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Ethiopia has passed a law giving almost 1 million refugees the right to work and live outside of camps, in a move praised for providing them with more dignity and reducing reliance on foreign aid. Home to Africa’s second-largest refugee population after Uganda, Ethiopia hosts more than 900,000 people who have fled conflict, drought and persecution in neighboring countries such as Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. The refugees — many of whom sought refuge decades ago and have children born in Ethiopia — are largely confined to one of about 20 camps across the country. Most are not permitted…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE A giant screen flickers to life in a remote village in the equatorial forest of the Central African Republic. About 200 villagers take in an evening of films, thanks to a traveling cinema team that aims to entertain and enlighten. Ambulant Digital Cinema reaches out to people in parts of a country scarred by violence. “Some people are astounded when they see a car, so imagine what it’s like when we’re projecting films,” said Serge Mbilika, a state television journalist who started the program in April 2018. Before the show, Mbilika spends afternoons strolling around the streets of…

VOICE OF AMERICA For the first time, half of the global population — 3.9 billion people — is using the internet.  An International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report says Africa is the region with the strongest growth, where the percentage of people using the internet has increased from just over 2% in 2005 to nearly 25% in 2018. The website Internetworldstats reports that Nigeria has the most internet users, with almost 100 million, followed by Egypt with 49 million and Kenya with 44 million. Kenya has, by far, the highest percentage of users; about 85% of its population has internet access.…

REUTERS Rwanda has signed a $400 million deal to produce bottled gas from Lake Kivu, which emits such dense clouds of methane it is known as one of Africa’s “killer lakes.” The project by Gasmeth Energy, owned by U.S. and Nigerian businessmen and Rwandans, will suck gas from the lake’s deep floor and bottle it for use as fuel. This should, in turn, help prevent toxic gas bubbling to the surface. Kivu is the eighth-largest lake in the world. The seven-year deal was signed in February 2019. Rwanda already has two companies that extract gas from Lake Kivu to power…

Journalists in The Gambia have launched a self-regulatory body they hope will offer legitimacy and more freedom to media emerging from a dictatorship that ruled the tiny West African nation for more than two decades. During the 22 years of former President Yahya Jammeh’s rule, journalists regularly were abducted, tortured and killed. The government has promised new freedoms after he fled into exile in early 2017 after a surprise election defeat. Outdated sedition laws are still on the books, however, and the public is urged to bring complaints about journalists to the new Media Council of The Gambia instead of…

The pharaohs of ancient Egypt were fascinated by a distant place known as the Land of Punt, or simply Punt. It was regarded as a land of plenty, with rich resources. Some called it Ta Netjer — God’s Land. But it was more than a trading partner. The Egyptians revered its culture and regarded it as their ancestral home. Its exact size and location have been lost to the sands of time, but it was almost certainly in what are now parts of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. Queen Hatshepsut became the pharaoh of Egypt about 1470 B.C. in a…

CLUES The ruins of this ancient city include obelisks, stone pillars, royal tombs and castles. The kingdom, at the crossroads of Africa, Arabia and the Greco-Roman world, once was the most powerful state between Persia and the Eastern Roman Empire. Emperors continued to be crowned in the city long after its political decline in the 10th century. A church in the region is said to hold the biblical Ark of the Covenant. ANSWER  The ancient city of Aksum, northern Ethiopia

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Africa draws just 5 percent of the world’s tourists despite boasting attractions ranging from the Great Pyramids and Victoria Falls to wildlife safaris and endless strips of pristine beaches. But the continent’s huge potential can be unlocked by eco-tourism, cultural experiences, domestic travel and political stability, said experts at an African tourism conference in Cape Town, South Africa. “When you look at the success stories, it’s those countries who’ve embraced trends,” said the African Tourism Association’s managing director, Naledi Khabo. “When you look at some countries which have made sustainability a focal point, like Tanzania or Rwanda, they’re…

U.S. Africa Command Staff There was a time when a military commander could comfortably say, “I’m not a computer person” or “I don’t really use the internet.” That attitude is no longer an option. Being a security professional today means keeping up with threats that lurk in cyberspace. Foreign adversaries can attack weapon systems, put troops’ lives in danger and create chaos on networks that support railways, water distribution and electricity. Being knowledgeable about cyber issues is not only about threats. It means being comfortable using computers to access information and communicate. Technology doesn’t just support the modern defense mission;…

Africa, like the rest of the world, is embracing its digital future. African leaders are committed to boosting the digital economy and the digitalization of strategic sectors such as education, health, entrepreneurship, employment, peace and security, and good governance by facilitating the delivery of public services and creating more interactions between governments and citizens. On the continent there are many successful digital experiences that need to be replicated in other countries to promote economic growth and social development. However, the more digitalized and connected our economy, the more important it becomes to secure our systems in cyberspace. African countries today…