Children and Youth

Congolese Electoral Commission Urges Voter Verification Ahead of 2026 Presidential Election The electoral commission in the Republic of Congo is urging registered voters to verify their names on the provisional voter's roll in preparation for the upcoming presidential elections. This call to action is accompanied by banners displayed throughout Brazzaville, highlighting the critical nature of this verification process. As the nation gears up for the 2026 presidential election, President Denis Sassou Nguesso, now 81 years…

At least 11 people, including a 3-year-old child, a 12-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, were killed and 14 others wounded when gunmen stormed an illegal shebeen in Saulsville township, west of Pretoria, police said Friday. Police said at least three attackers entered the unlicensed drinking venue and opened fire on a group of people. No arrests have been made and the motive remains unknown, authorities said. “Illegal and unlicensed liquor outlets are a major hotspot for mass shootings,” police spokesperson Brig.…

Release of Abducted Schoolchildren in Niger State: A Fragile Victory Nigerian authorities announced that they have successfully secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary's Catholic boarding school in Niger state. This incident, which unfolded on November 21, saw 315 pupils and staff taken by gunmen from the co-educational facility located in north-central Nigeria. Following the chaos of the attack, around 50 students managed to escape, but the fate of another 165 children and staff remains unknown.…

Global Health Funding Cuts Threaten Child Survival Rates, Gates Foundation Warns The Gates Foundation has issued a stark warning that millions of children worldwide could face death due to reductions in global health funding, jeopardizing decades of progress in child survival. In its latest report, We Can't Stop at Almost, the foundation revealed a troubling forecast for child mortality rates, marking a significant step back in health advancements this century. According to the report, an alarming 4.6 million children…

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission warned this week that technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence (TFGBV) is moving from the margins into the mainstream, forcing many women and girls to silence themselves online and offline. The statement, released to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, said that journalists, activists, politicians and young women in Zimbabwe are among the most affected and urged stronger enforcement of existing laws. "Women and girls are increasingly…

Nestlé Denies Claims of High Sugar Content in African Baby Foods Nestlé has firmly denied allegations that its baby food products sold across Africa contain higher levels of added sugar compared to those marketed in Europe. This response comes in light of a report indicating that over 90% of its Cerelac baby food products available in 20 African nations reportedly contain added sugars, often exceeding levels found in similar products sold in Europe. Despite the availability of sugar-free versions in European markets, the…

Namibia’s children exposed: online life and the quiet rise of digital harm Snapshot of a hidden crisis A new study has lifted the lid on a worrying trend in Namibia: an estimated 20,000 children are exposed to online sexual exploitation and abuse every year, according to research published by the Disrupting Harm project. The study, which maps technology‑facilitated abuse of children, also finds that roughly 80 percent of Namibians aged 12 to 17 use the internet — primarily for schoolwork and social media — creating both…

Two killed as Morocco’s Gen Z protests expose a generational fault line When word spread on TikTok and Discord that young people across Morocco would converge on town squares and police stations to demand better schools, clinics and jobs, it felt like an experiment in 21st-century dissent — decentralized, fast and anonymous. What unfolded over a few days was far more combustible. In Lqliaa, near the port city of Safi, police opened fire on a crowd trying to “storm” a police station, killing two people, authorities say. The…

Niger State’s Sermon Approval Policy: Balancing Law and Freedom In a striking move emblematic of the complex interplay between governance and religious expression, the governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, recently announced a controversial policy requiring local clerics to submit their sermons for government approval. This initiative, presented as a strategy to counter “anti-people and anti-government” messages, has stirred the passions of locals, illuminating the ongoing struggle for religious freedom in emerging…

Sub-Saharan Africa's Struggle Against Child Poverty: A Call to Action In a world that has seen significant strides in reducing extreme child poverty, one region remains starkly excluded from this progress: Sub-Saharan Africa. According to a recent report by the World Bank and UNICEF, this area has not only failed to improve over the past decade, but it has also allowed the specter of poverty to loom larger over its youngest inhabitants. Alarmingly, more than half of the region's children live below the poverty line,…