Africa

World News

On Third Anniversary, Tunisians May Get A Constitution

6:33pm January 14, 2014

by Eleanor Beardsley

Celebrations in Tunisia on Tuesday are marking the third anniversary of the revolution that led to the ouster of its dictator and set in motion the regional uprisings of the Arab Spring. As huge crowds gather in the streets of the capital, members of the National Assembly are voting on a new constitution that has the approval of both secular groups, which are popular in the capital, and Islamists, whose strongholds are in the countryside. New parliamentary elections are expected later this year.

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South Sudan's then-Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Peter Adwok Nyaba (center) celebrates the first anniversary of the country's independence in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, on July 9, 2012. Since then, all of South Sudan's Cabinet minis

World News

How I Almost Got Arrested With A South Sudanese Ex-Minister

2:28pm January 13, 2014

by Gregory Warner

A dozen war heroes from South Sudan's long struggle for independence are now accused of launching a coup to overthrow the democracy they helped create. One of them, Peter Adwok Nyaba, was telling NPR's Gregory Warner about the political roots of the conflict when police came for him.

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World News

Central African Republic President Resigns

12:45pm January 10, 2014

Local and international pressure had been building against President Michel Djotodia. He took power in a military coup in the summer, plunging the country into a multi-sided civil war. Thousands have died and hundreds of thousands have been uprooted.

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Almaz Acha sits with her baby Alentse at her home in the rural community of Sadoye, in southern Ethiopia. Families in rural communities, like this one, have benefited from Ethiopia's health extension program.

Simple, Cheap Health Remedies Cut Child Mortality In Ethiopia

12:48pm January 03, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

A baby born today in Ethiopia is three times less likely to die before age 5 than one born in 1990. This reduction in child mortality isn't due to expensive international aid but rather to an investment in bare-bones health clinics run by minimally trained community workers.

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Religion

In Conflict-Torn Africa, Senegal Shows A Way To Religious Harmony

11:35am December 28, 2013

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Inter-religious tensions have been in the headlines in parts of Africa lately. Christian-Muslim clashes have left many dead in places like Nigeria and Central African Republic. But there are also examples of peaceful inter-religious co-existence in Africa, such as Senegal.

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South Sudanese seek refuge at the United Nations compound in the capital, Juba, on Sunday. Though Juba is mostly peaceful now, growing numbers are seeking shelter at the compound in fear the ethnic killings will resume.

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U.N. Refuge Prepares For Possible Attack In South Sudan

7:15pm December 27, 2013

by Gregory Warner

The government says the former vice president is mobilizing an army of youth to seize key cities in the newly independent nation. The United Nations is not sure it can protect the thousands of people staying at its compound who have been displaced by recent ethnic fighting.

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South Sudanese troops have retaken the flashpoint town of Bor, north of the capital Juba.

World News

Clashes Continue In South Sudan Despite Calls For Cease-Fire

10:41am December 26, 2013

by Gregory Warner

Amid fighting between government soldiers and rebels in an oil-rich part of the country, President Salva Kiir appealed for peace at a Christmas celebration in a church in the country's capital. The past week of violence has left thousands dead and tens of thousands displaced.

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When Benta Odeny was diagnosed with HIV, she started to protect her husband Daniel from the virus by taking antiretroviral medications. The same drugs also helped her give birth to an HIV-negative daughter, Angelia.

HIV Treatment Keeps A Family Together And Growing In Kenya

5:17pm December 19, 2013

by Gregory Warner

When a Kenyan woman was diagnosed with HIV, she thought it meant the end of her marriage and her hopes to have children. But with the help of HIV therapy, Benta Odeny not only protects her husband from the virus, but she also has a healthy, HIV-negative daughter.

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World News

U.S. Diplomat Tours Central African Republic

12:08pm December 19, 2013

Before becoming the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power was a journalist who wrote about stopping genocide. Now she's visiting a country where there's fear of one. Fighting between Muslims and Christians has killed nearly 1,000 people.

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Since recording in the 1970s and '80s, Nigerian William Onyeabor has dropped off the music map.

Nine Months In Nigeria, One Brilliant, Difficult Funk Musician

6:07pm December 15, 2013

by NPR Staff

Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor has been a mystery for years. Since recording in the 1970s and '80s, he has completely dropped off the music map. When Luaka Bop Records wanted to assemble some of his work, the road to securing a signed contract took on its own twists.

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