By Joyce Mulama

Guarding cattle in northwestern Kenya: heightened competition for water and pasture has increased armed conflict. / Siegfried Modola/IPS

TURKANA, Kenya, Mar 31 (IPS) – The children are afraid. There are armed bandits hiding with stolen animals in the thickets behind Nawoyaregae Primary School in Kaputir Location.

Cattle rustling and gory battles between the neighbouring [...]

By Fabiana Frayssinet
RIO DE JANEIRO, Mar 31 (IPS) – Experts from around the world are trying to attract attention to deadly but little-known illnesses, such as Chagas disease, visceral leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness, that have been neglected by the pharmaceutical industry.

So-called neglected tropical diseases, which also include malaria, dengue fever and schistosomiasis, in conjunction with [...]

By Brian Dalek *
NEW YORK, Mar 31 (IPS) – For the nearly 50 million people of South Africa, the 2010 World Cup represents an opportunity to show the world its progress through sports. But for a new nonprofit organisation, soccer's biggest stage also offers an opportunity to publicise young women who tend to go unheard.

Global [...]

By Claire Ngozo

Malawi’s president Bingu wa Mutharika (left) and Abdoulie Janneh, executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) / Claire Ngozo/IPS

LILONGWE, Malawi, Mar 31 (IPS) – Due to the global economic and financial crisis, growth on the African continent dropped to an average of 1.6 percent in 2009, compared to [...]

By Ousseini Issa

Herdsmen drawing water for their cattle in Niger. / Edward Parsons/IRIN

HAMDALLAYE, Niger, Mar 31 (IPS) – The cows Djibo Hama looks after belong to someone else, but he is diligent. Anticipating a severe shortage of good grazing in 2010, he secured cattle feed for the 35 that remain.

"I have purchased a large [...]

By Davison Makanga

Sonwabo Qathula belongs to one of the many groups of men Sonke is helping to break gender stereotypes. / Kristin Palitza/IPS


CAPE TOWN, Mar 30 (IPS) – When Mbuyiselo Botha decided to take the African National Congress League President, Julius Malema, to court for hate speech against women, he was confident from the [...]

By Mohamed Fofanah

Secretary-general of the SLAJ, Mustapha Sesay, says the association will fight against the intimidation of the press. / Mohamed Fofanah/IPS

FREETOWN, Mar 30 (IPS) – Sierra Leone has become a place of torment for journalists practicing their profession.

Recently 10 journalists were manhandled and beaten during the opposition Sierra Leone People’s Party’s (SLPP) delegate’s [...]

By Vusumuzi Sifile
HARARE, Mar 30 (IPS) – Mary Pamire will never forget the day a group of men took turns to rape her.

In June 2003, Pamire was among scores of people who participated in a mass demonstration organised by the then-opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and civil society organisations, among them the National Constitutional [...]

Patricia Handley interviews YASH TANDON, Ugandan political economist (Part 1)

Yash Tandon: African countries should first create their own regional common market before opening to the EU and others.

CAPE TOWN, Mar 30 (IPS) – Respected Ugandan political economist Yash Tandon has added his voice to the call for a moratorium on the negotiations between African [...]

By Sanjay Suri
LONDON, Mar 30 (IPS) – The Middle East leads the world in executions after China, says an annual Amnesty International report released Tuesday.

"The Middle East and North Africa have the highest per capita rate of executions in the world, according to our figures," Phillip Luther, deputy director for the region with Amnesty, tells [...]

By Matthew Berger
WASHINGTON, Mar 29 (IPS) – Decision-makers around the world are in a period of transition when it comes to the future of supplying energy. Even if everyone agrees that a low carbon future is the inevitable solution, there is nothing close to consensus regarding which path to take.

Increasingly, industrial and developing countries find [...]

By Zukiswa Zimela

Neo Malema has a passion for soccer and helping other disadvantaged youths. He hopes to one day manage an organisation like Football for Hope. / Zukiswa Zimela/IPS

JOHANNESBURG, Mar 29 (IPS) – Sixteen-year-old Neo Malema and his brothers and sister live with his grandmother in the impoverished Alexandra Township in Johannesburg. Despite his [...]