AFRICA

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian air raids aimed at stopping herdsmen-farmer clashes killed at least 35 people in December, Amnesty International said Tuesday, describing the government’s response as “unlawful”. In a new report, the rights monitor said that on December 4, Nigerian air force planes fired “warning” rockets on villages …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was discharged from hospital Tuesday after being treated for a kidney ailment, the family of her ex-husband Nelson Mandela said. Madikizela-Mandela, 81, was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital 10 days ago. The struggle veteran, who was persecuted by authorities …

United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Tuesday maintained an arms embargo on the Central African Republic and added incitement to hatred as well as attacks on aid workers as criteria for sanctions. The council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution that would pave the way to …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Opposition parties and figures in Egypt called Tuesday for a boycott of the March presidential election in which incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi looks set to romp to victory. Branding the poll a “charade”, the coalition of eight parties and 150 public figures announced a campaign …

Kananga, DR Congo | AFP | Two days of unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s southern opposition stronghold of Kasai have left nine people dead, local sources said on Tuesday. The anti-government Kamwina Nsapu militia “killed four people Monday in the village of Bata Ishama” in Kasai province, local …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga had himself sworn in as an alternative president Tuesday in front of thousands of supporters, three months after an election he claims was stolen from him. Authorities have repeatedly warned that such an inauguration was treasonous and that Odinga could …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | More than 13,000 migrants have been repatriated from Libya since the beginning of December, the African Union’s chief said Monday, nearly two months after reports emerged showing refugees being sold as slaves. That number is short of the AU’s goal to fly 20,000 out of …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Supporters of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga gathered in Nairobi Tuesday ahead of a ceremony to swear him in as an alternative president, three months after he claims an election was stolen from him. The planned “inauguration” has raised fears of violence as police had …

Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT |  After a tense night, reports indicate that Kenya police on Tuesday morning allowed buses ferrying National Super Alliance (NASA) to head towards Nairobi on a day when opposition leader Raila Odinga is planning to have himself sworn in as an alternative president. Hundreds of supporters were photographed …

Bamako, Mali | AFP | Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita declared three days of mourning on Monday for the dozens of people killed over the last week in jihadist attacks and bombings. Keita cancelled travel plans to an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over the weekend to visit central …