AFRICA

Meeting raises hope for improved relations between Kampala and Kigali Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | A recent one-day state visit by Rwandan President Paul Kagame to Uganda on March.25 has raised hopes that relations between the two countries might return to normalcy again after several months of heightened tensions. …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swept to a second term with 97 percent of valid votes, official results showed Monday, dominating an election last week that saw him face no serious rivals. The head of the election authority Lasheen Ibrahim said at a press conference that …

Zintan, Libya | AFP | Nearly a year after a Libyan militia announced it had set free the son and heir apparent of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, the fate of Seif al-Islam remains a mystery. His reported release from detention by the Abu Bakr al-Sadiq Brigade which once controlled the …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Winnie Mandela, the former wife of South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, died on Monday aged 81, triggering an outpouring of tributes to one of the country’s defining and most divisive figures. She died in a Johannesburg hospital, her family said in a statement, adding …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s new prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, apologised to people harmed in recent political unrest and reached out both to the political opposition and longtime rival Eritrea at his swearing-in on Monday. Abiy is the first ethnic Oromo to be selected by the ruling Ethiopian …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Boko Haram fighters attacked a military base and two surrounding villages near the flashpoint Nigerian city of Maiduguri overnight, killing at least 18 people and wounding 84, officials said Monday. It was one of the most brazen attacks in recent months and was a precursor …

Gaborone, Botswana | AFP | Botswana’s new president, Mokgweetsi Masisi, used his inauguration speech on Sunday to vow to tackle youth unemployment in one of Africa’s most stable countries. The swearing-in ceremony in parliament came after Ian Khama stepped down having completed the constitutional maximum of 10 years in office. …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Sunday requested that Cuba recall its ambassador for allegedly expressing support for a new opposition party. Cuban ambassador Nelson Pages Vilas reportedly attended the launch of the “Socialist Party” on Saturday in Lusaka and was accused of publicly saying that …

N’Djamena, Chad | AFP | Chad’s main opposition group said Sunday it had rejected the conclusions of the central African state’s forum on constitutional change and reforms to the presidency. The political, religious and social group members of the Forum proposed to increase presidential tenure from five to six years, with …

Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | The West African bloc ECOWAS declared itself “satisfied” with Sierra Leone’s run-off presidential vote, as vote counting continued Sunday, while noting intimidating levels of security at some polling stations. The second round vote pitted challenger Julius Maada Bio of the opposition Sierra Leone People’s …