One month into a much-touted programme to heal the country’s deep political rifts, Egyptian authorities have arrested dozens of dissidents, opposition supporters and football fans in a wave of repression.Cairo inaugurated its long-delayed “national dialogue” on May 3, promising to give a platform to opposition voices that have been largely silenced since President Abdel Fattah …

Egypt ‘national dialogue’ kicks off with wave of arrestsFri, 09 Jun 2023 08:33:27 GMT Read More »

At the edge of an oasis almost engulfed by the dunes, where the rare caravan still passes, is a desert landscape punctured by holes.The salt pans of Kalala, near Bilma in northeastern Niger, were once an essential stop for traders with their swaying lines of camels.Salt digging, carried on from generation to generation, was a …

Sahara salt diggers struggle to maintain centuries-old tradeFri, 09 Jun 2023 07:37:15 GMT Read More »

Deep in South Africa’s semi-desert Karoo region, a glittery drag show in an old hilltop hotel brings a burst of weekly excitement to a sleepy conservative town.Every Saturday night, Mark Hinds and Jacques Rabie, the owners of the Karoo Theatrical Hotel, amaze their guests with a night-long cabaret and drag show in the small town …

Queens of the desert: drag show is oasis of glamour in rural S. AfricaFri, 09 Jun 2023 07:17:28 GMT Read More »

The Sudanese government has declared United Nations envoy Volker Perthes “persona non grata”, two weeks after the army chief accused him of stoking the country’s civil conflict and sought to have him removed from his post.Since late last year, Perthes and the UN mission he heads in war-torn Sudan have been targeted by military and …

Sudan declares UN envoy Volker Perthes ‘persona non grata’Fri, 09 Jun 2023 03:32:28 GMT Read More »

EU nations on Thursday reached agreement on a long-stalled revision of the bloc’s rules to share the hosting of asylum seekers and migrants more equitably. Sweden, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, announced the breakthrough after a fraught day of negotiations between EU interior ministers in Luxembourg. The deal — which needed approval from a majority of …

EU reaches long-stalled deal on refugee hostingThu, 08 Jun 2023 21:42:34 GMT Read More »

Guinea-Bissau’s opposition has won an overall majority in legislative elections, heralding power-sharing with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, according to official results Thursday.A coalition led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) won 54 out of 102 seats, ahead of Embalo’s Madem G15 party, which picked up 29, said Mpabi …

Guinea-Bissau heads to power-sharing after legislative voteThu, 08 Jun 2023 18:59:47 GMT Read More »

USAID halted food aid to Ethiopia Thursday, citing “a widespread and coordinated campaign” to divert donated supplies from the needy as Addis Ababa vowed to hold perpetrators to account.”We made the difficult but necessary decision that we cannot move forward with distribution of food assistance until reforms are in place,” said the US government’s main …

US halts food aid to Ethiopia over diverted suppliesThu, 08 Jun 2023 18:39:10 GMT Read More »

Prized for decades as a tower of stability in turbulent West Africa, Senegal has been plunged into uncertainty after the deadliest episode in a two-year-old drama of political unrest.Violence has pitched the security forces against young supporters of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, a firebrand speaker who accuses President Macky Sall of plotting to install a …

Senegal faces tough questions after deadly violenceThu, 08 Jun 2023 18:01:46 GMT Read More »

EU interior ministers meeting Thursday struggled to reach an agreement on a long-stalled revision of the bloc’s rules to share the hosting of asylum seekers and migrants more equitably.Officials and diplomats said a deal was closer than ever after years of wrangling but efforts to get majority backing for the proposals hung in the balance …

EU tries to thrash out refugee hosting dealThu, 08 Jun 2023 17:07:33 GMT Read More »

The UN’s health agency on Thursday declared an end to a nearly four-month epidemic of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea, saying the disease, a cousin of Ebola, had caused 35 confirmed or suspected deaths.”The outbreak of Marburg Virus Disease in Equatorial Guinea ended today with no new cases reported over the past 42 days after …

WHO declares end to Marburg virus outbreak in Equatorial GuineaThu, 08 Jun 2023 12:47:41 GMT Read More »