A 200-year-old Tutsi art form made with cow dung, Rwanda’s imigongo painting tradition has experienced a revival in the Great Lakes nation three decades after the 1994 genocide, becoming a symbol of culture and unity.Known for its raised black and white patterns, imigongo is widely believed to have been invented by a Tutsi prince in …

Reviving a traditional art form in Rwanda after genocideSat, 06 Apr 2024 05:46:12 GMT Read More »

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye named a “breakaway” government on Friday, appointing a host of fresh faces to top roles following his landslide election win last month.The 44-year-old, who has never before held elected office, swept to a first-round victory on a promise of radical reform, becoming the country’s youngest president.Faye looks set to share …

Senegal’s youngest president names ‘breakaway’ governmentSat, 06 Apr 2024 02:25:35 GMT Read More »

Zimbabwe’s central bank launched a new “structured currency” backed by gold on Friday, as it seeks to tackle sky-high inflation and stabilise the country’s long-floundering economy.The ZiG — short for Zimbabwe Gold — will replace the Zimbabwean dollar which has tumbled in value over the past year, pushing inflation through the roof, Reserve Bank governor …

Zimbabwe launches new gold-backed currencyFri, 05 Apr 2024 13:47:22 GMT Read More »

Every April, as Rwanda commemorated the 1994 genocide, Agatha would turn off the radio, take to her bed and retreat into a silence so impenetrable that her daughter Agnes once asked if she had been a victim.The answer, given by her grandmother, left 10-year-old Agnes reeling. “I cried and immediately started feeling afraid of my mother …

30 years on, a Rwandan family’s journey to heal from rapeFri, 05 Apr 2024 05:48:54 GMT Read More »

Togo’s opposition on Thursday called for a three-day mass protest to demonstrate against the government’s decision to delay this month’s legislative elections.Tensions between President Faure Gnassingbe’s government and the opposition have heightened following parliament’s approval of a contested constitutional reform critics say is a bid to keep Togo’s leader in power.The presidency announced Wednesday that …

Togo opposition calls for protests over election delayThu, 04 Apr 2024 21:42:12 GMT Read More »

Somalia on Thursday ordered the expulsion of Ethiopia’s ambassador and announced the recall of its own envoy to Addis Ababa, accusing its neighbour of “bluntly interfering” in its internal affairs.The diplomatic moves come as Somalia continues to seethe over a maritime deal Ethiopia signed with the breakaway region of Somaliland in January — ratcheting up …

Somalia expels Ethiopia ambassador over ‘interference’Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:40:39 GMT Read More »

President Emmanuel Macron believes France and its Western and African allies “could have stopped” Rwanda’s 1994 genocide but did not have the will to halt the slaughter of an estimated 800,000 people, mostly ethnic Tutsis, the presidency said on Thursday. In a video message to be published on Sunday to mark the 30th anniversary of the …

Macron believes France, allies ‘could have stopped’ Rwanda genocideThu, 04 Apr 2024 16:26:31 GMT Read More »

The resounding electoral triumph of Senegal’s youngest-ever president has shone unflattering light on other African states where ageing autocrats have held sway for decades.Anti-establishment candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, 44, swept to victory in Dakar on a promise of major reform, backed by a new generation of voters and politicians.Faye and his mentor and now prime …

Senegal’s stunning election spotlights Africa’s ageing autocratsThu, 04 Apr 2024 15:29:14 GMT Read More »

South Africa’s former parliament speaker was charged with corruption and money laundering Thursday, piling new pressure on the governing African National Congress (ANC) party ahead of elections in May.Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who resigned her speaker post Wednesday, appeared before a court in Pretoria after she turned herself in to police and was formally arrested.”Charges against Ms …

S.Africa’s ex-parliament speaker charged in graft probeThu, 04 Apr 2024 12:51:06 GMT Read More »

Togo’s opposition demanded the withdrawal of a contested constitutional reform on Thursday after the government delayed this month’s legislative elections to give lawmakers more time to review the amendment.The reform allowing the National Assembly to elect the president directly triggered opposition fears over attempts to keep President Faure Gnassingbe in power longer.Togo’s presidency late on …

Togo opposition demands withdrawal of reform after election delayThu, 04 Apr 2024 11:55:20 GMT Read More »