AFP Africa

The United States is seeking to prevent Russia from scoring a major new win with coup-hit Niger, wagering despite initial disappointment that long-standing military ties will keep the country in the Western orbit.Niger has been the linchpin of US and French anti-jihadist operations in the Sahel, especially since the military takeover of neighboring Mali, which …

US seeks to prevent new Russian gain in coup-hit NigerTue, 08 Aug 2023 20:51:19 GMT Read More »

Efforts by West Africa’s bloc ECOWAS and the United States to parlay with Niger’s new rulers made no headway on Tuesday ahead of a regional summit to mull options that include military intervention.Hours after a US envoy failed to make progress in an unannounced visit, the soldiers who seized power in Niamey on July 26 …

Bids for Niger talks falter as coup summit loomsTue, 08 Aug 2023 15:19:55 GMT Read More »

The World Food Programme has started distributing food aid in Ethiopia’s war-scarred Tigray region, in a test for new monitoring measures after halting assistance over the diversion of supplies, the United Nations agency said on Tuesday.WFP and US aid agency USAID halted food aid to Africa’s second most populous country in June after discovering that …

WFP begins ‘test distribution’ of food aid to Ethiopia’s TigrayTue, 08 Aug 2023 15:10:43 GMT Read More »

Morocco coach Reynald Pedros said Tuesday his team reaching the Women’s World Cup last 16 was as impressive as the country’s men getting to the semi-finals of the Qatar World Cup.Their run ended with a 4-0 loss to France in Adelaide but Morocco exceeded all expectations by getting to the knockout rounds at their debut …

Women’s World Cup run on a par with Morocco’s men in Qatar – coachTue, 08 Aug 2023 14:22:42 GMT Read More »

The coup that shook Niger nearly two weeks ago triggered an international outcry and curbs on domestic freedoms, yet many people in the capital say the change is a breath of fresh air.Around 30,000 people turned out on Sunday for a rally in a Niamey stadium to support the soldiers who on July 26 toppled …

In post-coup Niger, many salute ‘liberation’ despite outcryTue, 08 Aug 2023 12:51:29 GMT Read More »

On election day in Zimbabwe this month, Tendai and his wife will leave home and head in opposite directions.The pair from the central town of Kadoma live under the same roof but have been assigned to different polling stations in one of a series of anomalies in the voters’ roll that have raised fears of …

Split couples and ghost voters haunt Zimbabwe electionsTue, 08 Aug 2023 05:26:29 GMT Read More »

The second-ranking US diplomat met Niger’s military leaders on Monday to press to reverse a coup but reported no headway a day after an ultimatum from the West African bloc ECOWAS was ignored.Victoria Nuland, a veteran envoy and acting deputy secretary of state, said she met for more than two hours with military chiefs who …

US envoy meets Niger coup leaders but sees no headwayTue, 08 Aug 2023 04:04:49 GMT Read More »

West African leaders will hold a summit on the crisis in Niger this week after the country’s military rulers defied an ultimatum to restore the elected government or face possible military intervention.In its first official reaction since Niger ignored the deadline of midnight (2300 GMT) on Sunday to reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the …

W. African bloc to meet after Niger defies coup ultimatumMon, 07 Aug 2023 20:55:32 GMT Read More »

Senegal’s parliament passed a vote Saturday that effectively restored the right of two key opposition deputies to run in the country’s presidential election next year.The vote cleared any person convicted but then either pardoned or amnestied to run for office, paving the way for Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, who would otherwise have been ineligible. …

Vote clears Senegal opposition figures for presidential runMon, 07 Aug 2023 19:23:25 GMT Read More »

Faustin-Archange Touadera, who looks set to seek a third term as Central African Republic president after voters approved a new constitution, casts himself as a unifier in one of the world’s most turbulent countries.Each time he travels, Touadera receives a stark reminder of the scale of this challenge in a poverty-stricken nation torn apart by …

C.Africa’s Touadera: man of peace or ‘President Wagner’?Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:16:15 GMT Read More »