AP: Helicopter crash kills Kenyan security minister, 5 others in forest outside capital – Kenya’s Internal Security Minister, George Saitoti, and five other people were killed in a police helicopter crash in a forest outside of Nairobi. The cause of the crash is still unknown, and the Kenyan government has declared three days of mourning for the crash victims. Johnnie Carson, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, said Sunday that Kenya “has lost one of its most outstanding public servants.”
VOA: Locusts Threaten Beleaguered Mali – Mali is anticipating an invasion of desert locusts “as unrest in north and west Africa hampers efforts to control the crop-ravaging insects.” Locusts have been reported in northern Mali, where communities have already been hit by conflict and food insecurity. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported Friday that surveillance and control must be undertaken as crops are threatened. The equipment normally used by Mali’s locust control center to control the locusts was looted when armed groups seized northern Mali. (Nancy Palus)
Financial Times: Doubt clouds robust Spain bailout – According to eurozone officials, the bailout plan for Spain is a “robust answer to critics who accused EU leaders of consistently reacting too slowly, too late and with the least possible amount of cash in the face of a crisis spinning out of control.” The IMF estimated a required €40 billion to bailout the Spanish banks, yet the eurozone has agreed to provide at least €100 billion to ensure a safety margin. (Peter Spiegel)
Devex: Fresh funding pledges for Sahel crisis response – The United Kingdom and the United States have pledged additional funding to ease the food crisis in West Africa, where low rainfall, poor harvests, high food prices and a lack of pasture have placed 18 million people at risk of food insecurity. USAID announced an additional $81 million in humanitarian aid for the Sahel and the U.K. Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell pledged an additional $15.5 million. (Eliza Villarino)
