South African Communists condemn ANC inaction amid student protests

On Wednesday (10 March 2021), the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCLSA) released a statement following the death of a civilian during student protests near the University of the Witwatersrand. Protests have been raging in South Africa since the turn of the year, when the ANC Govt introduced new measures stopping students laden with debt from enrolling for university.

Humanitarian situation worsens in Ethiopia as PM Abiy focusses elsewhere

As a humanitarian crisis threatens to spiral out of control in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ignored the conflict to open a new highway in the south of the country. Ahmed won huge praise and a Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating peace agreements for long-standing conflicts against internal rebel forces in Ethiopia and against their neighbours Eritrea. International praise of him has made way for criticism since the beginning of November however. His heavy-handed response to tensions with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has led to an outbreak of violence.