Israel’s Somaliland recognition generated unusual cohesion in Africa and beyond, but condemnation hasn’t delivered a consensual solution. Israel’s December 2025 recognition of Somaliland, a secessionist northern part of Somalia, set off a series of political and diplomatic shockwaves in the Horn of Africa and Arabic Peninsula. In a region already facing acute tensions amid global…
Africa’s development finance challenge has reached a critical point. Mounting debt pressure is squeezing fiscal space. And essential needs in infrastructure, health and education remain unmet. The continent’s governments urgently need affordable access to international capital markets. Yet many continue to face borrowing costs that make development finance unviable. Sovereign credit ratings – the assessments…
When the United States speaks clearly about how it sees the world, we should pay attention, not because America is always right, but because its assumptions have a habit of shaping power, markets, and security far beyond its borders. The latest U.S. National Security Strategy does exactly that. It is direct, hierarchical, and unapologetic about…
US states have relied on vaccine mandates since the 1800s, when a smallpox vaccine offered the first successful protection against a disease that had killed millions. More than a century later, Florida’s top public health official said vaccine requirements are unethical and unnecessary for high vaccination rates. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list…
US president says strikes on land to follow US military attacks on suspected drug smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, Pacific Ocean. President Donald Trump has said United States attacks on alleged ‘narco-terrorists’ do not need a declaration of war, and while Congress will be briefed on operations, the recent spate of bombings of vessels in…
The United States is cutting billions in foreign aid. In Nigeria, pregnant women and others now face higher risks from HIV Kyuntu John, a mother of three, is running out of her antiretroviral drugs needed to fight AIDS. In a matter of days, her supply will end. But in the wake of the Trump administration’s…
South Africa’s public sector is rapidly adopting biometric and algorithmic tools to improve service delivery. From home affairs’ smart ID roll-out to the South African Social Security Agency’s recent mandatory biometric enrolment for grant processing, governments are rightly chasing efficiency and fraud reduction. But without tight legal guardrails, these technologies concentrate administrative power, create new…
Lagos, Scidev.Net — As world leaders convene in New York for the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), African policymakers eye an opportunity to redefine the continent’s relationship with donors in health financing. Obinna Ebirim, senior technical advisor on youth health and policy research to Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, says Africa must use UNGA…
Although nearly 92 per cent of the global population now has basic access to electricity, more than 666 million people still live without it, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge greater financial support for renewable energy. While the rate of basic access to energy has increased since 2022, the current pace is insufficient…
Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and other senior officials from across the world have spoken about how international support was critical to putting their countries on the path to peace. They shared their experiences at an event this week at UN Headquarters to mark 20 years of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC). The intergovernmental advisory body…
