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Michael McCarthy has been appointed as the United States Embassy’s new general counsel in charge of giving legal advice to the institution.
McCarthy had served as the embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires and deputy chief of mission in Juba, South Sudan, from 2013 to 2015.
“Our consulates serve as essential elements of our diplomatic mission here in South Africa, promoting trade, building business ties, facilitating security cooperation and delivering consular services on which both South African and American citizens depend,” said current Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth McKay in a statement.
In addition to his experience in Sudan, McCarthy also served as management counselor at the US Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany, from 2010 to 2013, and as management officer in New Delhi from 2007 to 2010, and in Asmara, Eritrea, from 2004 to 2007.
Kenya Erupts In Civil War Over Presidential Election
Tensions in Kenya continue to rise amid President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election for another term despite tumultuous controversy surrounding the election.
As soon as the decision was announced, protesters erupted in the streets, claiming dishonest voting tactics and a “stolen election.”
“If the police are coming to beat us, we are ready for war,” shouted Kisumu resident Calvin Otieng while waving a plastic bottle filled with flammable liquid, The New York Times reported.
In Nairobi, the country’s capital, the National Super Alliance Party claimed that police were provoking violence and accused them of killing dozens of people nationwide.
In addition, hundreds of Nairobi residents in opposition to the vote and in disagreement with the police were also reportedly sprayed with live bullets, tear gas and water cannons, as authorities cut off electricity and conducted house-to-house raids in various parts of the city.
Gold, Diamonds on Decline in Ghana
Ghana government officials speculate that gold and diamond output in the nation are expected to drop in 2017 because of curbs on small-scale mining that lifted production but caused damage to the environment.
President Nana Akufo-Addo’s office has temporarily banned artisanal mining and panning for gold, in order to stop those who do it illegally.
“We anticipate at least a 50 percent drop in production from the small miners,” Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, deputy minister of land and mines, said in a statement. “We are trying to control illegal mining, which is not good for the environment. The small miners account for nearly a third of the total gold production and restrictions on their activities could help bigger players to raise production.”
Ghana’s total gold revenues for 2016, including exports from small-scale mining, amounted to $5.15 billion, up from $3.32 billion in 2015.