AFP Africa

Clad in white and pink, Deborah Bossou, 25, blends vibrant song with dance as she immerses herself with fellow practitioners in Vodun, traditional voodoo celebrations in Benin.This weekend brought the traditional Vodun Days annual festival encompassing arts, culture and voodoo spirituality to the southern town of Ouidah, centre on the Sakpata Zoungbodji religious convent.”This religion, …

Benin’s women, pillars of voodoo celebrationsSat, 11 Jan 2025 17:24:11 GMT Read More »

The Sudanese military and allied armed groups launched an offensive Saturday on key Al-Jazira state capital Wad Madani, entering the city after more than a year of paramilitary control, the army said.In a statement, the armed forces “congratulated” the Sudanese people on “our forces entering the city of Wad Madani this morning”.Sudan’s army and Rapid Support …

Sudan army says enters key paramilitary-held Al-Jazira state capitalSat, 11 Jan 2025 16:09:52 GMT Read More »

France on Saturday handed over its second army base in Chad as part of an agreement with the country’s authorities to withdraw its military forces.The central African country in late November abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler, and French troops began leaving the country in late December.”Today… marks the handover of the …

France hands over second army base in Chad amid withdrawalSat, 11 Jan 2025 15:45:22 GMT Read More »

A Franco-Algerian influencer, arrested as part of an investigation into online hate videos, appeared before French prosecutors on Saturday and will stand trial in March, authorities said.A diplomatic row between France and Algeria has flared up over the arrests of several Algerian social media influencers accused of inciting violence.Sofia Benlemmane, a Franco-Algerian woman in her …

Franco-Algerian influencer to stand trial in MarchSat, 11 Jan 2025 13:03:09 GMT Read More »

Residents of the French territory of Mayotte braced on Saturday for a storm expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain less than a month after the Indian Ocean archipelago was devastated by a deadly cyclone.Mayotte was placed on an orange weather alert in anticipation of the passage of Cyclone Dikeledi to the south of …

Cyclone-ravaged Mayotte braces for storm bringing rainSat, 11 Jan 2025 11:56:19 GMT Read More »

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed rang a Wall Street-style bell to officially launch the country’s first stock exchange in 50 years on Friday, part of efforts to liberalise the struggling economy.Only one company was listed on the exchange on opening day — Wegagen  Bank — but an official said they were aiming to eventually include …

Ethiopia opens stock exchange in drive for investorsSat, 11 Jan 2025 07:03:48 GMT Read More »

The fall of Russian ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria has disrupted the Kremlin’s strategy not only for the Mediterranean but also for Africa, pushing it to focus on Libya as a potential foothold, experts say.Russia runs a military port and an air base on the Syrian coast, designed to facilitate its operations in the Mediterranean, …

Russia eyes Libya to replace Syria as Africa launchpadSat, 11 Jan 2025 02:56:39 GMT Read More »

France threatened on Friday to “retaliate” if Algeria escalates a diplomatic row that has flared up over the arrests of Algerian social media influencers accused of inciting violence.Tensions between France and its former colony mounted after Algeria on Thursday sent back a suspect who had been arrested and expelled for a video posted on TikTok.They …

France warns Algeria against escalation of influencers showdownFri, 10 Jan 2025 20:39:16 GMT Read More »

Algeria is trying to humiliate France, France’s interior minister said on Friday, after several Algerian influencers were arrested for inciting violence in a growing crisis between Paris and its former colony.Four influencers supportive of Algerian authorities have been arrested in recent days over videos that are suspected of calling for violent acts in France.Algeria meanwhile …

Paris says Algeria ‘seeking to humiliate France’Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:10:25 GMT Read More »

Authorities in northern Nigeria’s largest city have begun evacuating more than 5,000 street children seen as a “security threat” and a growing concern as an economic crisis forces more to fend for themselves.Sharia police, the Hisbah, have carried out midnight raids on motor parks, markets and street corners in the regional capital, Kano, since the …

Nigerian state launches mass evacuation of street childrenFri, 10 Jan 2025 13:26:48 GMT Read More »