Photos: The Gay Pride festival in Uganda defied local law and taboo

Members of the Ugandan lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community celebrated their fourth annual Pride Uganda festival  defying strict laws criminalizing homosexuality with up to 14 years in jail.

Millions going hungry because of Boko Haram By Fragkiska Megaloudi and Jennifer Lazuta

Photo: Fragkiska Megaloudi

Many families in northeastern Nigeria are forced to survive off just one meal a day, after being displaced by Boko Haram and losing their main sources of income.

Families driven out of villages, farmers unable to tend crops, food stocks of entire communities raided: Boko Haram’s impact on the people of Western and Central Africa lingers long after the rape and slaughter.

Cattle rustlers profit from Boko Haram bonanza By Mohammad Ibrahim

Photo: Mohammad Ibrahim

A little girl feeds the family herd in Kaduna State

Malama Amina stands quietly in the middle of her late husband’s compound in northwestern Nigeria trying to figure out how she will feed herself and her six children in the coming months.
Thieves stole 48 cows during a raid on their village in Kaduna State earlier this year. Her husband was killed trying to save the herd. At an average sale price of $500 per cow, the family lost its entire life savings as well as its sole means of income.

THE NUMBER OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) IN NIGERIA IS GROWING, QUICKLY.

An estimated 2,000 women and children have been seized by Boko Haram since January 2014 

Over the years, the growing number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria is becoming alarming. IDPs are people who have fled their homes because of conflict and persecution based on religion, race, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion but remain within their home country’s borders.

Bonang remains face of Revlon SA

Bonang Matheba. File photo
Image by: Sunday Times

Speculation that Matheba would no longer be the face of Revlon South Africa, remain just that.

The 28-year old will carry on as the face of the beauty brand, according to Michelle Stevens, Revlon SA spokesperson."We have no plans to end our relationship with Bonang," said Stevens.

Central African interim President Samba-Panza, pleads for calm as 30,000 flee tense capital

Central African Republic's interim President Samba-Panza
Image by: REUTERS

"We fear that the violence we're seeing in Bangui is a return to the dark days of late 2013 and 2014, when thousands were killed and tens of thousands had to flee their homes," UN refugee agency spokesman Leo Dobbs told reporters Tuesday.

At least 36 people have died in the last three days and 27,400 fled their homes amid the latest flare up of violence in the conflict-torn country, the United Nations said.

Photos: President Buhari and Nigeria's Delegation to the UN General Assembly

President Buhari with members of his entourage including Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Prof Joy Ogwu, Rotimi Amaechi, Femi Adeshina, Abike Dabiri, Aminu Tambuwal and others. More pics after cut....

Video: Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe To UN General Assembly "We Are Not Gays"

Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe yesterday took his anti-gay campaign to the ongoing UN General Assembly where he bluntly told world leaders at the United Nations that Africans are not gays and totally reject attempts to prescribe new rights including gay rights in Africa
"We equally reject attempts to prescribe "new rights" that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions, and beliefs. We are not gays! Cooperation and respect for each other will advance the cause of human rights worldwide. Confrontation, vilification, and double-standards will not." he said.

Hope for Borno: Local women collect items for displaced persons in Borno State, Nigeria

 

Jaclyn Damiano and Gina Sampaio, both of Lebanon Township, co-hosted a party on Sunday, Sept. 27, to collect donations and raise awareness for Flemington resident, Iby Ikotidem's organization, Hope for Borno. (courtesy photo)

Jaclyn Damiano and Gina Sampaio, both of Lebanon Township, co-hosted a party on Sunday, Sept. 27, to collect donations and raise awareness for Flemington resident, Iby Ikotidem's organization, Hope for Borno, https://www.facebook.com/hopeforborno?fref=ts
Hope for Borno distributes needed items to thousands of internally displaced persons at IDP camps in the state of Borno in Nigeria.

Women held as sex slaves in South Sudan 'rape camps'

 

One woman was abducted by soldiers and taken to a military camp, tied up and raped repeatedly for two months.

Another was kidnapped with her 15-year-old sister and raped every night for five nights. A third was taken to a forest with her 12-year old daughter where both were raped.

The abduction of women and girls for use as sex slaves — some of them held indefinitely, tied up with hundreds of others in secret rape camps — is a disturbing new aspect of South Sudan’s 21-month conflict, already characterised by well-documented war crimes and human rights abuses.
Nigeria’s ‘Chibok girls’, abducted by Boko Haram in April 2014, and Iraq’s Yazidi women taken as sex slaves by Islamic State are well-known.

Photos: DStv's iRock music festival In Limpopo, South Africa

 

Mzansi Magic talent blessed the DStv's iRock music festival this past weekend.

Cast members from shows such as iSibaya, The Road and others joined musicians in Limpopo during the Heritage weekend for the musical extravaganza.
The diverse line-up of musicians included legend Thomas Chauke, Mafikizolo, Riky Rick, Beatenberg and Khuli Chana amongst others.
Singer Calandray who won the 'Battle for the stage' competition and walked away with a R5000 cash prize was the opening act that for the night. More pics after cut....

Central African Republic: violent sectarian clashes erupt in Bangui

 
 A wounded man is carried into the hospital in Bangui. Photograph: Getty Images

At least 21 people have been killed in Bangui on Saturday and about 100 others wounded as Muslims attacked a mainly Christian neighbourhood, a government spokesman said.
The reprisal attack in the capital of Central African Republic comes after a Muslim man was killed and his body found dumped in a street close to the airport.
Muslims left their stronghold in the third district of Bangui and attacked the largely Christian fifth district using automatic guns, heavier weapons and grenades.

Single mothers in Zimbabwe need support

The importance of schooling and vocational training for young, outcast mothers is paramount according to Single Mothers Association.

Faith Jacha, the founder of the Single Mothers Association (SMA), says both are true. “The phenomenon is universal and pervasive. It is not confined to one class, age-group or region. The causes as well as the consequences of being a single mother vary,” she said in a recent interview.
Jacha set up SMA in 2010 and opened a Facebook page to help single mothers. She herself was forced by her parents into marriage with a man 30 years her senior whom she had never seen before. After four years and two children, she decided it was not the life she wanted to live.

Photos: 80th Birthday Celebration of OPC Leader, Dr Frederick Fasehun in Lagos.

The 80th birthday celebration of the founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, took place yesterday Sunday, 27th September 2015 in Lagos and was attended by several dignitaries, family, friends and well wishers such as the Ondo state Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko. More pics after cut...

Photos: President Buhari at The United Nations.

President Buhari with Korea's president, Park Geun-hye at the UN House yesterday Sunday 27th 
September 2015. More pics after cut....