Reuters: Madagascar: President Opts Out of Race – Madagascarian President Andry Rajoelina announced Tuesday that he would not run in May elections, “bowing to international pressure to give the nation a fresh start after the coup that brought him to power in 2009.” Rajoelina, a former disc jockey, ousted Ravalomanana in an uprising.
NYTimes: Opinion: Mali’s Atrocities Began When It Lost Its Democracy – In Africa, “frail democracies too often fall victim to corruption, social division, greed and dictatorship.” The world should feel a “responsibility to protect” – a duty of democratic nations to defend popular rule in neighboring lands. The failure this year to protect and restore democracy in Mali is a perfect example of when a failure of democracy starts a country down the road to atrocities. (Landry Signé)
VOA: WHO Reports Progress in Fight Against Tropical Diseases – In a report issued Wednesday, the World Health Organization said that thanks to a new global strategy enacted in 2013, we are seeing unprecedented progress in the eradication of some of the world’s neglected tropical diseases. This new global strategy includes the regular supply of quality assured, cost-effective medicines and support from global partners. (Lisa Schlein)
Devex: US strengthens development cooperation with Liberia – While visiting Washington, D.C., Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signed the U.S.-Liberia Partnership Dialogue. The initiative focuses on agriculture and food security, energy and power infrastructure, and human development. The deal was not accompanied by any new aid money, but working groups will be established in each new sector in order to further Liberia’s progress. (Louie-An Pilapil)
