AFP Africa

A court in Benin on Thursday sentenced two former allies of President Patrice Talon to 20 years in jail on charges of “conspiring against the authority of the state”.Neither Olivier Boko, an influential businessman long considered to be Talon’s right-hand man, nor former sports minister Oswald Homeky had lawyers representing them at the trial’s conclusion.Boko, …

Benin court jails two ex-allies of president for 20 yearsThu, 30 Jan 2025 18:31:51 GMT Read More »

Strewn with rubble from mortar and artillery fire, the eastern DR Congo city of Goma awoke on Thursday to a new abnormal — hiding from bandits and counting the dead.Fighting has all but ceased between Congolese soldiers and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, which captured most of Goma on Sunday — a dramatic escalation in …

New abnormal begins for east DR Congo’s looted Goma after siegeThu, 30 Jan 2025 18:11:57 GMT Read More »

The Rwanda-backed armed group M23 vowed Thursday to “continue the march of liberation” to the DR Congo capital Kinshasa, as its fighters made further advances in the mineral-rich east of the country.The group’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, is a dramatic escalation in a region that has seen decades …

Rwanda-backed M23 pledges to ‘march all the way to Kinshasa’Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:49:43 GMT Read More »

The French army has handed over its last base in Chad in a military ceremony in the capital N’Djamena, the general staffs of both countries announced Thursday.The central African country in late November abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler, and French troops began leaving the country in late December.Thursday’s handover of the …

France hands over last base in Chad amid withdrawalThu, 30 Jan 2025 13:24:00 GMT Read More »

DR Congo’s president has vowed a “vigorous” military response against Rwandan-backed fighters who have advanced further in the mineral-rich east of the country after seizing most of the region’s main city.The Rwanda-backed M23’s capture of most of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, in recent days is a dramatic escalation of a decade-long campaign …

DR Congo leader vows ‘vigorous’ response as Rwanda-backed fighters advanceThu, 30 Jan 2025 12:02:22 GMT Read More »

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi insisted his troops were mounting a “vigorous” response to Rwanda-backed fighters advancing in the country’s perennially troubled east and slammed the international community’s “silence and inaction”.The weeks-long march of the M23 armed group, which has captured vast swathes of eastern DRC including most of the key city of Goma, has …

DR Congo leader says troops mounting ‘vigorous’ response to M23Thu, 30 Jan 2025 06:51:49 GMT Read More »

In a makeshift shelter carved out of a schoolyard in eastern Sudan, 14-year-old Hanim Mohamed is using her rap music to bring comfort to families displaced by the country’s ongoing war.For a few fleeting moments, the scars of 21 months of war seem to fade, when families huddle together to hear Mohamed’s nostalgic rap lyrics …

Sudanese teen raps of loss and hope amid warThu, 30 Jan 2025 03:39:17 GMT Read More »

DR Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi insisted Wednesday that his troops were mounting a “vigorous” military response as Rwanda-backed fighters advanced in the east of the country. The weeks-long march of the M23 armed group, which has captured vast swathes of eastern DRC including most of the key city of Goma, has prompted calls for crisis talks …

DR Congo leader says troops mounting ‘vigorous’ response to M23 advanceThu, 30 Jan 2025 02:00:52 GMT Read More »

Rwanda-backed fighters advanced on a second front in their offensive across eastern DR Congo on Wednesday after seizing control of most of the key city of Goma during heavy fighting with the Congolese military.The weeks-long advance by the M23 armed group prompted calls from mediator Angola for urgent talks, as well rising international criticism and …

Rwanda-backed fighters advance in DR CongoWed, 29 Jan 2025 22:06:41 GMT Read More »

Rwanda-backed fighters advanced on a second front in their lightning offensive across eastern DR Congo on Wednesday after seizing control of most of the key city of Goma during heavy fighting with the Congolese military.The weeks-long advance by the M23 armed group has prompted calls from mediator Angola for urgent talks, as well rising international …

Rwanda-backed fighters advance into DR Congo after mostly seizing cityWed, 29 Jan 2025 19:45:11 GMT Read More »