Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | A South African mercenary who fought Boko Haram jihadists in Nigeria spoke out on Sunday against President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of the Islamist insurgency, blaming “poor political decisions” for an upsurge in violence. In a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday, Eeben Barlow criticised Buhari …

UPDF on high alert, deploys at the border Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A spate of attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)has sparked fears the rebel group could soon attack Uganda after many years of operating in eastern DR Congo. Founded in Uganda by a group of Islamic …

Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | At least four people have been killed in fighting between the army and militias in the capital of Central African Republic, sources said on Friday. The clashes erupted in Bangui’s mainly Muslim PK5 district — an area that has become a flashpoint in …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | A former militia leader from the Central African Republic known as “Colonel Rambo” was tortured in detention before his transfer to The Hague on war crimes charges, his lawyer said Friday. The arrest of Alfred Yekatom, who made his first appearance at the International …

Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | The Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako has urged contractors and wiremen to support efforts of government aimed at increasing electricity access and distribution. Tibalwa who was speaking at the inaugural electrical wiremen and contractors’ conference held …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Mauricio Pochettino accepts he is pushing his Tottenham squad to the limit as he counts the cost of their World Cup exploits. Out of the 12 Spurs players that went to Russia in the summer, only Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Son Heung-min have …

Peshawar, Pakistan | AFP | At least 31 people were killed and 50 wounded when a suicide blast ripped through a crowded marketplace in Pakistan’s restive northwestern tribal region Friday, officials said. The attack took place during the regular Friday bazaar in Kalaya, a town in a Shiite-dominated area of …

Yaounde, Cameroon | AFP | The Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone region, where separatists are waging an armed insurgency, said Friday it suspected the army of killing a Kenyan priest two days ago. Cosmos Omboto Ondari, a 33-year-old cleric, was shot dead on Wednesday at a church in …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s former opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa, who recently returned from exile, was on Thursday named as head of the country’s election body ahead of the 2020 polls. Birtukan’s appointment makes her the latest woman to be appointed to a high-profile role and the most …

Beijing, China | AFP | A car rammed into a group of children crossing a street in front of an elementary school in northeast China on Thursday, killing five people and injuring another 18, state media said. Police took the driver into custody and are investigating the cause of the …