Africa

Main agenda items, approximate timing, public sessions and press opportunities.

Vanessa Borck ist die zweite Kandidatin, die «Let's Dance» verlassen muss. Nach einem enttäuschenden Tango und harter Jury-Kritik ist für die Influencerin am Freitagabend Schluss.

Rostam Aziz's purchase raises questions about continued journalistic independence in the region.

Rostam Aziz's purchase raises questions about continued journalistic independence in the region.

Rostam Aziz's purchase raises questions about continued journalistic independence in the region.

AfroPari améliore en continu sa plateforme pour te proposer toujours plus d'options de jeu. C'est pourquoi une nouvelle section Cyber fait son arrivée dans l'application mobile, entièrement dédiée aux paris eSports !

Et pour t'en faire profiter encore plus, AfroPari te propose une promo spéciale qui récompense ton activité.

Pourquoi Cyber ​​ ?

Cyber n'est pas une section comme les autres sur AfroPari. Cette nouvelle section se concentre sur les jeux les plus populaires, les tournois les plus importants et les meilleures équipes. Cyber est un espace dédié aux paris eSports, créé par des experts pour les fans de cybersport.

Le développement d'AfroPari dans les paris eSports suit l'évolution des habitudes des joueurs. Ces dernières années, l'e-sport est devenu bien plus qu'un simple divertissement de niche. Aujourd'hui, c'est un phénomène de masse, à la croisée du sport et du spectacle, avec des tournois réguliers et des millions de fans à travers le monde.

Des événements majeurs ont lieu chaque jour, sans contrainte de saison ou de fuseau horaire. Et l'intérêt pour les paris eSports continue de grandir, porté par des attentes toujours plus fortes en matière de rapidité, de simplicité et de transparence.
Les disciplines eSports les plus populaires, comme Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2, FIFA ou Mobile Legends, font aujourd'hui partie du quotidien des fans et offrent une expérience de paris fluide.

Les plus grands matchs sont diffusés en direct sur des plateformes comme Twitch, Kick ou YouTube, avec des commentaires en temps réel assurés par des studios officiels, des analystes et des créateurs reconnus.

À chacun son style : analyses sérieuses et détaillées ou streams communautaires plus légers, riches en humour et en émotions.

Pour beaucoup de joueurs africains, l'e-sport est devenu le principal format de paris, bien devant le football et les autres sports traditionnels.

Les matchs eSports sont plus rapides et plus intenses : impossible de s'ennuyer devant un score nul après 90 minutes.

Ici, chaque minute compte : attaques rapides, défenses solides, tactiques inattendues et des favoris qui changent sans cesse. Tout va très vite - l'e-sport est parfait si tu aimes l'action, le rythme et les paris en temps réel.

Organisation de la section Cyber ​​sur la plateforme AfroPari

La section Cyber a été pensée pour une navigation intuitive et une expérience de paris 100 % mobile. L'objectif est clair : moins de temps à chercher les matchs, plus de temps pour jouer et parier en live.
En haut de la section, des filtres par discipline et une barre de recherche te permettent de trouver rapidement l'eSport ou l'événement qui t'intéresse.

Tous les principaux formats eSports sont regroupés dans une vitrine claire par discipline. Il te suffit d'ouvrir la section Cyber sur le site ou dans l'application AfroPari pour voir les tournois en cours et choisir le match qui t'intéresse.
Tout est disponible directement à l'écran, sans avoir besoin d'entrer dans les détails de l'événement.

Des flux d'événements clairs avec des sections « Top événements »,« Championnats » et « Matchs en direct ».
Tu vois immédiatement le chronomètre, le score en temps réel et les marchés rapides comme 1X2, Total ou Victoire de l'équipe.
Les débutants apprécieront aussi l'affichage simple du format des matchs : eFootball - 2×3 min, eBasketball - 4×5 min, eHockey - 3×4 min, etc.

Aujourd'hui, dans l'e-sport, ce n'est pas seulement le nombre de matchs qui compte, mais aussi la facilité pour les suivre et parier en direct. Les joueurs veulent un accès rapide aux événements, des formats clairs et la possibilité de réagir instantanément. Cyber ​​répond à ces attentes avec une expérience rapide, fluide et transparente.

Promo Cyber : tirages au sort chaque mois pour les joueurs actifs

À l'occasion du lancement de la section Cyber, AfroPari lance une promo avec des tirages mensuels pour les joueurs actifs.

Pour participer :

● inscris-toi ou connecte-toi sur le site web ou dans l'application AfroPari ;
● rends-toi sur la page de l'offre et clique sur « Participer » ;
● place des paris à partir de 2 $ sur n'importe quel événement de la section Cyber ;
● reçois des tickets et participe aux tirages au sort mensuels.

Plus tu mises, plus tu as de tickets. Et plus tu as de tickets, plus tes chances de gagner des points promo et des cadeaux jusqu'à 30 $ augmentent.
Moins de complications, plus de sensations !

Commence l'année 2026 du bon pied. Découvre la nouvelle section d'AfroPari, parie sur l'e-sport et gagne avec ton bookmaker africain.

Dans le cadre du mois béni du Ramadan, l'Ambassade des Émirats arabes unis près le Bénin a initié une opération de distribution de kits alimentaires au profit de la communauté.

La représentation diplomatique des Émirats a supervisé, le 11 mars dernier, la mise en œuvre du programme Iftar du Ramadan et distribution de la Zakat al-Fitr dans la ville Cotonoises Cotonou. L'opération a été menée au rond-point de Sainte Cécile, en coopération avec le Croissant-Rouge des Émirats et en coordination avec l'Union islamique du Bénin (UIB).

Plus de 1 350 familles démunies ont bénéficié de cette initiative, qui s'inscrit dans le cadre des efforts humanitaires visant à soutenir les personnes les plus vulnérables durant le mois sacré du Ramadan.
La cérémonie de distribution s'est déroulée en présence de représentants de l'Union islamique du Bénin, de la municipalité de Cotonou, ainsi que de responsables administratifs et gouvernementaux, et de plusieurs associations de la société civile bénéficiaires de cette initiative.

À cette occasion, le Secrétaire général de l'UIB a salué la qualité des relations bilatérales entre la République du Bénin et les Émirats arabes unis. Il a également exprimé sa reconnaissance pour les efforts déployés par les Émirats arabes unis et leurs organisations caritatives, en particulier le Croissant-Rouge des Émirats, dans l'aide apportée aux personnes dans le besoin au Bénin.
Il a par ailleurs souligné l'importance de la coopération entre la mission diplomatique émiratie et l'Union islamique, indiquant qu'il s'agit de la troisième année consécutive de mise en œuvre de ce projet.

Les bénéficiaires ont exprimé leur profonde gratitude pour les efforts humanitaires fournis par les Émirats arabes unis afin de soutenir les communautés locales au Bénin et d'aider les catégories les plus vulnérables.

Cette initiative s'inscrit dans le cadre des efforts humanitaires menés par les Émirats arabes unis à travers le monde pour promouvoir les valeurs de solidarité et d'entraide, notamment pendant le mois de Ramadan, dans le cadre d'une série d'initiatives mises en œuvre par l'Ambassade des Émirats au Bénin pour soutenir les familles démunies et les personnes à besoins spécifiques et améliorer leurs conditions de vie.

On 5 March, thousands of people, including many children, fled their homes in the south and the southern suburbs of Beirut, with many gathering in the streets or attempting to reach safer areas. Children are among the most affected as families face displacement, uncertainty and limited access to essential services. Credit: UNICEF Lebanon

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 13 2026 (IPS)

During a solidarity visit to Lebanon, the UN chief announced a flash appeal of USD 308.3 million to support humanitarian operations there in the wake of escalated fighting.

The humanitarian appeal is intended to reach the more than 816,000 people within Lebanon that have been displaced due to the most recent fighting in the Middle East region. Nearly two weeks since the United States, Israel and Iran engaged in a military offensive, this has brought about a new wave of displacement and civilian casualties impacting the entire region.

The appeal comes at a time of increased fighting between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that at least 634 people have been killed and more than 1500 have been injured since the start of the fighting on March 2. The number of displaced people is expected to rise as Israeli evacuation orders force people, including up to 300,000 children, to flee to safety. The fighting reached further escalation on Thursday, Israeli forces launched missiles parts of the southern suburbs and the Bashoura neighborhood in Beirut.

On Friday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres began a solidarity visit to Lebanon, coming straight from Ankara, Türkiye. He met with Lebanese leadership, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun, to discuss the current situation. He has called for all parties to end the hostilities and for negotiations that would respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Guterres commended the work of UN agencies and humanitarian partners in delivering essential needs and to local communities supporting those impacted.

“These efforts are saving lives. But they need a big boost of support,” Guterres said on Friday. “The Flash Appeal we launch today will sustain and expand life‑saving assistance over the next three months – including food, clean water, health care, education, protection, and other vital services. Its success depends on swift, flexible funding – and on ensuring that humanitarian workers can safely reach those most in need.”

According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, since March 12 the UN and its humanitarian partners have distributed 632,000 hot meals and 18,000 ready-to-eat meals, and have provided more than 2000 liters of bottled water and over 1700 cubic meters of clean water.

Additional funding from the UN system has also been mobilized to support Lebanon. Earlier this week, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher announced that USD 15 million would be mobilized from the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), along with a reserve allocation from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund.

Fletcher warned the UN Security Council that humanitarian workers’ ability to reach people was “tightening by the day”, as they must navigate within active conflict zones and key transport routes are blocked due to debris, making it more difficult to reach affected communities.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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The move forms part of a broader process of returning cultural artefacts to African countries that started in 2017.‎

In der Nähe des Ferdowsi-Platzes in Teheran gibt Justiz-Chef Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi dem Staatsfernsehen ein Interview. Dann knallt es! Wie der Geistliche reagiert, siehst du im Video.

Am kommenden Sonntag werden die Oscar-Gewinner 2026 gekürt. Wer eine der begehrten Trophäen gewinnt, wird mit einem ausgeklügelten System bestimmt, dem «Ranked Choice System». Wie das funktioniert, erfährst du im Video.

Ein Tourist steckt in Dubai in Schwierigkeiten. Wegen Störung der öffentlichen Sicherheit droht ihm eine Gefängnisstrafe. Er wird beschuldigt, iranische Raketen über der Stadt gefilmt zu haben.

Die Winterjacke hängt im Schrank, jetzt wird die Sonne genossen. Im Frühjahr setzen viele, um wieder fit zu werden, nicht nur auf Sport. Immunity-Drinks sind auf Social Media beliebt. Eine Expertin erklärt, wie gesund Ingwer-Shots und Probiotika-Drinks wirklich sind.

Partey is to appear at crown court next month, charged with raping a woman in December 2020.

Partey is to appear at crown court next month, charged with raping a woman in December 2020.

In the Al-Azraq camp in northern Syria, 10-year-old Abeer Al-Qaddour sits, browsing a colourful book with intense focus and curiosity. Nearby stands a bus, elegantly inscribed with the words ‘The Cultural Bus’. Around the vehicle, dozens of children have gathered with visible joy, engaging in collective drawing activities for the very first time. Not far […]

Unsplash Fort of Goree Island, Senegal, was the site of one of the earliest European settlements in Western Africa. Source UN News
The calls for reparatory justice can no longer be ignored, speakers at the fourth session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on African Descent said last April.
They urged greater collaboration between governments, civil society and regional organizations to create a system that would compensate Africa and the African diaspora for the enduring legacies of colonialism, enslavement, apartheid and genocide between the 16th and 19th centuries. “Africa was under siege,” said Hilary Brown, speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) about the 300 years of enslavement and exploitation on the continent. “Her political, economic and social systems thrown into chaotic instability as Europe plundered the continent for her most valuable asset, her people.”

By Kester Kenn Klomegah
MOSCOW, Mar 13 2026 (IPS)

Professor Jude Osakwe—a Nigerian scholar at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) and Continental Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Africa (NIDOAF)—has reiterated the absolute truth over Reparations for Africa, noting that African governments have consistently expressed only ’emotional solidarity’ over Reparations instead of tackling and addressing, with seriousness, this pertinent issue within the context of diplomacy.

He strongly believes that despite sharp political and cultural diversity influencing developments, African leaders can still adopt a collective strategy in pursuit of advantageous aspirations for sustaining continental sovereignty. The concept of Pan-Africanism is noticeably fragmented while grassroot movements lack strategic coordination.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

How well do African people represent the continent on Reparations and Pan-Africanism?

Professor Jude Osakwe: Honestly, inadequately, but not without effort. Representation is fragmented. The loudest voices on reparations often come from the Caribbean and African-American communities, while continental Africans, remain largely sidelined in that global conversation.

Pan-Africanism as an ideology is more spoken about than practiced. There is emotional solidarity, but very little structural unity. The honest reality is that African governments have not made reparations a serious diplomatic priority, and grassroots movements lack the coordination to pressure them to do so.

Does the diaspora media landscape affect how these topics are viewed in a Western light?

Professor Osakwe: Absolutely.

Western media frames Pan-Africanism as either nostalgic romanticism or a political threat, and frames reparations as a Black American issue, effectively erasing the continental African dimension entirely. As an African in the diaspora, you are constantly navigating between your own lived framework and a media environment that either misrepresents or ignores your perspective.

This creates a psychological burden, you must actively resist the dominant narrative just to maintain an accurate self-understanding. African diaspora media exists, but it remains underfunded and underreached compared to mainstream outlets, which means the Western framing dominates public discourse by default.

What are the measures for upholding African identity in the diaspora, and diaspora contributions amid geopolitical shifts?

Professor Osakwe: Key measures:

• Intentional cultural transmission, language, history, and values must be actively taught, not assumed
• Building diaspora institutions that are African-led, not just African-themed
• Political engagement both in host countries and in countries of origin
• Economic networking through platforms like NIDO that connect diaspora professionals to continental development

On geopolitical contributions: The current moment, with Africa renegotiating relationships with Western powers, China, Russia, and Gulf states, is actually an opportunity for the diaspora. Diaspora Africans sitting inside Western governments, universities, and financial institutions carry real leverage.

The question is whether that leverage gets used collectively or dissipates individually. Remittances already outpace foreign aid to many African countries. What’s needed now is moving beyond remittances to strategic investment, policy advocacy, and knowledge transfer, turning the diaspora from a financial lifeline into a genuine development partner.

Kester Kenn Klomegah focuses on current geopolitical changes, foreign relations and economic development-related questions in Africa with external countries. Most of his well-resourced articles are reprinted in several reputable foreign media.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The Women in Politics 2026 map from IPU and UN Women was launched at an event at CSW70, 11 March 2026. Credit: UN Women/Ryan Brown. Source: IPU
 
New Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) – UN Women data show women remain far from equal political power, holding just 22.4 per cent of cabinet posts and 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide.

By UN Women
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 13 2026 (IPS)

Across the world, women remain vastly under-represented in political leadership, with the most powerful decisions still overwhelmingly made by men. In 2026, only 28 countries are led by a woman Head of State or Government, while 101 countries have never had a woman leader, according to the latest data released by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and UN Women.

When women are shut out of political leadership, decisions that shape peace, security, and economic priorities are made without half of the world’s experience at the table. The new global data reveals stagnation, and in some cases regression, in women’s political leadership, particularly in executive government.

Key findings from the data released by IPU and UN Women include:

o Women hold just 22.4 per cent of cabinet minister positions globally, down from 23.3 per cent in 2024, marking a reversal after years of gradual progress.

o Fourteen countries have achieved gender parity in cabinets, demonstrating that equal representation is possible, yet eight countries still have no women ministers at all.

o Women hold 27.5 per cent of parliamentary seats worldwide, up slightly from 27.2 per cent in 2025. The increase of just 0.3 percentage points marks the second consecutive year of the slowest growth recorded since 2017, highlighting how slowly women are advancing in political decision-making power.

o Women are also losing ground in parliamentary leadership. As of January 2026, 54 women serve as Speakers of Parliament globally, representing 19.9 per cent of all Speakers. This represents a nearly four-percentage-point decline from the previous year and the first drop in women Speakers in 21 years.

o Women in politics face rising hostility and intimidation from the public, both online and offline. Seventy-six per cent of women parliamentarians surveyed report experiencing intimidation by the public, compared with 68 per cent of men – a trend that deters women from seeking office and slows progress toward equal political power.

o Even when women reach leadership positions, they are often concentrated in a narrow range of portfolios traditionally linked to social sectors.

o Women lead 90 per cent of gender-equality ministries and 73 per cent of ministries responsible for family and children’s affairs, reinforcing long-standing gender stereotypes in political leadership. Men continue to lead almost exclusively ministries like defense, home affairs, justice, economic affairs, governance, health, and education.

“At a time of growing global instability, escalating conflicts and a visible backlash against women’s rights, shutting women out of political leadership weakens societies’ ability to respond to the challenges they face,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous.

“Women bring perspectives and experience that are essential for making better decisions, preventing conflict and building lasting peace. When women are fully involved in political leadership, countries are more stable, policies work better for people, and societies are better prepared to face the crises shaping our world today.”

“Parity is a moral imperative, because women have an equal right to shape the decisions that govern their lives. But it is also the smart thing to do. Institutions make better decisions when they reflect the societies they serve. They are better able to identify bias, design fairer responses, and earn public trust when women from all backgrounds are present, and influential, at every level,” said IPU President Tulia Ackson.

“The IPU has constantly proven that well-designed quotas and strong political will are essential to speed up change and ensure that women’s voices are heard in democratic decision-making. At the same time, men and women must work together as equal partners to transform political culture, challenge stereotypes, and build inclusive parliaments that reflect the people they represent,” said IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.

Despite the slow pace of change, women around the world continue to push boundaries and assert their place in political life. Removing structural barriers, including discriminatory laws, violence against women in politics, and unequal access to resources, as well as challenging negative social norms, will be critical to ensuring women’s equal political leadership in the years ahead.

This year’s 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women – (which is scheduled to conclude March 19) the United Nations’ highest-level intergovernmental body that sets global standards for women’s rights and gender equality – is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the rollback of women’s rights.

The future of democracy will be stronger, fairer, and more resilient when women are equally represented in decision-making at all levels.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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European Council President António Costa invited leaders to the meeting of 19 and 20 March 2026 in Brussels, during which they will discuss Ukraine, Middle East, defence and security, competitiveness and single market, next Multiannual Financial Framework, and migration.