The most important of this week’s headlines out of and concerning Africa, for those who need help catching up. This week, major steps made in the fight against illegal ivory poaching, a Denver figure runs for president in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda weighs changing its constitution. 

1. As part of a trip to Africa in late July, it was recently announced that President Barack Obama will be making his first visit to Ethiopia as president.

2. While the nation still reels from the racially-motivated shooting in Charleston’s AME Church, a recent poll found that 14 percent of African Americans rank race relations as a top priority in U.S. policy. The number has risen 10 points since the previous survey, while white Americans who see race relations as a top priority has risen only three points.

3. Denver businessman and humanitarian Emmanuel Weyi will run for president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While in Denver, Weyi has founded the Colorado Sickle Cell Foundation and Congo-based Group Weyi International. The elections will take place in 2016.

[media-credit name=”BBC ” align=”alignleft” width=”300″][/media-credit]4. Using DNA identification on elephant dung and seized ivory, scientists have been able to locate four of the largest hotspots for elephant poaching in Africa. With the data, scientists are hoping to motivate more political action against illegal poaching. The issue received further publicity last week when more than a ton of illegal ivory was crushed in New York.

5. While protests rage in Burundi over President Pierre Nkurunziza’s bid for a third term, about 3.6 million people have signed a petition urging Rwanda to amend its constitution to allow the current president Paul Kagami to serve a third term.

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Sarah Ford

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