Africa

Mugabe under house arrest as military takes control

by Fanuel Jongwe Agence France-Presse HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — Zimbabwe’s military was in control of the country on Wednesday as President Robert Mugabe said he was under house arrest and his generals denied staging a coup. Mugabe’s decades-long grip on power appeared to be slipping as armoured military vehicles blockaded parliament, soldiers took up positions at strategic points across Harare and senior soldiers commandeered state television to broadcast a late-night address. “The president… and his family are […]

Continue Reading →

Mugabe’s party accuses army chief of ‘treasonable conduct’

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — Zimbabwe’s ruling party on Tuesday accused the army chief of “treasonable conduct” after he challenged President Robert Mugabe over the sacking of the vice president, in the latest sign of worsening instability in the country. The ZANU-PF party criticized General Constantino Chiwenga who had demanded that Mugabe stop purges of senior party figures, including Vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa who was dismissed last week. In a statement, the party spokesman said Chiwenga’s […]

Continue Reading →

Opposition leader: Kenya moving toward ‘outright dictatorship’

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga sharply criticized the role of Western diplomats and election observers in the recent presidential vote and warned Thursday that the country is moving toward “outright dictatorship.” Odinga boycotted the presidential election held in September and has termed it a “sham.” Incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta secured 98 percent of the vote. Eight days before the election, “the chairman of the electoral commission publicly, on live television, said he was not […]

Continue Reading →

Refugees flee to Zambia, accusing DR Congo troops of killings

by Obert Simwanza Agence France-Presse NCHELENGE, Zambia (AFP) — Recounting horrific stories of rape and murder allegedly by government soldiers, thousands of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo have sought safety on the Zambian side of Lake Mweru. About 6,000 Congolese residents have fled across the border since late August, triggering an emergency response from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) which has struggled to provide basic food rations and shelter. DR Congo’s huge eastern region has […]

Continue Reading →

Hunting Africa’s Einstein with a science lab on wheels

by Aminu Abubakar Agence France Presse MUDURU, Nigeria (AFP) — A dozen other students look on as Umar Amadu uses a glass pipette to draw a solution from a conical flask as part of a chemistry experiment. It could be a scene from any school laboratory around the world, but until two months ago Amadu and his fellow students had no access to any science equipment. Science subjects at his rural secondary school outside the […]

Continue Reading →

Liberian president says democracy ‘under assault’

MONROVIA, Liberia (AFP) — Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said Tuesday that democracy was “under assault” in her nation as several political parties accuse the electoral commission of fraud, delaying the selection of her successor. A runoff vote also due on Tuesday was supposed to represent Liberia’s only democratic transfer of power in seven decades, securing Sirleaf’s legacy as she steps down after 12 years, but the process has now been indefinitely delayed. “At this moment our […]

Continue Reading →

One killed, two hurt in Morocco tourist town shooting

RABAT, Morocco (AFP) — One man was shot dead and two others were hurt in a tourist area of Marrakesh, authorities in Morocco said, adding that it appeared to be a local settling of scores. Two attackers wearing balaclavas shot the victim at a cafe in the town, a popular destination for foreign visitors. The man, who was hit in the head, died instantly. The two assailants also injured two other people in a hail […]

Continue Reading →

UK asks Libya to extradite brother of Manchester bomber

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British police investigating the deadly concert bombing in Manchester earlier this year said Wednesday they had requested the extradition of the attacker’s brother from Libya. Salman Abedi killed 22 people when he detonated a suicide bomb after a concert by pop star Ariana Grande, Britain’s worst terror attack in more than a decade. Manchester-born to Libyan parents, Abedi is believed to have travelled to Libya in the run-up to the May 22 […]

Continue Reading →

5 children killed by ‘young girl’ suicide bomber in Cameroon

YAOUNDÈ, Cameroon (AFP) – Five children were killed Tuesday night and two others wounded by a suicide bomber described as a “young girl” in a northern region of Cameroon plagued by Boko Haram attacks, sources said Wednesday. “A suicide bomber blew herself up (on Tuesday) around 7.45 pm (1845 GMT)” in the village of Zamga, two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Nigerian border, said a security officer responsible for the zone, reached from the capital […]

Continue Reading →

After Kenyatta win, all eyes on Kenya’s embattled opposition chief

by Hazel Ward Agence France-Presse NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — Kenya was once again left waiting Tuesday, as embattled opposition leader Raila Odinga prepared to lay out his strategy following a boycott of last week’s protest-hit elections that handed President Uhuru Kenyatta a landslide win. Thursday’s contest saw Kenyatta winning a decisive victory with 98 percent of the vote, hailing the result as a vindication of his victory in an initial August poll which was later overturned by […]

Continue Reading →

Death toll rises to 14 in Mogadishu bombings: official

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AFP) — At least 14 people were killed in coordinated car bombings followed by an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, a security official said. “About 14 people, most of them civilians, were confirmed dead so far and the security forces are still working to ensure the area is clear,” said security official Mohamed Moalim Adan. “Sporadic gunfire” was continuing with at least two gunmen from the Shabaab […]

Continue Reading →

Kenya in limbo as incomplete election keeps tensions high

  by Fran Blandy Agence France Presse NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — Kenya was stuck in limbo Saturday as a repeat election remained on hold in flashpoint opposition areas, while some picked up the pieces from violent protests that have claimed nine lives. There was little doubt that President Uhuru Kenyatta would win by a landslide after Thursday’s election was boycotted by his rival Raila Odinga, however low turnout is likely to tarnish the credibility of […]

Continue Reading →
1 … 80 81 82 83 84 … 103