Mali vows to defend nation against French intrusions and meddling
Mali’s foreign minister has slammed France’s continued attempts to undermine the sovereignty and national security of his country, pledging that Bamako is resolved to defend itself. “The government of Mali reserves the right to exercise its right to self-defense … if France continues to undermine the sovereignty of our country and to undermine its territorial integrity and its national security,”...
African nations growing more sympathetic to crisis in Gaza
African countries began walking a diplomatic line after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel that included strongly held principles, diplomatic expediency, and empathy in the wake of unfolding carnage in the region. Ghana’s foreign affairs minister stated that it “unequivocally condemns” attacks by Hamas and called for the group to withdraw its fighters from Israel. Rwanda issued a similar...
Strong earthquake hits East Africa
Kampala, Uganda (PANA) - A strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale shook Uganda's capital, Kampala, on Monday (1225 GMT). Hundreds of people evacuated office buildings and shopping malls in mainly medium rising buildings in the city center, and were largely seen assembled in open spaces waiting for further information. Meteorological reports said a magnitude of 6.8 also hit...
U.S. hypocrisy, war in Western Sahara could ignite North Africa
The freedom struggle for Western Sahara, a state in Northwest Africa, was recently discussed by experts worried about increased violence between Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic freedom fighters and Morocco, which has occupied the country for decades. Over the past year, fighting between the kingdom of Morocco and Western Sahara has grown. Participants in the online session talked about the history...
Decade of Sahel conflict leaves 2.5 million people displaced
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) called for concerted international action to end armed conflict in Africa’s central Sahel region, which has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes in the last decade. Speaking to journalists in Geneva in mid-January, the agency’s spokesperson, Boris Cheshirkov, informed that internal displacement has increased tenfold since 2013, going from 217,000 to a staggering...
Africa Union chairman visits U.S., shares frustrations over preconditions for peace in Libya
Why the West Want the Fall of Muammar Gaddafi (Analysis by Jean-Paul Pougala, 04, 2011)Wikileaks Cablegate reveals unflattering U.S. view of African 'client states,' leaders (FCN, 12-09-2010) (FinalCall.com) - Dr. Jean Ping, chairperson of the African Union Commission, and his high level delegation recently paid an official visit to the United States. The AUC chairman's visit was part of the...
Sudan election a good first step
-Contributing Writer- KHARTOUM, Sudan (FinalCall.com) - During two press conferences the recurring theme of European Union and Carter Center observers was, recently concluded Sudan elections “were not up to international standards”– but were a good first step for Africa's largest country. Meanwhile African Union chief Jean Ping hailed Sudan April 17 for “peacefully conducted” elections as Khartoum kicked off vote-counting...
Is ‘real talk’ by African leaders a sign of the times?
Many world leaders mounted the speakers’ platform during the recent high-level general debate week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly. However, the tone of some African leaders was eye-opening and worth noting. The annual UNGA 78 gathering at UN headquarters in New York City is where the majority of member states give their input on pressing global issues....
‘We will continue all forms of resistance’ Military crackdown in Sudan continues, protestors remain undeterred
The strangeness of writing a column about Africa and being married to an African in the middle of a political, economic and social crisis is personal and is substance for the current column. Don’t worry, my wife Zakia during the month of Ramadan is spending time with her mom, far removed from the epicenter of the conflict in Khartoum. In...
The consequences of underdevelopment in Sudan
During my nearly two months in Sudan, leaving less than a week before the October 25, 2021, military coup, I reflected with fascination on how Sudan’s majority Muslim and majority Black, with Arab and Turkish mixture population, could live and in some cases thrive in such “underdevelopment,” as Walter Rodney coined it in his 1973 book: “How Europe Underdeveloped...