Bukavu, DR Congo | AFP | A notorious DR Congo militia chief whose men have been accused of systematic rapes has been arrested, the army said on Friday. Isaac Chirambiza was seized on Tuesday with three of his men in a military operation in South Kivu province, regional spokesman Captain …
Read More »278 skeletons found at Sri Lanka mass grave
Colombo, Sri Lanka | AFP | Some 278 skeletons have been found at one of the biggest mass graves uncovered in Sri Lanka since the end of the country’s civil war almost a decade ago, a top investigator said Friday. Dozens of women and children as well as men were …
Read More »Sudan police fire tear gas as new protests erupt
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese police fired tear gas at hundreds of worshippers who staged demonstrations after Friday prayers in several cities, including Khartoum, as opposition groups urged more anti-government protests. Angry crowds have taken to the streets in Khartoum and other cities since December 19 after a government …
Read More »Boko Haram sacks two military bases in northeast Nigeria
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Boko Haram sacked two military bases in northeast Nigeria overnight as the jihadist fighters battle for control of a strategic town on Lake Chad, military sources said Thursday. Jihadists from the IS-supported Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) overran a naval base and a multinational …
Read More »Egypt voices support for protest-hit Sudan
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Egypt’s foreign minister on Thursday voiced support for Sudan’s embattled government, as Khartoum grapples with demonstrations against price hikes in which a disputed number of protesters have been killed. Cairo’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and intelligence chief General Abbas Kamel arrived in Sudan’s capital on …
Read More »Sudan journalists strike as more protests urged
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | A network of Sudanese journalists went on strike Thursday in the wake of deadly protests sparked by a hike in bread prices, while opposition groups called for further rallies. Angry crowds have taken to the streets in the capital Khartoum and several other cities since …
Read More »Egypt’s Mubarak asks Sisi for ‘permission’ to testify in Morsi trial
Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egypt’s deposed president Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday asked current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for “permission” to disclose sensitive information in the retrial of ousted Islamist leader Mohamed Morsi. Toppled in 2011 after mass protests against his nearly 30-year-rule, Mubarak took the witness stand in a …
Read More »Tunisia clashes spread over tough living conditions
Kasserine, Tunisia | AFP | Clashes between Tunisian protesters and security forces spread from an impoverished western city overnight, authorities said Wednesday, as anger grew over the death of a journalist who set himself on fire over economic conditions. In the western city of Kasserine, police fired tear gas at …
Read More »13 Nigerian troops, policeman killed in Boko Haram attack
Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Boko Haram jihadists ambushed a military convoy in northeastern Nigeria, killing 13 soldiers and a policeman, the army said Wednesday. But an officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militants had overrun an army base, and put the death toll at 18. An army …
Read More »Ethiopia creates reconciliation council to tackle ethnic violence
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia’s parliament on Tuesday approved the creation of a reconciliation commission as the government seeks to end intercommunal ethnic violence, state-affiliated Fana radio said. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has won international praise for his reformist agenda since coming to power in April, including allowing …
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