Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | In a cooking oil factory in Khartoum, Sudanese workers hammer at a broken-down machine, as general manager Sarah al-Fateh sighs in frustration. She is unable to import replacement parts for her family’s business, she said, because of “American sanctions”. A year after the start of a …
Read More »Belgian court finds Rwandan Neretse guilty of genocide
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | A Brussels court on found a 71-year-old former Rwandan official guilty of genocide on Thursday after hearing of his role in the 1994 massacres in his country. Fabien Neretse, who protested his innocence, is the first person to be convicted in Belgium on such a …
Read More »Sudanese celebrate, demand justice on uprising anniversary
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Exuberant crowds took to the streets of Sudan on Thursday to celebrate the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir and to demand justice for slain protesters. Thousands turned out in different districts of the capital Khartoum chanting slogans such as “we’re …
Read More »Christians seek seasonal solace in war-torn Libya
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | In the Libyan capital Tripoli, where war casts a long shadow over everyday life, a church offers something of a sanctuary for Christian migrants like Nigerian engineer Jonathan Joshua. “I find life very difficult but here at the church… I forget I am in Libya, …
Read More »Sudan marks anniversary of uprising that ousted Bashir
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | A year after demonstrations broke out in Sudan over soaring bread prices, celebrations are planned across the country on Thursday to mark the uprising that brought down veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir. In the central town of Atbara, the cradle of the revolt, hundreds of people are …
Read More »SOUTH SUDAN: US envoy warns Kiir, Machar and ‘spoilers’
Juba, South Sudan | AFP | The US ambassador to South Sudan on Wednesday warned that Washington would not hesitate to slap additional sanctions on “spoilers” holding back peace in the war-torn African nation. Ambassador Thomas Hushek was recalled in November when South Sudan’s rival leaders failed to meet a …
Read More »DEAL: Kiir and Machar agree to form new unity govt
South Sudan rivals agree to form unity government by deadline Juba, South Sudan | AFP | South Sudan’s president and its armed opposition leader agreed Tuesday to form a power-sharing government by a February deadline, as they face international censure over faltering peace talks. President Salva Kiir and his former …
Read More »US slaps sanctions on two S.Sudan ministers over peace delay
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on two sitting ministers in South Sudan, accusing them of obstructing the young country’s peace efforts despite promises to form a unity government. The order against Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and Martin Elia Lomuro, minister of cabinet …
Read More »Zimbabwe VP’s wife in court on attempted murder, fraud charges
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | The wife of Zimbabwe’s vice president was remanded in custody on Monday after appearing in court to face charges of fraud, money-laundering and attempted murder of her husband. Marry Mubaiwa, 38, who is the wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, was arrested by Zimbabwe’s anti-graft commission …
Read More »Aid agencies throw lifeline to hungry Zimbabweans
Epworth, Zimbabwe | AFP | It’s a meagre sum, just $9 per month, but for many families in poverty-stricken Zimbabwe, it is their last shred of hope. The innovative scheme by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), UKAID and Denmark’s DanChurchAid (DCA) is helping thousands of urban households that each day …
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