His foundation says the money will go the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization that’s appealing for $76-million to eradicate the pests threatening the food security of millions.

ends intro

Bill Gates’ contribution to fighting the locust outweighs that of his government.

Visiting Africa last week, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave $8-million to fight the infestation from Yemen that has wrecked the harvests in eight countries in East Africa and the Horn.

Uganda’s has 2 000 soldiers drying to eradicate the many billions of pests who fly 150 km a day and consume their own body weight.

The operation takes place at night when the locusts are stationary and is described as dangerous and unending.

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The worst plague brought on by excessive rains in Yemen have moved into  Uganda and Tanzania having passed through Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Experts say desperate measures being used to combat the locusts are ineffective.

In Uganda, soldiers have been deployed the chase the insects off crops.

Motorised spray units are being used to kill them.

Experts say locusts can fly as a high as 200 meters and easily avoid these.

This is the worst plague in a quarter of a century and there are no signs of its abating with new hoppers hatching in areas already stripped bare by the adults.

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A pledging conference in Rome next week will try to raise $70 million to pay for the impact of the swarms.

ends intro

Unusually heavy rains late last year provided ideal breeding conditions for the destert locusts in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

The hoppers grew into locusts making the worst swarms in a quarter of a century.

The increase in numbers and density means theiy could increase 500-fold by mid year.

There are fears the swarms will move westward from the Horn of Africa into Uganda and other countries. 

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He was speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as the first of migrants started arriving in Rwanda.

Rwanda’s taking in the migrants as part of a deal with the African Union and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

Most of them are from the Horn of Africa.

Libya reached a deal with the European Union to keep the migrants from crossing the Mediterranean into their territory.

President Paul Kagame insists his efforts to end the migrants’ misery in Libya does not involve him  taking any money from the EU 

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500 of them, mostly from the Horn of Africa, will be flown in Uganda in coming weeks.

Rwanda first offered to take migrants from Libya when television footage nearly two years ago showed some of them being sold off as slaves.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees says nearly 5000 people are living in parlous conditions in Libyan detention camps.

It’s appealed to navies saving migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe not to send them to Libya.

The migrants being taken by Rwanda include many children and women in vulnerable positions.

The Rwandan government insists its not being paid for taking in these refugees.

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The International Oganisation for Migration fears the death toll from the sinking of two crowded boats could be high higher.

Djibouti has become a major launch site for migrants, mainly from Ethiopia, heading for the Arabian peninsula.

Crossing the Red Sea is less considered hazardous than braving the Mediterranean which claimed six lives a day in 2018, according to a United Nations report.

This figure takes in launchings from Libya in the east and Morocco in the west.

Yesterday’s tragedy underlines the harsh reality that vast numbers of people are prepared to risk their lives and those of their families seeking economically more prosperous  and politically more peaceful futures away from Africa.

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He’ll visit the Amhara capital Bahir Dar and the historical city of Gondar.

The Eritrean President’s visit to neighboring Ethiopia comes as the UN Security Council considers lifting sanctions against his country.

The 15-nation UN powerhouse will next week to debate a British draft resolution lifting the arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on Eritrea following its rapprochement with Ethiopia and Somalia. 

France and some other council members , however want to maintain pressure  on President Azarias Awerki until he’s signed a peace accord with Djibouti.

Deadly clashes have occurred between the Horn of Africa countries for a decade since Djibouti accused Asmara of moving troops across the border.

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The meeting springs from the determination of Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to settle issues preventing a full peace from a war that ended 18 years ago.

Ethiopia’s occupied all disputed territories following the two year war that tore the Horn of Africa until the turn of the century.

Now Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says Ethiopia will abide by the rulings of a  border commission.

This means returning the town of Badme to Eritrea.

President Isaias Afwerki has welcomed this.

However he wouldn’t chance a personal visit Addis Ababa for the settlement talks.

So he’s leaving it to a delegation to open the door to peace.  

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The most dramatic is off the Horn of Africa where the number of attacks on merchant shipping have doubled in a year.

Piracy has plagued merchant shipping off the Horn of Africa to the east and the Gulf of Guinea in the West.

The worst period was between 2007 and 2012 when powerful navies stepped in to protest their commercial vessels.

With combinations like the British and Russian navies patrolling shoulder to shoulder, piracy subsided.

But according to last figures it’s once again on the rise.

According to Oceans Beyond Piracy there were 54 attacks off the Horn of Africa in its latest reporting period.

This is twice the number reported in the previous year.

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The world’s most expensive peacekeeping mission will start taking personnel cuts next month.

It’s planned that the Somali forces will increasingly take responsibility for the country’s security.

The 22 000-strong AU force AMISOM is not sustainable as countries and outside contributors face budget cuts.

It’s doubtful that the Somali government, which hasn’t been able to exercise control over the Horn of Africa country since 1991, can take up the slack.

The ranks of the militant  group Al Shabaab are being swelled by fighters from so-called Islamic State driven out of Libya and Syria.

Last month, the deadliest terrorist attack in recent history killed more 500 people in Mogadishu.

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