AFP Africa

Senior United Nations officials warned on Wednesday that hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk in the besieged Sudanese town of El-Fasher, amid signs that the fighting could soon escalate.El-Fasher is one of five state capitals in Sudan’s western Darfur region and the only one not in the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), …

Hundreds of thousands at risk in Sudan’s El-Fasher: UNWed, 18 Sep 2024 20:30:20 GMT Read More »

West African bloc ECOWAS on Wednesday strongly condemned jihadist attacks which a day earlier hit the Malian capital where locals voiced concern and questions remained about the rare and deadly strike.An Al-Qaeda-linked group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for the attack in Bamako against highly sensitive targets, including a military police training centre and the military …

Jihadist attacks in Mali capital spark condemnation, questionsWed, 18 Sep 2024 15:54:50 GMT Read More »

The main Al-Qaeda-affiliated jihadist group in Mali struck a forceful blow to the ruling junta when it hit highly sensitive military targets in the capital Bamako, underscoring its two-pronged strategy of territorial expansion and harassment, experts say.Targeting a military police barracks and a military airport, the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) group demonstrated its …

Mali jihadist attack highlights risk of expansion, harassmentWed, 18 Sep 2024 11:54:11 GMT Read More »

Each year the world produces around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste, much of it discarded after just a few minutes of use.Negotiators hope to reach the world’s first treaty on plastic pollution this year, but across five very different countries, AFP found single-use plastic remains hugely popular as a cheap and convenient choice, illustrating …

How single-use plastic still rules the worldWed, 18 Sep 2024 08:22:44 GMT Read More »

One day in August, Aynalem was on her way to university in the Amhara region of northern Ethiopia when armed men suddenly stopped the bus and climbed aboard. “They were all very young and threatened us with assault rifles. I was terrified,” recalled the 21-year-old biomedical engineering student. The kidnappers blindfolded Aynalem and the other passengers. After …

Ethiopia plagued by abductions ‘epidemic’Wed, 18 Sep 2024 05:17:08 GMT Read More »

Almost 200 environmental activists were murdered last year, with the toll especially heavy in South America, according to rights group Global Witness.Here are the stories of three campaigners who have faced violence and repression trying to stop wildcat gold mining in Ecuador, illegal shrimp farming in Indonesia and a controversial oil project in Uganda.- ‘We …

Three activists risking their lives for the planetWed, 18 Sep 2024 03:41:00 GMT Read More »

An Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group on Tuesday claimed responsibility for a deadly attack in Mali’s capital Bamako that saw them temporarily take control of part of the international airport.Images broadcast on the communication channels of the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) group showed fighters strolling around and firing randomly into the windows of the presidential …

Jihadist group claims rare attack on Mali capitalTue, 17 Sep 2024 21:14:49 GMT Read More »

Sierra Leone’s Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh said Tuesday the death toll from a seven-storey building collapse in the capital a day earlier had risen to at least nine, as rescuers searched for survivors.The building, thought to be used for both residential and commercial purposes, gave way between 11:00 am and noon GMT on Monday, …

S. Leone building collapse death toll rises to at least nine: VPTue, 17 Sep 2024 16:41:11 GMT Read More »

Khames made it out alive when the overcrowded vessel he was on capsized in the English Channel, but the migrant from Egypt has no idea whether the childhood friend he was travelling with also managed to survive.Eight people have been confirmed dead since the boat ran into trouble trying to reach Britain from France in …

‘Shouted his name’: Channel tragedy survivor hopes friend made itTue, 17 Sep 2024 13:32:04 GMT Read More »

Ghana’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), held nationwide protests on Tuesday, intensifying its call for an audit of the voter register, three months before a presidential election.The NDC has accused the Electoral Commission (EC) of tampering with the voter registry to favour the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its candidate Vice …

Ghana opposition protests over voter registerTue, 17 Sep 2024 12:47:26 GMT Read More »