EU to appoint Horn of Africa envoy

THE EU is appointing a special representative for the Horn of Africa, focusing firstly on Somalia, the country plagued by famine and war.

The United Nations has warned many more thousands of people remain in danger in the region, with three quarters of a million at risk of death in Somalia, while millions in the fragile surrounding countries do not have sufficient food supplies.

As attacks by the jihidi al-Shabaab group continue to try to overthrow the government, especially in the southern part of the country and retaliation by the Kenyan military, increasing numbers of people are fleeing. The number of refugees arriving in Ethiopia in October was nearly double that of the previous month.