Malawi has recorded a 57% increase in suicides since the start the coronavirus pandemic. Psychologists blame loss of hope in dealing with social distancing and economic problems from COVID-19. Emily Luangwa recalls how her brother was under pressure to repay a loan from his creditors before he took his own life in August. She says because of COVID-19 his business
As Ivory Coast’s president prepares to campaign for another term in office, his main challengers have called for a boycott of the Oct. 31 election, adding to widespread doubts about a fair and transparent vote. President Alassane Ouattara’s two main challengers, Henri Konan Bedie and Pascal Affi N’Guessan, said Thursday they would boycott the vote and invited their supporters across
Guinea’s voters go to the polls Sunday, deciding whether to grant a controversial third term to their 82-year-old president, Alpha Conde. Big picture Conde promoted constitutional reform, approved in a March referendum, that limits a president to two terms. But it also allows Conde to reset the starting point of his term, the government’s information minister, Amara Sompare,
Portrayals of migration flows in Africa are often misconstrued and mischaracterized, according to a major new report from the African Union and International Organization for Migration. Among other things, the report says most African immigrants are crossing land borders in the continent, not trying to sail across seas and oceans on rickety boats. Experts say those false perceptions have
Hunger and malnutrition are worsening in parts of the African continent because of the coronavirus pandemic, especially in low-income communities or those already stricken by continued conflict, according to a survey of 2,400 people in 10 African countries by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The survey, conducted from June to August, shows the pandemic has caused job
The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Tuesday that daunting problems in Africa’s Sahel region are getting worse and the region “is very close to a tipping point — and so by extension are its African neighbors, Europe, and the world.” Mark Lowcock said in a virtual speech to students at the Paris Institute for Political Science that he deals with the