Following a July coup, Niger has become the latest hotbed of disinformation in the troubled Sahel region as West African powers grapple with crafting a response to the political crisis. From false rumours and misleading videos to manipulated audio clips, AFP has debunked over a dozen social media claims either backing or discrediting the coup leaders …

Disinformation an ‘easy sell’ in post-coup NigerFri, 18 Aug 2023 09:27:12 GMT Read More »

Deep in the Sahara desert lies the Algerian oasis of Djanet, one of earth’s more stunning locations where visitors may feel they’ve actually been transported to another planet.Parts of the landscape are more Martian or lunar, with only the blue of the sky giving the game away.Visitors, local and now foreign as well, come to …

Out of this world deep in the Algerian desertFri, 18 Aug 2023 03:17:56 GMT Read More »

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to South Africa next week, the foreign ministry said Friday, while confirming the president will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg.Africa has emerged as a renewed diplomatic battleground, with the West, Russia and China vying for influence amid heightened competition for minerals and international divisions fostered …

China says Xi to pay state visit to S. Africa, attend BRICS summit next weekFri, 18 Aug 2023 02:45:56 GMT Read More »

Under a cloudy sky in the coastal Senegalese village of Fass Boye, the local chief’s voice resounds over a loudspeaker, calling villagers to pray for the souls of their lost loved ones.Dozens of residents from the village of about 20,000 people, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital Dakar, died at sea after …

In Senegal, a village mourns its sons dead at sea in migrant tragedyThu, 17 Aug 2023 19:48:17 GMT Read More »

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has travelled to the remote north of the country to “galvanise the troops” after soldiers came under attack from rebels, his office said Thursday.He travelled to Bardai, in the harsh Tibesti mountain desert region around 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) north of the capital N’Djamena, after the attack by rebels …

Chadian leader in troubled north after rebel attackThu, 17 Aug 2023 17:26:40 GMT Read More »

A radio interview with Washington’s ambassador to Sierra Leone, whose scheduled broadcast was disrupted Wednesday, aired on Thursday after the station apologised to the information minister for not having him on air to react to the points raised.The interview, in which Ambassador David Reimer discussed the United States’s concerns about the disputed June 24 elections, …

Controversial S.Leone radio interview with US envoy airsThu, 17 Aug 2023 16:53:03 GMT Read More »

Opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, at the centre of a crisis that has rocked Senegal ahead of presidential elections, has been admitted to intensive care after launching a hunger strike, his lawyers said Thursday.Sonko began the protest on July 30 after he was accused of fanning deadly violence between his supporters and the security forces.He was …

Senegal’s Sonko in intensive care after protest fast, lawyers sayThu, 17 Aug 2023 16:44:57 GMT Read More »

West African military chiefs met in Ghana on Thursday to discuss a possible armed intervention to reverse a coup in Niger, as Germany called for EU sanctions against the rebel leaders. Alarmed by a series of military takeovers in the region, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed to activate a “standby force …

West African military chiefs weigh Niger mission after coupThu, 17 Aug 2023 14:43:29 GMT Read More »

A Libyan militia leader whose detention sparked clashes that killed 55 people in the capital Tripoli this week has been released, a military official said Thursday.Gun battles had raged on the streets of Tripoli from Monday night through Tuesday after 444 Brigade leader Mahmoud Hamza was apprehended by the rival Al-Radaa Force.Hamza “was released on …

Libyan militia leader freed after deadly clashesThu, 17 Aug 2023 10:18:01 GMT Read More »