Peacekeepers Turned Murderers And Ravishing Beasts

A 14 year old girl breastfeeds her three month old son outside her family's home in Bangui, Central African Republic on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. She says last year, a Burundian U.N. peacekeeper asked her to help carry water into their base located close to her home. Once inside, she was raped and impregnated later giving birth to a baby boy. She no longer attends school in order to care for her son full time with the help of her family. (Jane Hahn for the Washington Post) (Jane Hahn/For The Post)

NAIROBI — Aid workers have unearthed the remains of 12 people who they say were murdered by international peacekeepers in the Central African Republic in 2014.

The troops, from the Republic of Congo, were part of a peacekeeping mission — first under the auspices of the African Union, then the United Nations — aimed at ending a civil war that left thousands dead beginning in late 2012. Human Rights Watch had previously reported on the role Congolese peacekeepers played in “enforced disappearances,” but the Congolese government “has taken no action toward credible investigations or justice for these crimes,” according to a new report by the group released Tuesday.

Angola: The Dying “Upper Middle Income” Nation

A girl stands beside a laundry line in a poor neighborhood overlooking Cabinda, a heavily guarded territory that accounts for half of Angola’s oil output. (Nichole Sobecki/For The Washington Post

LUANDA, Angola — As the price of oil rose earlier this decade, this capital city did as well. Glass skyscrapers soared above the rubble of a 27-year civil war. American pop stars such as Mariah Carey were flown in to play private concerts. Luanda would become, its government announced, “a new Dubai.”

But as oil prices have crashed, the impact on one of Africa’s richest and most unequal countries has been devastating. The same officials who boasted of Luanda’s sparkling ascent are asking for billions of dollars in loans. Thousands of people are dying of preventable illnesses, and the nation’s hospitals are out of medicine. A bag of rice can now cost five times what it did a year ago.

This Is Ethiopia

Ethiopians wait to fill water cans in February during the recent drought. With the return of the rains, however, have come flooding and disease — something the government is reluctant to discuss. (Aida Muluneh for The Washington Post)

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — After going through its worst drought in 50 years, Ethiopia is again seeing rain. In fact, in some places, it’s falling too hard and has set off floods.

So while the number of people requiring food aid has dropped slightly from 10.2 million in January to 9.7 million, according to the latest figures, there is a new threat of disease in a population weakened by drought.

Monetary Policy Alone Not Enough To Expand Economy: President Buhari

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria will need to combine monetary policies with fiscal and structural policies in order to overcome its worst economic crisis in decades and return to growth, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday.

 Nigeria is in the middle of its worst crisis in decades as a slump in oil revenues hammers public finances and the Naira. Gross domestic product shrank in the first quarter and the central bank governor has said a recession is likely.

Niger Delta Avengers Threaten Secession From Nigeria.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have again threatened to withdraw the oil-producing region from Nigeria.

The militant group, which has been blowing up oil pipelines since February, said that it hoped Nigeria would strike oil in the north of the country “so they can let the Niger Delta go,” accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of dividing the country.

Grant Opportunity:Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities

Grant Opportunity - Help Spread the Word Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities

As violence continues to spike in Chicago neighborhoods, local philanthropies are collaborating to provide rapid-response support for immediate action by community organizations working to keep our neighborhoods safe in the weeks ahead.   The Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities will award grants to support community-based actions and activities that can help make neighborhoods safer, reduce violence and promote peace - from now  through the beginning of the school year. From a $300,000 fund, grants ranging from $1000 to $10,000 will be awarded to local community nonprofit organizations in Chicago leading activities that promote community cohesion, foster constructive relationships between police and community residents, and help reduce violence. These could include educational events, group or youth activities, resident leader stipends, recreational activities, festivals, performances, picnics, block-level activities, including rental of venues and supplies, and more. The brief application for funding is available at www.cct.org/safechicago. Applications are welcome through September 30. Grant decisions will be made on a rolling basis. All activities must be completed by October 31. For additional questions, please email safechicago@cct.org.  http://view.s6.exacttarget.com/

Agonies Of The Syrian Conflic: A Wounded Child Shocks The World

A 5-year-old boy, identified in news reports as Omran Daqneesh, sits in an ambulance Wednesday after reportedly being pulled out of a building hit by an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria.

Mahmoud Raslan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Surrounded by shouting, he's completely silent.

The child is small, alone, covered in blood and dust, dropped in the back of an ambulance with his feet dangling off the edge of a too-big chair.

He doesn't cry or speak. His face is stunned and dazed, but not surprised. He wipes his hand over his wounded face, looks at the blood, wipes it off on the chair.