After making significant progress, Somalia’s offensive against the Islamist Al-Shabaab group has stalled for months, raising concerns about the government’s capacity to crush the 16-year insurgency led by the Al-Qaeda-linked militants.Here are the key questions surrounding the offensive:- Why are operations on pause? -The offensive was launched in August 2022, when the Somali government decided …

Somalia’s Al-Shabaab offensive stalls after early successThu, 09 Nov 2023 06:28:15 GMT Read More »

Ethiopia’s government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebel group are holding talks in Tanzania to try to end a five-year insurgency in the country’s most populous region, a diplomatic source said Wednesday.Classified as a “terrorist organisation” by Addis Ababa, the OLA, an armed insurgent movement from the Oromia region, has been fighting the government …

Ethiopia holds fresh round of talks with Oromo rebelsWed, 08 Nov 2023 17:10:25 GMT Read More »

The historic Ethiopian town of Lalibela was rocked Wednesday by fierce fighting between federal government forces and a regional militia, residents said.The Amhara regional “self-defence” group known as Fano appeared to have overrun much of the town, including its centuries-old rock-hewn churches, a UNESCO World Heritage site, they told AFP.It is not the first time …

Fighting rages in Ethiopia’s historic Lalibela: residentsWed, 08 Nov 2023 15:44:49 GMT Read More »

Last month was the hottest October on record globally, Europe’s climate monitor said Wednesday, as months of exceptional heat are likely to make 2023 the warmest year in history.With temperatures soaring beyond previous averages by exceptional margins, scientists say the pressure on world leaders to curb planet-heating greenhouse gas pollution has never been more urgent …

Hottest October on record as 2023 on track to be warmest year in historyWed, 08 Nov 2023 13:59:54 GMT Read More »

France must “act urgently” and conduct reforms to restore its ties with Africa as Russia and China’s influence is rising on the continent, according to a parliamentary report published on Wednesday.The report was issued amid growing alarm in Paris over strong anti-French sentiment in some former colonies.Penned by Bruno Fuchs of the centre-right Democratic Movement …

‘Act urgently’: French lawmakers call for new Africa approachWed, 08 Nov 2023 12:47:27 GMT Read More »

Heavy fighting erupted Wednesday in the historic Ethiopian town of Lalibela between federal government forces and a regional militia, local residents said.It is not the first time the UNESCO World Heritage site has been caught up in clashes in the Amhara region between the Ethiopia National Defence Force and the armed group known as Fano.”Fighting …

Fighting erupts in Ethiopia’s Lalibela: residentsWed, 08 Nov 2023 11:36:25 GMT Read More »

Plans to expand oil, gas and coal production by major fossil fuel countries would push the world far beyond the Paris deal’s 1.5C global warming limit, the UN warned Wednesday. The future of fossil fuels will be a key flashpoint when world leaders meet at the COP28 climate conference later this month, tasked with salvaging the …

Fossil fuel plans by producing nations threatens 1.5C limit: UNWed, 08 Nov 2023 05:31:58 GMT Read More »

Last month was the hottest October on record globally, Europe’s climate monitor said Wednesday, as months of exceptional heat likely to make 2023 the warmest year in history. With temperatures soaring beyond previous averages by exceptional margins, scientists say the pressure on world leaders to curb planet-heating greenhouse gas pollution has never been more urgent as …

Hottest October globally marks fifth record-shattering monthWed, 08 Nov 2023 03:10:48 GMT Read More »

Since Koyo Kouoh took over the reins of the Zeitz MOCAA, the Cape Town museum has been making waves in the contemporary art world by putting Africa front and centre.Under the ambitious Cameroonian-born curator, the museum in the city’s port district has built its identity around Pan-Africanism, showcasing the work of artists from the continent …

Cape Town art museum on mission to reclaim African identityWed, 08 Nov 2023 01:31:34 GMT Read More »

Mali’s army said Tuesday it carried out air strikes on “terrorist targets” in the rebel stronghold of Kidal where witnesses and separatists said civilians, including children, died in the attack.The armed forces said on social media that the strikes “neutralised several terrorist pick-up trucks” at a military camp evacuated by UN peacekeepers last week in …

Mali army air strikes blamed for civilian deaths in rebel-held townTue, 07 Nov 2023 18:59:31 GMT Read More »