Musings From Abroad

US President Biden to visit Germany, Angola next month

Published

2 months ago

September 26, 2024

The White House announced on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden will make his first trip to Africa as president, visiting Germany and Angola from October 10 to 15.

According to the White House, Biden’s first destination will be Germany, where he will thank the country for helping Ukraine’s defence against Russia, among other things.

Biden is scheduled to meet with President Joao Lourenco from October 13–15 while in Angola. According to the White House, the two presidents will talk about stepping up their cooperation on common goals, which include strengthening economic connections and advancing peace and security.

Due to the Israel-Hamas conflict that broke out in October of last year, Biden’s intended visit to Angola was cancelled. As Beijing makes significant investments on the African continent, Biden has committed to strengthening US ties with democratic nations there.

According to President Biden, the key to realising the potential of this pivotal decade is for the United States to work in partnership with African leaders as well as leaders from civil society, business, the diaspora, women, and youth.

Related Topics:Angola Featured Germany United States

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Musings From Abroad

EU withdraws Niger diplomat after junta accuses it of mismanaging aid

Published

1 hour ago

November 24, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has announced that the European Union would return its ambassador from Niger after the governing military in the nation questioned how an EU team handled humanitarian supplies intended for flood victims.

In a statement released on Friday, the junta in Niger accused the EU ambassador in the West African nation of distributing a 1.3 million euro flood relief grant to many foreign nongovernmental organisations in an opaque way and without working with the government.

Consequently, it mandated an audit of the fund’s administration.

“The European Union expresses its profound disagreement with the allegations and justifications put forward by the transitional authorities,” the EEAS said.

“Consequently, the EU has decided to recall its ambassador from Niamey for consultations in Brussels.”

Niger has been under military rule since the junta seized power in a 2023 coup.

Musings From Abroad

Mpox remains health emergency, WHO insists

Published

2 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has insisted that the Mpox epidemic remains a public health emergency.

WHO first declared an emergency when a new strain of mpox spread from the severely affected Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighbouring countries in August.

The WHO Director-General has decided that the increase in mpox still qualifies as a public health emergency of worldwide significance after the WHO called a meeting of its Emergency Committee and followed its recommendations.

According to WHO, the decision was made in light of the growing number and ongoing geographic dispersion of cases, field operating difficulties, and the requirement to establish and maintain a coordinated response across nations and partners.

Mpox is a virus that is spread by close contact and usually manifests as pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. Although it is typically minor, it can be fatal.

More than 1,000 suspected deaths and more than 46,000 suspected cases have been reported this year throughout Africa, primarily in Congo.

The WHO’s highest level of warning, known as a “public health emergency of international concern,” was previously used to describe a worldwide epidemic of a different type of mpox in 2022–2023.

This year’s notice was issued in response to the transmission of a novel viral variation known as clade Ib. Among other nations, cases of this variation have been verified in the UK, Germany, Sweden, and India.

Following criticism for moving too slowly on vaccinations, WHO approved Bavarian Nordic’s mpox vaccine in September and listed Japan’s KM Biologics vaccine for emergency use earlier this month.