Tag Archives: vote

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Democratic Republic of Congo goes to the polls this week in elections which could see the country emerge from 17 years of conflict-ridden rule under controversial President Joseph Kabila. Twenty-one candidates are running to replace Kabila, whose hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary is one …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Little known outside DR Congo power circles, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary is a key ally of President Joseph Kabila and, critics suspect, likely to be his puppet if victorious in Sunday’s election. Often dressed in a smart suit and tie, the 58-year-old, who is one …

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Madagascar heads to the polls on Wednesday in a crunch head-to-head election between two arch-rivals who have dominated political life on poverty-stricken Indian Ocean island for years. The showdown between Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina could revive instability in the country if a close result …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN rights chief on Friday denounced violence targeting the opposition by DR Congo’s security forces, just days before a vote marred by an increasingly tense campaign. “I am deeply worried about the reports of excessive use of force, including live ammunition, by security forces …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Nearly 80 percent of the materials for staging the December 23 election in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, were destroyed when an election warehouse was torched overnight, officials said Thursday. The blaze ripped through a large warehouse in central Kinshasa in the early hours of …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  Nearly 80 percent of the materials for staging the December 23 election in DR Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, were destroyed when an election warehouse was torched overnight, officials said Thursday. The blaze ripped through a large warehouse in central Kinshasa in the early hours of …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | The main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari in next year’s presidential poll has signed a deal committing to peaceful elections a day after missing the initial ceremony in the capital. “Earlier today, I appended my signature to the Peace Accord,” Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | A teenager was shot dead in DR Congo’s central Kasai region on Thursday as party faithful gathered to welcome one of the leading opposition candidates vying to replace President Joseph Kabila in the December 23 elections. The bloodshed occurred ahead of a rally by …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | A fire broke out in an electoral commission building in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo in early hours of Thursday, officials said, 10 days ahead of presidential elections that have been foreshadowed by violence. The blaze came after three people were killed …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s main opposition party has blamed a “communication lapse” for its candidate not being present to sign a deal with other candidates for peaceful elections. Atiku Abubakar was a notable absentee at Tuesday’s ceremony in Abuja, at which President Muhammadu Buhari and dozens of other …