AFP Africa

Washington is revoking all visas for South Sudanese passport holders and blocking new arrivals, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, complaining the African nation is not accepting its nationals expelled from the United States.The State Department “is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to …

US to revoke all visas for South Sudanese: RubioSat, 05 Apr 2025 23:13:01 GMT Read More »

Friends, family and fans flocked in mourning to the home of Malian music star Amadou Bagayoko on Saturday a day after he died aged 70, AFP reporters saw.One half of the husband-and-wife duo Amadou & Mariam, the Grammy-nominated blind guitarist and singer died on Friday following an illness.His wife Mariam Doumbia, who is also blind, …

Despair and sadness follow death of Malian musical great AmadouSat, 05 Apr 2025 16:50:30 GMT Read More »

Mbele Nonhlanhla laced up her silver cleats as her coach shouted encouragement to the creaky knees, stiff backs and laboured breathing in a dressing room in South Africa’s far north.At 63, wearing jersey number 10 and sporting brown-dyed hair, the grandmother of seven was far from your typical footballer when she stepped onto the field …

Selfies, goals and cheers at South Africa’s grannies World CupSat, 05 Apr 2025 11:24:18 GMT Read More »

Guitarist and singer Amadou Bagayoko of the star Malian music duo Amadou & Mariam has died aged 70 following an illness, his family told AFP on Friday, paying tribute to the Grammy-nominated blind musician.With his wife Mariam Doumbia, Amadou formed half of a group whose blend of traditional rock guitars and Western blues saw them …

Amadou of Malian blind music duo dies aged 70Fri, 04 Apr 2025 21:29:32 GMT Read More »

Suspected intercommunal violence in Nigeria’s north-central Plateau state earlier this week has killed more than 40 people, officials told AFP on Friday. Attackers struck multiple villages Wednesday in the religiously and ethnically mixed state, where land disputes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers are known to descend into deadly violence.As of Friday morning, Bokkos …

Intercommunal violence kills dozens in central NigeriaFri, 04 Apr 2025 17:17:35 GMT Read More »

Nigerian and South African music achieved unprecedented growth last year on Spotify, earning record-breaking royalties, the audio streaming platform said on Friday.Led by international superstars such as Nigerian afrobeats giants Burna Boy and Ayra Starr, and South Africa’s Grammy award-winning singer Tyla, African music genres have earned fast-rising popularity in recent years.Spotify’s 2024 report “has unveiled …

Nigerian, S. African music saw ‘extraordinary growth’ in 2024: SpotifyFri, 04 Apr 2025 17:14:48 GMT Read More »

In what one opposition leader dubbed a historic show of protest, hundreds demonstrated in capital Bangui on Friday against precarious living conditions and to urge Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera not to seek a third term.”This hasn’t happened in more than 20-25 years,” said Martin Ziguele, president of one of the main opposition parties, …

C.Africa rally demands Touadera not seek a third termFri, 04 Apr 2025 17:04:03 GMT Read More »

An elderly war veteran who addresses his supporters on social media wearing a military uniform has become a symbol of resistance to Zimbabwe’s authoritarian regime as the political opposition lies in tatters.Blessed Geza, also known as “Bombshell”, is attracting a healthy following via straight-talking online pronouncements that are introduced with a Maoist anthem from the …

The ageing war veteran standing up to Zimbabwe’s presidentFri, 04 Apr 2025 10:56:30 GMT Read More »

The dancers shake their hips, kicking their feet to the beat of the age-old “dance of the caterpillars”, typically performed in the south where the insects are gathered for food.Three times a week the National Ballet rehearses traditional dances of the many ethnic groups making up the Central African Republic (CAR).”The creations they ask of …

In war-scarred Central African Republic, ballet keeps ethnic heritage aliveFri, 04 Apr 2025 06:00:01 GMT Read More »

When listeners in northern Nigeria tuned into Voice of America last month, they found music playing in place of their regular broadcast — a telltale sign, historically, that soldiers had seized telecoms offices, and even the government.”Was there a coup in the US?” Babangida Jibrin, a VOA journalist, recalled one worried listener asking, as he …

‘Cut off’: US-backed radio goes off air in rural west AfricaFri, 04 Apr 2025 05:39:21 GMT Read More »