September 8, 2015.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.
Making headlines:

The African Union is intensifying efforts to create an African Standby Force.

Kenya plans an offensive against Islamist militants taking cover in the coastal forest. 

And, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies warns reckless lenders.

The United Nations and African leaders continue to push South Sudan’s civil war protagonists towards peace, while Nigeria and its neighbors strive to stamp out Islamist group Boko Haram’s insurgency.

Thus, there is a need for Africa to have its own rapid response military force to end conflicts and halt ethnic genocides that seem greater than ever.

The African Union (or AU), the continental diplomatic body, is intensifying efforts to create an African Standby Force that it can deploy to any trouble spots to restore order.

This October, at least 5 000 troops from several African countries are expected to muster in South Africa for exercises. Their aim is to forge the core of an AU rapid deployment force to become operational this year and eventually total 25 000.

The skeptics, however, say the plan will remain crippled by lack of funding and equipment and by continental rivalries between powers like South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt.

Kenya plans to launch a military offensive against Islamist militants who have set up bases in a remote forest at the northern tip of its Indian Ocean coastline bordering Somalia.

The east African country says Somalia's al Shabaab group has carried out attacks along its northern coast before retreating to hideouts in Boni forest, a 160 kilometre-reserve that is also a sanctuary for elephants.

Commissioner of Kenya's Lamu county, Frederick Ndambuki said they wanted to ensure the forest was safe and that no criminals were using it as a hideout to plan evil against its people.

Al Shabaab was behind the assault on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall in 2013, in which 67 people were killed. They were also carried out attacks that killed about 100 people in Lamu county last year.

Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said the rising level of over-indebtedness of South Africa’s consumers was a serious concern.

He was especially worried about the increasing number of consumers with impaired credit records.

He said government was  concerned about the high levels of debt. He admitted that while it was very important that people had access to credit, there was also the real prospect of an increase in indebtedness.

Another concern for Davies was that a large part of the financial services industry had not yet started informing consumers that new affordability tests before credit providers could extend credit would soon come to effect.

He however expressed satisfaction that the ease with which garnishee orders were obtained was being addressed.

Also making headlines:

South Africa's rand recovered against the dollar in early trade, but gains were capped as a slump in China's imports raised concerns of a more severe slowdown in the world's second-largest economy that have been rattling global markets.

Hundreds of angry and frustrated asylum-seekers break past police near Hungary’s border.

Mali's army has dismantled an Islamist cell in the capital Bamako.

And, the former President of Chad, Hissene Habre was forced to attend his trial for atrocities when it resumed after a 45-day break decided by the Extraordinary African Chambers.

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.