AFRICA

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | The International Criminal Court on Wednesday halted the release of former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo following a fresh appeal by prosecutors, a day after he was acquitted of crimes against humanity. Judges had earlier ordered Gbagbo and his right-hand man Charles Ble Goude …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  African Regional leaders will meet in Addis Ababa tomorrow to help chat a way forward for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The meetings will start with a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Double Troika Summit, that will be followed by a consultative meeting between …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Wednesday that Islamists who stormed an upmarket hotel complex, killing 14 people, had been “eliminated” after an almost 20-hour siege in which hundreds of civilians were rescued. At least one suicide bomber blew himself up and gunmen engaged security forces in numerous shootouts during the …

  Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The death toll from the latest outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed the 400 mark in the east and northeast, health authorities said Tuesday. “Since the start of the epidemic, the total number of cases is 658 — 609 confirmed and 49 probable. …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Fifteen people have died in an Islamist attack on an upmarket hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenyan police sources said Wednesday, as fresh explosions and gunfire rang out in the siege which stretched into its second day. Security forces worked throughout the night to secure the …

Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Since independence in 1960, Gabon has had only three presidents including a father and son from the Bongo family who between them have held power for more than five decades. Here are highlights in the history of the small central African country. – Leon M’Ba to Omar Bongo – Gabon …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Seven people were killed when Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base in remote northeast Nigeria, setting fire to shelters for those displaced by the conflict, military and humanitarian sources told AFP Tuesday. The attack in Rann, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) northeast of the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, began …

United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Tuesday called on all players in the Democratic Republic of Congo to respect the outcome of landmark elections as doubt persisted over results announced by election authorities. DR Congo opposition leader Martin Fayulu has lodged an appeal at the constitutional court after the …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | A huge blast followed by a gun battle rocked an upmarket hotel and office complex in Nairobi on Tuesday, causing casualties, in an attack claimed by the Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab Islamist group. The explosion at the DusitD2 compound, which includes a 101-room hotel, restaurant and several …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | In Nigeria, where religious and ethnic identity often determines support for a candidate, Mudi Bawa might well have been expected to vote for Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Both are northern Muslims. But the fisherman had another reason to choose Buhari: the hope he could help him return to the home …