Two other countries, Djibouti and Guinea have pledged to send troops to Mogadishu, thereby increasing the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops' numbers from 6,100 contributed by Uganda and Burundi to 8,100 fighters.

On 22 July, Rear Admiral Jan Thornqvist, Force Commander EU NAVFOR, hosted General Thierry Caspar-Fille-Lambie, Commander of the French Forces in Djibouti on board the flagship HSwMS CARLSKRONA. The main topic of the meeting was how to better support regional countries in their efforts to counter piracy and create a safe environment for shipping.

The United Nations today welcomed steps by Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve their border dispute through mediation by Qatar, saying Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was ready to provide technical support if needed to facilitate a settlement.

A criminal court in Djibouti sentenced Abdourahiman Boreh, the self exiled but richest businessman from Djibouti, to a 15-year prison term and a fine of 56,000 dollars.

Highly decorated ceremonies celebrating for the 33rd anniversary of Djibouti's independence Day have been held in more different towns in Djibouti overnight, officials said on Sunday.

Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, the president of the Transitional Federal Government of Somali has sent congratulating message to the heads and people of Djibouti for the 33rd anniversary celebration as they took their independence from France.

The third session of the Tunisian-Djiboutian joint committee was held on June 23-24 in Djibouti, under the co-chairmanship of Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, in charge of Maghreb, Arab and African Affairs Abdelhafidh Herguem and Djibouti's Foreign and International Co-operation Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssef.

As many as two out of three children in Djibouti are exposed to life-threatening situations because of poverty, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced today, warning that urgent action must be taken to prevent the country from reversing the progress in basic care it has made in recent years.

Commending the agreement reached by Eritrea and Djibouti to peacefully resolve their two-year border dispute, the Security Council today called on the two countries to engage fully in the mediation process to ensure they can strike a final deal.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the agreement signed by Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve their two-year border dispute through a negotiated settlement.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the agreement signed by Eritrea and Djibouti to resolve their two-year border dispute through a negotiated settlement.

DAKAR Wednesday, May 05, 2010 (IRIN) - Parliamentarians from all over Africa are pushing for a continent-wide ban on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and are calling on the UN to pass a General Assembly resolution appealing for a global FGM/C ban, as it violates human rights, they say.

NAIROBI Wednesday, May 05, 2010 (IRIN) - About half of Djibouti’s rural population will need emergency food assistance this year due to the combined effects of drought, livestock losses, unfavourable livestock-to-cereal terms of trade and high staple food prices, according to an assessment by the government and UN agencies.

NAIROBI Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (IRIN) - IRIN has been named a Webby Honoree in the 14th Annual Webby Awards.

NAIROBI Saturday, April 10, 2010 (IRIN) - Here are the most popular new articles on the IRIN website over the last 24 hours. Updated hourly. This feature was launched on 18 July, but will display the latest, most popular items of today.

DAKAR Thursday, April 08, 2010 (IRIN) - In Africa government spending on health care, as a percentage of national expenses, rose just 0.3 percent from 2001 to 2007, while donor funding of the sector during the same period increased from 15.3 to 20.1 percent, according to a review of 52 African countries’ health spending by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

JOHANNESBURG Thursday, April 08, 2010 (IRIN) - The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched the fourth edition of "Facts for Life", a handbook filled with information that could save the lives of some nine million children across the globe who die from preventable and treatable illnesses every year before they reach the age of five.

JOHANNESBURG Thursday, April 01, 2010 (IRIN) - Keeping an eye on the toads in your neighbourhood could give you a five-day head start in the event of massive seismic activity, says a new study published by the Zoological Society of London in the Journal of Zoology, but don't put one in a jar on your desk just yet.

OXFORD Monday, March 29, 2010 (IRIN) - Some 36 bilateral and multilateral development donors have made their aid and loan figures available online for the first time, enabling analysts to build a more accurate picture of who is funding what and where.

JOHANNESBURG Friday, March 26, 2010 (IRIN) - One of the most comprehensive forest reviews conducted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization shows that the rate of forest loss had dropped by three million hectares every year between 2000 and 2010.