Soldiers claim to have overthrown Niger’s government following an apparent coup in the West African nation on Wednesday when members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum.Members of the elite guard sealed off access to the president’s residence and offices in the capital Niamey, and after talks broke down, “refused to release” him, a …

Niger soldiers claim to have overthrown presidentThu, 27 Jul 2023 05:36:04 GMT Read More »

The Russian president will on Thursday host leaders of African countries for a summit in his native Saint Petersburg, as the continent braces for the consequences of Moscow’s withdrawal from the Ukraine grain export deal.Isolated on the international scene since launching a full-scale military intervention in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin still has support in several African …

Putin hosts African leaders in Russia after grain deal exitThu, 27 Jul 2023 04:35:32 GMT Read More »

As Sahel countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso fell to military junta rule in recent years, Niger’s Mohamed Bazoum stood as one of the region’s few remaining pro-Western, democratically elected leaders.He came to power in 2021 — the country’s first president to do so in a peaceful transition — and later called that a …

Mohamed Bazoum: Niger president never far from coup threatThu, 27 Jul 2023 03:27:18 GMT Read More »

African migrants pleaded to be saved from a desert zone between Libya and Tunisia on Wednesday, weeks after Tunisian authorities allegedly dumped dozens of them there with nothing.”We are dying. We are dying by the minute,” a Nigerian who wanted to be identified only by his first name, George, told AFP.”Please, I’m begging you. Take …

‘We are dying’: Migrants’ plea from Libya-Tunisia borderThu, 27 Jul 2023 00:08:55 GMT Read More »

An attempted coup was under way Wednesday in the fragile state of Niger, where members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, triggering a standoff with the army, sources said.The head of the West African bloc ECOWAS said Benin President Patrice Talon was heading to Niger on a mediation bid after the region was …

‘Coup attempt’ in troubled Niger as president held by guardsWed, 26 Jul 2023 21:11:45 GMT Read More »

Here are five things to know about Niger, where the country’s president was being detained by guards in what the African Union on Wednesday condemned as an “attempted coup”.- Parched and poor -Niger, a vast west African country that is two-thirds desert, is one of the world’s poorest nations.Half of its 26.2 million people live …

Five things to know about NigerWed, 26 Jul 2023 15:59:24 GMT Read More »

Opposition leader Raila Odinga told AFP Wednesday that he would not hold talks with President William Ruto without a third-party mediator after months of anti-government protests.Since Odinga urged Kenyans to take to the streets in March, his Azimio alliance has held nine days of protests against the government, with the demonstrations sometimes spiralling into looting …

Kenya’s Odinga rules out talks over protests without mediatorWed, 26 Jul 2023 15:10:28 GMT Read More »

An attempted coup was underway Wednesday in the Sahel state of Niger as President Mohamed Bazoum was being held by members of his guard, who in turn were given an ultimatum by the army, sources said.The West African bloc ECOWAS, the African Union and the European Union condemned what they called an “attempted coup d’etat,” …

‘Attempted coup’ in troubled Niger as president heldWed, 26 Jul 2023 14:55:27 GMT Read More »

Barbie dolls are flying off the shelves in South Africa as “Barbie” movie mania has hit the country’s shores, with toy stores seeing a cotton candy-hued boom in sales. The iconic toy, known for its blonde mane, blue eyes, and pink clothing, has been a household name in the southern African nation for decades — but …

Barbie sales shoot up as movie frenzy hits S.AfricaWed, 26 Jul 2023 14:21:14 GMT Read More »

More than 1,000 supporters of South Africa’s leading opposition party took to the streets in Cape Town on Wednesday to protest a controversial law aimed at increasing the employment of black people.The Democratic Alliance (DA) party and some businesses in the country say the so-called “race quotas” legislation could see qualified workers lose their jobs …

March against S.Africa ‘race quotas’ draws 1,000 in Cape TownWed, 26 Jul 2023 12:32:20 GMT Read More »