimated at least 150,000 people had died as a result of the war, with 11 million others forced from their homes.

Nigerian officials put homeless children in camps amid economic crisis

January 10, 2025

Nigerian officials have called the increasing number of children living on the streets a “ticking time bomb,” and they are trying to defuse it. Sharia police, known as Hisbah, have been conducting late-night operations to round up homeless children and transport them to shelters for rehabilitation in Kano, the country’s largest northern city.

The crisis is growing as Nigeria faces soaring inflation and a rising divorce rate. It has resulted in nearly 2 million children being out of school and left to fend for themselves. Authorities said many children come from neighboring states, which exacerbates the problem.

Abba Sufi, the director-general of Hisbah, described children living on the streets as a “huge social and security threat.” Sufi cites their potential recruitment into criminal activity.

Kano’s governor formed a special committee in November 2024 to address what the government calls “street children.”

Hisbah, the region’s religious police force operating under Sharia law, has full authority to remove children from public areas such as street corners, motor parks and markets.

Boys are primarily targeted, as they are often found begging or attempting to sell goods to survive. Since the operation began, more than 5,000 children have been relocated to a rehabilitative camp.

The government is working to identify each child and provide counseling before they reenter society. Children can also attend school or join trade programs to gain skills and secure a better future.

This is not the first attempt to address the issue –– in 2017, a similar initiative was launched. However, it ultimately failed, with many children being returned to their families or back onto the streets after the rehabilitation camp was cleared.

Sugary drinks tied to millions of diabetes, heart disease cases worldwide

January 6, 2025

A new study exploring the harmful effects sugary drinks have on health reveals a global rise in diabetes and heart disease linked to regular consumption. Researchers from Tufts University have released data showing that sugary drinks are responsible for an increase in both conditions, with significant health disparities emerging in low and middle-income countries.

The study estimates sugary drinks contribute to 2.2 million new diabetes cases and over a million heart disease diagnoses each year.

It also highlights how quickly sugary drinks spike blood sugar levels, with regular consumption linked to weight gain, insulin resistance and an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The data includes nearly 3 million people, representing 87% of the global population. In 2020, sugary drinks were responsible for 24% of all new diabetes cases in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sub-Saharan Africa, which has seen the largest rise in cases over the past 30 years, is also heavily impacted. The study found sugary drinks were responsible for 21% of new diabetes cases and 11% of new heart disease diagnoses in the region.

Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the study’s authors, noted that sugary drinks are often targeted to low and middle-income communities. Those are areas where people are more vulnerable to long-term health problems.

“Not only are these communities consuming harmful products, but they are also often less well-equipped to deal with the long-term health consequences,” Mozaffarian said.

Countries like Colombia and Mexico, which have high poverty rates, have seen sugary drinks contribute to a significant percentage of both diseases.

While the study can’t definitively prove cause and effect, researchers are calling for increased public awareness about the risks sugary drinks pose to health.

They point to efforts in countries like Mexico, France and Thailand, where “sugar taxes” have been implemented to curb diabetes or obesity rates.

Several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Seattle and Philadelphia, have also adopted similar taxes on sugary beverages.

The World Health Organization estimates 830 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. Meanwhile, heart disease claims nearly 18 million lives each year.

Mozambique prison riot leads to nearly 3 dozen deaths, more than 1,500 escapes

December 26, 2024

Authorities say a prison riot in Mozambique’s capital on Wednesday, Dec. 25, killed at least 33 people and left at least 15 other individuals injured. The riot comes as violence continues to rise following October’s disputed election.

Mozambique’s top court confirmed the victory of long-ruling party Frelimo in the election on Tuesday, Dec. 24, which ignited new nationwide protests by demonstrators who say the election results were rigged.

The country’s police blame the protests outside the prison for encouraging the riot and eventual prison break.

However, Mozambique’s justice minister disputed that notion, saying the incident began inside the prison and is unrelated to the protests.

The South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) reported the prisoners overpowered guards and stole AK-47s during the riot.

Officials say more than 1,500 prisoners escaped during the riots but 150 have since been caught. Authorities believe crime and violence will rise over the next two days as a result of the prison break.

Police also say there were two different prison break attempts at two other facilities on Wednesday.

The prison break follows civil unrest after the top court’s decision on Tuesday confirming the election results, which reportedly led to 21 people being killed, including two police officers.

Before Tuesday, a civil society monitoring group reported at least 130 people killed in clashes with police since the Oct. 9 election.

Over 2 million Nigerians kidnapped, more than 600,000 killed in one year: Report

December 19, 2024

A new report is shedding light on rampant violence in Nigeria. The findings from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) show on Thursday, Dec. 19, that more than 2 million Nigerians were kidnapped and more than 600,000 were killed between May of last year and April of this year.

The report also notes that 7 out of 10 households in Nigeria reported murders to law enforcement and kidnapping victims paid out more than $1.4 billion in ransoms over the same time period.

The NBS said the killings and kidnappings are mostly from armed gangs in the northwest and north-central part of the country, while terrorism occurs largely in the northeast of the West African nation.

The news comes as security concerns continue to rise, and security forces are stretched thin as they try to rein in gang violence and terrorism. Security analyst Saheed Shehu says the latest number should be a wakeup call for the Nigerian government to take action now.

Nigerian defense authorities say they are making progress, saying two weeks ago, the military killed 8,000 terrorists and arrested 11,000 suspects, while rescuing 6,000 victims. However, Shehu says he is skeptical of those numbers given the recent findings in the NBS report.

Shehu said, “It does not balance with this report. So, something must be wrong somewhere.”

Quelling gang and terrorist activity has been a major challenge for Nigeria’s government. The country invested 12% of this year’s budget, or around $4 billion, to defense, the largest allocation to any department of government.

VA funding its first study of psychedelic treatment for PTSD

December 17, 2024

The Department of Veterans Affairs is funding the department’s very first study on the use of psychedelics to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. This comes after a Food and Drug Administration panel said in June it won’t recommend the use of MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for PTSD in veterans.

The FDA panel said there’s no proof the benefits of using psychedelics to treat PTSD outweigh the risks. Despite the panel, the VA has set aside $1.5 million to see if that’s true.

VA researchers affiliated with Brown University and Yale University are leading the study. The study will see how MDMA-assisted therapy works for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder.

MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy or Molly, is often used as a party drug. Researchers believe the psychedelic compound can increase emotional openness, reduce fear and promote introspection during therapy.

At random, some participants will receive an active placebo, which will be a lower dose of the psychedelic.

The study is spurred by anecdotal evidence from veterans who turn to psychedelic therapy when traditional treatments for combat-related mental health issues don’t work for them.

A New York Times article published this week followed a group of American special operations veterans as they crossed the border into Mexico seeking treatment at a psychedelic clinic.

For years, people viewed these relatively obscure clinics as a last resort for treating drug addiction. However, more and more veterans have been turning to the unorthodox method of treatment.

According to the Times, no one tracks how many veterans turn to these clinics for help. Clinic owners estimate they see thousands of Americans every year, and that number is increasing.

The owners say some active-duty troops have even made the trek for treatment, even though it risks a court-martial.

The drug of choice for most psychedelic clinics in Mexico isn’t MDMA but ibogaine, an extract made from the bark of an African shrub.

While MDMA induces a sense of connectedness and emotional communion, ibogaine is among a group of psychedelics that create altered perceptual states. LSD and psilocybin are also among this group of drugs.

Despite the drugs’ differences, experts say MDMA and ibogaine both create neuroplasticity. Scientists say this allows the brain to heal damaged neural circuits. Imaging shows neural circuits can be shriveled up in patients with addiction, depression and PTSD.

However, unlike MDMA, an ibogaine trip isn’t pleasant. The drug usually makes people physically ill.

Also, unlike MDMA-assisted therapy, psychedelic clinics typically administer ibogaine in a single dose and then follow it the next day with a dose of the poison of the Sonoran Desert toad.

That poison, nicknamed “the god molecule,” is a powerful short-acting psychedelic. It tends to give users an overwhelming feeling of spiritual connection. In most cases, the patient uses each substance just once and participates in psychotherapy before and afterward.

The VA’s study is on track to begin enrollment by September 2025 and the $1.5 million grant will spread over five years. In the meantime, the VA strongly discourages self-medicating with psychedelics or any other unprescribed substances.

Congo gov’t on ‘high alert’ as mystery illness kills dozens

December 5, 2024

Health officials are racing to identify the origin of a deadly disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, putting the local government on “high alert.” Dozens of people are dead as they experience flu-like symptoms in the Central African country as officials wait for lab results.

In a press conference on Thursday, Dec. 5, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said that in the next 48 hours, experts should have more details about the outbreak. Right now, preliminary tests point to a respiratory disease.

Jean Kaseya leads Africa’s CDC, saying, “There are so many things we don’t know.”

Congo authorities are confirming the unknown illness has killed 71 people. Those people developed flu-like symptoms including fever, severe headache and respiratory issues. According to Health Minister Roger Kamba, 27 people have died in hospitals, and another 44 died within the community.

Africa’s CDC said deaths have been reported during a 15-day period in November.

Hundreds of people are still falling sick. Almost half of cases are being tied to children under the age of five.

A statement on X by the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene and Social Security reveals the unknown illness was tracked and detected to a remote area in a southwestern province of Congo. The World Health Organization dispatched a team of epidemiologists to collect samples for lab analysis.

International teams are working in unison to rule out common illnesses before moving to other pathogens. They’re also gathering risk factors that those infected have in common at the same time.

Kaseya said the disease is plaguing Panzi, a zone already considered fragile in terms of health care infrastructure and lack of resources. He noted that pairs with 40% of residents in the Kwango province already deal with malnutrition.

The Congo’s health minister is urging the public to avoid contact with dead bodies to reduce the risk of contamination. Kamba also called on other countries to send in more medical supplies as the country deals with the health crisis.

A local leader in Panzi said the hospital where people are being treated is not equipped with the proper medicine to fight against symptoms. Traditional practitioners are treating patients.

The unidentified illness comes as officials are still dealing with an mpox epidemic in the Central African country. So far, health officials have reported more than 1,000 deaths. Another 47,000 others are suspected to be infected with the disease.

Biden makes history as first US president to visit Angola

December 3, 2024

President Joe Biden is making history as the first American president to visit Angola. This also marks the only trip to sub-Saharan Africa of his presidency.

The focus of the three-day visit is on the U.S.-backed Lobito corridor railway redevelopment project in Angola, Zambia and Congo. It’s meant to counter China’s influence on the continent. The U.S. has committed $3 billion to the corridor and related projects, according to administration officials.

The goal is to increase the U.S.’ presence in the region which is rich in the critical minerals used to make things like electric vehicle batteries and other electronic devices, as well as clean energy technologies.

Biden plans to meet with President João Lourenço in the capital, Luanda. Lourenço met with Biden at the White House in November 2023.

He will also visit the National Slavery Museum. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Biden will give a speech at the museum on Tuesday, Dec. 3, acknowledging “both the horrific history of slavery that has connected our two nations, but also looks forward to a future predicated on a shared vision that benefits both our people.”

On his way to Angola, Biden stopped in the island nation of Cape Verde for a short, closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva.

Barack Obama was the last president to visit sub-Saharan Africa in 2015.

56 killed in Guinea soccer stampede during military tribute tournament

December 2, 2024

A stampede at a soccer match in southern Guinea left 56 people dead and several others injured, government officials confirmed. The tragedy occurred during the final of a tournament held to honor Guinea’s military leadership in Nzerekore, one of the country’s largest cities.

The incident began Sunday, Dec. 1, after a disputed penalty led to clashes between fans. Stones were thrown, and security forces used tear gas, causing panic and a crush as spectators tried to escape. Footage shared online showed people scrambling over walls and victims, including children, lying on the ground.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine responsibility. Communications Minister Fana Soumah said regional officials are working to restore order. Several injured victims remain in critical condition at a local hospital.

The tournament, held in honor of Guinea’s military leader Mamadi Doumbouya, has drawn criticism from opposition groups.

The National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy accused the government of using the event to bolster political support ahead of a promised transition to civilian rule.

Guinea has been under military leadership since a 2021 coup ousted President Alpha Conde. The country joins other West African nations, including Mali and Burkina Faso, where military regimes have delayed transitions to civilian governance.

Doumbouya has defended the military’s rule, citing a need to prevent instability, while his government has faced criticism for unmet promises and rising tensions.

Giraffes may be next on endangered species list as population rapidly declines

November 21, 2024

Giraffes could soon be listed on the endangered species list. U.S. wildlife officials say that’s because multiple species of giraffe populations are declining rapidly.

Researchers point to the loss of habitat, poaching and climate change in their native land in Africa. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation about 117,000 wild giraffes are left worldwide – down almost 30% from the 1980s.

The population for the three subspecies of northern giraffe declined from 25,653 to 5,919, a 77% decrease since 1985. Listing many of the species as either endangered or threatened means they would receive federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Even though hunting giraffes is illegal in all but three countries in Africa, people still do it for meat and for trophy purposes.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, between 2006 and 2015, trophy hunters imported more than 3,700 giraffes into the U.S. The proposed rule would work toward cutting down illegal hunting and trade of giraffes by requiring a permit to import them into the U.S.

It would also expand funding for research and conservation efforts. A final decision on the endangered status of giraffes will happen in February.