AFP Africa

Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose ouster has been announced by rebel officers, came to power in 2009, succeeding his father Omar, the country’s ruler for more than four decades.Prior to Wednesday’s dramatic announcement, Bongo’s spell in office was marked by disputed elections and a stroke that spurred rumours about his fitness for office and fuelled …

Ali Bongo, scion of Gabon’s ruling familyWed, 30 Aug 2023 09:32:38 GMT Read More »

The Global Fund announced Wednesday a deal with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to significantly slash the price of a cutting-edge HIV drug, in a move it said would save lives.The Global Fund, a partnership set up in 2002 to battle AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, said the agreement would make it possible to provide the advanced pill …

Global Fund secures deal to slash HIV treatment priceWed, 30 Aug 2023 09:14:56 GMT Read More »

Military officers announced on Wednesday overturning the government in Gabon, in an apparent coup targeting President Ali Bongo Ondimba who has been in power for 14 years and whose re-election was just announced.The status of Ali Bongo, whose family has ruled the oil-rich African country for over 55 years, was not immediately clear but the …

Army officers say toppled Gabon govtWed, 30 Aug 2023 08:34:38 GMT Read More »

A group of Gabonese military officers appeared on television Wednesday announcing they were “putting an end to the current regime” and scrapping official election results that had handed another term to veteran President Ali Bongo Ondimba.During the announcement, AFP journalists heard gunfire ring out in the Gabonese capital, Libreville. While announcing the cancellation of the vote …

Gabon army officers say election result cancelled, ‘regime’ endedWed, 30 Aug 2023 06:56:36 GMT Read More »

Oil companies are paying popular influencers to pump their gas on social media, sparking a backlash from some climate-conscious fans for promoting planet-warming fossil fuels among young people.Young online celebrities best known for posting about video games, their dogs or their holidays to millions of followers are also dropping in unexpected plugs for gasoline stations, …

Oil firms pay Insta, TikTok influencers for adsWed, 30 Aug 2023 06:31:52 GMT Read More »

Soon after Judy Kengo was sworn into office last year, the Kenyan legislator faced her first public test when a doctored photo of a lookalike kissing another woman surfaced online.The aim of the misleading photo, she says, was to force her to quit her position in the county assembly of Kwale, a staunchly conservative region …

Sex, lies and social media: Women face tough fight in African politicsWed, 30 Aug 2023 06:12:49 GMT Read More »

Strength in depth among forwards and backs has South Africans believing that captain Siya Kolisi and his Springboks can successfully defend in France the Rugby World Cup they won four years ago.Winning back-to-back titles at the global showpiece has proven difficult with only the Richie McCaw-skippered New Zealand achieving the feat, in 2011 and 2015.But …

Springbok strength in depth boosts hopes of retaining World CupWed, 30 Aug 2023 02:16:17 GMT Read More »

Sudan’s army chief returned home Tuesday after visiting Egypt on his first trip abroad since the outbreak of war in April, with the latest violence killing dozens of civilians in battle-scarred Darfur.As Abdel Fattah al-Burhan travelled for talks with key ally Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, medics and witnesses said 39 civilians were killed, most …

Sudan army chief home after first foreign trip in warTue, 29 Aug 2023 19:44:07 GMT Read More »

Former Algerian defence minister Khaled Nezzar has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of committing crimes against humanity in the 1990s during the civil war, state prosecutors said Tuesday.The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) said it had filed an indictment in the Federal Criminal Court against the 85-year-old, who faces accusations including …

Algerian ex-minister indicted by Swiss over civil war ‘torture’Tue, 29 Aug 2023 19:03:21 GMT Read More »

Algeria’s foreign minister on Tuesday proposed a six-month transitional plan for neighbouring Niger, whose coup leader seeks a far longer timeline back to democracy. Ahmed Attaf gave his suggested framework after a tour last week to three of Niger’s neighbouring countries in the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened to send a military force if …

Neighbour Algeria seeks six-month transition for coup-hit NigerTue, 29 Aug 2023 17:40:44 GMT Read More »