ADF

REUTERS/ADF STAFF Former colonial power Italy left Eritrea in 1941, but its architectural legacy lives on. Today, the capital, Asmara, is home to some of the world’s best-preserved examples of early 20th century modernist architecture. To make sure these buildings are enjoyed by future generations, the Eritrean government wants the city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “The city is very intact and maintains its original character,” said Medhanie Teklemariam, coordinator for the Asmara Heritage Project, which has drawn up an inventory of about 4,300 buildings in Asmara’s historic perimeter. The nomination dossier for World Heritage Site status was submitted…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Niamey’s dusty racing track is a far cry from Niger’s equine glory days, when horses bred in the country enjoyed international fame. Although formal meets ended 30 years ago, hundreds of young Nigeriens gather on Saturdays to witness improvised races. Professional jockeys, trainers and bookmakers all jostle to make money and entertain the crowds. The country hopes past glories can be revived with the construction of a new horse-racing complex. On a given day, crowds of several hundred turn out to watch, and as many as 20 jockeys depend on their results to live. Those who place first…

ADF STAFF Ghana announced plans to issue visas upon arrival to nationals of all 54 African Union (AU) member states starting in July 2016. The move by President John Dramani Mahama is aimed at stimulating air travel, investment, tourism and trade. The decision comes after the AU Executive Council adopted a resolution stipulating that member states try to set up systems that would allow visas upon arrival for travelers coming from other member states. The new process allows for stays of up to 30 days. “We believe creating opportunity for the mobility of people on our continent is key to…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Africa’s first homegrown platform for legal music downloads has launched in Senegal with a mission to promote African artists, pay them properly and fight internet piracy. Internationally famous musicians such as Youssou N’Dour and Baaba Maal are among almost 200 who have signed agreements with MusikBi, along with younger rappers, jazz artists, and Christian and Muslim vocalists. The platform draws its name from the word for music in Wolof, the language widely spoken in Senegal, said project developer Moustapha Diop at the launch in Dakar in February 2016. Songs cost between 300 and 500 West African CFA francs…

6 Major Human Security Threats Are Connected to Each Other ADF STAFF Security threats are not always measured in guns, bullets and armed conflicts. Sometimes, the things that most threaten communities — and nations — are rooted in the environment or in the day-to-day interactions of people and the land around them. Many human security threats are seemingly disparate and random. But a closer look indicates that most of them are interrelated. If one worsens or intensifies, it can exacerbate the effects of others. The results can be as wide-ranging and catastrophic as war or civil unrest. When looking at climate…

A conversation with Kenya Army Lt. Gen. Njuki Mwaniki on human security ADF STAFF Retired Lt. Gen. Njuki Mwaniki is a former commander of the Kenya Army. During nearly 40 years in the Kenya Defence Forces, he held posts including general officer commanding of the Kenya Army’s Eastern Command, chief of Army staff and commandant of the National Defence College. From 2001 to 2003, he was chairman of the Joint Military Commission for the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, which helped broker an end to the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is a native of Kenya’s Central Region…

The continent’s growth is ‘nearly unprecedented in human history.’ It will require planning and skilled leaders. ADF STAFF Habib Bourguiba was decades ahead of his time. In 1957, he became the first president of Tunisia. Over the course of his administration, he changed the social fabric of the country, particularly in the area of women’s rights. In a mostly Muslim country, Bourguiba gave women full citizenship, which included the right to remove their veils and the right to vote. He created a national health care system. He banned polygamy, gave women the right to divorce, and made sure that girls and…

Water Flows Through a Full Range of African Human Security Challenges ADF STAFF Lake Chad, which sits near the geographic center of Africa, can be seen as a symbol of the continent’s extraordinary water challenges. The lake, whose waters for centuries lapped at the shores of what is now Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, is a mere shadow of its former self. Between 1963 and 2001, the lake’s total area shrank from 25,000 square kilometers to 1,350 square kilometers. Overgrazing, excessive use, changes in climate patterns and unsustainable irrigation projects in surrounding countries combined to cause the decline. The livelihoods…

ADF STAFF Assi Ndiaye pushes her fingers into a box of dirt, planting a small lettuce sprout on an urban rooftop in Dakar, Senegal. Ndiaye is one of about 4,000 people, mostly women, participating in a successful project to improve food security in this nation of about 14 million. In a country where more than 20 percent of residents are undernourished, these 1-square-meter rooftop boxes offer families an opportunity to produce up to 30 kilograms of vegetables per year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). One such box could produce either 200 tomatoes a…

Attacks by insurgent groups demonstrate the links between conflict and food security. ADF STAFF The human toll of Boko Haram’s long insurgency against the people of northern Nigeria is well-documented: Thousands have been killed, millions displaced and fear has rippled across the region. But in addition to the lives they destroyed, the extremist group has had another target: the agricultural sector. Boko Haram’s attacks on farmers and their land have been relentless. The group’s presence has cleared out much of the northeastern part of the country and transformed what once was known as Nigeria’s breadbasket into a food-insecure region. They’ve also…