AFP Africa

Vote tallying was underway in Sierra Leone on Sunday, the electoral commission said, as the opposition claimed a lack of transparency following fiercely fought general elections a day earlier.Tallying, which consists of adding up counted ballots from each polling unit at the regional level, was taking place in the capital Freetown as well as in …

Vote tally underway in Sierra Leone electionSun, 25 Jun 2023 18:49:27 GMT Read More »

Fighting on Sunday between rival Sudanese generals in Darfur killed at least a dozen civilians, said a doctor in the devastated region.Speaking from the capital of South Darfur state, the doctor said fighting there had led to “a provisional toll of 12 civilians killed in Nyala”.But the source — speaking anonymously for security reasons — …

Sudan war kills 12 more in Darfur fighting: doctorSun, 25 Jun 2023 18:11:38 GMT Read More »

Al-Shabaab jihadists have killed five civilians, some by beheading, in eastern Kenya, a witness and a police source told AFP on Sunday.The attack occurred on Saturday around 7:30 pm (1630 GMT) in the villages of Juhudi and Salama in Lamu county, close to the Somali border, the source said.”Five people were killed. The victims had …

Jihadists kill five civilians in east Kenya: witness, police sourceSun, 25 Jun 2023 15:32:24 GMT Read More »

Vast crowds of robed Muslim faithful walked solemn circles around the Kaaba, the black cube at Mecca’s Grand Mosque on Sunday to begin the biggest hajj pilgrimage in several years, in the heat of the Saudi summer.Islam’s holiest site is expected to host more than two million worshippers from 160 countries during the annual rites …

Massive crowds circle Kaaba as hajj begins in Saudi heatSun, 25 Jun 2023 14:23:09 GMT Read More »

The amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism draws its name from the Zulu word for dung beetle — a diligent species that fulfils a crucial role.The tiny South African non-profit specialises in delving into political corruption — “digging dung and fertilizing democracy,” its editor-in-chief, Sam Sole, said with a chuckle in a recent interview with AFP.Sole, …

Investigative outlet sets key test for media freedom in S.AfricaSun, 25 Jun 2023 09:27:56 GMT Read More »

Vote counting began in Sierra Leone on Saturday following a mostly peaceful general election despite a late start in some polling stations, as the opposition denounced alleged irregularities.President Julius Maada Bio is seeking a second term amid a crippling cost-of-living crisis that sparked deadly riots last year.Twelve men and one woman are vying for the …

Sierra Leone votes amid cost-of-living crisis, delaysSat, 24 Jun 2023 18:47:49 GMT Read More »

Sierra Leoneans voted Saturday in a mostly peaceful general election following a late start in some polling stations, as the opposition denounced alleged irregularities.President Julius Maada Bio is seeking a second term amid a crippling cost-of-living crisis that sparked deadly riots last year.Twelve men and one woman are vying for the top job and incumbent …

Sierra Leone votes amid crippling economic crisisSat, 24 Jun 2023 15:54:12 GMT Read More »

Artillery fire, air strikes and gun battles rocked Sudan’s capital on Saturday, witnesses told AFP, as the UN urged a stop to “wanton killings” that have left decomposing bodies in Darfur.While fighting rages, relief efforts have stalled after more than two months of fighting between rival generals.Houses in Khartoum shook from the fighting that continued …

Air strikes, artillery, killings in Sudan as aid stallsSat, 24 Jun 2023 14:25:31 GMT Read More »

The hajj pilgrimage has given Sudanese faithful Kamal Kabashi a brief respite from his country’s bloody conflict. Having safely arrived in Islam’s holiest city, he was praying for peace.Only weeks ago his home in North Darfur state, in Sudan’s west, was hit by shelling as a power struggle between rival generals spiralled into an all-out …

Sudanese hajj pilgrims pray for ‘God’s intervention’ to end warSat, 24 Jun 2023 10:07:22 GMT Read More »