AFRICA

Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Senegalese troops backed by other African forces were poised to move into The Gambia late Wednesday as President Yahya Jammeh’s army chief said his troops would not fight their entry into the country. Jammeh was given a midnight deadline to stand down or face military …

Gambia army chief says troops will not fight intervention Banjul, Gambia | AFP |  Gambia’s army chief said Wednesday he would not order his men to fight other African troops if they enter Gambian territory, speaking as Senegalese and other troops massed on his nation’s borders. The Senegalese troops backed …

Banjul, Gambia | AFP |  He is quiet, understated and until recently unknown, but Adama Barrow — an Arsenal supporter who was once a security guard in London — has become the flagbearer for a new era of change in The Gambia. The 51-year-old won an election seven weeks ago …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  The UN said Wednesday it had no confirmation of an incursion into Democratic Republic of Congo by scores of rebels sheltering in Uganda, but that it was “ready to engage” if it were the case. The DRC government said Sunday that at least 230 …

Dakar, Senegal | AFP |  The Senegalese army said Wednesday it was ready to intervene in neighbouring The Gambia if there was no solution to the crisis triggered by President Yahya Jammeh’s refusal to step down after his election defeat last month. “Our troops are on alert… The ultimatum takes …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria has sent 200 soldiers and air assets including fighter jets to Senegal as part of a regional force to enforce the result of Gambia’s contested election, the country’s air force said Wednesday. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had “today moved a contingent …

Gambia’s Jammeh clings on as tourists flee, Vice President resigns Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Gambian President Yahya Jammeh looked determined to cling to power on Wednesday as his mandate came to an end, prompting neighbouring Senegal asking the UN to back regional actions against him. Jammeh has announced a …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | A Kenyan opposition MP has urged fellow women to impose a sex boycott until their men register to vote in August’s general election. Mishi Mboko, who is married, said women should withhold sex until their menfolk present their credentials in the form of a valid …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Dozens of people were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp in northeast Nigeria for those made homeless by Boko Haram Islamists. The incident happened at about 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, …

Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, citing foreign interference in a presidential election he lost to opponent Adama Barrow last month. The declaration was necessary “due to the unprecedented and extraordinary amount of foreign inference in the December 1 presidential …