The toppling of Ali Bongo Ondimba brought the curtain down on 55 years of rule by a family accused of extracting fabulous wealth from Gabon’s major oil reserves.Moments after being declared the winner in disputed elections, Bongo was abruptly ousted on August 30.Many saw it as an act of liberation rather than a military coup.Gabon, …

Gabon’s squandered oil wealth under 55 years of Bongo ruleWed, 13 Sep 2023 17:20:29 GMT Read More »

An air raid on Sudan’s war-ravaged Darfur region killed at least 40 civilians Wednesday, according to a medical source, as the head of the UN mission to the country resigned.Volker Perthes, who has been “persona non grata” by Sudanese authorities since June, warned the United Nations Security Council again, in his final briefing before leaving …

At least 40 killed in Darfur as UN’s Sudan chief quitsWed, 13 Sep 2023 16:45:32 GMT Read More »

As separatist groups in northern Mali renew hostilities, the ruling junta — having pushed out French and United Nations forces which had been supporting the fight against jihadism and helping stabilise the country — faces yet another adversary.Here are some key points on the latest violence.- What happened on Tuesday? -Predominantly Tuareg armed groups who …

Renewed violence in northern Mali: what we knowWed, 13 Sep 2023 15:35:48 GMT Read More »

Libya’s eastern city of Derna was counting its dead Wednesday with 2,300 people confirmed killed in devastating flash floods unleashed by Storm Daniel and the Red Cross warning that 10,000 are missing.Two river dams burst after the storm hit on Sunday afternoon, releasing an enormous surge of water that tore through the Mediterranean coastal city, sweeping away …

Libyan city counts toll of huge flood, 10,000 missingWed, 13 Sep 2023 07:06:15 GMT Read More »

Survivors of Morocco’s earthquake were packed in a football-field length queue to get stand-ins for the homes they had lost. They received yellow tents with no floors, in a symbol of the uncertainty ahead.Yet even this step marked progress for people like Fatima Oumalloul — her face still bloody from when her home collapsed on …

Aid tents offer warning of Morocco quake survivor’s futureWed, 13 Sep 2023 01:45:07 GMT Read More »

Libya’s devastated eastern city of Derna was counting its dead on Wednesday with the toll from the floodwaters unleashed by Storm Daniel expected to rise even further.Two dams burst there on Sunday afternoon after the storm hit, releasing a surge of water that tore through the city, sweeping away buildings and the people inside them.By …

Derna counts the cost of Libya flood disasterWed, 13 Sep 2023 01:37:47 GMT Read More »

Armed groups from northern Mali on Tuesday claimed they captured the key town of Bourem, between Gao and Timbuktu, before pulling out, fuelling fears of the collapse of a peace deal between the ex-rebels and government forces.In a statement Tuesday evening, the Malian military said it had repelled a complex attack involving car bombs that …

Armed groups in Mali claim assault on key northern townTue, 12 Sep 2023 21:16:14 GMT Read More »

The Jewish quarter of Marrakesh’s medina was badly hit by Friday’s earthquake, and those visiting Morocco’s main tourist attraction now come across entire families living in the street.The quake killed more than 2,900 people, and many buildings were destroyed or badly damaged in the historic popular district of the old town, where residents live in …

Quake victims and tourists in historic Marrakesh districtTue, 12 Sep 2023 20:12:38 GMT Read More »

At least 2,300 people were killed in catastrophic floods that tore through the Libyan city of Derna, the emergency services said Tuesday, but a far higher death toll is feared.As global concern spread, multiple nations offered to urgently send aid and rescue teams to help the war-scarred country that has been overwhelmed by what one …

At least 2,300 dead in Libya floods, but far higher toll fearedTue, 12 Sep 2023 19:42:13 GMT Read More »

UN cultural agency UNESCO announced Tuesday it was removing the fire-damaged tombs of royal leaders in Uganda from its  endangered heritage list, voicing satisfaction with restoration efforts.The decision on the Tombs of Buganda Kings was passed by the World Heritage Committee at a meeting in the Saudi capital Riyadh from September 10-25.Housed in grass-thatched buildings …

UNESCO removes Uganda tombs from endangered heritage listTue, 12 Sep 2023 18:37:40 GMT Read More »