Photo : Siphiwe Sibeko, Reuters
NIAS Area Studies
AFRICA MONITOR
Photo : Siphiwe Sibeko, Reuters
IN BRIEF
by Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia: TPLF removed from the terror list
On 22 March, the Ethiopian Parliament voted to remove Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) from the country's terror blacklist. The decision comes four months after the group signed a ceasefire agreement with the federal government ending the two years of conflict. (“Ethiopia removes ‘terrorist’ tag from Tigray regional party,” Al Jazeera, 22 March 2023)
Somalia: Water crisis “far from over,” says Unicef
On 22 March, Unicef told BBC’s Newsday radio programme that Somalia’s water crisis is “far from over” and more than thousand people are in dire condition due to the severe drought. A recent joint report by the Somali government and the UN found that nearly 43,000 people in the country died from the drought in 2022, among which half were children under the age of five. The report said that from January to June this year a further 25,000 people could die. (“Somalia water crisis 'far from over' - Unicef, BBC, 22 March 2023)
Tunisia: US says IMF deal critical
On 22 March, the US said that it is significant for Tunisia to reach a deal with the IMF amid a worsening economic crisis. US Secretary of State Antony Bliken said: “The most critical thing they can do on the economic side is actually get an IMF agreement.” He added: “We would strongly encourage them to do that because the economy risks falling off the deep end.” The IMF guaranteed a USD two billion loan for Tunisia upon the demand for political reforms in the country. (“Tunisia IMF deal 'critical' US says - AFP,” BBC, 22 March 2023)