AFRICA

Juba, South Sudan | AFP |  A South Sudan military court on Tuesday opened the trial of 13 soldiers accused of raping foreign aid workers and murdering a local journalist during fighting in Juba last July. The chilling attack cast a spotlight on atrocities by government troops but also led …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | More than a century after a colonial railway gave birth to modern Kenya, the country is betting on a new Chinese-built route to cement its position as the gateway to East Africa. The $3.2 billion (2.8 billion euro) railway linking Nairobi with the port city …

Onitsha, Nigeria | AFP | Shops, schools and businesses were shut in southeast Nigeria on Tuesday, 50 years to the day since an independent republic of Biafra was declared, sparking a brutal civil war. In Onitsha, the economic hub of Anambra state on the banks of the River Niger, most …

Eight candidates in the running for Kenya presidency Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Kenya’s electoral commission on Monday approved eight candidates to take part in the presidential election in August, including incumbent leader Uhuru Kenyatta and his historic rival Raila Odinga. The vetting process left several candidates disappointed, including one …

Mahagi, DRC | MoFA UG |  Uganda and neighbors DRC are meeting to resolve trans-boundary conflicts affecting the Albertine region. Focus of the 3-day meeting that started on Monday will be on how citizens in the border region can best use the resources that Lake Albert and Edward provide. The meeting will also focus …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  More than 8,000 people on Saturday took part in a “Burundi Peace Run” through the capital Bujumbura, organisers said, in a bid to show the country has overcome more than two years of political crisis. A heavy military and police contingent was on hand for …

Umuahia, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria on Tuesday marks 50 years since the declaration of an independent Republic of Biafra plunged the country into a civil war, amid renewed tensions and fresh calls for a separate state. The main pro-independence groups — the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and the …

Kampala, Uganda |  Rights groups on Friday accused the Ugandan government of inaction over the deadly assault by security forces on a tribal king’s palace six months ago, renewing their call for an independent probe. Human Rights Watch (HRW) Africa Director, Maria Burnett told reporters in Kampala that although the …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP |  Masked gunmen attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians on a visit to a monastery south of the Egyptian capital on Friday, killing at least 28 people including children, officials said. The assailants in three pick-up trucks attacked the bus as it carried visitors to the …

In moral ‘crusade’, Burundi forces unwed couples to marry Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Unmarried couples have until the end of the year to legalise their relationships, the Burundi government said Friday, as part of an effort to reform morals in the country. The order follows the launch of a …