Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Armed men abducted a German nurse working for the International Committee of the Red Cross on Wednesday evening from a compound in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, the aid group said Thursday. “We are deeply concerned about the safety of our colleague,” said Daniel O’Malley, ICRC’s deputy …
Read More »13 killed as cattle rustlers attack Nigerian village
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Thirteen people were killed in prolonged clashes between cattle thieves and local civilian militia in northern Nigeria’s Zamfara state, police said on Thursday. The militia and cattle thieves fought a gun battle Tuesday through Wednesday in the remote village of Fankashi in the Maru district …
Read More »Church opposes Burundi constitutional referendum
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s influential Catholic bishops said Thursday that they were opposed to fundamental constitutional changes to be voted on in a referendum this month. If passed, the proposed changes could see President Pierre Nkurunziza remain in charge for another 16 years. A statement, signed by 10 …
Read More »COMMENT: African leaders and democracy
Why it is not true that African presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by democratic constraints COMMENT | NIC CHEESEMAN | Africa is often imagined to be a place in which presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by constitutional or democratic constraints. A large body of literature has developed …
Read More »Bashir closes 13 Sudanese diplomatic missions: state media
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | President Omar al-Bashir has ordered the closure of 13 Sudanese overseas missions and job cuts at the foreign ministry due to an economic crisis in his country, state media reported Thursday. Bashir’s order comes days after he fired foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour after he said …
Read More »Africa struggles for weapons against armyworm curse
Kisumu, Kenya | AFP | On farms across Africa, a seemingly innocuous brown and beige caterpillar is waging a silent war, devastating rural incomes and posing a major threat to the continent’s food supply. In just two years, the so-called fall armyworm has colonised three-quarters of Africa, according to the …
Read More »COMMENT: Big changes to eliminate malaria
To win the fight against malaria, African malaria leaders need the freedom to respond fast, using local knowledge COMMENT | RICHARD KAMWI, KESETE ADMASU, HARALD NUSSER | African malaria experts fear that the World Health Organization’s 2030 malaria targets may not be achieved unless big changes occur in funding and delivery. …
Read More »Libya in chaos since overthrow of Kadhafi
Tripoli, Libya | AFP | Libya, where rival authorities and numerous militias are vying for power, fell into chaos after the ouster of strongman Moamer Kadhafi in October 2011. – Kadhafi killed – Kadhafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, is killed on October 20, 2011, as he tries to …
Read More »C.African president lashes religious exploitation after bloodshed
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The president of the Central African Republic on Wednesday accused militias of exploiting religious tensions a day after at least 24 people in the capital died in attacks that targeted a church and a mosque. Around 170 people were also wounded, sparking fears that …
Read More »Madagascar army calls for end to political crisis
Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Madagascar’s defence minister has appealed to warring political parties to reach an agreement, as anti-government protests in the capital continued for a twelth day. President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has refused to yield to opposition demands that he resign, seven months ahead of a general election. The opposition …
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