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UN Chief Says Africa ‘Source Of Hope’ For The World
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, says Africa is “a source of hope” for the world, highlighting the examples of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the decade of financial and economic inclusion for African women.
Guterres also said that in the last 20 years, the African Union (AU) “has helped to bring this hope to life, in order to enable the continent to realize its enormous potential.”
UN chief said this in his address to the 35th Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU in Addis Ababa on Saturday via video message.
He was represented in the Ethiopian capital, by Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed.
According to Guterres, the collaboration between the UN and AU “is stronger than ever”, with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063, Africa’s blueprint for a peaceful, integrated and more prosperous continent, as the central pillars.
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The secretary-general argued that “injustice is deeply embedded in global systems”, but it was the Africans who “are paying the heaviest price.”
He remembered that the vaccination rate in high-income countries was seven times higher than in Africa and stated that “a morally bankrupt global financial system has abandoned the countries of the South.
“The unethical inequalities that suffocates Africa, fuel armed conflict, political, economic, ethnic and social tensions, human rights abuses, violence against women, terrorism, military coups and a sentiment of impunity,” he said.
Because of that, Guterres said, tens of millions of people are displaced across the continent and the democratic institutions are in peril.
The secretary-general then offered the UN’s support to ignite “four engines of recovery.”
First, he said, everyone needed to get their vaccines.
In this regard, he highlighted the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Force (AVATT) and the benefits that greater vaccine production in South Africa and other African countries will generate.
“I urge you to create the conditions for the number of African countries capable of producing tests, vaccines and treatments to multiply, including by addressing intellectual property issues, and providing the technical and finance needed,” he said.
Second, Guterres said Member states needed to ignite the engine of economic recovery by reforming the global financial system.
“But the deck is stacked against Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is facing cumulative economic growth per capita over the next five years that is 75 per cent less than the rest of the world,” he said.
He called for re-directing Special Drawing Rights – an IMF-created reserve currency asset – to countries that need support now, reform of the international debt architecture, and more concessional forms of finance.
Thirdly, the UN chief pointed to a green recovery across the continent.
The vast continent contributes just 3 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but many of the worst impacts of climate change are being felt there.
“To address today’s tragic reality, we need a radical boost in funding for adaptation and mitigation on the continent,” the UN Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Guterres as saying.
According to him, the Glasgow COP26 commitment to double adaptation finance, from 20 billion dollars, must be implemented, but it was not enough.
He called on wealthier countries to make good on the $100 billion dollars climate finance commitment to developing countries, starting this year, and hold to account private sector partners who have also made similar commitments.
He said “We are in emergency mode, and we need all hands on deck,” he said, pointing to the next UN Climate Conference (COP27), happening later this year in Egypt, as “an essential opportunity for Africa and our world.”
Lastly, the UN chief said peace across the continent could also work as an engine for recovery.
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In multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural states across Africa, Guterres believes an organisation like the African Union “is about showing how people can co-exist – even flourish – by working together.”
According to him, this requires “inclusive and participatory structures” and so member states need to make them a reality through good governance.
Guterres added that young Africans specially need more connectivity to access information and benefit from faster communication, better education and jobs.
(NAN)
Headline
Strait Of Hormuz: Pakistan Thanks Trump For Pausing ‘Project Freedom’
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed gratitude to United States President Donald Trump for temporarily pausing ‘Project Freedom’, an initiative to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on X, Sharif thanked Trump for pausing the “Project Freedom” mission, praising him for his courageous leadership and timely announcement.
According to him, Trump’s decision was made in response to requests from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other brotherly countries.
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He added that the pause would go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during the sensitive period.
“Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.
“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” Sharif said.
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FG Summons S. African Envoy Over Rising Xenophobic Attacks On Nigerians
The Federal Government has summoned the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa in Abuja over renewed concerns about xenophobic attacks and protests targeting foreign nationals, including Nigerians, living in that country.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the envoy is expected at its headquarters on Monday, May 4, 2026, for a high-level engagement aimed at addressing the growing tension and safeguarding bilateral relations between both countries.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said Nigeria would formally express its “profound concern” over recent developments in South Africa, particularly reports of harassment, violence, and destruction of property belonging to foreign nationals.
According to the ministry, the meeting will focus on ongoing demonstrations by various groups in South Africa and documented cases of attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in parts of the country.
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“The objective of this engagement is to formally convey the Nigerian Government’s profound concern regarding recent events that have the potential to impact the established cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa,” the statement read.
It added that discussions would also address ongoing demonstrations by various groups within South Africa and documented instances of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses.
The ministry acknowledged growing anger among Nigerians over reports of xenophobic violence but urged restraint, stressing that diplomatic engagement remained the preferred channel for resolution.
It assured Nigerians that the Federal Government was actively engaging South African authorities to ensure the protection of its citizens abroad.
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“The Ministry is aware of the growing discontent among Nigerians concerning the treatment of their nationals in South Africa. Nevertheless, it implores the Nigerian public to remain calm and reiterates the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of Nigerian citizens residing in South Africa,” the statement added.
The latest diplomatic move comes amid renewed reports of xenophobic tensions in parts of South Africa, where foreign-owned businesses have occasionally been targeted during protests linked to unemployment and economic hardship.
South Africa has a history of xenophobic violence dating back to 2008, with subsequent flare-ups in 2015 and 2019, when mobs attacked migrants, looted shops, and displaced thousands of foreign nationals across several provinces.
In past incidents, Nigerians and other African nationals were among those affected, prompting strong diplomatic reactions from Abuja and calls for stronger protection of foreign communities.
While South African authorities have repeatedly condemned such attacks and deployed security forces to restore order during outbreaks of violence, concerns have persisted over recurring hostility in some communities.
Headline
Mississippi Man ‘Kills Mother, Flushes Her Remains Down Toilet’
A 29-year-old Mississippi man, Zachary Lavel Jackson Jr., has been charged with multiple offences, including first-degree murder, over the death of his mother, Lana Brown Bradley, after deputies responded to her Natchez home on April 4 following a missing person report from relatives.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to Bradley’s residence after her oldest son was unable to reach her the previous day.
Jackson was initially identified as a family member before investigators confirmed he was her son.
Sheriff Travis Patten described the case as deeply disturbing.“This is by far the most heinous crime that I’ve ever witnessed in my entire life. We weren’t out there that day; this was one of those things when we walked up.
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“This was one of those cases that you will never, ever forget in your life. This is the type of case that follows you home,” Patten told WJTV.
According to the sheriff, deputies noticed signs of a recent cleanup when they arrived at the home.
“As soon as they walked in the house, they could just see where somebody had been cleaning up, and they could smell chemicals all throughout the house.
“Floor was extremely slippery. And the older son said that this is just unusual for the youngest son to be cleaning up the house like that,” Patten explained.
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Jackson, the youngest son, was found in a bathroom, where deputies allegedly made a discovery that became central to the investigation.
“I can say what was in the toilet, and it was her flesh. He chopped her up in pieces and dismembered her in a way that whoever came looking for her would have to do their due diligence to find her, and that’s just what we did,” the sheriff said.
Authorities said Jackson allegedly placed parts of his mother’s body in a suitcase and attempted to dispose of other remains.
Jackson faces charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, mayhem and tampering with evidence.
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Investigators said Bradley, a retired teacher, had recently sought to evict her son from the home. Patten, citing family interviews, said Jackson was believed to be mentally unstable but also noted that his actions appeared deliberate.
“He had threatened her the day before because she was looking to have him evicted from the home.
“She was in the process of doing so and had just gone to court the day before to have him removed from the home,” Patten explained.
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