President Maada Bio's UN gambit: can Africa break a 20-year Security Council deadlock?

President Maada Bio’s UN gambit: can Africa break a 20-year Security Council deadlock?

By Ejiroghene Barrett At the 80th UNGA, the Ezulwini Consensus remains a powerful symbol of African demands for equity. But is it a viable strategy for change, or a monument to diplomatic gridlock? Celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)  conceal growing internal divisions within the institution. Nowhere is the tension…

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France-Mali diplomatic crisis escalates: spy scandal and expulsions spark tensions

France-Mali diplomatic crisis escalates: spy scandal and expulsions spark tensions

Relations between Mali and France have been seriously strained with the French government’s announcement that it has expelled two Malian diplomats accused of espionage. The decision is in retaliation for the Malian government’s arrest of a French diplomat in Bamako on same charges in August. French authorities also suspended long-standing counter-terrorism cooperation with the Sahel…

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A historic visit: Colombia's VP, Francia Márquez, in Nigeria to forge new AI and trade alliance

A historic visit: Colombia’s VP, Francia Márquez, in Nigeria to forge new AI and trade alliance

Colombia’s vice president, Francia Márquez, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Colombia’s vice president, Francia Márquez, arrived in Abuja yesterday evening,  starting a historic three-day official visit to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and Colombia. The visit, which began on August 30 and will conclude on September 2, is a significant shift for Colombia,…

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Burkina Faso expels UN envoy over controversial child rights report

Burkina Faso expels UN envoy over controversial child rights report

Expelled UN Official, Carol Flore-Smereczniak Burkina Faso’s military junta has expelled the United Nations’ top official in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, declaring her “persona non grata” citing her role in a controversial UN report detailing severe child rights violations amidst the ongoing jihadist conflict. The report, published in March, documented over 2,000 cases of child…

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