Video: Kosovo’s growing pains

Ten years ago tonight, thousands of people filled the streets of Juba to celebrate the birth of what is still the world's youngest nation. A decade on, the independence of South Sudan is unfortunately no longer a cause for celebration. From the start, the country has been hampered by inter-tribal conflict and famine. In this edition of Eye on Africa, we look back at 10 years of independence for the South Sudanese and discuss what lies ahead for the nation.

The Kosovan Olympic judo team arrives home to celebratory crowds after the Tokyo Games, where Nora Gjakova and Distria Krasniqi won the Balkan nation two Olympic gold medals.

When Dragica Gasic tried to buy groceries in a local store, the Albanian owner barred her from entering. Her offence? Being the first and only Serb to return to this Kosovar town, which still bears the scars of a decades-old conflict.

Defiant protesters wave Afghan flags at scattered rallies to mark the country's independence anniversary, days after the hardline Taliban Islamist militants swept into the capital, completing a stunning rout of government forces after a two decade insurgency.

The EU wants Poland to be fined over new laws it believes undermine the country's judiciary. European lawmakers say the punitive measures must be in place until there is compliance.

Catalan separatists held their first major rally since the start of the COVID pandemic — amid divisions in their ranks over upcoming talks with the Spanish government.

The trial of a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army has begun at the Special Tribunal for War Crimes during the Kosovo War. Salih Mustafa is the first defendant to stand trial before the tribunal.

Kosovo began applying new rules on vehicles with Serbian license plates entering the country. While the scheme to have drivers swap out for local registration is about reciprocity, tensions have soared.

US President Joe Biden sends his best wishes as Mexico celebrates 200 years of independence, saying that both countries have learned that they are stronger when they "stand together as neighbors, partners and friends."

Several Kosovo police officers and ethnic Serbs were injured in fresh clashes in northern Kosovo in raids targeting smuggled goods, sparking fresh tensions in the already uneasy region beset by ethnic strife.

Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, but few countries recognise it statehood. The territory of 4.5 million is fiercely proud of its independence, but three decades on, the lack of official status hobbles economic hopes.

In this edition, we take you to the South Pacific and the French territory of New Caledonia, which is gearing up for a high-stakes vote on independence on December 12. While other overseas territories are fully integrated into France, New Caledonia stands apart because it is still considered a colony. The reasons for that are rooted in its history – we take a closer look. To fully understand what's at stake, we speak to anthropologist and historian Benoît Trépied.