AFP Africa

During his imprisonment, Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o decided he would never write in English again, a defiant move that helped put literature in African languages firmly on the map.Ngugi died at the age of 87 on Wednesday, his daughter announced on Facebook. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our …

Kenya’s Ngugi wa Thiong’o, champion of African expressionWed, 28 May 2025 19:49:45 GMT Read More »

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye on Wednesday formally opened a national dialogue aimed at steering the west African country through political reform and “consolidating democracy” after a series of violent crises.The move, which the head of state launched along with his prime minister, Ousmane Sonko, comes against a backdrop of tension between Faye’s administration and …

Senegal president opens dialogue on political reformWed, 28 May 2025 15:50:54 GMT Read More »

Leaders of ECOWAS on Wednesday celebrated 50 years since its formation, reflecting on regional security challenges and internal fractures as Africa as a whole also seeks answers in the face of US trade tariffs and aid cuts.The anniversary comes at one of the worst of moments in recent years for the Economic Community of West …

At 50, West African bloc teeters amid shifting alliances, security woesWed, 28 May 2025 15:46:32 GMT Read More »

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah repeated calls Wednesday for Germany to pay reparations for its genocide against Namibian tribes as she led the first official commemoration of the atrocity more than 120 years ago.Thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people were massacred by colonial-era German troops between 1904 and 1908 after they rebelled against their rule in …

Namibia urges reparations at first German genocide memorialWed, 28 May 2025 14:29:31 GMT Read More »

Vladimir Tretchikoff’s iconic painting “Lady from the Orient” has sold for more than $1.7m in a new world record for the Russia-born South African painter, a Johannesburg auction house said Wednesday.The 1955 portrait of a glamorous woman in a green and gold silk gown is among Tretchikoff’s most recognisable pieces, reproduced the world over on …

S.Africa’s ‘king of kitsch’ Tretchikoff sells for new world recordWed, 28 May 2025 10:46:43 GMT Read More »

Asha, a mother-of-four, was wearing rubber boots in her living room again — the frequent price of living near Lake Tanganyika in Burundi in an era of climate change and repeated flooding.The elegant buildings of Gatumba, a town on the outskirts of the capital Bujumbura, are a reminder of its recent prosperity. But all too often, …

Around Lake Tanganyika, Burundians struggle with endless floodingWed, 28 May 2025 06:12:16 GMT Read More »

A paramilitary drone strike hit a fuel depot and a military base in war-torn Sudan’s south Tuesday, a military source said, as the capital Khartoum battles a deadly cholera outbreak.The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), targeted the city of Kosti in White Nile State, after weeks of a long-range drone campaign that has hit vital …

Sudan’s RSF attacks army amid cholera outbreakTue, 27 May 2025 18:32:07 GMT Read More »

The African Development Bank (AfDB) on Tuesday began its annual meetings due to culminate in the election of a new president later this week, as the lender faces a reduction in the US’s financial commitment.The bank, founded in 1964, is a major lender to economic development projects on the continent, with 81 member countries, 54 …

African Development Bank meets ahead of leadership voteTue, 27 May 2025 15:23:39 GMT Read More »

Several soldiers have been killed in an attack targeting a military post in western Niger, a local source told AFP Tuesday, in an offensive claimed by the Islamic State group.The border area between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso has long been a hideout for jihadists linked to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda, who have …

IS-claimed attack in Niger kills soldiersTue, 27 May 2025 15:21:21 GMT Read More »

At least 44 people have been killed in separate attacks in recent days in central Nigeria, a local government official said Tuesday, raising the toll in the latest raids in a region where herders and farmers often clash.The attacks occurred in three villages between Friday and Monday, the chairman of the Gwer West local government …

Nigeria attacks kill 44: local officialTue, 27 May 2025 12:43:22 GMT Read More »