US fundraising platform for charities says around $900,000 stolen by staff in DRC

A US-based aid group said that approximately $900,000 was stolen from its Congo programs by members of the organization who conspired with outsiders. GiveDirectly said that it learned that people on its Congo team worked with people outside the organization to defraud the cash transfer program, diverting aid from more than 1,700 impoverished families over…

UN official urges “responsible” withdrawal from the DRC

A top UN official said on Wednesday that peacekeepers should withdraw from the DRC as “quickly as possible” yet responsibly. Speaking in the capital, Kinshasa, during a visit to the DRC, the UN official added that the Congolese state should step up its own response to the armed groups that plague the east of the country. “We’re obviously going to continue this…

West African Nations Unite to Tackle Food Crisis, Soil Health

In a move to combat the escalating food crisis exacerbated by the relentless impacts of climate change, seventeen nations in West Africa and the Sahel signed the “Lomé Declaration on Fertilizers and Soil Health.” The agreement has been called a beacon of hope by some, as it looks to revolutionise the accessibility and affordability of…

South African Report on Alleged Arms Supply to Russia Classified

By André van Wyk Cape Town — The Democratic Alliance will oppose President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to classify the findings of a probe that determined whether arms and ammunition supplied from South Africa were loaded onto a Russian cargo vessel in 2022. This comes after Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya  confirmed the probe was not an official commission…

Deadly Protests Erupt in Senegal After Opposition Leader Jailed

Nine people were killed in protests following the sentencing of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, authorities in Senegal said early on Friday June 2, 2023. Deutsche Welle reports that Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome made the announcement on state television, adding that the deaths happened in Dakar and Ziguinchor. On May 31, a court sentenced sentenced former…

Significant Step Towards Vaccine Manufacturing Autonomy in Africa

Fratmat Info The Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD) brings together key capabilities and functions to address public health challenges in Africa. The Institut Pasteur de Dakar plays an important regional role through its various specialized reference laboratories and its partnership with WHO in the fight against infectious diseases. The Institut Pasteur de Dakar is one…