A 'Right to Know, Right to Education' fact sheet has been made available by Idasa for parliamentarians. The brochure is intended to provide the necessary information to parliamentarians to advance the right to education and the right to information.

Mauritanian journalist Obeid Ould Amegn, whose health is in bad condition, is still in the central prison of the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott. Obeid Ould Amegn, a journalist and an anti-slavery human rights activist, is the vice-president of the Club of Activist Journalists. He also runs the website Initi. Mauritanian police had arrested Obeid Ould Amegn on 29 April, in the capital Nouakchott, after he gave a statement to Al Arabiya TV network regarding those arrested following a book-burning protest.

It looks as though South Africa will finally lend cash-strapped Swaziland R2.4-billion, although the details, terms and conditions of the loan remain unclear. It has raised concern among pro-democracy activists who have always questioned the wisdom of the loan. Treasury spokesperson Jabulani Sikhakhane confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that a memorandum of understanding had been signed by the countries’ foreign ministers, but said 'discussions between the financial authorities are still ongoing'.

O neocolonialismo na África é dinâmico e apresenta elementos novos, como a entrada de China, Índia e Brasil na disputa pelas riquezas, mão-de-obra e mercado do continente negro, antes território das potências europeias, da URSS e dos EUA.

A study amongst 2443 people in Zambia, recruited from HIV clinics and community organisations, found that social ostracism, rejection by sexual partners and fear of not being able to handle antiretroviral therapy (ART) were the reasons people most often gave for not testing for HIV. A session at the 19th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington heard that, perhaps surprisingly, in terms of demographic characteristics, people living in cities were far less likely to test than people in rural areas.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) has expressed great concern over an attack on workers of the Samoli Spinning and Weaving Company during protests held on 21 July 2012. Following the protest the workers went to the mosque when suddenly unknown individuals started to shoot randomly. Ahmed Hosni, one of the workers, was killed while three others were injured while protesting in front of the company headquarters.

Soldiers loyal to Mali’s coup leader have forcibly disappeared at least 20 soldiers allegedly linked to an 30 April 2012 counter-coup, and committed torture and other abuses against dozens of others, Human Rights Watch said. The security forces of Capt. Amadou Sanogo, who led the 22 March coup against President Amadou Toumani Touré, have also engaged in a campaign of intimidation against journalists, family members of detained soldiers, and others deemed a threat.

Senegalese and the African Union officials have proposed a special court within the Senegalese judicial system to try former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre, sources said Wednesday, 25 July. Senegal’s justice minister said on the national broadcaster that the special court would consist four sections to handle instruction, investigations, trials, and appeals. Madame Aminata Touré said that the chambers would be presided over by African Union legal experts and Senegalese magistrates.

The Working Group on Gender Justice in Africa has called on the African Union (AU) to encourage member states that are yet to ratify the protocol on the rights of women in Africa to do so. In a statement made available to PANA, the Working Group said the AU should ensure that states which have ratified the protocol domesticate it and ensure its implementation. So far, 32 states have ratified the protocol: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Comoros, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The authorities in Sudan must stop their crackdown on press coverage of the ongoing protests in Khartoum and allow the media to report independently without fear of retaliation, the media watchdog, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has said. In statement it said two journalists had been detained without charge, while the whereabouts of a third are unknown, although local news accounts said the reporter may be in state custody.

From the reaction of various stakeholders, ranging from the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to the Zambia Federation of Employers and ordinary citizens (through spoof letters stating new conditions of service for the domestic servants) who, before the new policy came into effect, could afford to employ domestic help, the minimum wage effected on 4 July 2012, is arguably one of the most controversial policies of the 10 months old Patriotic Front (PF) government, begins this article from Global Voices Online.

Kenya's High Court lifted a ban on Wednesday on a separatist group demanding the secession of the country's coastal strip and famed tourist haven, the latest twist in a dispute that has unnerved investors and raised fears of violence. The Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) was outlawed by the Kenyan government in 2010 along with 33 entities described as 'organised criminal groups', but a Mombasa-based court ruled that the ban was unconstitutional.

The Progressive Youth Movement (PYM), based in Khayelitsha and the Democratic Left Front (DLF) condemn the South African Police Services based at the Harare police station in Khayelitsha for their biased and anti-constitutional actions against PYM activists. The PYM and the DLF call for the release of Noxolo Nqingo and Sandile Fotoyi, PYM activists who were arrested on false charges of intimidation.

Providing free school uniforms to enable children to stay in school, in addition to exposing primary school students to the national HIV/AIDS prevention curriculum, appeared to have a greater effect on reducing risky sexual behaviours among youth and in particular girls in Western Kenya than either intervention alone, Dr Vandana Sharma reported at the 19th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington. The randomised trial comprised over 19,000 youths (50% female) enrolled in one of 328 primary schools from 2003 to 2006. The follow-up cross-sectional survey looking at herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) prevalence and behavioural outcomes took place between February 2009 and March 2011, six to seven years after the intervention.

The David Kato Vision & Voice Award was launched to recognize those who are working to eliminate violence, stigma and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. The award celebrates the life and work of human rights activist David Kato, who was murdered in his home in Kampala, Uganda on 26 January 2011. Maurice Tomlinson, an outspoken advocate for LGBTI rights in Jamaica, received the inaugural award in January 2012.

Alliance Magazine aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas among philanthropists, social investors and others working for social change worldwide in order to maximize the impact of funding for social development. To help achieve this, Alliance offers free electronic subscriptions to those in countries not designated as high-income countries by the World Bank. Visit their website to find your country on an interactive map and to sign up.

In 2008, Egypt reached an agreement with the US-based Monsanto Corporation to import, grow and sell the company's genetically-modified maize. The first shipment of 70 tons arrived in Egypt in December 2010 and was planted in ten governorates without restriction on planting. The second and most recent shipment of 40 tons arrived in January 2012, but was seized by the Ministry of Agriculture because it was not properly approved. 'The January shipment has been imported without the formal approval from the Ministry of Environment, the agency that should approve imported genetically-modified organisms (GMOs),' said Osama El Tayeb, a microbiology and immunology professor.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) and its allies have vowed to put an end to political killings which have been on the rise in South Africa. The National Freedom Party has seen 21 of its members killed since last year, while the ANC has also seen an unidentified number of local politicians killed, according to the South African Press Association.

Drug-resistant HIV has been increasing in parts of sub-Saharan Africa over the last decade, according to experts writing in the Lancet. Studies on 26,000 untreated HIV-positive people in developing countries were reviewed by the team. They said resistance could build up if people fail to stick to drug regimes, and because monitoring could be poor.

Human rights groups under the umbrella of 'The Coalition for Human Rights in The Gambia' have called for an end to the 'reign of fear' in The Gambia. The call was made in a statement issued by the coalition and received by PANA in Dakar as the Gambian government marked the anniversary of the 22 July 1994 military takeover which it termed 'Freedom Day.' According to the coalition, the real situation of human rights in The Gambia 'is often subtly hidden' by the Yahya Jammeh administration on occasions like the celebration of the 22 July, which is a true 'black day' for human rights as it marks the seizure of power through 'a coup by the administration that has since then relentlessly engaged in several serious violations of fundamental human rights'.