Irin News Service
latest news & developmentsFears of renewed violence in Burundi
The resumption in violence in the Burundian capital Bujumbura is causing panic in the country. Outside the capital, residents spend their nights in the bush for fear of being…
Zim children forced to work for food
As standards of living in Zimbabwe continue to deteriorate, the use of child labour on farms has risen sharply, with more than 10Â 000 children estimated to be working in the…
Banned party members flee Swaziland
The ongoing arrests of members of the banned People’s United Democratic Movement in connection with a series of petrol bombings is having a chilling effect on pro-democracy…
Zim cops and soldiers steal to survive
A recent spate of armed robberies by soldiers and security officers is an indication that all Zimbabweans are feeling the impact of the country’s shrinking economy.Two soldiers…
In search of a queue worth joining
Three hours of standing in a queue for maize meal looked like it was about to pay off when the line suddenly disintegrated amid despairing groans and some furious name calling.…
Divisions haunt Mozambican democracy
Residual mistrust between Mozambique’s major political parties continues to threaten the country’s hard-won democracy, according to political observers. Although the Frelimo…
Zim accepts aid
The Zimbabwean government has agreed to allow aid groups to offer humanitarian assistance to people who have been displaced in its controversial urban clean-up drive. Local…
Truth commission for Burundi
The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution to create a mixed truth commission and a special court to prosecute war crimes and human-rights violations during…
Burundi security fears ahead of poll
The United Nations mission in Burundi, known as Onub, has stepped up its military presence across the country ahead of communal elections set for next Friday. This comes after 17…
Elusive activists leave their mark
It is best known for the audacity of its campaigns: protest messages stamped on condom packets and bank notes, and pithy postcards to President Robert Mugabe — but who it is, is…
Call for DRC militia leaders to be vetted
The International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) has urged the Congolese government to prosecute former militia leaders instead of reappointing them to high-ranking…
Horn of Africa’s horror
The tsunami triggered by an earthquake in the Indian Ocean that struck the Horn of Africa coastline on December 26 has affected about 18 000 households of varying sizes in…
Kufuor on the right track
Ghana’s President John Kufuor of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is on course to win a second term. The country’s opposition candidate, John Atta Mills of the National…