Business Day: No use ignoring diaspora in Africa itself. Until recently, it was fashionable in official circles to decry the brain drain, to criticise those who left and call for financial reparations from countries “poaching” African skills. That changed a few years ago when the African Union (AU) renamed emigrants living abroad as a “diaspora” and called on African governments to stop criticising and to start engaging with their diasporas. (Jonathan Crush)

NY Times: U.S. Human Rights Report Cites Bright Spots, but Also Points to Abuses. After an “especially tumultuous and momentous year” for human rights, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Thursday, the challenge in many Arab countries has shifted from breaking the back of entrenched dictatorships to protecting new freedom during the often chaotic and sometimes violent transitions that follow. (Brian Knowlton)

BBC: Somali al-Shabab militant stronghold Afgoye ‘captured.’ African Union (AU) forces in Somalia say they have captured the strategic town near the capital, Mogadishu, after Islamist militants pulled out. Afgoye was a major stronghold of the al-Shabab group, giving their fighters easy access to the capital.

BBC: Burkina Faso-Mali clashes leave 25 dead. At least 25 people have been killed in days of ethnic clashes over land rights along the Burkina Faso-Mali border, local officials say.

Senate panel clears $52.1B foreign operations spending bill – The Senate Appropriations panel cleared a $52.1 billion spending bill for foreign aid and operations on Tuesday, passing 4-1, with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) objecting. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) “praised the bipartisan nature of the bill . . . in particular the funding for the State Department’s proposed $770 million incentive fund for the Middle East and North Africa.” The Senate bill is $2.6 billion below President Obama’s request and $1.2 billion below the fiscal 2012 level. (The Hill, Julian Pecquet)

Report uncovers funding gaps for food security – The Camp David Accountability Report indicates the “donors are big on pledges, but slow on disbursements.” Of the G8 countries, only Canada, the United Kingdom and Italy have fulfilled their financial pledges under the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative, and investment plans for countries with agriculture investment plans suffer from a 50 percent funding gap. (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)

UNESCO Heads East Africa Water Search – UNESCO and officials from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia launched the “Strengthening Capacity to Combat Drought and Famine in the Horn of Africa” project on Tuesday, which is a “regional initiative to identify and improve groundwater resources in the region.” The project aims to identify, assess and develop groundwater resources in these three countries by using satellites to locate buried drainage systems and underground rivers. (VOA, Cathy Majtenyi)

Opinion: The ‘African Century’ Can Be Real – On Saturday at Camp David, the G8 leaders demonstrated the “global recognition that Africa has the potential to be transformed through agricultural development.” While most Africans still live on less than $2 a day, “there is now a realistic hope that Africa can start feeding itself and become an export powerhouse equal to its size.” Farming in Africa needs to become more sustainable and profitable for large and small farmers alike, and this transformation must be “African-owned and African-led and can no longer be dominated by aid.” (WSJ, Mike Mack)

Late for School After a Long Journey for a Drop to Drink – In Niger, “a sunbaked land where drought occurs with alarming frequency, a major impediment to education is thirst and the long trek required to quench it.” In the past ten years, there have been three serious food shortages in Niger related to low rainfall and insect attacks, and this year almost a third of the population is facing hunger. 80 percent of the population in Niger has no running water, and while everyone worries about the lack of water, it is the children, primarily girls, who are taken out of school to find it. (NYTimes, Adam Nossiter)

Meet the GUTS – The financial crisis has created a “two-speed West,” with four countries – Germany, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States actually increasing their international influence, while the remaining countries are stuck in a rut. Britain, France, Italy, and Japan are struggling to recover from the financial crisis, and unlike the rest of the “rising West . . . they have not compensated for economic weakness with bold advances in other areas.” Britain has the best chance to join the rising West, as “its leadership of the G-8 next year offers an opportunity to demonstrate some of its old flair for global leadership.” (Foreign Policy, Bruce Jones and Thomas Wright)

Report: Counterfeit Anti-Malaria Drugs Common in Africa, Asia – A new report by the U.S. National Institutes of Health that analyzes data collected from 21 sub-Saharan African nations indicates that 35 percent of anti-malarial drugs “failed chemical testing because they were poorly manufactured, while another 20 percent were” counterfeit. The use of fake or poor quality anti-malaria medicines may contribute to drug resistance. (VOA)

British lawmakers press Andrew Mitchell on Global Fund contribution hike – The U.K. Department for International Development believes that the “upcoming G-20 summit in Mexico, slated in June, is an opportune time for the United Kingdom to announce fresh contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.” In April, Andrew Mitchell explained that the DfID will increase funding to the Global Fund because of its “excellent track record for delivery results.” (Devex, Eliza Villarino)

Obama Calls for Africa Aid as Companies Pledge $3 Billion – President Obama called for “a new phase of Africa farm aid as 45 companies worldwide . . . pledge more than $3 billion to ease threats to global security posed by scarce nutrition.” In a symposium on Friday, Obama said that “as the wealthiest nation on earth, I believe the U.S. has a moral obligation to lead the fight against hunger and nutrition and to partner with others to end poverty.” (Bloomberg, Alan Bjerga)

Opinion: On Neglected Tropical Diseases – One in every six people living on this plant suffer from one or more neglected tropical diseases, “which are especially common people with little or no access to clean water and sanitation.” The impact of neglected tropical diseases on individuals and communities is devastating, “as they limit the ability of infected individuals to work and thrive, thus trapping them in a cycle of poverty and disease.” (VOA)

The best story in development – According to a new World Bank study, “16 of the 20 African countries which have had detailed surveys of living conditions since 2005 reported falls in their child-mortality rates,” and the decline in African child mortality is still speeding up. Gabriel Demombynes, of the World Bank’s Nairobi office, explained that a “combination of broad economic growth and specific public-health policies, notably the increase in the use of insecticide-treated bed nets” to prevent malaria have been critical in reducing child-mortality. (The Economist)

Opinion: Promise Keepers – At the L’Aquila summit, Obama “rallied his fellow leaders of the world’s poorest nations to make a promise: If poor countries came up with good plans to help poor farmers grow more and earn more, rich countries would make it happen.” This approach ensured the delivery of aid in the more effective way possible and promoted country ownership and accountability. At Camp David, the G8 needs to “forge ahead . . . with specific, measurable funding and policy commitments.” (Foreign Policy, Raymond C. Offenheiser)

G8 Summit to Focus on Africa Food Security – President Barack Obama has put African food security on the agenda of this week’s G8 Summit, and the G8 leaders will meet Friday to “discuss how best to address issues of hunger and poverty in a development environment affected by the global economic crisis.” Johnnie Carson, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs, explained that “Africa has enormous promise and potential in the agricultural field . . . and there is absolutely no reason why there should be insufficiency in the continent.” (VOA, Scott Stearns)

U.S. HIV aid has prevented 741,000 deaths: study – New research indicates that the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR, helped save 741,000 deaths between 2004 and 2008 in the 12 African countries with PEPFAR programs, which works out “to a 16 percent lower chance of death.” Between 2003 and 2008, over “$20 billion was spent on PEPFAR, accounting for about three-quarters of total U.S. global health aid during that time.” (Reuters, Genevra Pittman)

Africa must end hunger to sustain growth – U.N. – The United Nations Development Program said on Tuesday that “Africa needs to boost agricultural productivity and address the debilitating hunger that affects 27 percent of its populations if it is to sustain its economic boom.” The report highlighted that “investment in agricultural productivity was important not only for reducing hunger but also in creating jobs for Africa’s rapidly growing population.” (Reuters, Katy Migiro)

Business, NGO leaders join hands to push progress on health goals – The MDG Health Alliance is a new private-sector led global effort to improve health in developing countries that will be launched on May 15. The organization was convened by the U.N. secretary-general’s special envoy for malaria, Raymond Chambers. The alliance “seeks to work with the United Nations, nonprofit organization and other stakeholders to support efforts to boost progress toward meeting health-related MDGs.” (Devex, Ivy Mungcal)

Africa and the Power of the Pivot – Africa has “become the world’s most underrated growth story – in part because many of its governments have developed the resilience that comes with the ability to pivot.” Despite the fact that Africa and India have similar populations, “Africans spent 35 percent more on goods and services in 2008 than Indians did,” and total foreign direct investment in Africa grew from $9.4 billion in 2000 to over $60 billion in 2011. (NYTimes, Ian Bremmer)

African growth depends on food security – The Africa Development Report indicates that almost 218 million people in Africa are undernourished and 55 million children are malnourished. The rapid growth rates in sub-Saharan Africa have not translated into significant hunger reduction, and increasing agricultural productivity and creating resilience against natural disasters are necessary to put an end to the chronic food insecurity and the U.N. must “leverage the indigenous crops and foods in Africa and have them access global markets so that farmers can also tap in to this 36 trillion dollars global trade system.” (AP)

18% Of Deaths Among Under 5s Caused By Pneumonia Globally – According to new research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an international team of experts, “of the 7.6 million deaths worldwide among children under 5 years of age in 2010, 18% were caused by pneumonia, while 14% were the result of a complication of a preterm birth.” Senior author Robert Black, MD, MPH explained that “even though total deaths among under 5s worldwide dropped from 2000 to 2010, in order to reach the Millennium Development Goal, the decline will need to be steeper.” (Medical News Today, Christian Nordqvist)

Canada pledges $114M for Africa – The Canadian International Development Agency has pledged $114.2 million Canadian dollars in humanitarian aid to Africa. The funds will “be used to address food insecurity and malnutrition, and improve people’s livelihood and access to safe drinking water” and to meet the needs of refugees in the area. (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)

UN: Bed Nets Sharply Reduce Malaria Deaths – A new United Nations report shows that “malaria has dropped from being the leading cause of death among refugees living along the Sudan border,” due to the Nothing But Nets campaign run by The United Nations Foundation. U.N. officials expressed concern about a “possible wave of new refugees fleeing violence between Sudan and South Sudan.” (VOA, Mohammed Yusuf)

New report puts spotlight on Africa’s social, economic gaps – The Africa Progress Panel’s more recent report focus on inequality and calls for urgent action to bridge the widening economic gap as well as “gaps in youth education and employment, access to agricultural lands and tools.” (Devex, Ivy Mungcal)

PM: DR Congo Can Cut Poverty in Half by Exploiting Agriculture – Prime Minister Matata Ponyo Mapon of the Democratic Republic of Congo says that “the country could halve its poverty rate in the next five years by exploiting its vast agricultural potential.” Prime Minister Ponyo explained that “if the agricultural sector could increase its growth rate to 6%, then the rate of absolute poverty in the country could be cut by 50 percent by 2017.” One of the conditions for achieving this growth rate will be the donors allowing the government to should its own responsibilities. (VOA, Nick Long)

Expanding the Focus from Relief to Resilience – Over the past year, 13.3 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia suffered from a crisis as a result of a severe drought in the Horn of Africa. The international community spent over $1.5 billion in aid that provided million with access to food, water and basic health services. Droughts can’t be prevented, but they “can be predicted and mitigated thanks to investments made in early warning systems, satellite technology and on-the-ground analysis,” but in order to give “help with lasting impact we must expand our focus from relief to resilience.” (Huffington Post, Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and Dr. Rajiv Shah)

Sub-Saharan inequality threatens stability – A panel of 10 activists, business people and politicians including Bob Geldof warned in the Africa Progress report that “inequality in sub-Saharan Africa could threaten political stability and growth after a decade of rapid economic expansion on the continent. Kofi Annan explained that “extreme disparities in income are slowing the pace of poverty reduction and hampering the development of broad-based economic growth.” The report calls for more investments in education, youth employment, smallholder farming, technology and governance to combat this inequality. (Financial Times, Katrina Manson)

World Bank approves $300M for Nairobi project – The World Bank’s board of directors approved $300 million in funding on May 10, which will cover 90 percent of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services Improvement Project’s totally cost of $330 million. This project supports Kenya’s “Vision 2030 strategy, whose objective is to help Kenya become a middle-income country” while boosting the economy, creating jobs, and improving key infrastructure and services. (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)

Global Fund’s 2-year grant cycle ‘better than expected’ – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced plans to spend $1.67 billion in the next two years on health grants, including $1 billion for new projects. The two-year, “’better than expected’ funding cycle was made possible by money from new donors, a hike in contributions from existing donors and the cutting of support for programs in some emerging economies.” (Devex, Jenny Lei Ravelo)

House panel cuts foreign aid, UN and military aid to Pakistan – A house panel on Wednesday moved to slash the foreign aid budget by 9 percent, “targeting economic aid and contributions to the United Nations and the World Bank.” Despite the significant cuts, “the legislation won bipartisan backing from the Appropriations foreign aid panel, though it’s sure to draw a White House veto threat because it’s in line with a broader GOP spending plan.” (AP)

Balancing Economic Growth With True Sustainability – Africa’s projected growth rate for 2012 will exceed 5 percent, during a time of global uncertainty and economic downturn, causing many to worry about food security and high rates of youth unemployment. The World Economic Forum has highlighted the need to “spearhead efforts to rethink infrastructure development, reshape responsible capitalism and encourage the free movement of people and goods,” as “social development without economic progress is not feasible.” (Huffington Post, Andrew Muir)

EU Money to Help Revive Ailing Zimbabwe Agriculture – The European Union is providing $8 million to help revive Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector. Zimbabwe, “once southern Africa’s breadbasket, is still trying to revitalize its agriculture sector” after taking a nose-diving during President Mugabe’s land reform program. The FAO is prioritizing “improved access to essential farm inputs through the local market for livestock producers [and] improved agricultural productions based on sustainable agricultural practices in crop and livestock production.” (VOA, Sebastian Mhofu)

US House panel to tackle 2013 foreign aid cuts – The Republican-led House Appropriations subcommittee on State and foreign operations’ will vote May 9 on “a proposal to reduce funding for U.S. bilateral aid and global health programs, and impose ‘significant cuts’ to the country’s contributions to multilateral development banks.” The draft budget provides $40.1 billion in regular discretionary funding for the Department of State, USAID and related programs, which is $2 billion less than current funding levels and $7 billion less than the budget requested by President Obama. (Devex, Ivy Mungcal)

FDA review favors first drug for HIV prevention – The Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday that Gilead Sciences’ Truvada “appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention.” The FDA concluded that the pill “could spare patients infection with a serious and life-threatening illness that requires lifelong treatment.” There have yet to be any other drugs proven to prevent HIV, and a vaccine is still believed to be decades away. (AP, Matthew Perrone)

Campaign Aims to Help End Childhood HIV Infections – UNAIDS has launched the Believe it, Do it campaign to help eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015. UNAIDS officials estimate that 3.4 million children under the age of 15 are currently living with HIV, and 400,000 children become infected with the AIDS virus every year. The Believe it. Do it campaign is being launched prior to Mother’s Day with the premise that “every day is Mother’s Day.” (VOA, Joe DeCapua)

IMF to offer assurances to unlock aid for Malawi – The IMF will “send letters to Malawi’s donor nations telling them it approves the country’s effort to seek financing to that they can release funds to help prop up its rapidly dwindling foreign exchange reserves.” Malawi devalued its kwacha currency on Monday in an effort to unlock foreign aid, but Malawi now only has enough foreign currency reserves to cover one month’s imports, “raising concerns the devaluation will hit companies and the poor if prices climb.” (Reuters, Mabvuto Banda)