Seven months after bringing the curtain down on the 55-year Bongo dynasty, Gabon’s transitional president launches a national dialogue Tuesday touted as paving the way for elections next year.General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was swiftly sworn in after the August 30 coup, pledged to hand back the oil-rich central African country to civilian rule after …

Gabon’s post-coup reform efforts under fireThu, 28 Mar 2024 06:54:34 GMT Read More »

Anti-establishment figure Bassirou Diomaye Faye has comfortably won the Senegalese presidential election with 54.28 percent of votes in the first round, official provisional results showed Wednesday.He placed well ahead of the governing coalition’s candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba, who garnered 35.79 percent. The victory for Faye, who was only freed from prison 10 days before …

Senegal results show large win for opponent Faye in presidential pollWed, 27 Mar 2024 23:54:19 GMT Read More »

Political tension mounted in Togo on Wednesday as police broke up an opposition news conference amid backlash over a constitutional reform criticised as a power grab.The West African country’s parliament voted for the new constitution on Monday, switching from a presidential to a parliamentary system.With less than a month before legislative elections, the opposition fears …

Togo tensions rise as police break up opposition eventWed, 27 Mar 2024 19:50:16 GMT Read More »

As anti-establishment Bassirou Diomaye Faye looks set to take Senegal’s presidency, analysts say his win also reflects a protest against the outgoing leadership and divisions within a powerful but weakened governing coalition.President Macky Sall’s hand-picked candidate, former prime minister Amadou Ba, on Monday conceded defeat, triggering a mixture of pride, dejection and resentment among dozens …

Defeated Senegal government faces uncomfortable truthsWed, 27 Mar 2024 17:24:45 GMT Read More »

A court on Wednesday handed one of Central African Republic’s main opposition leaders a one-year suspended prison sentence for defamation and contempt of court.Crepin Mboli Goumba, a lawyer and coordinator for the leading opposition forum BRDC, was arrested March 3 after he accused some magistrates of corruption and said “justice is no longer being served …

C.Africa court sentences an opposition leader for defamationWed, 27 Mar 2024 16:04:00 GMT Read More »

A Tunisian court sentenced four people to death and two to life in prison on Wednesday over the jihadist-claimed killing of a secular politician more than a decade ago.The 2013 murder of then opposition leader Chokri Belaid was claimed at the time by militants loyal to the Islamic State group which would go on to …

Tunisian court condemns four to death for 2013 killing of politicianWed, 27 Mar 2024 15:49:42 GMT Read More »

The United States on Wednesday launched a new initiative to boost imports of African foods — specialties like seafood, nuts and herbs — seeing untapped potential in items that benefit small-scale farmers.The new Africa Trade Desk aims to increase imports of African specialty foods into the United States by $300 million over the next 18 …

US launches bid to increase African food importsWed, 27 Mar 2024 12:30:30 GMT Read More »

Four people were condemned to death and two sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after a decade-long investigation into the 2013 killing of Tunisian secular opposition leader Chokri Belaid.Tunisia still hands down death sentences, particularly in “terrorism” cases, even though a de facto moratorium in effect since 1991 means they are effectively commuted to …

Four sentenced to death for murder of Tunisia opposition leaderWed, 27 Mar 2024 08:28:15 GMT Read More »

Kenyan authorities on Tuesday began releasing the bodies of victims of a doomsday starvation cult to distraught relatives, almost a year since the discovery of mass graves in a grisly case that shocked the world.One tearful family received four bodies that were loaded into a hearse from a morgue in the Indian Ocean town of …

Family tears, relief as first Kenya cult massacre bodies releasedTue, 26 Mar 2024 20:09:36 GMT Read More »

Kenya’s troubled flag carrier Kenya Airways said Tuesday it had recorded an operating profit in 2023, its first in seven years.The figure of 10.5 billion Kenyan shillings (about $80 million) for the year ended December 31 represents a sharp turnaround from an operating loss of 5.6 billion shillings in 2022, with chairman Michael Joseph hailing …

Kenya Airways reports first operating profit in seven yearsTue, 26 Mar 2024 16:35:21 GMT Read More »