AFRICA

Miami, United States | AFP | Gorillas and chimpanzees may be twice as numerous in West Africa as previously thought, but the apes are still endangered, declining fast and in dire need of protection, an international study found Wednesday. Prior estimates were based on nest counts taken from isolated areas …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The United Nations on Wednesday gave a cautious welcome after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) allowed some anti-government protests to go ahead in the runup to crucial presidential elections. The demonstrations on Tuesday were seen as a key political barometer in one of …

Paris, France | AFP | Billionaire French industrialist Vincent Bollore is being questioned in Paris over allegations that his conglomerate used corrupt connections in Africa to win port contracts. Founded in 1822, the Bollore Group, which is majority owned by the Bollore family, has diverse interests ranging from logistics and energy …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Several thousand protestors marched through Johannesburg Wednesday to demonstrate against a proposed minimum wage, a new test for President Cyril Ramaphosa who took office in February. South Africa, which is suffering record unemployment, is due to introduce the 20 rand ($1.60) hourly minimum wage, but …

  Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Museveni and the visiting Director General in Charge of the Department for Africa Affairs in Japan, Ambassador Takeshi Osuga, have discussed matters pertaining to the strengthening of bilateral relations between Japan and Uganda in particular and the African continent in general …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African police said on Tuesday one of their officers had shot dead a teenager during anti-corruption protests which have forced the president to cut short a foreign trip. Riots over alleged government corruption and poor public services erupted last week in the North …

Makurdi, Nigeria | AFP | Two priests were among at least 18 people killed in a dawn attack on a church in central Nigeria, police said Tuesday, in violence condemned by President Muhammadu Buhari as “satanic”. Around 30 suspected herdsmen attacked Mbalom community in the volatile region killing the worshippers …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Three soldiers and 30 jihadists have been killed in the past week in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula where the military is battling the Islamic State group, the army said Wednesday. Around 200 jihadists and at least 33 government troops have now been killed since the launch …

AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | Emmanuel Freudenthal | On the podium for the World’s Longest-Serving President, Paul Biya currently holds the silver medal. At an impressive 35-plus years in office, the Cameroonian leader’s ability to keep hold of power over the decades has been remarkable – perhaps all the more so because of how little …

AFRICAN ARGUMENTS | Mohammed Girma | At the end of Zagwe dynasty around the 14th century, medieval Ethiopia was in disarray. Provincial warlords were battling for supremacy and the nation was on the brink of disintegrating. Ethiopia was at threat of breaking itself apart through internal fighting as its standing in the world diminished. …