Tens of thousands of residents of northeastern Nigeria's Borno State have fled their homes - thousands of them into neighbouring Niger and Cameroon - following a military crackdown, including airstrikes, on camps of the radical Islamist group Boko Haram. full report

Containing cholera in Niger	The anatomy of a Mozambique land deal
Report calls for radical reforms to reduce inequality	The changing face of land disputes in Liberia

Malaria overstretching healthcare in DRC

KAMPALA, 20 May 2013 (IRIN) - Gaps in the healthcare system in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are hampering the fight against malaria, a leading killer of children, say experts. full report

Briefing: Restive northern Kenya sees shifting power, risks

GARISSA-NAIROBI, 17 May 2013 (IRIN) - The presence of foreign militias in parts of northeastern Kenya, and their collusion with security officials and business people there, may be to blame for a rise in insecurity in the region, where multiple gun and grenade attacks have been reported over the past two years. full report

Making WASH work in Burkina Faso’s cities

OUAGADOUGOU, 17 May 2013 (IRIN) - Earlier this year Denis Ouedraogo, a tailor living in the Tampouy neighbourhood just north of Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou, connected his mud-walled home to the water network for the first time. “Even without electricity, having enough water can make you happy,” he said. full report

Pastoralism’s economic contributions are significant but overlooked

NAIROBI, 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Pastoralism is often regarded as an antiquated practice ill-suited to the modern economy, yet trade between pastoral communities in Africa - much of it informal and illegal - generates an estimated US$1 billion each year, according to a new book published by the Futures Agriculture Consortium. full report

Cape Town's asylum seekers struggle to get documented

CAPE TOWN, 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - When Jean Baptiste*, a medical student from Lubumbashi, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), arrived in South Africa in September 2012, he headed straight for Cape Town, where he knew he would be able to stay with his brother. No one at the border told him that it was no longer possible to apply for asylum in Cape Town. full report

Microcredit helps small businesses buck the system in Madagascar

TOLIARA, 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Justine Sija, 60, begins her day at 4am, when she buys catch from local fishermen to hawk on the streets of St Augustin Village, in Madagascar’s southern Atsimo-Andrefana Region. The work is hard, but in the last year, access to microcredit has boosted both her business and her hope for the future. full report