AFP Africa

For theatre legend John Kani, art must ‘speak truth to power’Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:57:13 GMT

South African stage legend John Kani shuffled between rows of red chairs in the 450-seat theatre named after him, searching for one in particular.”I think it’s this one,” he exclaimed, pointing at 15E near the stairs leading to the stage. “This used to be Nelson Mandela’s seat!”The actor laughed as he recalled how South Africa’s …

For theatre legend John Kani, art must ‘speak truth to power’Fri, 12 Sep 2025 05:57:13 GMT Read More »

Guinea’s Tierno Monenembo: stolen words and diehard critic of military ruleFri, 12 Sep 2025 05:50:04 GMT

Guinean writer Tierno Monenembo will boycott his country’s upcoming constitutional referendum, calling the vote a “farce”. Unwaveringly critical of the authoritarian junta in power, he said he is ready to “die for his ideas”.In the lush garden of a Conakry bar he frequents, Monenembo — one of Africa’s most highly regarded Francophone writers — spoke …

Guinea’s Tierno Monenembo: stolen words and diehard critic of military ruleFri, 12 Sep 2025 05:50:04 GMT Read More »

ICJ to rule on France-Equatorial Guinea mansion rowFri, 12 Sep 2025 05:47:36 GMT

The top UN court will rule Friday in a long-running dispute between France and Equatorial Guinea over a multi-million-euro Paris mansion seized during a corruption probe into the country’s vice-president.Equatorial Guinea has asked the International Court of Justice to issue emergency orders to prevent France selling the luxury building, also seized in 2012, which boasts …

ICJ to rule on France-Equatorial Guinea mansion rowFri, 12 Sep 2025 05:47:36 GMT Read More »

S.Africa’s top court rules men can take wives’ surnamesFri, 12 Sep 2025 00:18:38 GMT

South Africa’s top court ruled Thursday that men should be able to take their wives’ surnames and a law that prevented this amounted to unfair gender discrimination.The Constitutional Court said the legal ban served no legitimate government purpose and was suspended, paving the way for parliament to enact amendments to the legislation.While men were deprived …

S.Africa’s top court rules men can take wives’ surnamesFri, 12 Sep 2025 00:18:38 GMT Read More »

S.Sudan vice-president charged with murder, crimes against humanityThu, 11 Sep 2025 19:59:33 GMT

South Sudan’s Vice-President Riek Machar has been charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity over an attack by an ethnic militia on a military base that killed more than 250 soldiers, the justice minister said Thursday.A fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and his first vice-president Machar has been unravelling for months in …

S.Sudan vice-president charged with murder, crimes against humanityThu, 11 Sep 2025 19:59:33 GMT Read More »

Acclaimed French director tackles ‘commercial colonialism’ in new filmThu, 11 Sep 2025 16:43:09 GMT

In “The Fence,” a haunting new film from Claire Denis, the celebrated French director returns to a theme she has explored throughout her career — the shadow of colonialism in West Africa. Denis, who spent her early childhood moving around Africa, where her father was a colonial administrator, sets “The Fence” on the grim compound of …

Acclaimed French director tackles ‘commercial colonialism’ in new filmThu, 11 Sep 2025 16:43:09 GMT Read More »

S.Sudan vice president charged with murder, crimes against humanityThu, 11 Sep 2025 15:59:47 GMT

South Sudan’s Vice-President Riek Machar has been charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity over an attack on a military base that killed more than 250 soldiers, the justice minister said Thursday.A fragile power-sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and his first vice-president Machar has been unravelling for months in the world’s youngest country. In …

S.Sudan vice president charged with murder, crimes against humanityThu, 11 Sep 2025 15:59:47 GMT Read More »

DR Congo survivors of IS-linked massacre say army, govt let them downThu, 11 Sep 2025 12:43:05 GMT

Residents of Ntoyo, a village in DR Congo’s perennially volatile east, were preparing for a funeral on Monday when a column of armed men emerged from the forest and slaughtered 71 people, burning some of them alive. “There were very young soldiers in the group,” said 16-year-old Jean-Claude Mumbere, who survived the massacre by ADF (Allied …

DR Congo survivors of IS-linked massacre say army, govt let them downThu, 11 Sep 2025 12:43:05 GMT Read More »

Jihadist blockades disrupt trade, travel in landlocked MaliThu, 11 Sep 2025 11:50:57 GMT

Jihadists have set up roadblocks in the south and west of landlocked Mali near the borders with Senegal and Mauritania where vital goods are imported daily.Mali has battled a security crisis for over a decade fuelled by violence by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) as well as local criminal gangs, which …

Jihadist blockades disrupt trade, travel in landlocked MaliThu, 11 Sep 2025 11:50:57 GMT Read More »