Valentine Rugwabiza condemned the incident early last week, calling on Central African authorities to thoroughly investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice. Bordering South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the region – larger than Switzerland – has been a hotspot of conflict due to its strategic importance, intercommunal...
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday that food supplies are running dangerously low, as water and electricity outages exacerbate the crisis. The seizure and closure of Goma’s airport by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels has further interfered with aid delivery, while the blocking of roads and lake transport restrictions have...
“We are deeply alarmed at the heightened risk of an attack by the M23 armed group on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo…Any such attack on Goma risks catastrophic impacts on hundreds of thousands of civilians, putting them at heightened exposure to human...
Business leaders have been meeting at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is focusing on drought, land degradation and restoration issues. According to the UN, droughts have surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture...
“Central Africa is richer in opportunities and resources than it is in challenges”, but, the coming months will mark “an important turning point” for the region, where crucial political and electoral processes must take place by the end of the year, said Abdou Abarry, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for...
Around 20.2 million children are under threat of severe hunger, thirst and disease – compared to 10 million in July – as climate change, conflict, global inflation and grain shortages devastate the region. “While collective and accelerated efforts have mitigated some of the worst impact of what had been feared,...
More than 37 million people are facing acute hunger, with approximately seven million children under the age of five acutely malnourished in the region. While finding food and safe water is the absolute priority, WHO said that ensuring a strong health emergency response is needed to avert preventable disease...