AP: Rwanda Gets New UN Seat, but World Standing Falls – Following years of peace and economic growth in its post-genocide period, on January 1, Rwanda took its seat on the United Nations Security Council. But after years of accolades, international opinion of the Central African country is shifting, due primarily to allegations that Rwanda aided the Congo rebel group, M23; allegations which Rwanda denies.
NYTimes: Yellow Fever: China Plans to Scan Travelers From Sudan – China’s quarantine officials have urged greater efforts to ensure that a yellow fever epidemic now raging in Sudan does not come back to China, in a “move that underlines how many Chinese citizens now work in Africa.” Some estimate that the number of Chinese working in Africa, primarily in the oil, mining and construction fields, ranges from 500,000 to 1 million. Sudan’s yellow fever epidemic is considered the world’s worst in 20 years. (Donalid McNeil Jr.)
VOA: Ghana President Sworn In Despite Election Challenge – John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as Ghana’s president on Monday, despite disputed presidential and parliamentary polls. Mahama’s election victory is being contested by the opposition New Patriotic Party, but “Accra’s streets remained peaceful and thousands of Mahama supporters cheered” in support of their president. Mahama won the December 7th election with an absolute majority of 50.7 percent, beating his main challenger, Nana Akufo-Addo, by three percent. (Laura Burke)
LATimes: Education experts lament South Africa test results – The “born free” generation in South Africa – children whose births in 1994 marked the year that South Africa held its first truly democratic election and elected Mandela – completed their high school graduation exams this year. Yet when the results were announced, it was evident that the country has not come as far as many would like in terms of socioeconomic equality. Of the 1.1 million children born in 1994 who entered first grade, fewer than half took the graduation exam, and only 73.9% of those who did, passed. (Robyn Dixon)
