AFP Africa

A powerful Niger general who staged a coup declared himself the new leader of the unstable jihadist-hit nation on Friday and warned that any foreign military intervention would lead to chaos.General Abdourahamane Tchiani, head of the Presidential Guard since 2011, appeared on state television saying he was the “president of the National Council for the …

Army general declares himself Niger leaderFri, 28 Jul 2023 20:35:53 GMT Read More »

Tens of thousands of spectators attended Friday’s opening ceremony of the ninth Francophone Games in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa, celebrating a rare feel-good event in the impoverished and conflict-torn country.Gathering athletes and artists from mostly-French speaking countries, the Games are being held for the first time in central African metropolis of an estimated 15 million …

Spectacular ceremony launches Francophone Games in DR Congo capitalFri, 28 Jul 2023 20:17:02 GMT Read More »

Leading Senegalese opposition politician Ousmane Sonko was arrested on Friday, members of his party, a senior security official and a lawyer told AFP, although the precise reasons for the arrest were unconfirmed.The firebrand politician and presidential candidate has faced a number of legal woes in recent years, which he claims are part of a plot …

Senegalese opponent Sonko arrestedFri, 28 Jul 2023 19:37:20 GMT Read More »

Despite the military intervention in Ukraine and efforts by the West to paint Russia as a pariah state, Moscow can still count on support from several African, Latin American and Asian governments, including that of heavyweight China.Visibly satisfied, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood shoulder to shoulder on Friday with a score of African heads of …

Russia retains allies, despite the Ukraine conflictFri, 28 Jul 2023 18:16:04 GMT Read More »

Tens of thousands of spectators turned out to attend Friday’s opening ceremony of the ninth Francophone Games in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa, despite security and safety fears.Gathering athletes and artists from mostly-French speaking countries, the Games are being held for the first time in the central African metropolis. Some 80,000 people turned out to watch the …

Francophone Games kick off in DR Congo capitalFri, 28 Jul 2023 17:25:24 GMT Read More »

The United Nations insisted Friday it is still providing humanitarian assistance on the ground in Niger but was forced to suspend aid flights after the coup closed borders.A UN spokesperson had said on Thursday that this week’s putsch in troubled Sahel country had put humanitarian operations on hold.But Nicole Kouassi, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Niger …

UN says humanitarian work in Niger continuesFri, 28 Jul 2023 16:45:45 GMT Read More »

General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the chief of Niger’s powerful presidential guard who took power after a military coup, is an army veteran who has foiled similar uprisings in the restive West African nation.In his fifties, Tchiani has shunned the limelight despite a stellar military career which saw him lead the elite 700-member unit from 2011 up …

General Tchiani: Shadowy army veteran who seized power in NigerFri, 28 Jul 2023 16:40:20 GMT Read More »

Tens of thousands of spectators are set to attend Friday’s opening ceremony at the ninth Francophone Games in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa, despite security and safety fears.Gathering athletes and artists from mostly-French speaking countries, the Games are being held for the first time in the central African metropolis. Some 80,000 people are due to watch an …

Francophone Games to kick off in DR Congo capitalFri, 28 Jul 2023 11:46:01 GMT Read More »

Ethiopian Airlines successfully weathered the Covid pandemic by shifting its strategy, but Africa’s only profitable carrier still faces “real challenges” in sourcing parts and staying competitive at a time of inflation, its CEO told AFP.The 2022-2023 financial year ending June 30 “was a very successful year,” Mesfin Tasew said in an interview in Ethiopia’s capital …

Ethiopian Airlines facing ‘real challenges’ despite Covid successFri, 28 Jul 2023 06:53:54 GMT Read More »

Coup leaders in Niger said Thursday they had won broad army support and called for calm, but former colonial power France said it did not consider the apparent putsch “final”.French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said there were “ways out” for coup plotters who chose to heed global condemnation of President Mohamed Bazoum’s ouster.The latest target …

France says Niger coup not ‘final’ as putschists win army backingFri, 28 Jul 2023 04:55:32 GMT Read More »