Families Trapped in Cote d’Ivoire

Armed men have blocked some 60 families without food or water from leaving a church in Cote d'Ivoire's commercial city, the U.N. says.

No Quiet Old Age for South Africa’s Grannies

Grannies are indispensable in South Africa. They may have been hoping for a restful old age, but the AIDS epidemic has seen them taking on motherhood for a second time, caring for grandchildren whose parents have died of the disease.

OP-ED: Zambian TV Ads Threaten Women’s Gains

Five years since Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was elected president in Liberia, it appears there is a systematic campaign to remind African women that their place is still in the kitchen. And advertisers of detergent powders and other cleaning products appear to be the main culprits.

African Migrants Targeted in Libya

As nations evacuate their citizens from the violence gripping Libya, many African migrant workers are being targeted because they are suspected of being mercenaries hired by Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader.

OP-ED: Democracy Is No Panacea

The Egyptian people have every reason to be proud. They have provided the world with a shining example of how to overthrow a dictator within three weeks with hardly any violence - their message of freedom, unity and solidarity will remain for years in the collective memory of the Middle East and the entire world.

In Search of an African Revolution

Demonstrations are continuing across the Middle East, interrupted only by the call for prayer when protesters fall to their knees on cheap carpets and straw mats and the riot police take a tea break. Meanwhile, in 'darkest Africa', far away from the cameras of international mainstream media, reports have surfaced of political unrest in a host of sub- Saharan nations.

UGANDA: Kato Murder Re-ignites Gay Rights Debate

For the government of Uganda, the timing of David Kato's death couldn't have been more unfortunate. Kato was killed on Jan. 26, a national holiday to commemorate the ascent to power of the ruling National Resistance Movement party.

HAITI: Baby Doc’s Warm Welcome Turns Frigid

Human rights groups are urging Haitian authorities to seize the opportunity of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier's surprise return to the country Sunday to prosecute him for the atrocities committed during his 15-year reign.

South Sudan Voters Die in Ambush

At least 11 more people have been killed in violence over southern Sudan's historic referendum, officials have said.

Women’s Initiation in Zambia: Dancing in Bed

Staying in Chawama, a compound outside Zambia's capital Lusaka, I spent many an evening chatting to the local women as they sat outside and cooked on their charcoal braziers. It intrigued me how a lot of the gossip would come back to one topic: the importance of 'chinamwali', the traditional initiation training most Zambian women go through before they get married.

The Peace Dividend in South Sudan

This is the story of Francis Odong, a southern Sudanese man from Eastern Equitoria state.

Tribe Warns of War over Sudan Vote

A tribal leader in Sudan's flashpoint region of Abyei has given a war warning, six days before south Sudan votes on whether to split from the north.

Cholera Forces Haiti to Face Sewage Dilemma

The cholera crisis is forcing Haitian authorities to address an unpleasant and now life-threatening problem – untreated feces.

HAITI: Do Elections Equal Reconstruction?

Posters cover almost every conceivable surface, even tombs in graveyards. Trucks mounted with loud speakers blare campaign jingles. Candidates' faces are everywhere. It's elections "à la américaine", complete with polls and whistle-stops.

HAITI: “Cash-for-Work” Seen as a Double-Edged Sword

All across Haiti, United Nations, bilateral and non- governmental agencies are running scores of "cash-for-work" programmes. But are they "working"?