AFRICA

THE LAST WORD: Why our continent needs to rethink her overenthusiastic attitude towards foreign direct investment THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Last month, Rwanda hosted the African Union’s summit on the Continent Free Trade Area (CFTA). The discussions were as inspiring as they were frustrating. Leaders from government …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | International lenders and markets are growing increasingly concerned about “hidden debt” in Zambia, a situation similar to the one that plunged neighbouring Mozambique into a deep financial crisis. For several weeks financiers have demanded answers about the level of the country’s true external borrowing — …

Lome, Togo | AFP | Guinea-Bissau’s President Jose Mario Vaz has nominated another new prime minister, the West African bloc said on Saturday, after talks aimed at ending years of political crisis. The Economic Community of West African States said Vaz had nominated Aristide Gomes as “prime minister of consensus” …

Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The UN mission in the Central African Republic said Saturday it had launched a probe after the arrest of a peacekeeper suspected of trafficking arms in the perennially restive nation. “A MINUSCA blue helmet in civilian clothes was arrested in Bangui on Friday …

2106, Egypt | AFP | Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi extended for three months from Saturday a state of emergency for the fourth time since it was first declared last year, the official gazette said. A nationwide state of emergency was first imposed in April last year after two church bombings …

Soweto, South Africa | AFP | South Africa lays to rest anti-apartheid icon and Nelson Mandela’s former wife Winnie Mandela with full state honours at a stadium funeral in Soweto on Saturday. Tens of thousands of mourners burst into loud cheers as the casket carrying her remains was wheeled into …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nine people have been arrested after 15 people were killed when armed men attacked two banks and a police station in central Nigeria, police said on Friday. The gang struck in broad daylight in a busy commercial district in Offa, Kwara state, on April 6, …

1942, Angola | AFP | Angolan teachers on Friday ended a strike after reaching a deal with the government on pay and conditions, their union said. The teachers had begun the walk-out, originally planned to last for three weeks, on Monday in what was seen as President Joao Lourenco’s first …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Donors gathered in Geneva Friday were expected to cough up pledges of $530 million (430 million euros) towards addressing a towering humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN said. The amount was less than a quarter of the some $2.2 billion the …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP | A campaign by Arab states to block Israel’s bid for a Security Council seat has gained support weeks ahead of a scheduled UN vote, the Palestinian foreign minister said Thursday. “We are doing everything possible to convince as many countries as possible to block …