AFP Africa

Ex-marathon record holder Kosgei trades Kenya for Turkey at OlympicsThu, 22 Jan 2026 15:50:23 GMT

Kenya’s ex-marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei told AFP on Thursday that she and four other Kenyans will compete for Turkey at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Kosgei, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, said fellow runner Ronald Kwemoi, a silver medalist at the Paris Games, will also switch to Turkey along with three others.”Yes, it’s …

Ex-marathon record holder Kosgei trades Kenya for Turkey at OlympicsThu, 22 Jan 2026 15:50:23 GMT Read More »

South Africa’s Kruger park suffers ‘devastating’ damage from floodsThu, 22 Jan 2026 14:27:23 GMT

South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park suffered major damage to critical infrastructure in recent flooding, with the cost of repairs estimated to run over 30 million dollars, officials said Thursday.Torrential rains and floods last week forced the world-famous safari destination, which is nearly the size of Wales, to halt day visits and airlift guests and …

South Africa’s Kruger park suffers ‘devastating’ damage from floodsThu, 22 Jan 2026 14:27:23 GMT Read More »

Togo cosies up to Sahel juntas with former coup leader extraditionThu, 22 Jan 2026 12:29:08 GMT

Togo is supporting juntas in the Sahel region by its extradition of Burkina Faso’s former transitional president, as part of its own diplomatic, security and economic ambitions, several experts have told AFP.The government in Lome announced on Tuesday that it had sent back Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, who fled to Togo after a September 2022 coup …

Togo cosies up to Sahel juntas with former coup leader extraditionThu, 22 Jan 2026 12:29:08 GMT Read More »

Nigeria turns illegal loggers, poachers into park rangersThu, 22 Jan 2026 05:58:50 GMT

James Leleghale Bekewei knows the Okomu forest well: he used to make a living illegally logging trees in the Nigerian national park.Now, Bekewei is on the other side of the law, working as a ranger tracking down hunters and loggers in the sprawling reserve.”We made a lot of arrests,” he said. “You can ask my …

Nigeria turns illegal loggers, poachers into park rangersThu, 22 Jan 2026 05:58:50 GMT Read More »

Uganda opposition figure in hiding, another risks death in jailWed, 21 Jan 2026 21:23:35 GMT

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine told AFP Wednesday he was on the run following last week’s election, while another, Kizza Besigye, risks dying from illness in jail, his wife said.The east African country on January 15 re‑elected Yoweri Museveni for a seventh term as president — a result Wine denounced as “blatant theft”.The 81‑year‑old president, …

Uganda opposition figure in hiding, another risks death in jailWed, 21 Jan 2026 21:23:35 GMT Read More »

YouTuber IShowSpeed hits 50mn subscribers in Nigeria on Africa tourWed, 21 Jan 2026 21:07:52 GMT

US YouTuber IShowSpeed visited Nigeria’s cultural and economic capital Lagos as part of his African tour on Wednesday, where he celebrated his 21st birthday by hitting 50 million subscribers.The YouTube and Twitch star’s tour kicked off on December 29, travelling through some 15 countries across Africa and drawing crowds at every stop.Rolling Stone magazine named …

YouTuber IShowSpeed hits 50mn subscribers in Nigeria on Africa tourWed, 21 Jan 2026 21:07:52 GMT Read More »

New mass kidnapping, initially denied by police, shakes NigeriaWed, 21 Jan 2026 11:36:03 GMT

Nigerian police have made an about-face and admitted dozens of Christian worshippers were kidnapped by gunmen in northern Kaduna state — piling more pressure on the country as it faces international scrutiny over insecurity.The kidnapping of more than 170 people during Sunday services at three churches by gangs known as “bandits” marks the latest in …

New mass kidnapping, initially denied by police, shakes NigeriaWed, 21 Jan 2026 11:36:03 GMT Read More »

Botswana warns diamond oversupply to hit growthWed, 21 Jan 2026 09:48:33 GMT

Botswana is sitting on nearly double its permitted diamond stockpile as weak prices and rising competition from lab‑grown stones curb demand, the government said, warning the glut will weigh on economic growth.The cash-strapped southern African country, the world’s second largest diamond producer after Russia, relies on the gems for about a third of its GDP. It held …

Botswana warns diamond oversupply to hit growthWed, 21 Jan 2026 09:48:33 GMT Read More »

Senegal’s ‘historic’ AFCON champs honoured with parade, presidential praiseWed, 21 Jan 2026 01:17:09 GMT

Senegal’s president congratulated the Lions of Teranga Tuesday for their “historic” victory in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Morocco, after tens of thousands of football fans crowded the streets of Dakar for a celebratory homecoming parade.The players and coaches brandished their trophy from an open-top bus for more than seven hours as they …

Senegal’s ‘historic’ AFCON champs honoured with parade, presidential praiseWed, 21 Jan 2026 01:17:09 GMT Read More »

UN report declares global state of ‘water bankruptcy’Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:15:40 GMT

The world is entering an era of “global water bankruptcy” with rivers, lakes and aquifers depleting faster than nature can replenish them, a United Nations research institute said on Tuesday.It argues that decades of overuse, pollution, environmental destruction and climate pressure had pushed many water systems so beyond the point of recovery that a new …

UN report declares global state of ‘water bankruptcy’Wed, 21 Jan 2026 01:15:40 GMT Read More »