AFP Africa

As they zigzagged from one machine to another in the searing African sun, the workers were covered in black soot.But the charcoal they were making is known as “green”, and backers hope it can save impoverished Chad from rampant deforestation.Chad, a vast, landlocked country of 19 million people perched at the crossroads of north and …

Chad hopes ‘green charcoal’ can save vanishing forestsFri, 20 Jun 2025 05:53:20 GMT Read More »

Zambia’s president cut short a period of national mourning for his predecessor Edgar Lungu on Thursday after the late leader’s family refused to allow the body to be repatriated, escalating a row over his funeral.Lungu, president from 2015 to 2021, died in hospital in neighbouring South Africa two weeks ago and his body was due …

Zambia lifts mourning for late president in funeral rowThu, 19 Jun 2025 19:55:29 GMT Read More »

Ivory Coast’s two main opposition parties on Thursday announced a “common front” to demand that their leaders, banned from October presidential polls, be allowed to stand.Ivory Coast’s political climate has been tense for several weeks after courts excluded several opposition figures from the October 25 election, in which President Alassane Ouattara is expected to seek …

Main Ivorian opposition parties form common poll frontThu, 19 Jun 2025 17:34:17 GMT Read More »

With the rise of a paramilitary force that analysts say is controlled by the Kremlin, Russia is openly expanding its state military footprint in Africa, after years of distancing itself from mercenaries deployed on the continent to support pro-Russian rulers.Russia is using the Africa Corps force to increase its influence in particular in francophone west …

Russia steps out from shadows in Africa with state paramilitaryThu, 19 Jun 2025 16:22:41 GMT Read More »

A Kenyan court on Thursday sentenced two men to 30 years in prison on terrorism charges for their role in a deadly attack on a luxury hotel in the capital in 2019.The attack on the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in central Nairobi left 21 people dead, with police rescuing some 700 civilians as events …

Kenyans jailed for 30 years over 2019 hotel attackThu, 19 Jun 2025 13:53:47 GMT Read More »

Motorists in Nigerian cities are spending hours, or even days, queuing for natural gas to power their cars after the government promoted its use as an alternative fuel.Some are so frustrated they say they regret the decision to convert their vehicle engines to use compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of petrol or diesel. Murtala Ishola, who …

Shortages hit Nigeria’s drive towards natural gas-fuelled carsThu, 19 Jun 2025 05:46:43 GMT Read More »

On his farm two hours north of Johannesburg, Nico Thuynsma gestured towards thousands of orange, yellow and pink proteas in flower and thriving 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from their natural home at the southern tip of Africa.”They’re all different,” the 55-year-old farmer said of the assorted blooms from the diverse Proteaceae family that has more …

S.Africa’s iconic protea flower relocates as climate warmsThu, 19 Jun 2025 05:40:35 GMT Read More »

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said the massive, joyous welcome his team received when returning home on Wednesday from their World Test Championship final triumph was a sign of how special the achievement was.Bavuma and his team-mates were greeted by several thousand supporters when they landed in Johannesburg following a five-wicket win over Australia in the …

South Africa captain Bavuma hails special Test triumphWed, 18 Jun 2025 18:23:10 GMT Read More »

Britain has refused to grant an entry visa to a radical leftist South African politician at the centre of false US claims that whites in South Africa are facing persecution, a local media report said Wednesday.The UK visa office said the presence of Julius Malema in Britain “would not be conducive to the public good”, …

UK denies visa to radical S.African politicianWed, 18 Jun 2025 18:09:18 GMT Read More »

Nigeria has taken delivery from the Netherlands of 119 pieces of priceless “Benin Bronze” artefacts looted more than 120 years ago, the country’s museum commission and the Dutch embassy said Wednesday.It is the latest return of artefacts to Africa, as pressure mounts on Western governments and institutions to hand back the spoils of colonial oppression.”On …

Netherlands returns over 100 Benin Bronzes looted from NigeriaWed, 18 Jun 2025 15:07:10 GMT Read More »