TRADE-MAURITIUS: Meeting EU Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Norms

Mauritian producers and exporters are slowly adapting to the sanitary and phyto-sanitary norms imposed by the European Union (EU) on fruit, vegetables and fish.

HEALTH: Commonwealth Event Debates Why AIDS Wears “the Face of a Woman”

The issue of women continuing to be at higher risk of HIV infection than men has received considerable attention at a gathering of women's affairs ministers from Commonwealth countries underway in Uganda's capital, Kampala.

POLITICS-AFRICA: Continental Government by 2015?

Debate on the prospects for continent-wide government in Africa is heating up ahead of the African Union (AU) summit that is scheduled to begin Jun. 25 in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

Q&A: “People Often Cannot Avoid Putting at Risk the Natural Resource Base Upon Which They Depend”

With the World Day to Combat Desertification set to take place shortly (Jun. 17), efforts are gearing up to highlight the threats posed by land degradation in much of Africa - as well as initiatives to safeguard against desertification.

ENVIRONMENT-RWANDA: Unhappy Ending of a Welcome Return

The return in 1996 of over a million Rwandans who had fled their country in the wake of genocide two years earlier, fearing persecution at the hands of Tutsi rebels who took control of Rwanda, was greeted with relief in many quarters.

EDUCATION-AFRICA: Will eLearning Make Teachers Redundant?

Does electronic learning (eLearning) threaten to displace the teacher?

ECONOMY-KENYA: Branson Flying More and Cutting Carbon Emissions

With the introduction of Virgin Atlantic flights on the London/Nairobi route company chief Sir Richard Branson is not only tapping into a lucrative tourism market, he is also offering export opportunities to local farmers.

G8: Cacophony on Global Warming

The summit of the heads of government of the eight most industrialised countries opened Wednesday in this Baltic seaside resort, surrounded by impressive security measures, and dominated by a total cacophony on the group's efforts to curb climate change.

G8: Poverty Reduction and Climate Change Inextricably Linked, Say Activists

In the final hours before this week's Group of Eight (G8) summit gets underway in Germany, activists have underscored the need for progress with both climate change and poverty alleviation - key items on the meeting's agenda - for there to be real improvement in Africa's living conditions.

EDUCATION-AFRICA: Learning at the Flick of a Switch

The role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in improving education throughout Africa has been in the spotlight over recent days at the e-Learning Africa Conference.

ENVIRONMENT-BURUNDI: Urban Waste Becomes Urban Fuel

Several months ago, residents of the Burundian capital, Bujumbura, were struggling with disposal of household waste. The Municipal Technical Services (Services techniques municipaux, SETEMU) weren't able to deal with all the refuse - and health conditions in the city were deteriorating.

ENVIRONMENT-KENYA: Will Good Fences Make for Good Neighbours?

To fence, or not to fence: this debate has been underway for a decade as concerns Kenya's oldest national park, located just 20 minutes from the centre of the capital - Nairobi. With urban development edging closer to the park, however, a decision one way or the other has become a matter of urgency.

Q&A: “We Want Everybody to Come With a White Flag and Talk Peace”

Reports that a remote-controlled bomb was used to attack an Ethiopian army vehicle Wednesday in Beledweyne, central Somalia, have served as another reminder of the volatility plaguing this Horn of Africa state.

TRADE-KENYA: A Sugar Sector in Search of Muscle

Kenya is in talks with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) about extending a period of preferential treatment given to the country's sugar sector four years ago. This is in response to fears that local producers will not be able to survive open competition from their counterparts in the trade bloc when the period ends in March 2008.

TRADE-AFRICA: How to Turn The Curse of Oil Into a Blessing

Africa's abundance in natural resources, especially oil, has been called a curse because of the fierce global thirst that exists for these assets.

TRADE-UGANDA: More Time Needed for EPA Negotiations

Uganda has made little progress in its economic partnership agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union (EU), as government and the private sector say that they need more time before committing to a deal.

ENVIRONMENT-AFRICA: Long Knives Out Over Elephants

Environmentalists are readying themselves for another heated round of debate and horse-trading in the continuing international tussle over the issue of ivory sales.

RIGHTS-KENYA: Past Not Yet History for Veterans of Independence Struggle

Mau Mau veterans in Kenya have vowed to continue fighting for reparations from the British government for abuses perpetrated during colonial rule in the East African country - this after Britain dismissed the compensation claim.

ENVIRONMENT-KENYA: Biodiversity Fades as Coral Bleaches

Synonymous with big game and rolling savannahs, Kenya has also garnered fame for a part of its natural heritage that is found off shore, in the form of coral reefs. But, officials warn that higher sea temperatures - ascribed to climate change - are taking a toll on these reefs, as well as the diverse marine life they play host to.

DEVELOPMENT-KENYA: Media Civil to Civil Society?

They fight for the rights of AIDS patients, lobby for fairer trade regulations, highlight environmental ills - and address a host of other pressing issues in Kenya. But, some of them feel these initiatives are being given short shrift by the media.

DEVELOPMENT: Keeping Civil Society on the Straight and Narrow

A few years ago, this IPS correspondent posed a question at a workshop in Johannesburg, South Africa, about whether non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should be held more accountable for their actions. Afterwards, the key speaker at the event pulled me aside, and issued a polite rebuke for my "dangerous question".