East Africa News

[World Bank] With more than 1.5 billion people living in countries afflicted by repeated cycles of conflict and violence, the World Bank has today opened a new Global Center on Conflict, Security and Development to make its financial support and expertise work better for poor and vulnerable people living in fragile countries.

[World Bank] Nairobi - With more than 1.5 billion people living in countries afflicted by repeated cycles of conflict and violence, the World Bank has today opened a new Global Center on Conflict, Security and Development to make its financial support and expertise work better for poor and vulnerable people living in fragile countries. The center will also help to establish a stronger community of practice and knowledge-sharing across the worldwide network of practitioners who work on development issues confronting fragile and c

[RSF] Reporters Without Borders has written to the more than 50 national and international delegations attending tomorrow's one-day London Conference on Somalia to draw their attention to the alarming situation of journalists in Somalia.

[IRIN] Nairobi - In August, Somalia faces constitutional limbo if the key provisions of a political "roadmap" agreed in September 2011, and one of the topics of this week's conference in London, are not met.

[Monitor] A post-mortem carried out over the weekend on Jeff Rice's body who died in a Kampala hotel room has revealed that he died of a suspected cocaine overdose, Police investigations have revealed.

[Independent] A plan by the Canadian government to spend more than $26 million on building capacities of communities around mining areas by funding joint poverty reduction projects between NGOs and Canada's mining companies in Africa and South America has attracted both criticism and praise.

[RFI] The president of Uganda's Forum for Democratic Change, Kizza Besigye, was hospitalised Tuesday when a political rally was dispersed by police in Kampala.

[IRIN] Bujumbura - At least 2,000 people displaced by recent torrential rains in the area of Gatumba, on the outskirts of Burundi's capital, Bujumbura, need food and shelter, say officials.

[Oxfam] Oxfam calls on governments meeting at the London Somalia Conference tomorrow to develop a coherent strategy towards the country that shifts away from the emphasis on short term security and anti-terror concerns towards a long term engagement that prioritizes the interests of ordinary Somalis.

[IRIN] Apar - Amid violent confrontations, some 6,000 people in northern Uganda who spent years displaced as the army pursued the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have been forced to leave their newfound homes because they lie in what has become a wildlife reserve.

[Survival International] Survival has uncovered shocking new evidence of human rights abuses against tribes in Ethiopia's Omo Valley, as government efforts to develop lucrative sugar cane plantations in the region intensify.

[Sudan Tribune] Khartoum - The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) released Sudanese interprets and a Yemeni police advisor, the rebels and the hybrid peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) confirmed on Tuesday.

[World Bank] Washington - The Board of Directors of the World Bank today discussed the Interim Strategy Note (ISN) for Madagascar. The previous Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) covering the period 2007-2011 came to an end in July 2011. However, the CAS could not be implemented given the unconstitutional change of regime triggered the start of the political crisis in early 2009. The country is not in a position to warrant the preparation of a new CAS due to the implementation of operational procedure OP 7.30 (dealing with de facto

[Independent] Uganda's President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been advised to leave office and pave way for another leader eying for the most valued position in the country.

[SciDev.Net] Antananarivo - Madagascar is aiming to plug its energy gap and reduce its carbon emissions by encouraging a major investment in large-scale wind-turbines, the country's interim president, Andry Rajoelina, has announced.

[World Bank] Dar es Salaam - Tanzania can achieve her vision of accelerated and shared growth through the combination of fiscal prudence, cost-effective reforms in the education sector, and smart policies aimed at promoting the transformation of firms, says the latest World Bank analysis.

[RNW Africa] The Sauti Za Busara music festival rocked the tropical island of Zanzibar last week. While this four-day event aims to revitalise Swahili music , it has not been completely successful at winning the hearts of neither the conservative Muslim community, nor the new generation of Tanzanians who are swaying to more Western beats.

[HRInfo] Somalia's warring parties have all failed to protect Somali children from the fighting or serving in their forces, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab has increasingly targeted children for recruitment, forced marriage, and rape, and attacked teachers and schools, Human Rights Watch said.

[Hirondelle] Arusha - The prosecution and defence have lodged notices of appeal to challenge some findings in the judgment delivered on November 17, 2011 in the case of former Rwandan Mayor Gregoire Ndahimana by a Trial Chamber at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

[CISA] Khartoum - Sudanese security service officers on Sunday February 19, 2012 raided the printing sections of two Arabic dailies, Al-Tayar and Alyoum Altali, and confiscated all copies of the two publications that were due for distribution.