AFP Africa

Poll observers from a regional southern African bloc SADC on Friday said certain aspects of Zimbabwe’s tense presidential and legislative elections did not conform to democratic principles.The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) cited cancellation of opposition rallies, biased state media and alleged voter intimidation among some of the issues that sullied the election.”Some aspects of …

Aspects of Zimbabwe vote ‘fell short’: regional observersFri, 25 Aug 2023 11:27:55 GMT Read More »

In the heart of Ethiopia’s capital, a group of women danced while brandishing a flag bearing the insignia of the war-scarred Tigray region — a scene that would have been unimaginable a year earlier.The two-year conflict that pitted Ethiopia’s federal government against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front sparked accounts of widespread rights abuses, including rapes by …

‘Nothing like peace’: Tigrayans celebrate festival after war hiatusFri, 25 Aug 2023 10:38:24 GMT Read More »

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Eswatini, the island’s only diplomatic ally in Africa, next month to firm up ties, her office said Friday.Tsai will head to Eswatini on September 5, and attend celebrations marking the African nation’s independence day and King Mswati III’s birthday during the visit, her spokeswoman Olivia Lin said.She will hold a …

Taiwan president to visit sole African ally EswatiniFri, 25 Aug 2023 03:59:45 GMT Read More »

Despite the reported death of the Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, Moscow has every interest in continuing his Wagner paramilitary group’s activities in Africa, experts told AFP on Thursday.Russia has been outsourcing activities in Africa to Wagner since 2014.On the security front, Wagner fighters have been deployed alongside the national armies of Libya, the Central African …

Wagner model will remain in Africa after Prigozhin’s deathThu, 24 Aug 2023 22:39:45 GMT Read More »

Police said Thursday they had arrested 41 local monitors of Zimbabwe’s elections as the opposition cried foul over irregularities in a poll forced by delays to stretch into an unprecedented second day.Monitors from Zimbabwean pro-democracy and pressure groups were arrested in multiple raids on Wednesday night and their computers and mobile phones were seized, police …

Zimbabwe arrests election monitors as opposition lashes ‘flawed’ pollThu, 24 Aug 2023 21:51:34 GMT Read More »

Algeria said it had sent a senior official to neighbouring Niger on Thursday to pursue a diplomatic initiative following a coup that has sparked threats of regional military intervention.Algeria has come out against West African bloc ECOWAS’s threat to send a military force to intervene if the new military regime there fails to restore democracy.The …

Algeria sends envoy to Niger for talks on coup crisisThu, 24 Aug 2023 21:43:09 GMT Read More »

Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence Thursday on the plane crash a day earlier that reportedly killed mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and other senior members of the Wagner paramilitary group.In televised comments Putin offered his “sincere condolences to the families of all the victims”, describing the crash as a “tragedy”. As well as Prigozhin, …

Putin offers ‘condolences’ after Wagner plane crashThu, 24 Aug 2023 20:27:13 GMT Read More »

BRICS leaders announced on Thursday the “historic” admission of six new countries, as the bloc seeks to reshape the Western-led global order and expand its influence in an era of strategic competition.BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — agreed at their annual summit to make Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and …

BRICS hails ‘historic’ entry of new members amid bloc rivalryThu, 24 Aug 2023 19:25:17 GMT Read More »

Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence on Thursday on the plane crash a day earlier that killed infamous mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and other senior members of the Wagner paramilitary group.In televised comments Putin offered his “sincere condolences to the families of all the victims”, describing the crash as a “tragedy”. As well as …

Putin offers ‘condolences’ after Russia plane crash kills Wagner bossThu, 24 Aug 2023 18:55:24 GMT Read More »

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has threatened to round up Catholic faithful who visit pilgrimage sites in his country, accusing them of “worshipping poverty”.”I learned that many young people, as many as thousands… wake up in the early morning, walk for three days to go to (a place) where a vision appeared, a pilgrim land, a place associated with …

Rwanda’s Kagame warns Catholic pilgrims who ‘worship poverty’Thu, 24 Aug 2023 18:43:06 GMT Read More »