The focus of US efforts to defeat al-Qaeda is shifting to Africa and the Arabian peninsula after recent triumphs against the terrorist network in Pakistan, Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said. Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, speaks to military personnel during his visit to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti  Photo: AFP/GETTY   By Mike Pflanz, Nairobi | Telegraph 3:50PM... 

Monday, December 5th, 2011 VOA Members of a six-nation bloc in Eastern Africa have asked the United Nations to toughen sanctions against Eritrea. Leaders with the Intergovernmental Governmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, have told the Security Council that the world body must “act now” because the region's stability is at stake. Government officials from Ethiopia, Djibouti,... 

    Sudan's cut diplomatic ties in disgust at a Kenyan court decision to arrest President Omar al-Bashir if he's ever in Kenya again. While this has caught Kenya's bemused government by surprise, alienating Sudan might just have made its incursion into Somalia significantly more rigorous.   By SIMON ALLISON | Daily Maverick It was in frustration more than anything... 

Peter Clottey | VOA Eritrea’s permanent representative to the United Nations has petitioned the U.N. Security Council to expedite an independent investigation into Kenyan allegations that Asmara is supporting the Somali militant group al-Shabab. Ambassador Araya Desta sharply denies the latest accusations, saying, “Eritrea has never supported al-Shabab or any other group in Somalia.” Asmara... 

  Sometimes it is essential to seize the moment when inspiration stares the artist in the face.  Fitsum says such a moment that led to the creation of Black Male occurred when he was painting outdoors on the South Coast. He noticed a shirtless gardener gazing at him, the painter, at work. Fitsum captured the physical likeness the gardener shared with the actor Isaach de Bankole in his... 

  Merga and Tesema prevail in Boulogne-Billancourt Half Ejigu Sentayehu Merga takes a narrow victory in the Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon Boulogne-Billancourt, France – Ejigu Sentayehu Merga took a narrow one-second victory at the 15th edition of “Semi-Marathon Christian Granger Boulogne-Billancourt”, an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race, on Sunday (20) afternoon. The... 

Fri Nov 18, 2011 By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Eritrea has a strong chance of heading off new sanctions that could cripple the Red Sea state's economy even though it remains far from persuading its neighbours and the United Nations that it is not a destabilising force in the volatile Horn of Africa. The United Nations is mulling more punitive measures against the secretive government... 

TABA, Egypt, Nov. 17 (UPI) — A human rights group says a CNN documentary on African refugees captured by Bedouin tribesmen and enslaved led to the captives' release. The New Generation Foundation for Human Rights said Thursday 600 African refugees who had been held captive in the Sinai while trying to make their way to Israel mostly from the Sudan and Eritrea were released shortly after... 

EU adopts new political strategy for Horn of Africa nations – The European council of ministers of Foreign Affairs Tuesday announced that it had adopted a new political strategy for the countries of the Horn of Africa, according to a press statement issued in Brussels. The strategy will affect Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Sudan and South Sudan. According to the statement,... 

    By: The Canadian Press Posted: 11/14/2011 8:01 AM VANCOUVER – Nevsun Resources Ltd. (TSX:NSU) reported Monday a third-quarter profit of US$89.2 million, reversing a year-ago loss of $1.3 million when the gold miner had yet to record any revenue from production. Revenues came in at $185 million on production of 108,600 ounces of gold at an average realized price per ounce sold...