Latest News
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Liberia Will Rise Again! Observations From a Recent Visit
What’s happening in Liberia? Is the war over ? Is it safe to travel there? These are the most common questions I’ve been asked regarding the situation in the West African country of Liberia. My three weeks on the ground in post-conflict Liberia in June gave me a glimpse of the present position of the country as…
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Advocacy Update: Rwanda-Congo Conflict
This article first appeared in the July/August issue of Around Africa Between March and early May, you may remember signing a petition to the U.S. State Department generated by Africa Faith and Justice Network regarding the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)-Rwanda conflict. On May 23, we submitted the overwhelmingly well-supported petition (more than 1300 signatures) to…
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The Ritual of Military Coup in Mauritania
On August 6th, the first democratically elected president of Mauritania, Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, was overthrown in a military coup lead by the head of his presidential guard, General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz. This happened after 48 lawmakers from the ruling party resigned and President Sidi decided to fire General Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz and another senior…
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Draft Agreement Puts Tsvangarai as Leader of Zimbabwe
According to a draft settlement released today , President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe would receive a ceremonial title as head of state and “founding president” while opposition leader Mr. Morgan Tsvangarai would take over the running of the country as Prime Minister. The settlement would also guarantee Mr. Mugabe blanket amnesty for the atrocities…
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Congress Challenges AFRICOM
Congress is finally taking up its constitutionally mandated duties of oversight and responsible budgeting – at least on U.S.-Africa policy. From humanitarian relief for northern Uganda to the Jubilee Act on debt relief, Congress is making some very important steps forward on the side of the African people. Although there have been a few major…
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AFRICOM: Key Facts and Concerns
Published originally on the resist AFRICOM coalition website, August 2008. AFRICOM expands of the role of the U.S. military on the African Continent, potentially shifting humanitarian resources from civilians to military personnel. We reject this militarization of foreign engagement. We also repudiate the role of the U.S. military and private military contractors in training and equipping African soldiers….
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Embezzlement of Funds: the DRC Government Caught Some
On July 22, 2008, the Interdepartmental Commission of the Commission of audit and Good Governance of the Democratic Republic of the Congo made public the names of those involved in embezzlement of 1.3 billion US dollars. Among those named are three financial institutions (DGI, DGRAD, OFIDA) and six public enterprises (ONATRA, OCC, REGIDESO, SNEL, SONAS and RVA). The government…
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AFJN Briefs House Staff on AFRICOM
In June, AFJN staff member Beth Tuckey presented information on private security contractors in Africa to staffers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Her presentation was part of a larger briefing by the Resist AFRICOM coalition, to familiarize staffers with our position on the new military command for Africa. With AFRICOM’s focus now on training…
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G8: A Religious Call for Strong Action, A Spotlight on Africa
This year, Hokkaido Toyako, Japan, is hosting heads of state of some of the world’s most developed nations, the Group of 8, in their 34th annual summit to discuss, debate, and potentially reach consensus on addressing the challenges that face our world today. The G8 summit is one of the only global summits in which…
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Concern for Zimbabweans Continues as Political Situation Remains Unresolved
AFJN’s concerns for the Zimbabwean people continue in the wake of the June 27th run-off elections: Despite the withdraw of oppositional candidate Morgan Tsvangirai in response to violence against his supporters and widespread awareness of the election’s illegitimacy, Robert Mugabe was declared the landside winner with more than 85% of the vote and was sworn…
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The D.R. of Congo: 48th year of Independence
On June 30, 1960 , the Democratic Republic of the Congo was formally proclaimed independent from Belgium . What kind of independence has it had? Like many African nations, the period since independence has been very similar to the time before independence. After the assassination of the elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba , president Mobutu Sese Seko ruled the Congo like his personal property making…
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UN Security Council Resolution Denounces Use of Rape as War Tactic
AFJN applauds Condoleezza Rice and the leaders of the United Nations Security Council for their new resolution forcefully condemning sexual violence against women. The Resolution, approved unanimously by the UN Security Council on Thursday, June 20, affirms the role of rape and other acts of sexual violence “as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate,…
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Update on Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS
Several Republican Senators led by Tom Coburn of Oklahoma are blocking Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde US Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS or S. 2731 after it was passed the Foreign Relations Committee in a 18-to-3 vote. The Senators are objecting to the increase from $19 million to $50 million in aid through PEPFAR. They argue that…
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In the Face of Pessimism Comes Progress
When we started our work opposing AFRICOM, many people told us that the train had left the station and that there was nothing we could do to stop it. No one in Congress or at the Embassies felt empowered to stand up against a direct order from the Bush Administration, particularly when it came to…
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Zimbabwe: Violence Continues as Run-Off Approaches
By Ntama Bahati To this day Robert Mugabe is determined to remain in power at all cost. His strategy is to rule by force, particularly with violence against those who supported his opponent Morgan Tsvangirai during the first presidential election round on March 29, 2008. As June 27, the run-off day approaches, he continues using intimidation…
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Thousands of HIV-positive Babies Born Daily
The World Health Organization issued a report saying about 2,000 children of HIV-positive mothers in the developing world are born with the disease on a daily basis because the mothers were not given antiretrovirals during their pregnancy. The lack of progress came in the face of a threefold increase in access to the drugs, the…
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Dr. Denis Mukwege Speaks at Congo Global Action Coalition Conference
On March 30-31st at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC, Congo Global Action Coalition held a conference on the Democratic Republic of the Congo; an effort to bring more awareness and advocate for peace in the this nation. Dr. Denis Kukwege, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Panzi hospital in Bukavu was one of…
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Buti Tlhagale OMI, Archbishop of Johannesburg, on presidential Run Off in Zimbabwe
Issued by Fr Chris Townsend, Information Officer of the SACBC, on behalf of Archbishop Buti Tlhagale OMI, President of the SACBC. Pretoria – May 13, 2008 ‘A run-off election in Zimbabwe will not be possible without an immediate end to intimidation, violence and torture and the deployment of reliable international election observers.’ Out of concern…
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AFJN Encourages Congress to Prevent the Further Militarization of Africa
This week, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) is marking up its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. In previous versions of the bill, Congress granted increased funding to the Department of Defense (DOD) to pursue military activities in Africa and around the world. What is referred to as “Section…
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” PEACE IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO”
PRESENTATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF BUKAVU AT CONGO GLOBAL ACTION’S CONFERENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,March 30 -31st, 2008 Translated From French & Published April 7, 2008 Introduction Dear brothers and sisters, It is in the name of all the people of goodwill living in the Africa’s Great Lakes Region, of all my Congolese brothers and sisters,…
