“Fake Congolese” or “candidate of the aggressor country” — some of the accusations being bandied around on social media in a bid to ruin reputations in the run-up to DR Congo’s presidential vote.Some opposition candidates face claims online of being “foreigners”, a potentially powerful weapon in a country scarred by conflict with its neighbours and …

‘Foreigner’ claims dog DR Congo presidential candidatesFri, 15 Dec 2023 10:06:09 GMT Read More »

Security forces arrested scores of people in a crackdown on illegal mining on Thursday as President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa was “tired of crime”.Dozens of army and police searched shacks, detained suspects and seized mining equipment in the Soul City settlement near Kagiso, west of Johannesburg, AFP reporters saw. More than 70 people were held …

S.Africa army raids illegal miners as Ramaphosa talks tough on crimeThu, 14 Dec 2023 14:42:09 GMT Read More »

The military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have banded together in a joint defence pact to fight jihadists and present a united political front in their declared aim to restore sovereignty.Against a backdrop of a bloody jihadist insurgency in West Africa’s Sahel region that erupted in northern Mali in 2012, later spreading to …

Sahel military-led states bet on security, diplomatic defianceThu, 14 Dec 2023 14:40:00 GMT Read More »

A Senegalese judge on Thursday ordered that jailed opposition leader Ousmane Sonko be reinstated on the electoral roll, clearing the way for him to stand in next year’s presidential election.Sonko was struck off Senegal’s electoral register after being sentenced in June to two years’ imprisonment for morally corrupting a young person. The 49-year-old political thorn in …

Senegal court clears jailed opposition figure for presidential runThu, 14 Dec 2023 14:21:14 GMT Read More »

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday he was open to toughening up his controversial plan to send migrants to Rwanda, which has divided his ruling Conservative party.The plan is Sunak’s answer to a unanimous Supreme Court ruling last month that deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda is illegal under international law.Sunak, who has been …

UK PM Sunak says open to tweaking Rwanda billThu, 14 Dec 2023 11:23:08 GMT Read More »

Slowing demand growth and rising US crude production will make it more difficult for OPEC+ to continue to prop up prices, the IEA said on Thursday.The OPEC+ cartel, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, has been restraining production to maintain prices but the latter have recently slumped due to the weakening of the global economy …

OPEC+ cartel’s grip on oil market loosening: IEAThu, 14 Dec 2023 09:20:30 GMT Read More »

Chadians vote on Sunday on a new constitution, in a key step towards elections promised, but postponed, by the ruling junta and seen as a test of legitimacy for the Deby dynasty’s more than 30-year rule.Transitional President General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, whose junta has governed since 2021, had promised to hand power to civilians …

Chad votes on new constitution ahead of promised end of military ruleThu, 14 Dec 2023 08:12:48 GMT Read More »

Chad, which holds a constitutional referendum on Sunday as part of a process designed to end two and a half years of military rule, has been run by the Deby family dynasty for over 30 years.Here are five key facts about the central African country, which is a member of the French-backed five-country G5 Sahel …

From fossils to films: five things to know about ChadThu, 14 Dec 2023 08:10:49 GMT Read More »

Gedeon, 22, driving his auto-rickshaw through the bustling streets of DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa, said he never imagined he would end up doing the job he does.Like many young people in the deeply impoverished central African nation, he said he had high hopes that the government can deliver a better future.”I want to go back …

Ahead of DR Congo vote, youngsters crave jobsThu, 14 Dec 2023 08:10:16 GMT Read More »

The number of journalists killed in the line of duty fell this year, despite reporter deaths in Gaza in the past two months, media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said Thursday.In the first 11 months of 2023, 45 journalists were killed carrying out their work, down from 61 last year, according to the annual report …

Number of journalists killed on job in 2023 declines despite Gaza: RSFThu, 14 Dec 2023 07:13:53 GMT Read More »