Niger’s government along with two United Nations agencies have called on donors and NGOs to restart assistance for education in Niger following a corruption scandal last year which led to the freezing of most funds. “[We] call on all development partners to pool their resources to improve access to quality education in Niger,” Niger’s ministry of education said in a joint statement with the World Food Programme and the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF).

Poverty, inadequate investment in healthcare services, lack of knowledge about maternal health and pregnancy-related emergencies are some of the limitations aggravating the problem of obstetric fistula in Tanzania, according to a new report. Obstetric fistula is a hole that forms between the bladder and vagina or between the rectum and vagina during prolonged and obstructed childbirth.

This report by the International Crisis Group addresses the human, political and economic price of the impasse. For the peoples concerned the costs have been varying degrees of displacement, exile, isolation, poverty and denial of political freedom; for the countries, there have been, variously, financial and diplomatic costs, slower national development, and border security tensions.

JOINT Action Forum (JAF), umbrella body for civil societies that formed the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), has called on Nigerians to fully participate in next week's planned strike to force the government to revert the hike in fuel price and the Value Added Tax (VAT), amongst others, even as it charged Labour leaders not to disappoint Nigerians during the struggles ahead.

This call invites applicants from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe to participate in a programme of skills training and national advocacy on trade and health. It involves a workshop on Policy Advocacy for health and trade being held on August 31-September 1 2007 in Tanzania, and a mentored follow up programme of research, advocacy and report back on specific trade and health issues at country level. The call closes On July 3, 2007.

This project explores the manner in which private capital flows are impacting on the health care sector within the region, and the effect this has on national health systems and equitable access to health care. The programme is making a call to researchers from east and southern Africa to apply to participate in the programme. Research teams will be expected to show evidence of expertise in health systems, trade, economics through one or more members of the team. The call closes on 28 June 2007

The Algerian government has laid a defamation charge against blogger "Abd el Salam Baroudy", administrator of the "Bilad Telmesan" blog, for criticizing an official in an article published in February 2007. Baroudy is scheduled to face the Telmesan First Degree Court on 11 June 2007. In his article, Baroudy criticized the chair of Religious Affairs and Endowment in Telmesan province for banning cooperation between imams (religious leaders) from mosques and local broadcasters.

Zimbabwean police on Monday arrested dozens of women as they staged a demonstration in south-western Zimbabwe, a statement said. The women, all members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) had "tried to gather to hold a march in a small administrative centre in Insiza district but were arrested", the group said.