Heather Bourbeau
Heather Bourbeau’s reporting has appeared in The Economist and The Financial Times. She was a political affairs officer for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Liberia, and a special rapporteur for UNICEF Somalia.
Thousands of migrants and refugees from Somalia, Eritrea, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere are stranded in overcrowded Libyan facilities, and threatened by a tuberculosis outbreak and civil conflict across the country. According to Amnesty International, migrants and refugees in Libyan detention centers are routinely exposed to torture, extortion and rape. In addition, during recent fighting, some […]
Read MoreEthiopian police have unearthed a mass grave with at least 200 bodies, according to the state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting news outlet. It was uncovered during an investigation of Abdi Mohammed Omar, the former president of the Ethiopian Somali Region. Abdi Mohammed is currently in detention, facing charges of human rights abuses and for his alleged connection to […]
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The Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles has raised $15 millionfrom the world’s first “blue bond” to finance ocean-based projects. Seychelles, which is dependent upon the ocean for its economy and food, will use the funds protect 81,000 square miles with limits on fishing, oil exploration and large-scale development in fragile habitats. Seychelles has striking underwater reefs, but […]
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Ugandan political activist, academic and feminist Dr. Stella Nyanzi was arrested last week because of her Facebook posts from two dates in September, which police claimed were “offensive.” Dr. Nyanzi has a large social media following, and is known for her blunt and personal posts targeting President Yoweri Museveni. In March last year, she was suspended indefinitely by the […]
Read MorePaul Makonda, a regional commissioner in the Tanzanian capital, has announced the creation of a 17-member committee and surveillance operation dedicated to tracking down homosexuals, which is set to start this week. Makonda went on to say that people should delete pornography from their phones and report homosexuals for arrest. “These homosexuals brag about it […]
Read MoreThe International Francophone Organization confirmed Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo as its head. The organization was created in 1970 and is comprised of 58 countries and regional governments, and represents 274 million French speakers. French is already the fifth most-spoken language in the world, and 31 of the 54 countries in Africa have French […]
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