On a stretch of grass doubling as a parking lot in an impoverished Johannesburg township, a group of party activists chanted “we need new leaders!” timidly followed by a couple of dozen onlookers.”Rise Songezo, Rise!” they continued before introducing Songezo Zibi, the head of Rise Mzansi — a small party among a cohort of new …

South Africa fragmented opposition jostles for visibilitySun, 14 Apr 2024 03:37:17 GMT Read More »

With less than two months to South Africa’s crunch election, scandal-tainted former president Jacob Zuma has stolen the spotlight in an unlikely comeback, further wounding the ruling ANC, analysts say.Arguably the most polarising politician in the country’s history of democracy, Zuma’s politicking can be enthralling or perplexing. The ex-leader remains at the centre of discourse both …

S.Africa’s Zuma steals spotlight ahead of crunch pollSat, 13 Apr 2024 19:52:19 GMT Read More »

Thousands of people in Niger’s capital on Saturday protested for the immediate departure of US soldiers from the north, after the military junta in Niamey said it was withdrawing from a military agreement with Washington. Following a July coup, the West African country said in mid-March that the 2012 cooperation agreement had been “unilaterally imposed” by …

Thousands protest in Niger for US troops to leaveSat, 13 Apr 2024 16:04:58 GMT Read More »

The African Union on Saturday urged Mali to provide a post-coup transition ‘roadmap’, saying the move was needed to steer the country back to democratic rule.Earlier this week Mali’s military junta ordered the suspension of all political activities — citing a need to maintain public order — and the African Union expressed “grave concern” at …

African Union urges Mali to provide post-coup transition ‘roadmap’Sat, 13 Apr 2024 12:51:16 GMT Read More »

Mali’s ruling junta will only organise elections to hand back power to civilians once the security situation has been completely stabilised, the military-appointed prime minister has said.The West African nation has been ruled by juntas since back-to-back coups in 2020 and 2021, with the worsening security situation aggravated by armed jihadist and separatist groups. “The stabilisation …

Mali PM says elections will only happen once stabilisedFri, 12 Apr 2024 18:08:24 GMT Read More »

The lakes where Africa’s flamingos congregate in spectacular numbers are producing less food for the iconic birds as their water levels rise, researchers said Friday, threatening the survival of a much-loved species.Three-quarters of the world’s lesser flamingos live in East Africa and more than a million birds at a time can gather at lakes in …

Future of Africa’s flamingos threatened by rising lakes: studyFri, 12 Apr 2024 15:04:05 GMT Read More »

The electoral commission said Friday it had appealed to South Africa’s highest court to rule on whether ex-president Jacob Zuma can stand in a general election in May as political tensions heighten.The vote is expected to be the most competitive since the 1994 advent of democracy in South Africa, and Zuma’s presence in the campaign …

S.Africa’s electoral body takes candidate Zuma’s case to top courtFri, 12 Apr 2024 14:09:40 GMT Read More »

Police in Ethiopia have arrested 13 suspects over the killing of a prominent opposition figure from the restive state of Oromia, official regional media reported.The body of Bate Urgessa of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) was found dumped on a road outside the town of Meki on Wednesday, shortly after he had been arrested by …

13 arrested in Ethiopia over killing of Oromo opposition figureFri, 12 Apr 2024 10:19:55 GMT Read More »

South Africa’s electoral commission said Friday that it had appealed to the country’s highest court to rule on whether ex-president Jacob Zuma can stand in a general election in May.The commission said in a statement that it had lodged an “urgent and direct” appeal to the Constitutional Court to provide “certainty”.It is the latest twist …

S.Africa’s electoral body takes Zuma case to constitutional courtFri, 12 Apr 2024 09:47:39 GMT Read More »

Millions displaced and on the brink of famine. Sexual and ethnic violence. Infrastructure destroyed. Aid workers say a year of war between rival generals in Sudan has led to catastrophe, but the world has turned away.The northeast African country is experiencing “one of the worst humanitarian disasters in recent memory” and “the largest internal displacement …

Sudan’s silent suffering, one year into generals’ warFri, 12 Apr 2024 06:38:17 GMT Read More »