He has also prayed for and end to wars in Africa.

There was a heavy African flavour to the traditional Christmas message read by Pope Francis.

He prayed for migrants seeking refuge from violence and better lives for their families, and urged the United Nations to take more muscular actions to deal with their plight.

And he prayed for peace in Burkina Faso where a Christmas Eve attack by jihadis has left 35 people – many of them women – dead.

He also prayed for South Sudan, Mali, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Nigeria.

The post Pope prays for peace in Africa appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The Italian says African’s are growing in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe because French colonialism ravaged their countries.

Italy’s Ambassador to France Teresa Castaldo has been summoned to the Quay d’Orsay to hear the official protest.

It follows on France criticism for not allowing rescue boats carrying African migrants to dock in Italy.

Deputy Prime Minister Luigi di Maio says the migrants –  175 of whom have drowned in the last two days – are driven from the countries denuded by French colonialists.

Di Maio says France, the sixth largest economy in the world, still exploits  Africa. It would be in 15th place had it not plundered Africa.

The post France furious at Italian deputy premier’s Africa jibe appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The post German President says Germany has constantly to live up to the forgiveness it was given appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Whatever the response is from the leaders of the most industrialized countries on the planet she is hosting at their summit in Hamburg, she will be urging them to share the cost and responsibility for this human tide.

ends intro

The main event, as it where, at the G20 summit went more than two hours over the scheduled time.

Indeed it was left to Melania Trump to enter the room, where her  US President husband Donald was having his first face-to-face encounter with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and urge them they had to wrap it up.

Leaders were treated to a Beethoven concert while their officials worked through the night on the difficult issues of trade and climate change.

The post Trump Putin meeting at G20 summit runs two hours over schedule appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

South Africa also cautions countries not to forget that the plight of forcibly displaced persons should be treated with equal concern, whether they form part of large or small movements of people.

ends intro

Speaking at the United Nations high-level debate on the large numbers of migrants and  refugees, President Jacob Zuma says our common humanity requires that we respect each person’s human dignity in equal measure. No instance should enjoy more attention and concern than the other.

He says the root causes of this phenomenon must be addressed.

Under-development is a key driver of the displacement of people and in turn can lead to armed conflict.

A concerted global effort to address the questions of under-development and armed conflict should therefore be a central focus of all Member States.

The post SA President Jacob Zuma says address the root causes of migration appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The bulk of them are either too poor or too tied into African economies to move elsewhere.

ends intro

The Chinese and other expatriate communities in Africa are extremely diverse, and for a certain slice of that community the new, grim economic realities pose real challenges.

These include China investing less in Africa and buying fewer commodities from herec

The flow of Chinese migrants into Africa has slowed.

Some who have been here for decades are moving on or thinking of doing so.

This is not possible with those who have businesses or farms.

They are hostages to fortune – relying on an economic upturn either here or back in China.

The post Chinese expatriate in Africa face an uncertain future appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

This one is a Sierra Leonean registered vessel carrying 400 people.

Only days ago, the Italian navy boarded a Moldovan-registered ship abandoned by its crew

They prevented it from running aground and got it safely to port

Italian Coast Guards have been unable to board the second vessel because of bad weather.

It’s about 60 kms off the rocky coast.

Most of the migrants aboard the vessel used to carry livestock are from Africa.

The operation underlines Italy’s insistence that although it is the country migrants reach first after negotiating the Mediterranean, saving these desperate people is not a responsibility it should carry alone.

The post Crew quits another migrantship off Italy appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

This follows the tragic discovery of 45 people suffocated on a packed fishing vessel off Sicily last week.

The people rescued come from Eritrea Sudan, Algeria and the DRC.

They’d hoped to swell the number of sixty-three-and-a-half thousands people who’ve landed in Italy – hoping to find a better life in Europe.

Their number exceeds the 2011 record of 62 000.

Boats and helicopters were used to save them – mostly men but a number of minors and nine-months pregnant woman.

They’d made the journey across the shortest expanse of sea between Italy and Africa, taking advantage of a calmer Mediterranean and warmer weather.

But even in better conditions it’s a deadly journey as the victims last week showed.

The post Italian marine rescue saves African migrants appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

The tragedy follows the drownings of 39 people off the Libyan coast earlier this month when their boat headed for .the Italian island of Lampedusa capsized.

The latest victims appear to have suffocated on a boat crammed with people desperate to leave Africa and make a better life in Europe.

At least 60 000 people have landed in southern Italy from Africa this year.

The annual total is expected to break the record of 63 000 set three years ago.

Italy’s appealed to its European partners for help saying it’s not only protecting the Mediterranean country but guarding the gates of the continent.

The post 30 suffocated in boat off Italy appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.