UN and Africa

The Sahel region of Africa should not be considered a ‘land of misery’ but rather a ‘land of opportunities,’ according to the United Nations Special Adviser for the Sahel.

The region which stretches from Chad in central Africa to the west coast of the continent is one of the poorest parts of the world, where the dual effects of climate change and terrorism are leading to widespread insecurity and deepening levels of poverty.

The justification for “indefinite” national military service in Eritrea would “disappear” if a peaceful end can be found to a decades-old border dispute between the country and Ethiopia, a UN human rights investigator has said.

Sheila Keetharuth, the Special Rapporteur on Eritrea, spoke to UN News after presenting her last report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva at the end of her six-year mandate.