External Relations

India offers aid as Botswana confronts acute medicine shortages India has offered to assist Botswana in addressing a severe shortage of essential medicines, officials said during a visit by Indian President Droupadi Murmu. The offer was announced by Botswana President Duma Boko at a joint media briefing, underscoring the urgency of the country’s health supply crisis. President Boko announced the offer while briefing the media alongside visiting Indian President Droupadi Murmu. Available reports put the stock of essential…

Historic Milestone: Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles Eliminate Measles and Rubella In a landmark achievement for public health, Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles have become the first sub-Saharan African countries to eliminate measles and rubella, a significant milestone verified by the African Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination. This accomplishment positions them among a select group of 94 and 133 countries globally that have successfully eradicated measles and rubella,…

Bridge Collapse in DR Congo Mine Claims 32 Lives In a tragic incident underscoring the perils faced by artisanal miners, at least 32 individuals have lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) due to the collapse of a bridge at the Kalando copper and cobalt mine. The bridge, which was unable to withstand the weight of overcrowding caused by unauthorized miners, gave way under the strain, leading to the catastrophic event. Unauthorized Access: A Prelude to Disaster This disaster highlights a…

G20 in Johannesburg: A test of multilateralism as Africa’s priorities meet fracturing diplomacy The historic 2025 G20 Summit in Johannesburg (November 22–23) arrives with symbolic weight — the first time the grouping meets on African soil — and with urgent expectations. Under South Africa’s presidency theme, “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” hosts have signalled a push to center issues that disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries: debt sustainability, climate finance, and rising inequality. Yet the…

G20 in Johannesburg: A test of multilateralism as the Global South takes the stage The 2025 G20 summit in Johannesburg will be historic: the first time the grouping meets on African soil. Under South Africa’s presidency and the banner "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," Pretoria aims to pivot the world’s premier economic forum toward issues that disproportionately affect the Global South — debt distress, climate resilience, and stark global wealth gaps. But the summit opens under an unusual cloud. President Donald…

South Africa allows 153 Palestinians to disembark after 12 hours held on plane South African authorities have permitted a group of 153 Palestinians who had been kept on board an aircraft for about 12 hours to leave the plane after it landed in Johannesburg, officials said. What happened The group arrived on a chartered Global Airways flight and was initially kept on the aircraft for roughly 12 hours, the Border Management Authority (BMA) said. After that period, BMA officials allowed the passengers to disembark and enter…

Conflict, poverty and collapsing services: why cholera is surging again "Peace is health," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus repeats in briefings, a blunt reminder that infectious disease is not merely a biological problem but a political and social one. In late August 2025, WHO warned the world that cholera is resurging — and that the drivers are familiar: armed conflict, broken water and sanitation systems, deepening poverty and strained vaccine supplies. The warning is not abstract.…

Morocco declares “Unity Day” after UN backs autonomy plan — but the Western Sahara question remains unresolved Morocco has named Oct. 31 a national holiday, calling it Unity Day, to mark the United Nations Security Council’s recent endorsement of an autonomy plan for Western Sahara under Moroccan sovereignty. The announcement was billed in Rabat as a celebration of national unity and territorial integrity — a symbolic capstone to a long campaign to secure international backing for a solution many Moroccans consider a matter…

Struggling with Identity: The Complex Case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia In a world increasingly divided by borders and policies, the story of Kilmar Abrego Garcia reflects themes of migration, humanity, and the intersection of law and compassion. As the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to deport Garcia, complexities deepen—not only regarding his physical journey but also with regard to the lives that are often caught in the gears of governmental machinery. A Troubling Journey At the heart of Garcia's case is a…

Tunisia’s treatment of migrants and the EU’s quiet deal: a test of values For three years, human rights researchers listened to stories that should have set off alarms across Mediterranean capitals: men and women beaten and detained without charge, people stripped of their documents and pushed toward unsafe borders, and Black migrants singled out for abuse. The accounts, collected from 120 refugees and migrants from nearly 20 countries, form the backbone of a new Amnesty International report that accuses Tunisia of…