Latest from Congo: Peace talks underway as death and displacement continue in North Kivu
The African Union (AU)-sponsored peace proposal presented to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its eastern neighbor Rwanda on July 30 continues to offer some seeds of hope to bring an end to 30 years of war and devastation in the world’s wealthiest nation in terms of natural resources. That war, and the growing number of collateral conflicts associated with it, has cost more than 8 million lives and has displaced over 26 million villagers in central and eastern Congo since the overthrow of Dictator Joseph Mobutu in 1997. A major obstacle inhibiting the peace is the lack of participation in the peace process of 140-plus rebel groups scattered about the central and eastern Congo and the DRC’s unwillingness to negotiate with the leaders of M23 and the AFC (Congo River Alliance), two of the largest rebel armies. The two rebel group leaders, widely known to be under Rwanda
Delta coalition calls for fair use of $1.2 billion broadband grant
In a Tuesday press conference, frustrations readily showed on the faces of some of the state’s greatest crusaders for fair and equitable allocation of available resources. Oleta Fitzgerald, regional director of the Children’s Defense Fund, spearheaded the press conference that shed light on the distorted approach to broadband expansion in the mostly rural and heavily Black areas of Mississippi. While the office of the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) is the creation of the state legislature, it is run out of the governor’s office. The recently allocated $1.2 billion in federal money for broadband expansion in rural Mississippi will likely line the pockets of the internet service providers in the rural areas. And it should not be looked upon as a program especially designed to help the underserved and unserved internet users in those rural communities, Fitzgerald pointed out. Organizations like the Children’s Defense Fund depend on federal
JTRAN strike hurting citizens who hope it’s soon resolved
For several weeks, members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the bus drivers, have been engaged in a strike against MV Transportation, the Dallas-based company
Contest for Central District Supreme Court seat heats up
JUDICIAL DISTRICT Five candidates are vying for election to the Central Dis- trict seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court. The candidates are incumbent Presiding Justice
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2024 Congressional App Challenge
JANS – Congressman Bennie G. Thompson is inviting participants to join the annual 2024 Congressional App Challenge. Students who attend middle or high schools in
Vice President Harris Announces Tim Walz As Her Running Mate
Today, Vice President Kamala Harris announced her selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election. Together, Vice President
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Mississippi Voices
OPINION: Our transition to the green economy does not need to be slow to be just and equitable
By Ben JealousJackson Advocate Guest Writer “What good is a dollar an hour more in wages if your neighborhood is burning down? What good is
OPINION: A back to school prayer
By Marian Wright Edelman Jackson Advocate Guest Writer September and the beginning of fall are traditionally thought of as “back to school” season. Whether students
OPINION: The spirit of the Battle of Liberty Place lives on among racists in the idea of having the right to rule
On September 14, 1874, ex-Confederate soldiers and their sympathizers, under the color of the White Leagues, staged an insurrection, over-throwing the state government of Louisiana.