The country’s quest for a port on the Red Sea has greatly destabilized the Horn of Africa. In return, its neighbors are engaged in a dangerous military escalation. Abiy Ahmed usually takes advantage of speeches to his army to distill subtle messages for his rivals in the region. However, there was no need to read between the lines on Sunday, September 8, when he presided over a military tribute in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian prime minister reiterated that his country “won’t negotiate with anyone on Ethiopia’s sovereignty and dignity” and demanded “nationalist patriotism” from its population in order to resist the “foreign powers” he accuses of wanting to “destabilize the region.” It was a martial and threatening statement in line with the war of words being waged in the Horn of Africa. The region has been in turmoil since the announcement of the maritime agreement between Ethiopia and the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland, on January 1, 2024, which would give Addis Ababa direct access to the Red Sea. The treaty is stirring up tension because it tramples on Somalia’s sovereignty – Somaliland is not recognized as independent by the international community. In formalizing this agreement, did the Ethiopian head of state realize the extent of the regional upheaval it would provoke? Nine months later, a cold war began in the Horn. (Le Monde)

One of the hurdles to improving health care systems for African countries is the shortage of scientists and lack of meaningful medical research on the continent, experts say. An organization hopes to change that by enabling researchers and policymakers in three large African countries to develop more extensive and relevant research. According to a 2017 report by the World Economic Forum, Africa is home to 15% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s disease burden—but produces just 2% of the world’s medical research. The report said of the medical research that does occur, much of it fails to prioritize diseases or health problems most pressing for Africans. A group of African health researchers and institutions are now pushing for the continent’s medical research to be more focused on the continent’s own medical problems. The African Population and Health Research Center is bringing together scientists, academics, policymakers and government officials from Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria. Their goal is to strengthen African leadership in research and development, ensuring that the findings from these researchers are relevant and accessible to decision-makers, leading to better health care systems across the continent. (VOA)

On Wednesday afternoon, the UN Security Council discussed the current humanitarian crisis in Sudan, More than 16 months of war. UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee said, “The current wave of fighting marks the latest chapter of violence in El Fasher and occurs amidst a months-long siege and attack on the city at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces.” Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee also said, “this has caused appalling levels of suffering for the civilian population, including famine conditions in Zamzam camp south of El Fasher, among other locations.” … The conflict has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, wrecking civilian infrastructure and an already battered health care system. Without the basics, many hospitals and medical facilities have closed their doors. The country, which has gone through the shocks of civil war and climate change is in need of humanitarian aid with an estimated 9 million people — 73% of the country’s population — projected to be in need of humanitarian assistance during 2024, according to the 2024 UN Humanitarian Needs Overview for South Sudan. (AfricaNews)

Generation X, sometimes shortened to Gen X, is the name given to the generation of people born between the mid-1960s and the early 1980s.

The exact years that comprise Gen X vary. Some researchers—demographers William Strauss and Neil Howe, for example—place the exact birth years from 1961 to 1981, whereas Gallup places the birth years between 1965 and 1979. But all agree that Gen X follows the baby boomer generation and precedes Generation Y, also known as the millennial generation.