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May
30
2025
By The African Mirror
Zambia’s refugee policy encourages farmers to be self-reliant

Zambia’s refugee policy encourages farmers to be self-reliant

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
WHEN Mwaka Sangwa, 63, first arrived in Meheba refugee settlement in North-Western Zambia in 1993, she never imagined that she would end up spending more than half of her life there. Despite losing her husband and son to conflict in her country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), she hoped she would be able to one day return there. Over three decades on, she, along with her children and her grandchildren, have known no other home. The eastern DRC continues to face escalating violence, with little sign of peace in sight. In the last five months alone, more than…
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May
27
2025
By TOLU OLAREWAJU and JAGANNADHA PAWAN TAMVADA
Why Meta is in trouble in Nigeria and what this means for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users

Why Meta is in trouble in Nigeria and what this means for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
META, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, was recently hit with three fines totalling more than US$290 million in Nigeria. The fines were imposed by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Nigerian Data Protection Commission and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria. Meta was accused of invasive practices against data subjects and consumers in Nigeria. The company denied the allegations and has challenged the fines in court. Entrepreneurship and international business researcher Tolu Olarewaju and professor of entrepreneurship Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada explain the implications of the fines. What are the violations for which Meta got fined? The…
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May
24
2025
By IFESINACHI OKAFOR-YARWOOD
Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them

Colonial-era borders create conflict in Africa’s oceans – how to resolve them

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
AFRICA has 38 coastal and island nations. Their maritime industries – including energy, tourism, maritime transport, shipping and fishing – play a crucial role in developing these nations. Key to harnessing these resources are Africa’s maritime boundaries – lines on a map showing the legal divisions of the ocean between neighbouring coastal states. Some of these boundaries were created by colonial powers and were kept after independence. Their purpose was to achieve territorial security and ensure the exclusive exploitation of resources and to maintain navigational freedom. But Africa’s maritime boundaries sometimes lead to conflict, prevent cooperation on resource management and…
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May
20
2025
By BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY
A conversation on turning South Africa’s ambitious renewable energy goals into reality

A conversation on turning South Africa’s ambitious renewable energy goals into reality

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
SOUTH Africa’s renewable energy ambitions are evolving beyond clean electricity generation into a full-scale industrial strategy aimed at economic renewal. With the launch of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), the country has set its sights not only on expanding its green energy footprint but also on building a domestic manufacturing ecosystem for solar panels, wind turbines, and battery technologies. Earlier this month, bird story agency explored how the SAREM framework marks a pivotal shift — from merely installing renewables to anchoring a new era of industrial growth. SAREM targets R15 billion (more than US$800 million) in investment and…
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May
19
2025
By The African Mirror
Congolese escaping the M23 conflict face new hardships in Burundi

Congolese escaping the M23 conflict face new hardships in Burundi

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian. NEWLY arrived Congolese refugees in Burundi are struggling with harsh living conditions in camps and border areas, amid growing tensions with local authorities and aid groups over where they should be allowed to live and be supported in the country. More than 70,000 have braved dangerous border crossings in recent weeks, driven by intensifying conflict between the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement and the national army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Despite the violence, interviews by The New Humanitarian show some refugees are already returning home because they are unable…
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May
16
2025
By KEVIN KIRKMAN, CRAIG MORRIS and HELGA VAN DER MERWE
Southern Africa’s rangelands do many jobs, from feeding cattle to storing carbon: a review of 60 years of research

Southern Africa’s rangelands do many jobs, from feeding cattle to storing carbon: a review of 60 years of research

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
SOUTH Africa’s rangelands have always had great value for the country. These areas offer more than just grazing for livestock. They provide services like purifying water, storing carbon and conserving biodiversity. The grassland biome (28%), along with the savanna (32.5%) and the Nama-Karoo (19.5%), are collectively referred to as rangelands. They make up almost 80% of the land area of South Africa. Their ecological services haven’t always been fully appreciated. Research into rangelands has evolved in response to environmental changes, human needs and scientific discoveries. Commercial livestock production was the main concern when academics, researchers and practitioners met for the…
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May
14
2025
By VICKI SQUIRE
Humanitarian aid depends on good data: what’s wrong with the way it’s collected

Humanitarian aid depends on good data: what’s wrong with the way it’s collected

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS, EDITORS CHOICE
THE defunding of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), along with reductions in aid from the UK and elsewhere, raises questions about the continued collection of data that helps inform humanitarian efforts. Humanitarian response plans rely on accurate, accessible and up-to-date data. Aid organisations use this to review needs, monitor health and famine risks, and ensure security and access for humanitarian operations. The reliance on data – and in particular large-scale digitalised data – has intensified in the humanitarian sector over the past few decades. Major donors all proclaim a commitment to evidence-based decision making. The International Organisation for…
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May
10
2025
By DANIEL BERHANE
How to resolve Tigray’s dangerous demobilisation deadlock

How to resolve Tigray’s dangerous demobilisation deadlock

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Daniel Berhane OVER the last few weeks, more than 12,000 Tigrayan ex-combatants have demobilised and transitioned to the next phase of their lives – but they are the lucky ones. Some 250,000 former fighters have been left behind, their futures on hold, despite the war in Ethiopia’s northern region coming to an end more than two years ago. These delays and setbacks to the demobilisation programme represent a serious security risk. The socio-economic toll of keeping a large, productive force idle has yet to be fully assessed, but disillusionment is reflected…
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May
09
2025
By MOHAMED OKASH and ABDIKAFI HASSAN ABDI
Somalia’s exports are threatened by climate change and conflict: what 30 years of data tell us

Somalia’s exports are threatened by climate change and conflict: what 30 years of data tell us

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
IN the sun-scorched lands of Somalia, farmers and livestock keepers have grown accustomed to the extremes of the climate. In 2022, for example, the country suffered the longest drought in 40 years. This affected nearly half the national population of 18 million people. The following year, heavy and widespread flooding devastated the country’s farmlands and infrastructure. For a country whose economy breathes through its agriculture and livestock sectors, these extremes have adverse implications. Over 70% of the population relies on farming, herding and pastoral activities for their livelihoods. Despite these climatic shocks, agriculture contributes about 60% of Somalia’s GDP. This…
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May
08
2025
By SARLI SARDOU NANA
How to stop Nigeria’s worsening farmer-pastoralist violence

How to stop Nigeria’s worsening farmer-pastoralist violence

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS
This story was originally published by The New Humanitarian.By Sarli Sardou Nana PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has big dreams for Nigeria’s new Federal Ministry of Livestock Development. In a speech announcing the ministry, Tinubu shared his hope that it would “enable Nigeria to finally take advantage of livestock farming” and overcome “this adversity that has plagued us”. The adversity he is alluding to is farmer-herder conflict: the violent disputes between farmers and pastoralists over land and land access that are estimated to have killed 2,600 people in 2021 alone. Created last year, the Ministry of Livestock is tasked with mending relations…
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