DEVELOPMENT-SOUTHERN AFRICA: “We Are Raising the Alarm Now”

Images of skeletal children in Niger, wasted away by malnutrition, have featured prominently in the media over recent weeks. Amidst efforts to alleviate this suffering, however, there are fears that the crisis in Niger may undermine donor willingness to tackle problems elsewhere on the continent – notably in Southern Africa.

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: Churches to the Rescue

South African churches sent relief aid to Zimbabwe this week to help more than 700,000 people affected by the country's urban clean-up campaign - Operation Murambatsvina, a Shona term meaning "drive out trash".

POLITICS-DRC: “Stronger Commitment” Needed for Peace

Ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has underscored the difficulties of bringing lasting peace to this vast Central African country.

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: To Loan, or Not To Loan

Zimbabwe's decision to seek a loan from neighbouring South Africa has sparked a heated debate in that country. Some have urged South Africa to turn down the request, while others say the loan should be granted - with stringent conditions attached.

POLITICS-ZIMBABWE: To Loan, or Not To Loan

Zimbabwe's decision to seek a loan from neighbouring South Africa has sparked a heated debate in that country. Some have urged South Africa to turn down the request, while others say the loan should be granted - with stringent conditions attached. They fear a refusal to extend this financial lifeline to President Robert Mugabe would exacerbate Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis.

POLITICS-SWAZILAND: Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock

"We don't want Swaziland to explode like Rwanda, Burundi or Sierra Leone," says Gabriel Mkhumane, founder of the outlawed People's United Democratic Movement - a Swazi opposition party.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Laying Out the Pros and Cons of the G8 Summit

Two years ago, Caroline Sande-Mukulira joined civil society activists in the French resort of Evian to plead Africa's cause.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Two High-Profile Campaigners Tackle AIDS

Former South African president Nelson Mandela and United States First Lady Laura Bush campaigned in two South African cities this week against the spread of AIDS.

HEALTH-SOUTH AFRICA: Two High-Profile Campaigners Tackle AIDS

Former South African president Nelson Mandela and United States First Lady Laura Bush campaigned in two South African cities this week against the spread of AIDS.

G8 SUMMIT: London Blasts Spark Speculation and Sympathy in South Africa

Leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) major industrialized nations wrapped up their summit in Gleneagles, Scotland this week, amidst images of bloodstained commuters crying and struggling to get away from the scene of blasts that occurred in Britain’s capital – London.

POLITICS-AFRICA: Sirte Looks to Gleneagles

The African Union ended its annual summit this week with an appeal for substantially more aid from the West and demands for two permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

G8-SUMMIT: “We Are Making Good Progress, Considering Where We Came From”

Demands for good governance and tough action on corruption could eclipse calls for increased aid to Africa when the Group of Eight (G8) leaders meet this week in Scotland for their annual summit, African academics and civil society groups fear.

G8-SUMMIT: “We Are Making Good Progress, Considering Where We Came From”

Demands for good governance and tough action on corruption could eclipse calls for increased aid to Africa when the Group of Eight (G8) leaders meet this week in Scotland for their annual summit, African academics and civil society groups fear.

RIGHTS-ZIMBABWE: “I’m Ready to Stand in Front of the Gun and be Shot”

A coalition of more than 200 African and international civic groups has called on the United Nations and African Union to press for an end to evictions and demolitions that have left people across Zimbabwe homeless.

HEALTH-SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS Orphans – a Silent Tsunami

Twelve million and counting: that is the number of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This figure is expected to double by 2010.

REFUGEES: After the Struggle to Arrive in South Africa, a Struggle for Education

A net producer of refugees until its transition to democracy, South Africa is now an important destination for migrants; but many of them find it impossible to begin or continue with their education because they lack the necessary funds.

REFUGEES: After the Struggle to Arrive in South Africa, a Struggle for Education

The effort to combine work and studies is taking its toll on Desiré Rwamagana, a Rwandan refugee who lives in South Africa’s commercial hub – Johannesburg.

POLITICS-SOUTH AFRICA: A Case of "Not Over Until It’s Over" for Zuma?

The long-running scandal over corruption in South Africa’s five-billion-dollar arms deal passed a milestone Tuesday with the sacking of Deputy President Jacob Zuma. However, it remains uncertain whether this dismissal has sounded the death knell for the official’s future in politics.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: Small Arms That Do Big Damage

A global week of action against the flow of small arms that is fuelling conflicts in Africa and elsewhere kicked off Monday.

RIGHTS-DRC: Another Demonstration of the Paradox of Plenty

A report by the New York-based Human Rights Watch claims the competition for gold in the Democratic Republic of Congo has led to widespread abuses in the central African country.

TRADE-AFRICA: Debate Over WTO Leadership in the Final Stretch

As the final round of consultations to choose a new director-general for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) wrapped up Thursday, former European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy appeared to be leading in the race to head the body.