The distinction between food insecurity and famine is artificial and unhelpful. Hungry people are suffering however their situation falls below the radar.
Nana Akufo-Addo with the Sword of Authority as he is sworn in as Ghana’s 5th president in Accra.
EPA/Christian Thompson
Until African political systems become less majoritarian and do a better job of protecting the rights of minorities, the true benefits of a democratic government are unlikely to be realised.
A man waves South Sudan’s national flag.
REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
China’s presence in Africa continues to grow with its first military base in Djibouti. It wants to be a friend to Africa positioning itself as a global power while looking after its own interests.
A brother and sister take shelter from aerial attacks in the rebel-held territory of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan.
Reuters/Goran Tomasevic
The world has turned its back on the Nuba people of Sudan. Despite the critical need for food, none of the organisations involved in helping people in dire need have attempted to deliver aid to them.
Rules imposed after the 9/11 attacks can obstruct aid to Somalia’s internally displaced people.
Omar Abdisalan/AMISOM Photo
Rules imposed after 9/11 and still on the books are getting in the way of delivering aid to conflict zones. In countries like Yemen and Syria, it could mean the difference between life and death.
South Sudanese refugees at the Bidi Bidi camp in Uganda.
Trocaire/flickr.com
By admitting South Sudan and Morocco to the African Union, the continental organisation has proven yet again that its commitment to upholding its own democratic ideals is lacking.
South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after a protracted war of independence that started in 1955. One internal struggle in this war was between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army’s (SPLA) leadership…
Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) forces on patrol following deadly fighting close to Malakal in October 16, 2016.
Reuters/Jok Solomon
There’s still hope South Sudan can avoid becoming a full failed state. This will require radical changes in Juba’s mindset and bolder action from regional and international players.
People who fled fighting in South Sudan arrive on the border with Uganda.
Reuters/James Akena
The risk factors at the heart of vulnerability to conflict can be resolved. But the first step is a ceasefire founded on an inclusive and credible agreement underwritten by the international community
Aftermath of a Boko Haram attack on the village of Mairi in north-eastern Nigeria in February 2-16.
EPA/Stringer
International law should include an offence of ‘creating a famine’.
Graves of unidentified people killed during fighting in Juba, South Sudan, in 2016. There are fears the country could descend into genocide.
Reuters/Adriane Ohanesian
The world needs to take urgent steps to stop the threat of mass massacres in South Sudan with tough measures that must include direct legal and financial sanctions against the main protagonists.
Women flee into the United Nations civilian protection site in Juba. The capacity of UN peacekeepers to shield civilians is now in doubt.
Adriane Ohanesian/Reuters
If fighting continues and controversial policies are not reversed, it’s only a matter of time before full scale fighting breaks out again in South Sudan.
Scott Firsing, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Governments often have limited knowledge of chemical production as it is the preserve of the private sector. Often these facilities are not as well secured as government facilities.
Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and Visiting Professor University of Buckingham, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs