`This is a moment when the voice and actions of civil society are indispensable,’ they say | THE INDEPENDENT | Governments need to recognise and include Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in their national emergency responses and long-term development efforts. That is one of the main practical solutions that funders and …

After ousting civilians, the military seeks to consolidate power and install a new government | MANAL TAHA AND JOSEPH TUCKER | On Oct.25, Sudan’s military detained the country’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and key civilian leaders, dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency. The coup, which has put …

International Fund for Agricultural Development reports tips on adaptation strategies | JOHN ALLEN | Rising temperatures and a decline in rainfall across eight Southern and East African countries are set to slash the production of important food crops in the region by 2050, says a new study. And even when …

Time for global leaders, development organisations to invest in Africa’s modern agriculture technologies COMMENT | BETH DUNFORD | More than six out of every 10 people in Sub-Saharan Africa work in the continent’s agriculture sector. We may not realise that what grows from African soil may be connected to some …

Caption: The MTV Shuga “Down South” series was broadcast on TV in South Africa in 2017 and 2019. UN-backed show highlights excites researchers | THE INDEPENDENT | Young people in South Africa changed their attitudes significantly and adopted safer sexual behaviour, after watching a TV show called Down South – …

Combining two different COVID-19 vaccines provides protection on par with that of mRNA vaccines — including protection against the Delta variant | EWEN CALLAWAY | Study after study has shown that people who receive two different COVID-19 vaccines generate potent immune responses, with side effects no worse than those caused …

The digital platform is set to build trust and cut the transaction costs of trading in AfCFTA Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | The African Export-Import Bank’s new digital Customer Due Diligence (CDD) platform, called Mansa, is set to promote cross-border trade in Africa, says the product head Maureen Mba. …

The Ugandan government is known for cracking down on writers who express strong dissent to President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the African country for 35 years. Despite the risks, two writers recently composed deliberately provocative pieces criticising the president. | HALIMA ATHUMANI | Early this month, Ashaba Annah wrote …

Outlook remains overcast by a mutating virus | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s economy has been struggling for some time now since the outbreak of coronavirus but the government and the private sector are coming up with numerous options to reverse the trend. On Oct. 20, the government released Sh 5.8trillion …

It serves as reminder that freedom of the press is under threat from strongmen and social media | THE INDEPENDENT | Thirty-two years ago next month, I was in Germany reporting on the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event then heralded as a triumph of Western democratic liberalism and …