Emmerson Mnangagwa became Zimbabwe’s second president after outmanoeuvring long-time ruler Robert Mugabe with a military-backed coup in 2017 — and at 80 shows no signs of wanting to retire.Nicknamed “The Crocodile” because of his ruthlessness, Mnangagwa, who analysts judge more autocratic than his predecessor and lacking Mugabe’s intellectual flair and ideological vision, is seeking to cement …

Zimbabwe’s 80-year-old ‘Crocodile’ president seeks new termMon, 21 Aug 2023 04:13:20 GMT Read More »

A large banner featuring Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa hangs from a rundown apartment block in Mbare, a poor suburb of Harare, encouraging voters to give the 80-year-old another term.It overlooks an unpaved road — part of it submerged by sewage surging from a broken pipe — lined with vendors selling charcoal for cooking stacked in …

Vexed by hardship, Zimbabweans brace for tense voteMon, 21 Aug 2023 04:13:09 GMT Read More »

Several thousand people demonstrated in the capital of Niger on Sunday in support of last month’s military coup, whose leader has warned against outside intervention while proposing a three-year transition of power.The demonstrators chanted slogans hostile to former colonial power France and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which is considering a potential military operation …

Pro-coup rally in Niger after leader warns against foreign interventionSun, 20 Aug 2023 17:56:04 GMT Read More »

Tunisia will again supply flour to more than 1,000 non-subsidised bakeries in the North African country after most of them ceased operating, government and industry officials said on Sunday.The deal could help ease a bread shortage that has worsened over the past two weeks.Since the beginning of August, European-style bakeries selling baguettes in the formerly …

Bread-short Tunisia to restore flour supply to some bakeriesSun, 20 Aug 2023 14:24:19 GMT Read More »

Zimbabweans prayed for peace on Sunday ahead of a national election widely expected to be a tense affair amid a crackdown on dissent and fears of vote rigging. Dozens of worshippers gathered for mass at a cream-coloured church facing a dusty street lined with market stalls in Harare’s oldest township of Mbare. “We are praying for a …

Zimbabweans pray for peace as tense election loomsSun, 20 Aug 2023 13:41:07 GMT Read More »

Several thousand people demonstrated in the capital of Niger on Sunday in support of last month’s military coup, whose leader has warned against outside intervention and proposed a three-year transition of power.The demonstrators chanted slogans hostile to former colonial power France and West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which is considering a potential military operation to …

Pro-coup rally in Niger after military leader warns against foreign interventionSun, 20 Aug 2023 12:10:24 GMT Read More »

Just days before a national election to pick a president and lawmakers, one word is on the lips of most young Zimbabweans: “change”. Yet, questions about who can deliver change and whether it might happen draw elusive or conflicting answers on the bustling and trafficked streets of Harare, the capital.”There needs to be a change in …

Young Zimbabwean voters dare to hope for change of old guardSun, 20 Aug 2023 09:27:54 GMT Read More »

Indonesian President Joko Widodo departed for South Africa on Sunday to attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg amid speculation that the country could join the group as its latest member.The meeting, which brings together major emerging economies countries led by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will be held for three days starting Tuesday.”Indonesia …

Indonesian president to attend BRICS summit in South AfricaSun, 20 Aug 2023 05:59:31 GMT Read More »

Niger’s new military ruler warned Saturday that any attack on the country would not be a “walk in the park”, as a delegation from West African countries made a final push to find a diplomatic solution following last month’s coup.General Abdourahamane Tiani — who took power after army officers toppled Niger’s president Mohamed Bazoum on …

Niger military ruler warns against any attackSat, 19 Aug 2023 21:59:02 GMT Read More »

A delegation from West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc arrived in Niger on Saturday seeking a peaceful rather than military solution after senior army officers seized power in a coup.The delegation led by former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar flew into the capital early afternoon, a day after ECOWAS military chiefs announced they were ready to intervene to …

W.African mission lands in coup-hit Niger for talksSat, 19 Aug 2023 14:41:28 GMT Read More »