JOHANNESBURG , 19 August 2010 (IRIN) – A cheap and effective filtering device developed by a South African university could provide safe drinking water to millions of people, drastically reducing the incidence of waterborne illnesses such as cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases. The device resembles a teabag in both size and shape, and was invented by microbiologists, scientists and polymer researchers at the University of Stellenbosch in Western Cape Province. It is being patented and commercial production could start as soon as the end of 2010. The biodegradable teabag is filled with active carbon granules, while the sachet – made... Continue Reading
When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected Liberia’s president—and Africa’s only female head of state—in 2005, she inherited a country decimated by years of violence. Between 1989 and 2003, two horrific civil wars had killed as many as 250,000 of Liberia’s 3 million people, and displaced thousands more; more than 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers were deployed on the ground to maintain a fragile peace. At the time of her election, Sirleaf—who held positions at the World Bank and the U.N. before her political run–told NEWSWEEK, “I’m most concerned with being a mother to Liberia. I want to heal the deep wounds of... Continue Reading
By Mark Oloo (Nairobi) – Kenya has challenged the UN and the international community to seek a sustainable solution to conflict in Somalia. Referring to threats of terrorism and instability in the Horn of Africa country, Kenya yesterday said the international community holds the key to peace in Mogadishu. Speaking in Nairobi, Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said Somalia’s UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was faced with critical security challenges and required urgent external support. Mr Wetangula said the conflict in Somalia was a critical challenge to peace in Eastern Africa and the region economy. He said the Intergovernmental Authority on... Continue Reading
NDJAMENA – The approaching elections could be important steps toward reviving democracy in Chad, but only if President Idriss Déby opens political space for the opposition beforehand. Chad: Beyond Superficial Stability,* the latest report from the International Crisis Group, highlights the country’s chance to escape the political and military crisis of the last five years. That seemed a distant hope in May 2009, when a coalition of insurgents, the Union of Resistance Forces (Union des forces de la résistance, UFR), launched a major attack on government troops, but its defeat put an end to the idea of overthrowing the regime... Continue Reading
HARARE, 17 August 2010 (IRIN) – The parliamentary committee in charge of reviewing Zimbabwe’s constitution is actively inviting feedback and recommendations from the millions of Zimbabweans living abroad. “Our resources could not permit us to travel all over the world to solicit the views of Zimbabweans on the contents of the draft constitution; this meant that we could only conduct outreach programmes in Zimbabwe,” a co-chair of the Select Committee of Parliament on the New Constitution, Edward Mkhosi, told IRIN. “The launching of a website is a wonderful opportunity for Zimbabweans all over the world to contribute on how they... Continue Reading
