AFRICA

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  Dozens of prisoners escaped from a jail in Democratic Republic of Congo early Friday, less than 48 hours after rebels attacked Kinshasa’s main prison, freeing their leader and 50 others. “Among the 74 prisoners housed in the dilapidated prison in Kasangulu, 68 escaped,” local …

Gao, Mali | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron visited French troops fighting jihadists in conflict-torn Mali on Friday and urged faster progress on a peace accord signed in 2015. At the end of his first week in office, Macron flew into Gao, a city in Mali’s deeply-troubled north, where he …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP |  Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, will not join an Islamic summit in Saudi Arabia with US President Donald Trump, his office said Friday. “President Omar al-Bashir has apologised to King Salman of Saudi Arabia for being unable to …

Arusha, Tanzania | JUMUIYA| The 18th Ordinary East African Community (EAC) Heads of State Summit has been set for May 20, 2017, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.Top on the agenda is the consideration of EU-EAC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and Sustainable Financing Mechanism for the Community. The Summit will also consider …

Midrand, SOUTH AFRICA: African legislators have kick-started the process of developing legislation on policing in Africa. Titled, “The Draft Model Police Act”, the proposed legislation addresses issues of governance, human rights and justice. It also spells out the role, functions, powers and duties of a police officer including appointment, promotion, …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP |  The claims read like the plot of a best-selling thriller, with secretive arms dealers and a corruption-riddled government fighting jihadists. The weapons deal collapses in acrimony but instead of a shoot-out, the embittered parties fight it out in court. In this real life saga, Ara …

Oslo, Norway | AFP |  A British-Norwegian dual citizen who was serving a life sentence for murder and espionage in a Congolose prison was released and returned to Norway on Wednesday, authorities said. Joshua French, 35, was sentenced to life in prison in 2013 for the murder of his cellmate …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  Rebels from an outlawed political-religious group attacked Kinshasa’s central prison on Wednesday, breaking out their leader and about 50 other prisoners, the Congolese government said. “Followers of the Bundu Dia Kongo (BDK) attacked Makala prison at dawn and broke out around 50 prisoners including …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP |  At least three members of the Somali security forces were killed Wednesday as they tried to defuse a bomb inside a vehicle in the capital Mogadishu, police said. “The vehicle was seized and the security forces were trying to defuse the bomb inside when it …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP |  Nigerian troops have been told not to get involved in politics, the army said Tuesday, in a warning likely to resonate given the country’s history of coups and with the president currently abroad and ailing. Army spokesman Sani Usman said the Chief of Army Staff, …