Kafountine, Senegal | AFP | Most Senegalese farmers sell peanuts and vegetables, but in one hamlet lost in a mangrove swamp in the West African country’s south, only one crop is commercially viable — cannabis. Kouba, a village deep in the mangroves of Casmance and inaccessible by road, teems with caiman …
Read More »UN refugee agency probing corruption in Uganda, Kenya
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN refugee agency said Thursday it was investigating new allegations of fraud in its resettlement programme in Kenya and Uganda after a report in German magazine Stern alleging graft. “We can confirm that we have received allegations related to resettlement fraud in Uganda and Kenya,” …
Read More »Sudan PM pushes for peace in first trip to rebel bastion
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok Thursday vowed to achieve peace in Sudan’s war zones as he visited rebel stronghold Kauda. “This is a great chance to show our people in Kauda and across the world that their transitional government is working hard to achieve comprehensive justice …
Read More »DEADLOCK: Ethiopia and Egypt fail to clinch Nile dam deal
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia and Egypt failed to resolve a long-running dispute over a massive dam being built on the Blue Nile River during the latest round of talks this week. Officials said Thursday that some progress had been made, though they remained at odds over major sticking …
Read More »Haftar’s Sirte seizure major blow to Libya government, analysts say
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar’s capture of the strategic city of Sirte on Monday was a major setback for Tripoli’s UN-recognised government, analysts say. The fresh advance by Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army comes as Turkey deploys troops — 35 so far, in a training capacity — …
Read More »Clashes over Nigeria garrison town spark deadly displacement camp fire: witnesses
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Intense fighting between Nigeria’s army and jihadists over a key northeastern garrison town killed three soldiers and sparked a deadly blaze at a nearby displacement camp, witnesses and security sources said Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, dozens of fighters from the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), …
Read More »Al-Shabaab warns of more attacks against Kenya, US interests
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Somali Islamist group Al-Shabaab on Wednesday warned Kenya “will never be safe”, threatening tourists and calling for more attacks on US interests after they stormed an American base at the weekend. The Al-Qaeda linked group said its attack on Camp Simba, in which three Americans …
Read More »Bail for Zimbabwe VP’s wife accused of trying to kill husband
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | The wife of Zimbabwe’s vice president was granted bail on Monday after three weeks in jail on charges of fraud, money-laundering and attempted murder of her husband. Marry Mubaiwa, 38, who is the wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, 63, was arrested last month on …
Read More »FIFA President Infantino happy with progress in African football
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The President of the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), Gianni Infantino has said he is happy with the progress made in African football. “Look at the talent from Africa that is key to the progress of many teams around the world. African talent keeps …
Read More »Turkey’s foreign minister visits Algeria over Libya conflict
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Algeria’s newly-elected President Abdelmadjid Tebboune received Turkey’s foreign minister Tuesday, the official APS news agency reported, days after Ankara confirmed it was deploying troops to Libya. The meeting between Tebboune and Mevlut Cavusoglu focused on Libya’s “escalating violence resulting from foreign interventions, which complicate the search …
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