Latest update: 22/11/2012  

Congo's M23 rebels hold Goma despite army offensive

M23 rebels stayed entrenched in Goma on Thursday as they faced an offensive by the Congolese army and despite calls from the UN and African leaders to withdraw. The rebels say they will not retreat until President Joseph Kabila holds talks with them.

Latest update: 23/11/2012 

Congo suspends army chief for arming rebel groups

Congolese President Joseph Kabila suspended the army’s chief of staff on Friday following a UN report accusing Gen. Gabriel Amisi of overseeing the selling of arms to rebel groups as tens of thousands of refugees fled the rebel-held city of Goma.

Latest update: 25/11/2012     

Congo refuses talks with rebels unless they quit Goma

The Congolese government said Sunday it would not negotiate with M23 rebels until they pulled out of Goma. The statement comes a day after an urgent summit in Uganda where regional leaders gave the rebels 48 hours to quit the eastern city.

Regional leaders urge DR Congo rebels to ‘stop war’

Regional leaders meeting in Kampala on Saturday urged DR Congo rebel group M23 to “stop all war activities” and retreat from the key eastern town of Goma after a rampant advance displaced thousands of civilians and sparked fears of a wider conflict.

 

Regional leaders called on DR Congo rebel group M23 Saturday to end hostilities and leave a key eastern town they seized in a rampant advance that has sparked fears of a wider conflict.
The meeting of east African heads of state went forward without a key player -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose country the United Nations accuses of backing the rebels -- and wrapped up after less than an hour.

Africa records 57% drop in HIV infections

AS nations approach the 1,000 day deadline to achieve global AIDS targets, African countries have made the most significant reduction in the rate of new Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) with an average of 57.4 per cent reduction in the rate.
A new World AIDS Day report released Wednesday by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), showed that more than 50 per cent reduction in the rate of new HIV infections has been achieved across 25 low- and middle-income countries – more than half in Africa, the region most affected by HIV.
According to the report, in some of the countries, which have the highest HIV prevalence in the world, rates of new HIV infections have been cut dramatically since 2001; by 73 per cent in Malawi, 71 per cent in Botswana, 68 per cent in Namibia, 58 per cent in Zambia, 50 per cent in Zimbabwe and 41 per cent in South Africa and Swaziland.
The UNAIDS report noted that in addition to welcome results in HIV prevention, sub-Saharan Africa has reduced AIDS-related deaths by one third in the last six years and increased the number of people on antiretroviral treatment by 59 per cent in the last two years alone.

Telecoms expansion projects in Ghana, Nigeria, and others gulp $16.5 bilion in 5 years

BETWEEN 2007 and 2012, investment profile in various telecommunications’ network expansion in Nigeria, Ghana and three other countries in the sub-Saharan Africa rose to $16.5 billion.
The other three countries are Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya. Investment in the five countries was put at $2.8 billion in 2011, due to increase in the number of their Base Tranceiver Stations, which were said to have increased by 250 per cent.

Ivory Coast military guilty of 'mass arrests and torture'

A new report released by Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Ivory Coast's army of carrying out mass arrests and beatings on perceived supporters of former president Laurent Gbagbo in response to last year's post-election violence.