AFP Africa

Six people died and 40 are missing after a migrant shipwreck in the Mediterranean, the United Nations said Wednesday, as Italian authorities searched for survivors off the island of Lampedusa.”Still too many dead in a new shipwreck in the Mediterranean,” Chiara Cardoletti, the Italy representative of the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said on X.An inflatable …

Italy says six dead, 40 missing after migrant shipwreckWed, 19 Mar 2025 12:47:42 GMT Read More »

Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif, at the centre of a gender row at the Paris Games, is targeting a second gold in Los Angeles and says she will not be intimidated by Donald Trump.The US president last month signed an executive order barring transgender women from competing in the female categories of sports.Trump had …

Algerian boxer Khelif ‘not intimidated’ by Trump as she targets second Olympic gold in LAWed, 19 Mar 2025 12:40:02 GMT Read More »

Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee climate disasters last year, the United Nations said Wednesday, highlighting the urgent need for early warning systems covering the entire planet.Poorer countries are severely affected by cyclones, droughts, wildfires and other disasters, according to the State of the Global Climate annual report by the World Meteorological …

Record numbers forced to flee climate disasters: UNWed, 19 Mar 2025 12:26:36 GMT Read More »

Groups from five African countries filed fraud and corruption complaints Wednesday accusing French billionaire Vincent Bollore and one of his sons of illegally obtaining and benefitting from port concessions.Bollore Group’s African ports and logistics business, which the tycoon sold off in 2022, employed more than 20,000 people in 20 African countries, running 16 ports as …

French billionaire Bollore targeted in fraud case over Africa portsWed, 19 Mar 2025 11:38:12 GMT Read More »

Uganda’s role in eastern DR Congo has largely gone under the radar during recent violence but its complex approach aims to secure long-standing security and economic interests in the mineral-rich area, experts say.Backed by Rwanda, the M23 armed group has swept through the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, taking two regional capitals.It is …

Uganda: the quiet power in the eastern DRC conflictWed, 19 Mar 2025 07:57:00 GMT Read More »

US President Donald Trump’s return to office has triggered a surge in disinformation about Africa, researchers say, warning of a radical shift in online media driven by geopolitical disruption and mistrust.Here are some examples from three African powerhouses in recent weeks, including some claims debunked by AFP Fact Check.- South Africa: ‘genocide?’ -South Africa has …

Trump’s return feeds Africa disinformationWed, 19 Mar 2025 07:51:12 GMT Read More »

The presidents of Rwanda and DR Congo have expressed their support for a ceasefire after holding surprise talks in Qatar, hours after peace talks in Angola failed.Rwandan leader Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi met Tuesday with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a statement from the three countries said.The Rwanda-backed M23 …

Rwanda, DRC presidents hold surprise ceasefire talks in QatarWed, 19 Mar 2025 07:42:37 GMT Read More »

When Nigeria’s Senate suspended a lawmaker this month shortly after she spoke up about alleged sexual harassment, women’s groups and women politicians rose up — to join those criticising the senator in question.The case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan — and the notable lack of solidarity she has found after accusing the Senate president of harassment …

Nigerian Senate sexism row exposes uphill battle for women’s rightsWed, 19 Mar 2025 07:22:23 GMT Read More »

Mozambique police Tuesday opened fire in the capital Maputo on a crowd marking a day of protest called by the main opposition leader, killing two people, witnesses and AFP journalists said.It was the first major shutdown called by Venancio Mondlane in weeks, following months of deadly demonstrations after October presidential elections he claims were rigged …

Mozambique police fire on protesters, killing two: AFP journalistsTue, 18 Mar 2025 17:03:17 GMT Read More »

A South African court  order issued Tuesday barred for at least 10 years commercial fishing at key breeding colonies for African penguins that are facing extinction in part because of threats to their food supply.Bird conservation groups that pushed for the protection welcomed the settlement in the Pretoria High Court as a milestone in the …

S. Africa court bars fishing to protect endangered African PenguinsTue, 18 Mar 2025 15:41:03 GMT Read More »