Tag Archives: africa

DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops

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In a statement issued on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January about the decision, which “is influenced by the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force, following 27 years of South Africa’s support to UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.” 

He noted that South Africa is among the top 10 countries contributing troops to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers.  

‘Steadfast commitment’ praised 

In response, MONUSCO, expressed deep gratitude to the Government and people of South Africa “for their steadfast commitment over several decades to United Nations peacekeeping, as well as for the dedication demonstrated by South African peacekeepers in support of the Mission’s mandate.” 

The Mission “looks forward to continuing to engage with the Republic of South Africa on broader peacekeeping issues, including lessons learned and continued support to efforts aimed at advancing peace and stability.” 

It also will work closely with the UN Secretariat and relevant stakeholders to ensure that any transition related to the withdrawal “is managed in a safe, orderly, and responsible manner, in line with United Nations standards and operational requirements.” 

The UN Secretary-General also expressed thanks to South Africa for its longtime commitment and sacrifice, his Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told journalists in New York on Monday.  

Service and sacrifice 

MONUSCO has been in the DRC since July 2010, taking over from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation that supervised implementation of a ceasefire agreement following conflict in the east stemming from the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda. 

Several regional countries and armed groups were involved in the fighting, also known as the Great War of Africa. 

MONUSCO’s mandate includes protecting civilians and helping the DRC to stabilize and consolidate peace. 

More than 12,400 personnel were serving at the Mission as of October 2025, including some 9,177 troops and 926 police officers from over 50 countries. Since inception, 304 fatalities have been recorded. 

MONUSCO paid tribute “to South African peacekeepers who lost their lives under the United Nations flag in the service of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and honours their sacrifice.” 

Peacekeeping chief’s visit 

The head of UN Peace Operations, Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, is currently in the DRC where on Monday he met with President Félix Tshisekedi, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, key members of the Government, and relevant stakeholders. 

Discussions centred around implementation of the MONUSCO mandate, including support to a permanent ceasefire.   

Mr. Lacroix will then go to Beni in North Kivu province, eastern DRC, where he will assess recent developments and meet with provincial authorities as well as peacekeepers deployed in the area.

Later this week, he will head to Ethiopia for the annual African Union summit, taking place in the capital, Addis Ababa. 

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Fatwas, faith and fallacies: Myth-busting female genital mutilation in Africa

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“Deep down, I knew what I had experienced was not something any girl should go through,” she emphasised. 

FGM was once considered an unavoidable rite of passage for young girls in the Mara region of the United Republic of Tanzania, but communities are making inroads.

Busting the myth

More than 230 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) and are living with the deep, lasting and often life-threatening physical and mental consequences of it despite efforts to eradicate the horrific practice. 

In 2026, nearly 4.5 million girls are at risk of undergoing the procedure. 

One of the reasons FGM remains so entrenched is the false notion that foreign influence is driving efforts to abandon it. 

Ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, observed on 6 February, we’re busting this myth. 

‘Survivor leadership is changing my community’

When Ms. Albert joined a community dialogue supported by the UN agency, she heard other survivors openly sharing their experiences.

Olivia Albert leads a youth advocacy group in the Mara region of the United Republic of Tanzania

“When girls hear from someone who has lived through this, they listen differently,” she said.

“They find courage. Survivor leadership is changing my community. We cannot erase the past, but we can make sure the next girl grows up without fear and together, we will make that happen.”

Calling out misinterpretation

Religious leaders are also calling out misinterpretation, including Imam Ousmane Yabara Camara, a known and respected figure in Guinea’s Kindia prefecture. 

“Female genital mutilation is not a prescription of Islam,” he said. “Too many girls suffer from the severe health consequences of this practice. We must put an end to it.”

He suggested that the subject be brought into education to better help future generations live without FGM.

Today, thousands of children hear about it in schools that increasingly teach comprehensive sexuality education.

In Guinea’s Kindia prefecture, Imam Ousmane Yabara Camara is a known and respected figure, and one who has chosen to use his platform at the service of his community’s women and girls. .

New laws are turning the tide

In many countries where female genital mutilation is deeply entrenched, new legislation is slowly turning the tide.

In Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia, Islamic scholars issued a national fatwa in 2025 stating that there are no religious grounds to justify FGM. 

“In our neighbourhoods, we now have two powerful shields: the Constitution and the fatwa,” said activist Nafissa Mahamoud Mouhoumed from Djibouti. 

“While the law reminds people of the legal consequences, the fatwa removes the religious excuse that was used for generations to justify FGM. This dual victory gives us, the activists on the ground, the ultimate confidence to talk to families and say ‘your faith and your country both protect your daughter.’”

Engaging men and boys 

In Ethiopia, three quarters of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone some form of FGM. 

“We sat helplessly for years, watching women suffer through childbirth complications, sometimes losing both mother and baby,” recalled local district chief Mitiku Gunte. “We knew something was wrong, but we didn’t understand what or how to stop it.”

Mr. Mitiku is now an advocate with a joint programme led by UNFPA and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which together with the local administration engages hundreds of men and boys in the fight against the practice.

Through dialogues tailored for different segments of society – elder men, young unmarried men, women and youth – members of the community go door-to-door to speak to each group about their specific concerns and influences.

No medical justification for FGM

When carried out by a healthcare provider, FGM is often described as “medicalised”, but even with a professional present and sanitised equipment available, it is neither safe nor necessary, and there is never any medical justification for it.

In Ethiopia’s Hadiya Zone, a local elder leads a weekly information and discussion session on harmful practices.

“I often receive cases after the damage has already been done, with serious complications,” Dr. Maram Mahmoud, a family doctor in upper Egypt.

“I honestly didn’t expect this to have such an impact on my perspective, but now I better understand the different mindsets of those considering it, and I feel more confident in guiding them and explaining the serious harms, risks and consequences.”

Find out more about how UNFPA is helping to eradicate FGM here.

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Aid cuts push millions in West and Central Africa deeper into hunger

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The UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued the warning on Friday, citing latest analysis from the food security framework Cadre Harmonisé, the regional equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that uses a one to five scale – with five spelling catastrophe/famine – to inform response.

It projects that 13 million children are also expected to suffer from malnutrition this year while over three million people will face emergency levels of food insecurity – more than double the 1.5 million in 2020.

Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger account for 77 per cent of the food insecurity figures, including 15,000 people in Nigeria’s Borno state at risk of catastrophic hunger for the first time in nearly a decade.

Although a combination of conflict, displacement, and economic turmoil has been driving hunger in West and Central Africa, the slashes to humanitarian funding are now pushing communities beyond their ability to cope.

“The reduced funding we saw in 2025 has deepened hunger and malnutrition across the region,” said Sarah Longford, WFP Deputy Regional Director.

“As needs outpace funding, so too does the risk of young people falling into desperation.”

Rations reduced, hunger soars

WFP urgently requires more than $453 million over the next six months to continue its humanitarian assistance across the region, where the impacts of the aid budget cuts are evident.

In Mali, when families received reduced food rations, areas experienced a nearly 65 per cent surge in acute hunger (IPC 3+) since 2023, compared with a 34 per cent decrease in communities that received full rations.

Continued insecurity has disrupted critical supply lines to major cities – including for food – and 1.5 million of the country’s most vulnerable people are on track to face crisis levels of hunger.

Malnutrition levels deteriorate

In Nigeria, funding shortfalls last year forced WFP to scale down nutrition programmes, affecting more than 300,000 children.  Since then, malnutrition levels in several northern states have deteriorated from “serious” to “critical.”

The UN agency will only be able to reach 72,000 people in Nigeria in February, down from the 1.3 million assisted during the 2025 lean season.

Meanwhile, more than half a million vulnerable people in Cameroon are at risk of being cut off from assistance in the coming weeks.

‘Paradigm shift’ needed

WFP underscored the importance of having adequate funding for its operations, which have helped to improve food security in the region.

For example, teams have worked with local communities in five countries to rehabilitate 300,000 hectares of farmland to support more than four million people in over 3,400 villages.

WFP programmes have also supported infrastructure development, school meals, nutrition, capacity building and seasonal aid to help families manage extreme weather and security risks, stabilise local economies and reduce dependency on aid.

“To break the cycle of hunger for future generations, we need a paradigm shift in 2026,” Ms. Longford said.

She urged governments and their partners to step up investment in preparedness, anticipatory action, and resilience-building to empower local communities.

‘Africa is poised for progress’ Guterres tells development conference in Japan

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“With the world’s youngest population, abundant natural resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, Africa is poised for progress,” he told the 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in Yokohama.

He said the meeting’s theme – Co-Create Innovative Solutions with Africa – was a reminder that these same strengths can help shape a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world in Africa and beyond.

Progress and reform

In this regard, he emphasised the need to accelerate progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through investment, reform and partnerships.

Mr. Guterres highlighted five areas for cooperation, starting with his longstanding push to reform institutions of global governance so that they reflect today’s realities.

“Africa must have a stronger voice in shaping the decisions that affect its future,” he said.

“That includes long-overdue reform of the Security Council, where incredibly, Africa has no permanent member, and other regions remain underrepresented.”

He also called for overhauling the international financial architecture, describing the current system as “unjust and unfair”, as well as bold action on debt relief.

Value chains and renewable energy

The Secretary-General next put the spotlight on investment in sustainable global value chains and regional integration.

“Africa’s path for prosperity must focus on adding value to its raw materials, creating decent jobs, and building resilience, taking profit of the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.

He also stressed the need to address “Africa’s energy paradox”, noting that although the continent has enormous potential to produce renewable energy, it receives just two per cent of global investment in the sector.  Meanwhile, some 600 million African lack access to electricity.

“Africa is also home to the critical minerals required to power renewable technologies,” he continued.  “But the countries hosting them must be the ones to benefit first and most, while adding value to local and global value chains.”

Invest in technology, youth and peace 

Turning next to technology, Mr. Guterres called for harnessing digital innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI), for development.

He said Japan’s technological leadership can help close the digital divide, “and ensure that technology helps African countries catch up, with adequate digital public infrastructure, rather than being left behind.”

As “young people are the builders of Africa’s future”, the Secretary-General’s fourth point underscored the need to invest in their skills and education, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

“Let us invest in women’s full participation across economies, societies and political systems,” he added.

Mr. Guterres concluded by acknowledging the link between peace and prosperity.

“Sustainable development requires sustainable peace,” he said.

“By silencing the guns as the African Union clearly points out. And by ending violence in all its forms and strengthening the social cohesion and stability that can attract investment and business to Africa.”

About TICAD

The Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) is co-hosted by Japan and the UN, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission (AUC).

It has been held since 1993 with the aim of promoting Africa’s development, peace and security, through the strengthening of relations in multilateral cooperation and partnership.

“For more than three decades, TICAD has embodied the spirit of multilateralism — grounded in mutual respect, shared responsibility, and a deep belief in Africa’s potential,” the Secretary-General said.

The conference runs from 20-23 August. 

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Cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa poses crisis for children

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“The heavy rains, widespread flooding and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission and putting the lives of children at risk,” said UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa Gilles Fagninou.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease can be treated with oral rehydration solution and antibiotics, but can be fatal within hours if untreated.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to cholera due to factors such as poor hygiene, inadequate sanitation and access to safe water and a greater risk of severe dehydration.

Regional hotspots

Active outbreaks in the hotspots of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Nigeria are fuelling the risk of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries.  

The DRC is the hardest hit country in the region, reporting more than 38,000 cases and 951 deaths in July. 

Children under five now account for nearly 26 per cent of cases in the DRC, and without stronger containment measures, they may face the worst cholera crisis since 2017.

The situation in the capital, Kinshasa, is particularly critical as intense rainfall and widespread flooding have caused cases to surge sharply over the past four weeks. Straining an already overwhelmed healthcare system, the city is now facing an alarming case fatality rate of eight per cent.

Nigeria is the second most affected country in the region, with 3,109 suspected cholera cases and 86 deaths as of the end of June. Cholera is endemic in the country, where major outbreaks have re-occurred in recent years.

Region-wide crisis

Chad, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo are also facing ongoing epidemics.

A total of 612 cholera cases were reported in Ghana as of 28 April, 322 cases and 15 deaths in Côte d’Ivoire as of 14 July and 209 cases and five deaths in Togo as of June 22.  

Niger, Liberia, Benin, the Central African Republic and Cameroon are also under close surveillance due to their vulnerability.

UNICEF response

Urgent and scaled-up efforts are needed to prevent further spread and contain the disease across the region.

Throughout the outbreaks, UNICEF has delivered lifesaving health, water, hygiene and sanitation supplies to treatment facilities and communities.  

The agency has also supported cholera vaccinations, scaled up preparedness and response efforts and encouraged families to seek timely treatment and improve their hygiene practices.

“We are in a race against time, working hand in hand with the authorities to deliver essential healthcare, safe water and proper nutrition to children already at risk of deadly diseases and severe acute malnutrition,” said Mr. Fagninou.  

“Together with an array of partners, we are strengthening community engagement and extending our reach to remote and underserved areas, making every effort to ensure that no child is left behind.”

UNICEF West and Central Africa urgently requires $20 million over the next three months to scale up critical support in health, WASH, risk communication and community engagement. 

Children’s lives ‘turned upside down’ by wars across Middle East, North Africa, warns UNICEF

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Alarmingly, 110 million children in the region live in countries affected by war, with homes, schools and health facilities damaged or destroyed in fighting.

“A child’s life is being turned upside down the equivalent of every five seconds due to the conflicts in the region,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, on Tuesday.

UNICEF estimates indicate that 45 million children across the region will require humanitarian assistance in 2025, a 41 per cent increase since 2020.  

Funding shortfalls  

However, funding gaps are affecting vital programmes across the region.

For instance, as of May, Syria faced a 78 per cent funding gap and the State of Palestine a 68 per cent gap for their 2025 appeals. UNICEF’s regional programmes are also under increasing financial strain.

The outlook for 2026 also remains bleak, UNICEF said, noting that its funding for Middle East and North Africa is projected to decline by 20 to 25 per cent, potentially resulting in shortfalls of up to $370 million.

Conflicts must stop  

This would jeopardize lifesaving programmes across the region, including treatment for severe malnutrition, safe water production in conflict zones and vaccinations against deadly diseases.

“As the plight of children in the region worsens, the resources to respond are becoming sparser,” said Mr. Beigbeder.

“Conflicts must stop. International advocacy to resolve these crises must intensify. And support for vulnerable children must increase, not decline.” 

Central Africa at a crossroads amid rising tensions and instability

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With violence worsening in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes, the Security Council met on Monday to examine the threats confronting the wider region.

“Central Africa remains rich in potential, but the challenges are still significant,” said Abdou Abarry, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).

Some progress

While countries such as Chad and Gabon have made progress in terms of political development, newly elected authorities must capitalise on this momentum to implement key democratic reforms, said Mr Abarry.

In Chad and Gabon, recent elections and reforms have promoted greater participation of women in the democratic process.

Today, women represent 34 per cent of Chad’s National Assembly, while Gabon’s new electoral code mandates that women must account for at least 30 per cent of electoral lists provided to voters.

Political challenges

In recent months, online disinformation and hate speech have been on the rise in Cameroon, said Mr Abarry. UNOCA reported that 65 per cent of political content shared on social media between January and April this year was either false or previously manipulated.

At the same time, Cameroon has seen a surge in intercommunal violence in the southern and central regions of the country. This trend underscores the importance of UNOCA’s work in supporting development strategies aimed at preventing conflict related to electoral processes.

Insecurity hotbeds

Two major centres of insecurity persist, with violence escalating in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes region.

Around Lake Chad, groups affiliated with Boko Haram extremists and other armed insurgencies have demonstrated “their resilience and their ability to adapt and respond to the coordinated operations of the defence and security forces” of the region, said Mr Abarry.

Notably, on the night of 24 March, drones carrying explosives killed at least 19 Cameroonian soldiers in southern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, growing tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have led to large-scale displacement in eastern DRC, where the humanitarian crisis is further compounded by conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

As budget cuts exacerbate ongoing humanitarian crises in the region, there is growing concern that “the inaction of the international community could lead to a worsening of the humanitarian situation,” the head of UNOCA told ambassadors. 

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More than 50 million in West and Central Africa at risk of hunger

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More than 36 million are struggling to meet their basic food needs, which is projected to rise to over 52 million during the lean season from June to August, latest analysis reveals.

This includes almost three million people facing emergency conditions, and 2,600 people in Mali who are at risk of catastrophic hunger.

Although needs are at a historic high, resources are limited, with millions of lives at stake. 

“Without immediate funding, WFP will be forced to scale down even further both in the number of people reached and the size of food rations distributed,” said Margot van der Velden, Regional Director for West and Central Africa. 

‘Extremely difficult and dire’ 

In 2019, only four per cent of the population was food insecure compared to 30 per cent today, according to Ollo Sib, a senior research adviser with WFP.

“We hope that our voice will be heard because this food security situation in the Sahel remains extremely difficult and dire,” he said, speaking from Dakar to journalists in Geneva.

Mr. Sib recently travelled to some of the affected areas, such as communities in northern Ghana grappling with unprecedented drought.

“They were forced to replant two to three times, and for them, each failed sowing is an additional financial burden as the cost of fertilisers and seeds were extremely high in those locations,” he said.

The assessment team also went to northern Mali, which is the only place in the region where people are facing catastrophic food security conditions.

“We had the opportunity to interact with pastoralist elders who typically sell their livestock to buy cereals,” he said. 

“This year they were worried because the cost of food rose by 50 per cent compared to the five-year average. But at the same time, they are not able to access markets to sell their goods.” 

Fighting, food inflation and floods

WFP said unyielding conflict is among the factors driving deepening hunger in West and Central Africa.  

Fighting has displaced more than 10 million of the most vulnerable people across the region, including more than two million refugees and asylum seekers, in Chad, Cameroon, Mauritania and Niger. 

Nearly eight million more have been internally displaced, mainly in Nigeria and Cameroon. 

Meanwhile, food inflation exacerbated by rising food and fuel costs are pushing hunger levels to new highs.

At the same time, recurrent extreme weather “erodes the ability of families to feed themselves,” WFP said. 

© WFP/Desire Joseph Ouedraogo

Vulnerable populations in Morolaba, Burkina Faso, receive emergency airlifted food assistance.

Five million at risk

WFP stands ready to respond and scale up vital assistance in West Africa and the Sahel. The UN agency is seeking $710 million to support its life-saving operations through the end of October.

The aim is to reach almost 12 million people this year with critical assistance.

So far, teams have already reached three million of the most vulnerable including refugees, internally displaced people, malnourished children under five, and pregnant or breastfeeding women and girls.

The agency said that five million risk losing assistance unless urgent funding is found.

Address root causes

WFP also called for governments and partners to invest in sustainable solutions aimed at building resilience and reducing long-term dependency on aid.

Since 2018, the UN agency has been working with regional governments to address the root causes of hunger through a programme that has rehabilitated over 300,000 hectares of land to support over four million people in more than 3,400 villages. 

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World News in Brief: Guterres on India-Pakistan tensions, eastern DR Congo update, weather boost for locusts in Africa

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UN Secretary-General Guterres has spoken to leaders on both sides on India-Pakistan tensions.

“This morning, he spoke separately by telephone with Muhammad Shebaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and he also spoke earlier in the day with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Minister for External Affairs of the Republic of India,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.

During the calls the UN chief reiterated his strong condemnation of the 22 April terrorist attack, noting “the importance of pursuing justice and accountability for these attacks through lawful means.”

He expressed major concern over “rising tensions between India and Pakistan and he also underscored the need to avoid a confrontation that could result in tragic consequences,” added Mr. Dujarric.

The Secretary-General also offered to help mediate in support of any de-escalation efforts.

Escalating violence displaces thousands in eastern DR Congo

Ongoing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is uprooting families, crippling essential services, and placing civilians at growing risk, the UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) warned on Tuesday.

Fresh fighting in South Kivu province has forced communities to flee and left at least 10 civilians dead in Walungu territory alone, according to local authorities. “The violence is disrupting both economic life and the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian aid,” said OCHA.

Multiple rape cases

In nearby Kalehe, Minova hospital has reported multiple cases of rape and physical assault in recent days amid worsening insecurity. Meanwhile, clashes in Fizi territory last week led to health centres being looted and schools burned, threatening already fragile public services.

OCHA urged all combatants to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians. “Humanitarian access must be safe and unhindered,” the agency stressed.

The surge in displacement comes as eastern DRC remains gripped by fighting between the M23 rebel group and government forces, particularly in North Kivu. Since January, the violence has displaced hundreds of thousands.

In Walikale territory, civilians are trapped in a dangerous cycle of displacement and return, OCHA said, calling for strengthened protection and support for affected communities.

Locust swarms can devastate crops and pastures in many parts of Africa and elsewhere.

Favourable weather fuels desert locust surge in North Africa

Unusually high levels of desert locust infestations have been reported during the current breeding season, raising alarms across affected regions, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Tuesday.

“Desert locusts remain among the most devastating migratory pests on the planet,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, emphasising the threat they pose to food security and livelihoods.

A single swarm of locusts can cover anywhere from one to several hundred square kilometres and may contain up to 80 million adult locusts. In just 1 km², they can eat as much food in a day as 35,000 people.

Feeding on crops and pastureland, they pose a threat to crops grown for both people and livestock, risking starvation in communities that depend on agriculture for survival.

Clement weather for pests

According to the FAO, favourable weather conditions have created suitable breeding grounds for the flying pests. Winds and rainfall patterns have facilitated the movement of desert locusts from the Sahel to North Africa.

The FAO recommends conducting intensive ground surveys across key areas where locust breeding is likely to occur.

The area spanning from south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, through the Sahara in Algeria, and extending to southern Tunisia and western Libya is particularly at risk.

“Surveys and control operations are particularly urgent in locations where winter and early spring rains have created suitable breeding conditions,” said Cyril Piou, the FAO’s Locust Monitoring and Forecasting Officer.

Early detection and rapid response are critical to preventing a wider crisis, the UN food agency underscores.

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Discovery of Mbiresaurus gives birth to new theory on dinosaurs in Supercontinent Pangea

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The discovery of Mbiresaurus in Zimbabwe has led the group of researchers to propose a new theory on dinosaur migration, as Africa was once part of the supercontinent called Pangea.

The climate across ancient Pangea continent is thought to have been divided into strong humid and arid latitudinal belts, with more temperate belts spanning higher latitudes and intense deserts across the lower tropics of Pangea. Scientists previously believed that these climate belts influenced and constrained animal distribution across Pangea.

“Because dinosaurs initially dispersed under this climatic pattern, the early dispersal of dinosaurs should therefore have been controlled by latitude,” said Christopher Griffin, who graduated in 2020 with a Ph.D. in geosciences from the Virginia Tech College of Science. “The oldest dinosaurs are known from roughly the same ancient latitudes along the southern temperate climate belt what was at the time, approximately 50 degrees south.”

Missing Middle bridged

Griffin and others from the Paleobiology and Geobiology Research Group at Virginia Tech purposefully targeted northern Zimbabwe as the country fell along this same climate belt, bridging a geographic gap between southern Brazil and India during the Late Triassic Age.

Moreover, these earliest dinosaurs were restricted by climatic bands to southern Pangea, and only later in their history dispersed worldwide. To prove the claim, the research team developed a novel data method of testing this hypothesis of climatic dispersal barriers based on ancient geography and the dinosaurian family tree. The breakdown of these barriers, and a wave of northward dispersal, coincided with a period of intense worldwide humidity, or the Carnian Pluvial Event.

After this, barriers returned, mooring the now-worldwide dinosaurs in their distinct provinces across Pangea for the remainder of the Triassic Period, according to the team. “This two-pronged approach combines hypothesis-driven predictive fieldwork with statistical methods to independently support the hypothesis that the earliest dinosaurs were restricted by climate to just a few areas of the globe,” Griffin said.

Brenen Wynd, also a doctoral graduate of the Department of Geosciences, helped build the data model. “The early history of dinosaurs was a critical group for this kind of problem. Not only do we have a multitude of physical data from fossils, but also geochemical data that previously gave a really good idea of when major deserts were present,” he said.

“This is the first time where those geochemical and fossil data have been supported using only evolutionary history and the relationships between different dinosaur species, which is very exciting,” he explained.

 

New dinosaur Mbiresaurus, a boon for Zimbabwe and Virginia Tech paleontology

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The unearthing of one of the earliest dinosaurs ever found is a major win for the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe.

The Mbiresaurus skeleton is almost complete, making it a perfect reference material for further finds. It is also the first sauropodomorph find of its size from Zimbabwe, where most of the earlier sauropodomorph finds are usually of medium- to large-sized animals.

“The discovery of the Mbiresaurus is an exciting and special find for Zimbabwe and the entire paleontological field,” said Michel Zondo, a curator and fossil preparer at the museum.

Darlington Munyikwa, deputy executive director of the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe, said: “The unfolding fossil assemblage from the Pebbly Arkose Formation in the Cabora Bassa Basin, which was hitherto known for paucity of animal fossils, is exciting. A number of fossil sites [are] waiting for future exploration were recorded, highlighting the potential of the area to add more valuable scientific material.”

Much of the Mbiresaurus specimen is being kept in Virginia Tech’s Derring Hall as the skeleton is cleaned and studied. All of the Mbiresaurus skeleton and the additional found fossils will be permanently kept at Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

“This is such an exciting and important dinosaur find for Zimbabwe, and we have been watching the scientific process unfold with great pride,” said Moira Fitzpatrick, the museum’s director. She was not involved in the study. “It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Griffin,and we hope the relationship will continue well into the future.”

The discovery of Mbiresaurus also marks another highpoint for the Paleobiology and Geobiology Research Group. In 2019, Nesbitt authored a paper detailing the newly named tyrannosauroid dinosaur Suskityrannus hazelae. Incredibly, Nesbitt discovered the fossil at age 16 as a high school student participating in a dig expedition in New Mexico in 1998.

“Our group seeks out equal partnerships and collaborations all over the world and this project demonstrates a highly successful and valued collaboration,” Nesbitt said. “We will continue studying the many fossils from the same areas as where the new dinosaur came from and explore the fossil beds further.”

 

Africa’s oldest known dinosaur skeleton to bridge the ‘Missing Middle’

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An international team of paleontologists led by Virginia Tech has discovered a skeleton of new long-necked dinosaur Mbiresaurus raathi, that fills a critical geographic gap in the fossil record of the oldest dinosaurs.

The skeleton, mostly intact, was first found by a graduate student in the Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences and other paleontologists during two excavations over the course of period in 2017 and 2019.

Published on Thursday in the journal Nature, the findings show that the skeleton is the oldest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Africa. The animal is estimated to have been 6 feet long with a long tail. It weighed anywhere from 20 to 65 pounds. The skeleton, missing only some of the hand and portions of the skull, was found in northern Zimbabwe.

Dinosaur

“The discovery of Mbiresaurus raathi fills in a critical geographic gap in the fossil record of the oldest dinosaurs and shows the power of hypothesis-driven fieldwork for testing predictions about the ancient past,” said Christopher Griffin, who graduated in 2020 with a Ph.D. in geosciences from the Virginia Tech College of Science.

Africa’s oldest-known definitive dinosaurs, it was roughly equivalent in age to the oldest dinosaurs found anywhere in the world. The oldest known dinosaurs — from roughly 230 million years ago, the Carnian Stage of the Late Triassic period — are extremely rare and have been recovered from northern Argentina, southern Brazil, and India.

Sterling Nesbitt, co-author of the study, said, “Early dinosaurs like Mbiresaurus raathi show that the early evolution of dinosaurs is still being written with each new find and the rise of dinosaurs was far more complicated than previously predicted.”

 

Trumpeting ‘America First’ Theory Far-Fetched But Feasible

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US President Donald Trump in his first Presidential address has put “America First”, setting the tone for an inward-looking diplomacy that might radically change the course of world events since the Pearl Harbor attack seven decades ago.

“We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first,” he said in his first Presidential speech.

In domestic politics, what President Trump proclaimed was feasible but in international politics, diplomacy varies from capital to capital and region to region. Depending on where he stands, it changes.

To begin with, going westward, America of Trump may seek more from Japan where it has stationed its war fleet round the clock for a sum. Now this has to be a ransom to sustain what Trump wanted. Will Tokyo, stuck in a stagnated economy, tax its citizens more to pay Uncle Sam?

Australia and New Zealand, who fall in line every time an emergency struck the US in the past, may not benefit from America First policy directly but certainly they can look inward for a domestically centred economic push, instead of looking at Washington DC for succour.

Asia is as divided as ever. China may tremble under the pressure of a constant panic button by an erstwhile businessman who may want more concessions or threaten to replete the markets for ever. China may retaliate in many ways including selling its US dollar reserves which are in plenty. This may be an uphill task but once mooted, even the US economy will shake.

India, being a late entrant into the US-dominated international politics after the Cold War, will have to safeguard its Information Technology companies and contracts whether H1B visa is there or not. The time is for Indian honchos to give room to their US counterparts in office space to thwart any direct attack from Trump. It is going to be a roller-coaster ride for Indian IT companies for the next four years.

Pakistan, whose Prime Minister woke up to a sudden phone call from President-elect Trump, may cosy up to the fact that they have to rein in on Islamic leaders either willingly or unwillingly for the next four years. US troops in Afghan border will remain a direct answer to every word that Trump speaks from now onwards. How Taliban in Kabul outskirts reacts to Trump will shape the drone war in the vicinity of Hindukush mountains.

Middle East will remain the major beneficiary from the Trump Administration as long as the Arabs keep their oil wells in tact and hand over the IS agents in return for business considerations. One pointer is that oil prices will be given a push to touch $100 if diplomacy by business is what Trump means.

More of Israel than Iran in Middle East policy will gain currency again. To achieve this, United Kingdom will have to be roped in and NATO alliance has to remain in its place to keep Russia’s Putin in place. US future with Europe is so intertwined that no President can just distance the siblings here.

Africa in the backyard, as usual, with focus on warlords and military mafia who will resurrect terror and attract Trump’s attention eventually tasting his iron-handed approach. Unlike the previous Bush administration, Trump may be forced to involve more in African affairs, for a change now.

Back to borders with other American nations like Mexico, he may build a wall but how much of the cost will be footed by the Mexican drug mafia, if not the Mexican government, will be the major question. Other Latin Americans may wait in the wings for the next administration to take over in 2021.

All said and done, Trump’s slogan remains the same – “Yes, together, we will make America great again.”