AFP Africa

Wandering atop a small sand dune in central Mauritania, Aliene Haimoud gazed despondently at the yellowing date palms before him –- the trees are dying if they are not already dead. The advance of the desert is striking in the oasis village of Azougui, some 450 kilometres (280 miles) northeast of Nouakchott, the West African state’s …

Climate change threatens age-old Mauritania date harvestFri, 19 Jul 2024 05:40:38 GMT Read More »

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa committed his new coalition government to growth, job creation and poverty reduction as he opened parliament Thursday following the first elections in which his ruling ANC lost its absolute majority.Addressing a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament after a grand opening ceremony including a display of military pageantry, …

S.Africa’s president prioritises growth, jobs as parliament opensThu, 18 Jul 2024 19:18:56 GMT Read More »

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu agreed on Thursday to more than double the monthly minimum wage to 70,000 naira ($43) as the country struggles with a severe cost of living crisis.The new wage level applies to federal workers, from civil servants to airport staff and public teachers — but the increase from 30,000 naira was …

Nigerian president to hike minimum wage as living costs riseThu, 18 Jul 2024 16:43:18 GMT Read More »

A Kenyan court on Thursday suspended a police move to ban protests in the centre of the capital Nairobi following deadly anti-government demonstrations. The country has been roiled by initially peaceful rallies sparked by now-scrapped tax hikes, which degenerated into violence that has left dozens of people dead.Kenya’s acting police chief Douglas Kanja had announced late …

Kenya court suspends police ban on Nairobi protestsThu, 18 Jul 2024 16:07:23 GMT Read More »

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has been re-elected with an emphatic 99.18 percent of the vote, according to full provisional results Thursday, but rights activists say the outcome is a stark reminder of the lack of democracy in the country. A crushing victory in Monday’s vote was never in doubt for the all-powerful Kagame, who has ruled …

Rwanda’s Kagame re-elected with 99.18 percent of voteThu, 18 Jul 2024 15:40:55 GMT Read More »

Cabinet ministers and MPs descended on Cape Town Thursday for the opening of the parliament when President Cyril Ramaphosa will lay out plans for South Africa under its new coalition government. Ramaphosa, 71, is to address a joint sitting of the two Houses at 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) after a grand ceremony including a display of …

S.Africa’s president to lay out government plans as parliament opensThu, 18 Jul 2024 13:17:33 GMT Read More »

The discovery of huge deposits of natural resources including oil, gas and gold in the Ivory Coast is pushing the country’s economy in a new direction as it explores its underground potential.Over the last three years, the West African country — traditionally focused on agriculture, in particular cocoa — has leaned into a new role …

Ivory Coast tilts economy from farming to natural resourcesThu, 18 Jul 2024 12:57:21 GMT Read More »

A visionary hero who ended the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and brought peace to a traumatised country, or a despot who rules through fear and repression. The only leader most Rwandans have known, veteran President Paul Kagame is a deeply polarising figure.But his emphatic win in Monday’s election — with a staggering 99.18 percent of the …

Rwanda’s Paul Kagame: visionary hero or autocrat?Thu, 18 Jul 2024 12:20:46 GMT Read More »

Rwanda’s all-powerful President Paul Kagame has been re-elected to a fourth term in office with 99.18 percent of the vote, according to full provisional results published Thursday.The outcome of Monday’s poll was never in doubt, with Kagame ruling the small African nation with an iron fist as de facto leader then president for three decades. Garnering …

Rwanda’s Kagame re-elected with 99.18 percent of votesThu, 18 Jul 2024 11:56:37 GMT Read More »

President Cyril Ramaphosa will lay out the new government’s vision for South Africa on Thursday, opening parliament after elections in May forced his long-ruling ANC into an uncomfortable coalition. Ramaphosa, 71, will address a joint sitting of the two Houses in Cape Town at around 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) after a ceremony including a display of …

South Africa’s president to lay out new government plansThu, 18 Jul 2024 09:58:43 GMT Read More »