Liberians want reforms, says Pres. Sirleaf
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says Liberians, through a series of national consultations, have shown and made clear their strong desire to see adjustments made to Liberia’s 1986 Constitution. Highlighting some of the national consultations where these views resonated, she named Vision 2030, Land Reform and the Decentralization Initiative as a few of the many national consultations […]
Speech: A European Union of the People
Many of the grand statements throughout history have been poetic. But one of the most important sentences in post-war Europe was as bone dry as it was powerful: “The French Government proposes that Franco-German production of coal and steel as a whole be placed under a common High Authority, within the framework of an […]
Nigerian elections: Wind of change blows in 80 hours
In less than 80 hours, Nigerians will make a choice that will not only impact Nigeria but Africa and the world in general for the next four years and beyond. It is a known fact that Nigerians in the diaspora are being disenfranchised by the constitution of Nigeria and that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led parliament […]
Press must not cover up for war crimes suspects
Few weeks ago, I was doing research online and came across a news story published February 25, 2015 by the Inquirer Newspaper of Liberia titled, “Residents Deny ‘Massacre’ Claim.” The story is related to charges of war crimes against one Martina Johnson, a well-known former NPFL rebel commander who was arrested last year by Belgium […]
Liberia opens passport center in Belgium
The Liberian Biometric ECOWAS Passports Application Center (PAC) in the Schengen zone of Europe was officially opened on Saturday at the Liberian Embassy in Brussels, Belgium. Speaking at the program, Isaac W. Nyenabo II, Liberia’s Ambassador to Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and the European Union, said the center will ease the hardships, frustration and financial cost of Liberians living in […]
Somalia: a dangerous place for journalists
The dangers and pressures journalists face in Somalia undermine coverage of not only sensitive political stories but also important humanitarian issues. Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Fifty-six have been killed there since 1992, five of them in 2014. […]
Struggle against Boko Haram entering new phase?
A week and a half before Nigeria’s presidential election was scheduled, the military declared in a letter to the chairman of the electoral commission that they would not be able to assist with security measures for another for six weeks due to a major offensive to be concluded in the north-east. As a result, the […]
Swiss extend detention of war crimes suspect
Alieu Kosiah, the Liberian war crime suspect held by Switzerland, is expected to remain in preventive detention for another three months. A source told Nordic Africa News that the decision to extend was made after a hearing recently. When contacted the spokeswoman of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland Jeannette Balmer said “We […]
Sweden’s first ambassador for global women’s issues
On 1 January 2015, Annika Molin Hellgren took up her post as Sweden’s first Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues and the Coordinator of Sweden’s Feminist Foreign Policy. She has previously held positions with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA) Africa Department, the Delegation of Sweden to the OECD in Paris, the Permanent Mission of Sweden […]
Decentralization in Liberia: A giant leap into the future
On Wednesday, February 18, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf launched the National Policy on Decentralization and Local Governance. The policy is aimed at decentralizing governance in Liberia, and the launching is in response to the long yawning of the Liberian people to see tangible evidence of decentralization. For all practical reasons, this is an expressed commitment of […]
