AFP Africa

Zimbabweans prayed for peace on Sunday ahead of a national election widely expected to be a tense affair amid a crackdown on dissent and fears of vote rigging. Dozens of worshippers gathered for mass at a cream-coloured church facing a dusty street lined with market stalls in Harare’s oldest township of Mbare. “We are praying for a …

Zimbabweans pray for peace as tense election loomsSun, 20 Aug 2023 13:41:07 GMT Read More »

Several thousand people demonstrated in the capital of Niger on Sunday in support of last month’s military coup, whose leader has warned against outside intervention and proposed a three-year transition of power.The demonstrators chanted slogans hostile to former colonial power France and West African regional bloc ECOWAS, which is considering a potential military operation to …

Pro-coup rally in Niger after military leader warns against foreign interventionSun, 20 Aug 2023 12:10:24 GMT Read More »

Just days before a national election to pick a president and lawmakers, one word is on the lips of most young Zimbabweans: “change”. Yet, questions about who can deliver change and whether it might happen draw elusive or conflicting answers on the bustling and trafficked streets of Harare, the capital.”There needs to be a change in …

Young Zimbabwean voters dare to hope for change of old guardSun, 20 Aug 2023 09:27:54 GMT Read More »

Indonesian President Joko Widodo departed for South Africa on Sunday to attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg amid speculation that the country could join the group as its latest member.The meeting, which brings together major emerging economies countries led by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, will be held for three days starting Tuesday.”Indonesia …

Indonesian president to attend BRICS summit in South AfricaSun, 20 Aug 2023 05:59:31 GMT Read More »

Niger’s new military ruler warned Saturday that any attack on the country would not be a “walk in the park”, as a delegation from West African countries made a final push to find a diplomatic solution following last month’s coup.General Abdourahamane Tiani — who took power after army officers toppled Niger’s president Mohamed Bazoum on …

Niger military ruler warns against any attackSat, 19 Aug 2023 21:59:02 GMT Read More »

A delegation from West Africa’s ECOWAS bloc arrived in Niger on Saturday seeking a peaceful rather than military solution after senior army officers seized power in a coup.The delegation led by former Nigerian president Abdulsalami Abubakar flew into the capital early afternoon, a day after ECOWAS military chiefs announced they were ready to intervene to …

W.African mission lands in coup-hit Niger for talksSat, 19 Aug 2023 14:41:28 GMT Read More »

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI is set to celebrate his 60th birthday on Monday away from the public eye, as challenges abound almost a quarter century after he ascended the throne.The monarch is credited with effectively maintaining stability in a volatile region — in part through suppressing criticism — as well as modernising the economy and …

Morocco king at 60: diplomacy a priority as inequalities persistSat, 19 Aug 2023 07:00:32 GMT Read More »

West African military chiefs said on Friday they were ready for an armed intervention in Niger after a coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum last month, but a diplomatic mission was possible over the weekend to keep talks open.The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last …

West Africa military chiefs ready to intervene after Niger coupSat, 19 Aug 2023 02:13:37 GMT Read More »

West African military chiefs said on Friday they were ready for an armed intervention in Niger after a coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum last month, but a diplomatic mission was possible over the weekend to keep talks open.The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has agreed to activate a “standby force” as a last …

W.Africa military chiefs ready to intervene after Niger coupFri, 18 Aug 2023 21:07:31 GMT Read More »

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Leymah Gbowee on Friday said Liberia cannot move forward unless it prosecutes former war criminals, as survivors commemorated the anniversary of the peace accord that ended two brutal civil wars.No war criminals have been prosecuted within Liberia since the two civil wars — which left nearly 250,000 people dead, according to …

Liberian Nobel laureate condemns impunity on 20 years after peace accordsFri, 18 Aug 2023 17:28:49 GMT Read More »