Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari received the released Dapchi girls on Friday in a meeting clouded by the absence of a Christian student still held by Boko Haram for refusing to convert to Islam. “We entered into negotiation solely to make sure that no single girl …
Read More »Senegalese president promises action on child murders
Dakar, Senegal | AFP | Senegalese President Macky Sall on Friday promised to “track down” the perpetrators of a spate of child kidnappings and killings in Senegal that have sown fear among parents in the West African nation. Police said Tuesday that two children had been murdered in recent days and …
Read More »Deputy takes over after Mauritius president’s resignation
Port Louis, Mauritius | AFP | The vice-president of Mauritius assumed temporary power on Friday a week after the resignation of President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim over allegations of a credit card scandal. A statement from the presidency said Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory had assumed the functions of the president on 23 March. He …
Read More »Zambia opposition seeks to impeach president
Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambia’s main opposition party has filed a motion to impeach President Edgar Lungu for violating the constitution, the presidency said Friday, in the latest development following a disputed 2016 election. The impeachment motion will be put before parliament on March 28 by the United Party for …
Read More »UN troops find 8 bodies after bloodshed in eastern DR Congo
Bunia, DR Congo | AFP | UN peacekeepers have found eight decomposing bodies in a village in the volatile Ituri province of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the agency told AFP on Friday. A local official said the eight had been killed during a March 12-13 attack on Djugu area …
Read More »Sierra Leone election body alleges police intimidation
Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone’s police on Thursday dismissed accusations by the election commission that officers were disrupting its activities ahead of a March 27 presidential run-off, bringing the force’s impartiality into question. Tensions are high ahead of the vote with a campaign marked by violent attacks …
Read More »UN urges Liberia to ensure ‘full and true reconciliation’
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | A top UN official on Thursday urged Liberia to implement the recommendations of a truth commission, dating back to 2009, which included prosecuting eight ex-warlords for alleged crimes against humanity. “Liberia is at a turning point”, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference in Monrovia, …
Read More »Liberia’s Weah defends agency chief sacking
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia’s president George Weah on Thursday denied breaking the law by firing the head of a government agency overseeing the mining and forestry sectors. The mining of iron ore and production of latex to make rubber constitute the bulk of Liberia’s exports, and are rare …
Read More »Anger in S.Africa over legal fees of ex-president Zuma
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s government was facing growing questions on Thursday over who should foot the legal bills of former president Jacob Zuma as he fights numerous allegations of corruption. His successor President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to endorse underwriting the mounting legal court costs of his …
Read More »UN presses Liberia to kickstart war crimes prosecutions
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | A top UN official on Thursday asked Liberia to implement the recommendations of a truth commission dating back to 2009 which included prosecuting eight ex-warlords for alleged crimes against humanity. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference in Monrovia it was “critical to implement the …
Read More »