You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Managing editor Vincent Makori and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis.

Top Stories:

All sides in the deepening conflict in the northern Ethiopia region are committing "severe human rights violations," the United Nations said on Friday, calling for them to pull back from their year-old war. An estimated 5,000 to 7,000 people are detained, including nine U.N. staff, under a state of emergency and its "excessively broad provision" declared by the government last month, the U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada al-Nashif, said.

More than 300,000 people have been affected by the worsening drought in Somalia's Galgaduud region.

Thousands of protesters demonstrated against Tunisian President Kais Saied in the capital on Friday (December 17), pointing to growing opposition to his seizure of power and suspension of parliament five months ago.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is making good progress with his recovery from COVID-19 while continuing to receive treatment for mild symptoms, according to a Friday statement from his office.

Ramaphosa, who was given Johnson & Johnson's vaccine in February, tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Meanwhile, South Africa's health minister said on Friday (December 17) that the government believed that vaccines and high levels of prior COVID-19 infection were helping to keep disease milder in a wave driven by the Omicron variant.

As 2021 nears its end, hopes that the coronavirus pandemic might be ending are rapidly fading – as the new omicron variant sweeps across the world.

The Biden administration came into office vowing 'America is back, promising to work closely with allies and international institutions. But unexpected crises, coups, and conflicts in Ethiopia, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine have demanded Secretary of State Antony Blinken's attention.

From rising seas in Miami to devastating wildfires in California, climate change is putting more and more U.S. communities at risk. As the risks intensify, many are finding that the best option may be to retreat before disaster strikes. Seventy kilometers southwest of New Orleans, the first federally funded climate relocation is underway. VOA's Steve Baragona reports.


Getting a good night’s sleep can be elusive. But sleep tracking rings, watches, and even mattresses may offer insight into how to get a better night’s sleep.


Kinshasa residents welcomed on Wednesday (December 15) UNESCO's decision to add Congolese rumba to its list of global cultural treasures, although some older fans felt the genre lacked the storytelling power it had in the past.

#Ethiopia #UN #Somalia #SouthAfrica #Ramaphosa #COVID19 #Biden

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