Reuters: Ethiopian strongman and Western ally, Meles, dies – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, 57, died overnight in a Brussels hospital after a long battle with illness. Meles seized power in 1991 and “went on to become a towering political figure on the continent who was widely credited for steering one of the world’s poorest countries to high economic growth.” British Prime Minister David Cameron said that “his personal contribution to Ethiopia’s development, in particular by lifting millions of Ethiopians out of poverty, has set an example for the region.” (Aaron Maasho)
AP: Cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone hits emergency proportions; many deaths reported – An outbreak of cholera in West Africa has infected more than 13,000 people and killed at least 258 people in Sierra Leone and Guinea. Sierra Leone’s Minister of Health and Sanitation, Zainab Hawa Bangura explained that this outbreak is “the aftermath of the 11 years rebel war when we had a huge rural-to-urban migration and a huge population clustered in the urban area where adequate provision has not been made for water and sanitation.”
AP: Mali announces new government 5 months after military coup unleashed political chaos – Mali’s interim leaders announced a new government late Monday that includes 31 ministers, five of whom are viewed as close to coup leader Capt. Amadou Sanogo. Critics wanted Mali’s unity government formed as soon as possible in hopes it can better fight radical Islamists who now rule the country’s vast north.”
NYTimes: New Parliament Is Convened in Somalia – Somalia convened a new federal Parliament on Monday, swearing in a new government to replace the internationally backed transitional federal government. More than 200 members of Parliament, who were selected by clan chiefs, were sworn in at a ceremony in Mogadishu. Some officials describe the new Parliament as “smaller and more professional than the last one, because of more stringent entry requirements.” (Mohammed Ibrahim)
