Daily Archives: August 10, 2011

Kenya

KENYA: Drought exacerbates conflict in Turkana

Cattle raids in Turkana have turned deadly as the communities are heavily armed. Photo: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu/IRIN

LOKICHOGGIO, 29 July 2011 (IRIN) – Cross-border armed conflict over resources among Turkana pastoralists in northeastern Kenya has increased following the severe drought ravaging parts of the Horn of Africa. Besides rampant malnutrition, the desperate competition has led to increased livestock theft, shootings and forced migration.

With greater pressure on fewer resources, the consequences have been particularly dire for pastoralists, who make up 60 percent of the population in Turkana district.

Natoo Lore, an elder, said: “This drought is very severe for everyone. We have very small herds. I lost 100 goats and sheep in the past two months.” Continue reading KENYA: Drought exacerbates conflict in Turkana →

South Sudan

SOUTH SUDAN: Time to Start Learning

By Protus Onyango

The issue of education in South Sudan is so critical that most leaders are calling on the youth to go back to school. John Robinson/IPS

JUBA, Jul 19 (IPS) – Being educated during the country’s civil war was almost impossible. But Victoria Maja wanted to become a doctor, and in order to do so she had to leave South Sudan and live and study in the north. She was one of the lucky ones.  Despite the fact that Maja had to face discrimination because of her ethnicity, she was one of the few South Sudanese of her generation who graduated from university. Continue reading SOUTH SUDAN: Time to Start Learning →