AFRICA

Bissau, Guinea-Bissau | AFP |  Voters in Guinea-Bissau have a choice between two old political hands in Sunday’s presidential election run-off, although both have very different styles and backgrounds. Here are profiles of the two men: – Domingos Simoes Pereira –  Former prime minister Pereira has been politically active since his …

Rabat, Morocco | AFP |  Hundreds of people demonstrated Saturday outside Morocco’s parliament demanding the release of a journalist detained for criticising a judge in a tweet. Omar Radi, 33, was detained Thursday in Casablanca and immediately put on trial for the tweet about a judge prosecuting protest leaders, his …

Paris, France | AFP | As 1960 dawned, sub-Saharan Africa braced for historic change: that year, 17 of its countries were destined to gain independence from European colonial powers. But six decades on, the continent is mired in many problems. It is struggling to build an economic model that encourages …

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | AFP |  A black rhino believed to be the oldest in the world has died in Tanzania at the age of 57, according to authorities in Ngorongoro where the animal was living. The female rhino, named Fausta, died of what is believed to be natural …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | A massive car bomb exploded in a busy area of Mogadishu on Saturday, leaving at least 79 people dead and scores injured in Somalia’s deadliest attack in two years. At least 16 of those killed were students from the capital’s private Banadir University, who had …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP | The Sudanese government and nine rebel groups on Saturday signed an agreement on a roadmap towards ending the bloody conflict in the Darfur region. The deal outlines different issues the parties will need to negotiate during the latest round of talks in Juba. “We believe …

Ekité, Cameroon | AFP |  It was a “dirty war” waged by French colonial troops but it never made headlines and even today goes untold in school history books. The brutal conflict unfolded in Cameroon, which on January 1 marks its 60th anniversary of independence — the first of 17 African …

Yaoundé, Cameroon | AFP |   Cameroon became independent in 1960, the first of 17 African countries to break free from their European colonial masters that year. Here are key dates in the country since then. – 1960: independence –  Cameroon was a German protectorate and was split between Britain and …

Yaoundé, Cameroon | AFP |  Next year will see a wave of celebrations in Africa among 17 countries that gained their independence in 1960. But in Cameroon, the first country in the jubilee line, the mood among many people is sour. The highly diverse central-western state was traditionally viewed as one …

Kigali, Rwanda | AFP |  Slum dwellers in Kigali are accusing city authorities of razing their homes without paying compensation, stirring anger among poorer Rwandans who feel marginalised by a government-led push to modernise the capital. This month, the first of thousands of homes slated for demolition in Kigali’s unplanned …