AFRICA

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, interim leader of Sudan where protesters allege security forces broke up a weeks-long sit-in through a deadly operation Monday, was largely unknown until mid April. A doctors’ committee said at least 13 people were killed as gunfire echoed from the protest site …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | At least two people were killed Monday as Sudan’s military council tried to break up a sit-in outside Khartoum’s army headquarters, a doctors’ committee said as gunfire was heard from the protest site. “Two peaceful protesters were killed by live bullets fired at the orders of …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  Botswanan former president Ian Khama has accused the man he chose to succeed him of becoming an autocrat and threatening the country’s reputation as a beacon of stability in Africa. Khama, 66, last week left the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) in a culmination …

Fez, Morocco | AFP |  In recent times the imperial city of Fez has been overlooked by tourists in favour of  Marrakesh, but now Morocco’s “spiritual” capital is bustling with visitors due to major renovations and low-cost flights. “It is an open air museum, with the largest pedestrian zone in the …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Traffic jams on the snarled up roads of Nigeria’s megacity of Lagos are legendary, but a growing problem is also clogging up the waterways of Africa’s biggest city — water hyacinths. The spread of the invasive species of fast-growing plant is not only damaging transport links …

Salé, Morocco | AFP | The alleged leader of a jihadist cell accused of killing two Scandinavian hikers in Morocco admitted to the murders in court on Thursday, saying they were carried out in the name of the Islamic State group. Danish student Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, and 28-year-old Norwegian Maren …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  Democratic Republic of Congo awaited Thursday the delayed return of the remains of former opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, an emotion-laden moment for the country after his son Felix became president this year. A revered opponent of authoritarianism in DRC, Tshiskedi died in Belgium in February …

United Nations, United States | AFP | Burundi is threatening to cut ties with the UN envoy appointed to the country, ahead of elections next year that the government in Bujumbura insists are an internal matter, according to UN diplomats. The UN Security Council abruptly scrapped a meeting on Burundi scheduled …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Hundreds of workers at Sudan’s banks and government offices, including the key oil ministry, went on strike for a second day Wednesday to demand the country’s ruling generals step down. The two-day strike, which one protest leader said was “90 percent successful”, aimed to pressure the …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in for a second term in office on Wednesday, vowing once more to tackle crippling security threats and root out corruption in Africa’s key economy. The 76-year old leader, in power since 2015 and re-elected in February, took the oath …