AFP Africa

Authorities have never announced their deployment and they do not appear in official photographs — but Russian mercenaries in combat fatigues are a daily sight in Equatorial Guinea’s capital Malabo.Their presence, and the lack of transparency about their mission, has annoyed some citizens in this central African country on the Atlantic coast, stricken by poverty …

Russian mercenaries draw suspicion in Equatorial GuineaFri, 18 Apr 2025 05:48:10 GMT Read More »

Mulatu Astatke struggled for decades before his name became associated worldwide with a musical genre and he was finally born as the father of Ethio-jazz.Now despite that long journey and his 81 years of age, the Ethiopian music legend cannot even “think about retirement”.A one-man band, equally at home with the vibraphone and the conga, …

Mulatu Astatke: long journey for the ‘father of Ethio-jazz’Fri, 18 Apr 2025 05:24:53 GMT Read More »

Ivory Coast’s main opposition party on Thursday formally named its leader Tidjane Thiam as its candidate for the October presidential election.The 62-year-old former Credit Suisse bank chief executive was the only contender for the centre-right Democratic Party (PDCI).Tensions in the wealthy west African country are running high six months from the scheduled polling date.Businessman and …

Ivory Coast opposition names leader as presidential candidateFri, 18 Apr 2025 03:30:02 GMT Read More »

Ivory Coast’s main opposition party nominated former minister and businessman Tidjane Thiam as its candidate on Thursday, ahead of an October presidential election.The 62-year-old former Aviva and Credit Suisse executive was the only contender for the centre-right Democratic Party (PDCI).Tensions in the wealthy west African country are running high six months from the scheduled polling …

Opposition leader in I.Coast named election candidateThu, 17 Apr 2025 19:30:57 GMT Read More »

Clashes between Sudanese paramilitaries and the army have killed at least 57 civilians in the besieged Darfur city of El-Fasher, medical and activist sources said Thursday, with civilians fearing a looming bloodbath as fighters close in.The local resistance committee, a grassroots aid group, said the civilians were killed on Wednesday in clashes following an artillery …

57 killed in Sudan’s Darfur as trapped civilians fear bloodbathThu, 17 Apr 2025 15:14:44 GMT Read More »

Veteran Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will return to action on Friday after four months out with injuries that included concussion, his Durban-based Sharks team announced on Thursday.The 33-year-old Etzebeth, who has a South African record 131 international caps and is a double World Cup winner, suffered a concussion in the Champions Cup at the beginning …

Etzebeth returns to Sharks lineup after concussion absenceThu, 17 Apr 2025 12:59:35 GMT Read More »

Joint US-Somalia air strikes and combat killed dozens of Al-Shabaab jihadists attacking a key town and a military base and also destroyed a shipment of weapons, the Somali government said on Thursday.Growing attacks by the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group, including one on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy, are fuelling worries of a jihadist resurgence after militants …

Somalia air strikes, combat kill dozens of jihadists: govtThu, 17 Apr 2025 11:14:40 GMT Read More »

Football fans in China were outraged by Zhejiang FC’s decision to go ahead with a league match hours after the death of their Gabon international striker Aaron Boupendza.Police have ruled out foul play in the death of the 28-year-old, who died after falling from the 11th floor of a building in the eastern city of …

Anger as China club plays hours after striker Boupendza’s deathThu, 17 Apr 2025 10:59:16 GMT Read More »

The way Davido sees it, Nigerian culture is having a moment.”We’re very popular, not only in music,” the 32-year-old Afrobeats star told AFP during a recent interview in Paris, pointing to the film, food and fashion influence his country is increasingly exporting to the rest of the world.Even amid criticism from some that American artists …

Afrobeats star Davido sees Nigeria’s star risingThu, 17 Apr 2025 10:47:35 GMT Read More »