Hope for jobs rather than religion drives recruitment by armed groups in Africa — UN report

The lack of employment more than religious belief is what is driving people to join fast-growing extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report by the UN Development Program (UNDP) based on interviews with hundreds of former fighters across East, West and the Horn of Africa. The new UNDP report’s findings thus challenge traditional […]

UN 4th Committee: Petitioners slam separatism as a serious threat to peace in Africa

Several international experts and petitioners slammed, before the 4th Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the “scourge” of separatism which poses “a serious threat to peace and security”, particularly in Africa. Ismail Aboui Bouchane, professor at the University of Rwanda, underlined the “numerous connections between separatism and terrorist organizations” which are, […]

German aid worker hostage freed in Mali thanks to Morocco

German aid worker Jörg Lange, who was abducted in 2018 in western Niger, has been released thanks to Moroccan intelligence services, according to German newspaper Der Spiegel. The news ended years of uncertainty and suffering for the hostage and his family, raising hope for resolving the cases of other captives. Mr.Lange, 63, was handed over […]