The Central African Republic voted on Sunday in a referendum on a new constitution that would allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to seek a third term in a country which has endured several coups.In 2020 Touadera won a second five-year term, after a vote interrupted by several incursions by armed rebel groups. He also had to …

CAR votes on new constitution as Touadera eyes third termSun, 30 Jul 2023 20:23:34 GMT Read More »

African leaders on Sunday gave the junta in Niger one week to cede power or face the possible use of force, and slapped financial sanctions on the putschists, after the latest coup in the jihadist-plagued Sahel region raised alarm on the continent and in the West.In the third coup in as many years to fell …

Africa leaders give Niger junta week to cede powerSun, 30 Jul 2023 19:52:55 GMT Read More »

Firebrand Senegalese opposition politician Ousmane Sonko said Sunday he had started a hunger strike from custody after being arrested this week, as his lawyers condemned his arrest.Senegal’s public prosecutor on Saturday announced seven new charges against the politician — a vocal critic of President Macky Sall who has faced a string of legal woes he claims …

Senegalese opponent vows hunger strike as lawyers lambast arrestSun, 30 Jul 2023 19:05:04 GMT Read More »

Kenyan President William Ruto said Sunday he would “not negotiate about the safety of our country” with his rival after agreeing to dialogue to end violent protests against his government.Both sides announced on Saturday that they would join a committee to resolve their differences “amicably” following a sustained campaign of opposition-led street demonstrations that left …

Ruto says he will ‘not negotiate’ Kenya’s security with oppositionSun, 30 Jul 2023 15:45:10 GMT Read More »

In a riot of colour, music and dance, thousands of Tuareg have flocked to the Sebeiba festival that marks the end of an ancient tribal feud and which once a year transforms an oasis town deep in the Algerian Sahara.The Tuareg are a semi-nomadic people of Berber descent who practice Islam and whose traditional desert …

Tuareg flock to Algerian desert oasis for ancient festivalSun, 30 Jul 2023 14:40:24 GMT Read More »

West African leaders were to meet on Sunday for a crisis summit on the coup in Niger, where protesters tried to storm the French embassy after the junta warned of an “imminent military intervention”.In the third coup to fell a leader in Africa’s restive Sahel region in as many years, Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, …

Africa leaders to meet on Niger coup, junta warns of ‘intervention’Sun, 30 Jul 2023 12:47:03 GMT Read More »

Niger’s junta said ECOWAS could stage an imminent military intervention in the capital Niamey as the regional bloc was due to hold an “extraordinary summit” on Sunday over the coup in the Sahel state.Niger’s elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, has been held by the military for four days, and General Abdourahamane Tiani, the chief of the …

Niger putschists say threat of ‘imminent military intervention’ by ECOWASSun, 30 Jul 2023 10:31:49 GMT Read More »

West African leaders will meet Sunday in the Nigerian capital Abuja for an “extraordinary summit” on Niger, scene of the latest military coup to hit the Sahel region, with the possibility of sanctions on the cards.The country’s elected president Mohamed Bazoum has been held by the military for four days, and General Abdourahamane Tiani, the …

Sanctions on the cards as West African leaders discuss NigerSun, 30 Jul 2023 07:48:05 GMT Read More »

The coup in Niger, the third in as many years to topple an elected leader in Africa’s troubled Sahel, threatens to further hamper efforts against jihadist groups in the region, analysts say.Niger’s neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso have each undergone a military coup since 2020, fuelled by anger at the failure to quash long-running insurgencies …

Coups in Africa’s Sahel hampering anti-jihadist effortsSun, 30 Jul 2023 07:24:53 GMT Read More »

Nouhaila Benzina became the first player to wear a hijab during a Women’s World Cup game when she sported the Muslim headscarf in Morocco’s match against South Korea on Sunday.World governing body FIFA lifted its ban on footballers wearing the hijab nearly a decade ago, after previous concerns over player safety.The 25-year-old defender Benzina, who …

Morocco’s Benzina makes history with hijab at Women’s World CupSun, 30 Jul 2023 05:35:43 GMT Read More »