OUAGADOUGOU, May 14, 2023 (AFP) – Armed attackers killed at least 33 people when they opened fire on vegetable farmers in Burkina Faso, the governor of the Boucle du Mouhoun region said on Saturday. Much of the country, including parts of western Boucle du Mouhoun region, has been under a state of emergency since March as the government seeks to combat jihadist attacks. “On the evening of Thursday, May 11 at around 5:00 pm (1700 […]
Africa
In Mali, power outages an exhausting part of daily life
BAMAKO (AFP) – The scene is replicated in towns across Mali almost every evening. Plunged into darkness by power cuts, people like Mamadou Haidara and his wife while away the hours sitting and talking, stuck in their sweltering homes. There is no electricity for a fan to freshen the torpid air, for a refrigerator to keep food and drinks cool or even for a charger to power up a dead phone. “I’ve bought quite a […]
US, South Africa in spat over arms-to-Russia charge
JOHANNESBURG, May 11, 2023 (AFP) – The US envoy to South Africa on Thursday accused the country of having covertly provided arms to Russia, a charge that drew an angry rebuke from Pretoria. Ambassador Reuben Brigety told a media briefing the US believed weapons and ammunition had been laden onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base in December. “We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I […]
Four people shot dead in Tunisia synagogue attack: interior ministry
TUNIS, May 10, 2023 (AFP) – Two worshippers participating in an annual Jewish pilgrimage to a renowned Tunisian synagogue and two members of the security services were shot dead Tuesday in an attack carried out by a police officer, the interior ministry said. Four other visitors to the Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba and five more security officers were wounded in the attack before the assailant was also killed, the ministry said. In […]
Toll from DR Congo floods rises to nearly 400: official
BUKAVU, DR Congo, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to nearly 400, an official said on Sunday. At least 394 bodies have been recovered after last week’s floods, said Thomas Bakenga, administrator of Kalehe territory where the affected villages are located. He had announced a toll of at least 203 people on Saturday. Heavy […]
Nigeria police rescues 58 kidnap victims near capital
ABUJA, May 7, 2023 (AFP) – Police in Nigeria said Sunday that it rescued 58 people who were abducted and held hostage by criminal gangs in central Kogi State, while one victim died during the operation. Kidnappings are one of the many security challenges facing incoming President Bola Tinubu, who will be sworn in later this month after a February election disputed by the opposition. “The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued 58 […]
Strong earthquake kills one, destroys houses in Japan
TOKYO, May 5, 2023 (AFP) – A powerful earthquake struck central Japan on Friday, leaving at least one person dead and 21 injured, as rescuers searched for another trapped under rubble after several houses collapsed. The 6.5 magnitude quake hit the central Ishikawa region in mid-afternoon at a depth of 12 kilometres (seven miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Weather officials warned residents of possible aftershocks and landslides in the days ahead but said […]
Biden says Sudan conflict ‘must end,’ threatens sanctions
WASHINGTON, May 4, 2023 (AFP) – US President Joe Biden on Thursday said weeks of urban fighting in Sudan “must end” and authorized potential new sanctions against those responsible for the bloodshed. “The violence taking place in Sudan is a tragedy — and it is a betrayal of the Sudanese people’s clear demand for civilian government and a transition to democracy,” he said in a statement. “It must end.” Clashes between rival factions began on […]
Seven South Sudanese peace delegates killed in attack: Norway NGO
OSLO, May 4, 2023 (AFP) – A Norwegian humanitarian organisation said Thursday seven South Sudanese delegates who attended a peace conference were killed in two of its cars, while three of its employees escaped unharmed. “We strongly condemn the attack on civilians and humanitarian aid workers,” the head of Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), Dagfinn Hoybraten, said in a statement. “The attack demonstrates how demanding and complex it is to work in a country where the […]
Rwanda counts cost after floods, landslides kill 130
RUBAVU, Rwanda, May 4, 2023 (AFP) – Rwandans grieved Thursday for lost loved ones and destroyed homes after powerful floods and landslides tore through the country killing at least 130 people and leaving many thousands homeless. The government was still counting the cost as families prepared to bury their dead in the aftermath of a natural disaster caused by torrential rains in the steep and hilly country. Rivers of mud swept away homes and other […]
World’s tallest ‘hemp hotel’ trails South Africa’s green credentials
By Julie BOURDIN Agence France-Presse CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AFP) — With 12 storeys, a breathtaking view of Cape Town’s imposing Table Mountain and a minimal ecological footprint, the world’s tallest building made with industrial hemp is soon to open its doors in South Africa. Workers in central Cape Town are putting the finishing touches on the 54-room Hemp Hotel, which is due to be completed in June. “Hempcrete” blocks derived from the cannabis plant […]
Two Kenyan pastors face courts over cult massacre
by Hillary ORINDE Agence France-Presse MALINDI, Kenya (AFP) — Two pastors were appearing before Kenyan courts on Tuesday suspected of being behind the deaths of at least 109 people found buried in what has been dubbed the “Shakahola forest massacre”. The deeply religious Christian-majority country has been stunned by the discovery of mass graves last month in a forest near the Indian Ocean coastal town of Malindi. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, who set up […]
