AFP Africa

M23 fighters on Friday pushed on towards another regional capital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting shops and businesses to close and frightened civilians to flee, as African leaders urged an immediate ceasefire in the escalating conflict.Congolese President Felix Tshishekedi slammed what he said were neighbouring Rwanda’s “expansionist ambitions” in the vast mineral-rich region, …

Fears of attack mount in Bukavu as M23 seize key airportFri, 14 Feb 2025 17:21:29 GMT Read More »

An appeals court in Ivory Coast on Friday confirmed the life jail terms for four accomplices of a 2016 jihadist attack at Grand-Bassam.The quartet’s lawyers said they would make a further appeal to the Court of Cassation after the verdicts were confirmed for aiding assailants in the March 13, 2016 massacre which left 19 dead, …

Life terms confirmed for accomplices in 2016 I. Coast jihadist attackFri, 14 Feb 2025 16:32:44 GMT Read More »

The late Namibian president Sam Nujoma, who died last week aged 95, will be laid to rest in a state funeral in March, the government said on Friday. Nujoma, a guerrilla leader, was the country’s first president after it won independence from South Africa in 1990. He will be buried on Saturday March 1 at the National …

Namibia’s independence leader to be buried next monthFri, 14 Feb 2025 15:44:53 GMT Read More »

M23 fighters on Friday seized the airport serving Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, just as African leaders gathered for crisis talks on the escalating crisis.Violence in the restive region has sparked fears of a wider conflict, as a number of neighbouring countries already have a military presence on the ground.The capture of the …

Fears in Bukavu as M23 seize key airport in eastern DR CongoFri, 14 Feb 2025 14:57:36 GMT Read More »

Dozens of mpox patients being treated in hospital isolation units in Goma have fled for their lives as violence engulfs the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the WHO said Friday.Meanwhile the UN refugee agency warned that hundreds of thousands of civilians were fleeing to areas beyond the reach of humanitarian aid, after shelters for displaced …

Mpox patients fleeing Goma hospitals in DRC violenceFri, 14 Feb 2025 14:24:18 GMT Read More »

US President Donald Trump inked plans Thursday for sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” that could hit both allies and competitors, in a dramatic escalation of an international trade war that economists warn could fuel inflation at home.Since taking office, Trump has announced a broad range of tariffs targeting some of America’s biggest trading partners, arguing that they …

Trump unveils ‘reciprocal tariffs’ plan targeting friends and foesThu, 13 Feb 2025 22:50:10 GMT Read More »

US President Donald Trump announced plans Thursday for sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” hitting both allies and competitors, in a dramatic escalation of an international trade war that economists warn could fuel inflation at home.Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he had decided to impose the reciprocal duties, telling reporters that US allies were often “worse …

Trump launches ‘reciprocal tariffs’ targeting allies and adversariesThu, 13 Feb 2025 18:55:01 GMT Read More »

Rwanda is set to stage cycling’s world championships in September, but fears over an escalation in the conflict with neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo have led to concerns that the showpiece may be shifted to Europe.Rwanda has a long tradition of cycling and the eight-day Tour of Rwanda has been contested over its gruelling hilly …

Conflict puts question mark over Rwanda’s world cycling championshipsThu, 13 Feb 2025 18:17:11 GMT Read More »

Rape and other violence against children in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has soared to unprecedented levels, the head of the United Nations children’s agency warned Thursday.”In North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual …

Sexual violence against children soars in DR Congo: UNICEFThu, 13 Feb 2025 16:49:05 GMT Read More »

Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye is “critically ill” in jail three days after starting a hunger strike to protest his detention, one of his lawyers told AFP on Thursday.Besigye, 68, is a leading opponent of the country’s President Yoweri Museveni, whom he has challenged unsuccessfully in four elections.He was abducted in Kenya in November and …

Ugandan opposition figure Besigye ‘critically ill’ in jail: lawyerThu, 13 Feb 2025 16:14:31 GMT Read More »