POLITICS-ETHIOPIA: Concern Over Election Violence Begins to Bite

International condemnation of the violence that followed the May 15 parliamentary election in Ethiopia took on new force this week, with news that Britain had suspended 36 million dollars in aid to the East African country.

POLITICS: For Somalia’s President, There’s Still No Place Like Home

For the moment, it is the homecoming that wasn’t. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf left Kenya Monday to relocate his transitional government to Somalia. However, the flight carrying the head of state was subsequently diverted to Djibouti.

ECONOMY: Kenya Unveils Investor-Friendly Budget

The organisers of Kenya's strike, which paralysed the East African country for six days, called off their industrial action just before this week's budget day.

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.

POLITICS: Fears of Renewed Fighting In Somalia

If President Abdullahi Yusuf had his way, the transitional government of Somalia, which operates from exile in neighbouring Kenya, would relocate to Baidoa, some 220 kilometres southwest of the capital Mogadishu. His other choice is Jowhar, a town located some 90 kilometres northwest of Mogadishu.

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.

POLITICS-ETHIOPIA: Opposition Digs in its Heels Over Election Results

Ethiopia’s national elections were heading to a stormy conclusion this week as the country’s two largest opposition groupings refused to accept provisional results showing that the ruling party had held on to power.

POLITICS-CAR: Junta Leader Swaps Khaki for Civilian Suit

A former military ruler is the new president of the Central African Republic (CAR), which has been plagued with political instability since emperor Jean-Bedel Bokassa was deposed in 1979.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: That Elusive Target of 0.7 Percent

The contentious issue of how much national income wealthy countries are setting aside for development assistance came under scrutiny this week.

RIGHTS-U.S.: Bush Accused of Complacency, Double-Dealing on Darfur

Nine months after his administration first declared that ongoing violence in Darfur constituted ''genocide,'' U.S. President George W. Bush was urged by some 80 human rights and religious groups and prominent individuals here Tuesday to do more to protect innocent civilians in Sudan's western Darfur region.

RIGHTS-AFRICA: Press Freedom in the Spotlight

The International Press Institute kicked off its 54th general assembly Sunday, in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

BIODIVERSITY: Kenya’s Forests at Risk

For many people, Kenya is defined by the endless grasslands of the Masai Mara, herds of wildebeest and accompanying predators. It may surprise them to know, then, that the country is also home to 1.7 million hectares of indigenous forest - and that this land is under threat.

ENVIRONMENT: Africa’s Top Biosafety Envoy Shut Out of Canada Talks

Africa's chief negotiator for the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety has been denied entry into Canada to attend meetings to finalise key provisions regarding the international movement of genetically engineered organisms.

RIGHTS-UGANDA: Growing Pressure on Prisons Already Bursting at the Seams

Nearly a decade ago, the Kampala Declaration on Prison Conditions in Africa was drawn up to improve the situation of inmates across the continent. In an ironic twist, however, the capital that gave its name to the initiative has yet to meet the goals of the declaration.

RIGHTS-KENYA: Truth, Justice and Reconciliation as Elusive as Ever

A recent statement by Kenyan Justice Minister Kiraitu Murungi that it was "no longer necessary" for the country to establish a commission to investigate atrocities committed under previous governments was greeted with both outrage and delight.

POLITICS-ETHIOPIA: Third Time Lucky for the Opposition?

Ethiopia was caught up in election fever this week as crowds of up to 300,000 people took to the streets of Addis Ababa to back the country's ruling coalition and a range of newly invigorated opposition parties.

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.

POLITICS-ETHIOPIA: Upcoming Poll a “Hollow Exercise” – Rights Group

With just days to go before parliamentary elections in Ethiopia, Human Rights Watch has alleged widespread repression in the country's central Oromia region. This area is populated by members of the Oromo ethnic group, which accounts for about a third of the population.

POLITICS-SOMALIA: A Bumpy Trip Home

Violence has marred the first visit to Somalia by the country's prime minister since his appointment last year - and served as a reminder of the challenges facing the East African nation's transitional government.

ENVIRONMENT: Tsunami Nations Agree to Set Up Early Warning System

Donor nations have agreed to set up a 5.5-million-dollar tsunami early warning system for 27 Indian Ocean countries. The system will start operating within the next six months.

DEVELOPMENT-AFRICA: All Aboard the ‘Johannesburg to G8’ Bus

Calls for debt relief to be awarded to African countries have become "de rigueur" in non-governmental circles and a good many news publications. But does the matter crop up during dinner conversations across the continent? Is it sufficiently important to crowd out sports talk amongst people riding mini-bus taxis on their way to work?