Ethiopian troops appeared to be pushing back militia fighters in two cities in the conflict-hit Amhara region, residents said Wednesday, after local authorities reported that “relative peace” was being restored.There has been no official casualty toll from the Amhara violence, but two hospital doctors told AFP that a number of civilians have died and many …

Ethiopia troops push back Amhara fighters: residentsWed, 09 Aug 2023 12:19:50 GMT Read More »

Two weeks after the coup in Niger, France has abandoned its tough tone on the crisis and is now inclining towards diplomatic solutions, with military action seemingly ruled out for now, experts said.West Africa’s regional bloc ECOWAS had given coup leaders a deadline of last Sunday to reinstate elected president Mohamed Bazoum, or face potential …

France softens tone on Niger coupWed, 09 Aug 2023 10:52:57 GMT Read More »

West African bloc ECOWAS, which meets Thursday after threatening to intervene in the Niger crisis, has become a key player in the management of regional conflicts.First set up in 1975 to promote economic development among its 15 members, it has since stepped in in conflicts from Sierra Leone to Mali.- 15 members -ECOWAS, based in the …

West African bloc ECOWAS: key factsWed, 09 Aug 2023 08:30:45 GMT Read More »

Coup-hit Niger’s neighbours have not ruled out military intervention, Nigeria’s president said, ahead of a West African coalition’s crisis summit in Abuja on Thursday.Bola Tinubu, who also chairs the bloc ECOWAS, still believes diplomacy is the “best way forward” to resolve the crisis, according to his spokesman.So far efforts by ECOWAS and the United States …

Nigeria says not ruling out force in Niger ahead of West African summitWed, 09 Aug 2023 05:55:29 GMT Read More »

Kenya’s government and the opposition are set to launch talks Wednesday aimed at resolving a bitter political feud following a spate of deadly protests over electoral reforms and the high cost of living.Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has organised 10 days of demonstrations since March — most blighted by violent confrontations with the police — to demand …

Kenya’s government, opposition begin talks after protestsWed, 09 Aug 2023 02:33:59 GMT Read More »

Nigeria’s president has not ruled out military intervention in neighbouring Niger after its president was ousted in a coup but believes diplomacy is the “best way forward” to resolve the crisis, his spokesman said Tuesday.Bola Tinubu, also head of the West African bloc ECOWAS, weighed in for the first time since the soldiers behind the coup …

Diplomacy ‘best way forward’ in Niger but force still on table: NigeriaTue, 08 Aug 2023 22:39:52 GMT Read More »

Nigeria’s president, who is also head of the West African bloc ECOWAS, has not ruled out military intervention in Niger but believes diplomacy is the “best way forward” to resolve the crisis, his spokesman said Tuesday.President Bola Tinubu weighed in for the first time since the soldiers behind the coup in Niger defied the bloc’s …

Diplomacy ‘best way forward’ in Niger, force still on table: NigeriaTue, 08 Aug 2023 21:24:04 GMT Read More »

The United States is seeking to prevent Russia from scoring a major new win with coup-hit Niger, wagering despite initial disappointment that long-standing military ties will keep the country in the Western orbit.Niger has been the linchpin of US and French anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel, especially since the military takeover of neighboring Mali, which …

US seeks to prevent new Russian gain in coup-hit NigerTue, 08 Aug 2023 20:51:19 GMT Read More »

Efforts by West Africa’s bloc ECOWAS and the United States to parlay with Niger’s new rulers made no headway on Tuesday ahead of a regional summit to mull options that include military intervention.Hours after a US envoy failed to make progress in an unannounced visit, the soldiers who seized power in Niamey on July 26 …

Bids for Niger talks falter as coup summit loomsTue, 08 Aug 2023 15:19:55 GMT Read More »

The World Food Programme has started distributing food aid in Ethiopia’s war-scarred Tigray region, in a test for new monitoring measures after halting assistance over the diversion of supplies, the United Nations agency said on Tuesday.WFP and US aid agency USAID halted food aid to Africa’s second most populous country in June after discovering that …

WFP begins ‘test distribution’ of food aid to Ethiopia’s TigrayTue, 08 Aug 2023 15:10:43 GMT Read More »