AFP Africa

Petronille Vaweka, a tireless peace activist from eastern DR Congo who’s now up for a prestigious award, recalls tense exchanges with militiamen, and the horrors of war in her native Ituri province.The 75-year-old has spent decades pushing for peace in Ituri, a gold-rich province where brutal violence between the Hema and Lendu communities has raged …

DR Congo’s veteran peace campaigner, Petronille VawekaThu, 07 Dec 2023 06:57:37 GMT Read More »

Any eventual agreement on a fossil fuel phase-out at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai must take into account “different national circumstances”, South Africa’s environment minister Barbara Creecy told AFP.Creecy has been appointed by the Emirati presidency to facilitate discussions on how countries are making progress on meeting their Paris Agreement climate goals.The 2015 Paris …

‘National circumstances’ key to COP28 fossil fuel deal: S.Africa ministerThu, 07 Dec 2023 06:40:51 GMT Read More »

The United States said Wednesday that Sudan’s rival forces have both committed war crimes in their brutal conflict and alleged a new ethnic cleansing campaign in scarred Darfur.After months of rising concern and frustration at the failure of talks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken presented findings following an evaluation by the State Department.Blinken said that …

US finds war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Sudan warWed, 06 Dec 2023 22:46:59 GMT Read More »

The Emirati head of the UN’s climate conference pressed countries on Wednesday to strive for common ground and reach a “historic” deal by early next week, giving negotiators days to untangle disagreements over the fate of fossil fuels.It is rare for UN climate talks to end as scheduled but COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber set …

COP28 head presses nations to reach climate ‘compromise’Wed, 06 Dec 2023 20:49:34 GMT Read More »

The Emirati head of UN climate talks faced growing pressure Wednesday to steer nations towards a consensus as negotiators sparred over the thorny issue of fossil fuels.A report confirming that 2023 will be the hottest year in recorded history was a reminder of the stakes as the UN negotiations hosted by the oil-rich UAE reached …

Pressure mounts on COP28 president as fossil fuel debate sizzlesWed, 06 Dec 2023 14:47:42 GMT Read More »

UN climate chief Simon Stiell on Wednesday accused nations of “posturing” at the COP28 talks in Dubai, raising the temperature on negotiators sparring over the thorny issue of fossil fuels.Pressure is mounting near the end of the first week of the UN negotiations hosted by the oil-rich UAE, with Europe’s climate monitor confirming that 2023 …

UN slams COP28 ‘posturing’ as fossil fuel debate sizzlesWed, 06 Dec 2023 11:35:02 GMT Read More »

With 2023 confirmed to be the hottest year on record by Europe’s climate monitor, the temperature was also rising Wednesday on negotiators thrashing out the thorny issue of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai.Pressure for progress is mounting as the UN climate talks near the end of their first week, with the latest draft of …

COP28 fossil fuel debate sizzles as world marks record hot yearWed, 06 Dec 2023 09:12:30 GMT Read More »

The squalid displacement camps near the city of Goma in eastern DR Congo stand as a testament to the government’s struggle to solve insecurity, a key issue ahead of elections later this month.In the conflict-torn east of the impoverished but mineral-rich central African nation, many feel abandoned.”We live like animals,” said 28-year-old Anna Mastaki, who …

Ahead of DR Congo vote, people in volatile east feel abandonedWed, 06 Dec 2023 06:47:47 GMT Read More »

Award-winning journalist Mariam Ouedraogo finds it impossible to forget the heartbreaking stories she has covered about sexual assault in Burkina Faso’s jihadist war.The women who have been raped, she told AFP, are sometimes attacked “en masse, sometimes in public, in front of a husband, in front of children.””These stories leave permanent marks,” said Ouedraogo, who …

Journalist’s personal battle as Burkina militants target womenWed, 06 Dec 2023 03:19:49 GMT Read More »

Humanity faces an “unprecedented” risk from tipping points that could unleash a domino effect of irreversible catastrophes across the planet, researchers warned Wednesday.The most comprehensive assessment ever conducted of Earth’s invisible tripwires was released as leaders meet for UN climate talks in Dubai with 2023 set to smash all heat records.While many of the 26 …

Planet tipping points pose ‘unprecedented’ threat to humanity: reportWed, 06 Dec 2023 00:46:23 GMT Read More »