AFP Africa

A Spanish man kidnapped by an armed group in the turbulent Algeria-Mali border region was heading home on Wednesday as Madrid confirmed his liberation.The Spaniard arrived at the Boufarik military base south of Algiers on a flight from Algeria’s southernmost Tin Zaoutine commune, the Algerian defence ministry said on Tuesday.He was on a tourist trip …

Spanish man heading home after Mali kidnapping ordealWed, 22 Jan 2025 11:33:14 GMT Read More »

Sudan’s army-aligned government has issued new banknotes in areas it controls,  reportedly aimed at undermining its paramilitary rivals but causing long queues at banks, disrupting trade and entrenching division.In a country already grappling with war and famine, the swap replaced 500 and 1,000 Sudanese pound banknotes (worth around $0.25 and $0.50 respectively) with new ones …

Sudan ‘political’ banknote switch causes cash crunchWed, 22 Jan 2025 11:22:47 GMT Read More »

Lesotho’s King Letsie III has embarked on an ambitious mission in snowy Davos, where global powerbrokers have converged, to make a royal pitch: invest in his small African nation’s green transition.The monarch travelled from his landlocked mountain kingdom within South Africa to promote his green energy fund in meetings with business and political leaders in …

Lesotho’s king pitches green energy to Davos elitesWed, 22 Jan 2025 07:38:41 GMT Read More »

Tanzania’s main opposition party has chosen a new leader ahead of general elections due in October at a time when it faces increasing political repression. Freeman Mbowe, who has been Chadema chairman for two decades, congratulated his successor — former deputy Tindu Lissu — on Wednesday. “I congratulate Hon. Tundu Lissu and his colleagues on being entrusted with …

Tanzania opposition names new leader ahead of electionWed, 22 Jan 2025 07:34:28 GMT Read More »

Chad’s Constitutional Council on Tuesday confirmed the MPS party of military ruler President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno as the winner of December general elections which were boycotted by opposition parties, citing a final vote tally.Council president Jean-Bernard Padare found Deby’s party had won a solid majority in the first legislative elections held in the country …

Final tally confirms Chad military ruler’s party as poll winnerTue, 21 Jan 2025 19:59:23 GMT Read More »

The army acknowledged Tuesday a “breakthrough” by the M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the armed group fighting government forces has seized a trading hub that supplies the city of Goma. The fall of Minova to M23 fighters backed by the Rwandan army further encircles regional capital Goma in a conflict that has displaced …

M23 fighters further encircle key DR Congo city of GomaTue, 21 Jan 2025 16:58:25 GMT Read More »

A French woman who lost her life savings to scammers pretending to be American actor Brad Pitt is seeking to unmask at least three Nigerians her legal team accuses of defrauding her.The scammers tricked the victim, identified as 53-year-old Anne by French broadcaster TF1, into believing she was in a romantic relationship with the 61-year-old …

Nigerian scammers accused in AI-driven fake Brad Pitt fraudTue, 21 Jan 2025 16:21:59 GMT Read More »

Gabon’s transitional national parliament has adopted a new electoral code, a key step towards re-establishing civilian rule following a coup that ended decades of rule by the Bongo dynasty.Transitional president General Brice Oligui Nguema has vowed a return to civilian rule after a transition period with a presidential election slated for August, two years on …

Gabon adopts new electoral code in key step towards pollsTue, 21 Jan 2025 14:59:57 GMT Read More »

Reponse Izabayo managed to reach hospital after being shot as he tried to escape fighting that has flared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.In less than three weeks, more than 200 war wounded have arrived at the hospital in the city of Goma — increasingly, they are civilians.”I was fleeing, I was hit by bullets,” …

DR Congo hospital treats influx of war woundedTue, 21 Jan 2025 11:35:52 GMT Read More »

A mosque and military headquarters once teeming with fighters loyal to the Islamic State group lay empty in a desiccated field near the Democratic Republic of Congo’s border with Uganda.The two abandoned buildings are a distant reminder of the presence of the ADF, an armed militia with Ugandan origins that for years has plagued the …

Fears of fighters loyal to IS linger near DR Congo-Uganda borderTue, 21 Jan 2025 06:50:36 GMT Read More »