Briefly

ETHIOPIA

U.N. appeals for fund for refugees

ADDIS ABABA | The United Nations and Ethiopia appealed Wednesday for $13 million to help the increasing number of Somali refugees entering the country each day.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said about 25,000 Somalis were expected to cross the border over the next few months to escape the violence that has wracked the Horn of Africa nation.

“The money will be used to respond to the protection and assistance needs,” said Moses Okello, UNHCR’s representative in Ethiopia. “This includes meeting international standards for water, shelter, health care and sanitation.”

About 2,300 Somalis are reaching Ethiopia daily, according to a government agency in charge of refugee affairs, in addition to the 67,000 already present as of April.

The World Food Program, meanwhile, said it had a shortfall of more than 20,000 metric tons for the rising number of refugees in Ethiopia, including the more than 1,300 arriving daily from neighboring Eritrea.

SOUTH AFRICA

Events held to recognize Mandela

JOHANNESBURG | Nelson Mandela’s foundation is gearing up for his 92nd birthday, hoping even more people around the world will mark it with community work this year.

Three events were held in South African cities Wednesday, 67 days before Mr. Mandela’s July 18 birthday.

The Nelson Mandela Foundation said it organized the events as a tribute to Mr. Mandela’s 67 years of service to humanity. People joined to paint murals, sort clothes for the needy and tend to community gardens.

Last year, people around the world marked the first Mandela Day with volunteer projects.

Mr. Mandela, who retired from public life in 2004, became South Africa’s first black president after spending 27 years in prison for his fight against apartheid.

EGYPT

Cairo keeps water rights to Nile River

CAIRO | Egypt is refusing to relinquish a drop of its legal right to the lion’s share of Nile River water, despite demands from other African countries for a more equitable sharing agreement.

Following years of barren negotiations, seven upstream African countries — Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi — are expected on Friday to push forward with a new water-sharing deal to replace an agreement that gives Egypt and Sudan majority control of the water flow.

Egypt repeatedly has cited its “historical” right on the river, which provides the country of 80 million people with 90 percent of its water needs.

The upstream countries want to be able to implement projects in consultation with Egypt and Sudan but without Egypt being able to exercise the veto power it was given by a 1929 colonial-era treaty with Britain.

• From wire dispatches and staff reports