AFRICA

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The world’s biggest producer of cobalt, a key ingredient in modern batteries, plans a five-fold increase in tax on the commodity as part of an overhaul of its mining laws, industrial sources said Friday. The Democratic Republic of Congo would impose a tax of 10 …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s main opposition was embroiled in a power struggle on Friday over who is in charge of the party months before key elections, as leader Morgan Tsvangirai receives cancer treatment in hospital. Two vice presidents of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party clashed openly over …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A South African court on Friday convicted a self-styled prophet who sprayed his followers in the face with domestic insect killer as a supposed cure for illness. Lethebo Rabalago was found guilty on five charges of grievous assault and contravening chemicals laws for using “Doom”, …

Libreville, Gabon | AFP | The Cameroonian army on Friday denied its troops were responsible for alleged atrocities against separatists in English-speaking regions after unverified footage apparently involving soldiers was posted online. “These accusations of atrocities are dreamt up. We are victims of disinformation and fake news,” army spokesman Colonel Didier …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo’s powerful Catholic church vowed Friday to maintain pressure on President Joseph Kabila to step down, at a highly-charged mass for people killed in a protest march last month. “The march of Christians will not stop,” Abbot Francois Luyeye said to …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  The leaders of South Africa’s ruling party pulled out of a series of public engagements Friday, fuelling speculation that they will meet to finalise the departure of embattled President Jacob Zuma. African National Congress (ANC) party officials met with Zuma over the weekend to …

Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | About 7,400 people have been forced to flee their homes as fighting raged between rival militias in northwest Central African Republic, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday. The internally displaced people in the area of Markounda since late …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The inscription of voters for a constitutional referendum that could allow Burundi’s president to prolong his rule began Thursday in Burundi, the independent national electoral commission (CENI) announced. If accepted by the electorate, the constitutional change passed by the government last October would enable President …

Conakry, Guinea | AFP | Police have arrested at least 50 people following an arson attack that killed five children in central Guinea after last weekend’s local elections, local official said Thursday. Unrest has flared in the West African country after the ballot, with seven deaths recorded so far across …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The South African government will compensate the families of more than 100 mentally-ill patients who died from neglect after they were moved from hospital and placed into unlicenced health facilities. At least 144 psychiatric patients died from hunger and lack of care within months …