East Africa

The Democratic Republic of Congo officially joins the East African Community (EAC) becoming the seventh country of the regional bloc. Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula presented the documents to EAC secretary general Peter Mathuki, who described the development as significant for DR Congo and the community. Member states …

The chairman of the Social Imberakuri opposition party in Rwanda, Bernard Ntaganda issued a warning to President Paul Kagame saying it is time for him to hand over. The warning comes after President Kagame announced he intends to lead the country for another 20 years. According to Mr Ntaganda, Mr …

Burundian opponent of the National Congress for Freedom (CNL) principal opposition party, André Ndagijimana, died while in custody in the northern province of Ngozi. According to the CNL, Mr Ndagijimana passed away after the prison authority refused him “permission to seek treatment”. “It’s very sad because a person in detention …

The leader of the political party Commitment for Citizenship and Development (ECiDé) in DR Congo, Martin Fayulu reacted on the ongoing conflict between DR Congo and Rwanda, saying President Kagame is playing with them like little children. According to Mr Fayulu, the Rwandan president Paul Kagame is playing with the …

A medical student in Kenya is in custody for faking his own kidnapping to demand ransom from his parents, local media reported, citing Nairobi police. Edwin Kamau, 23, is accused of ‘disappearing’ on Sunday and calling his mother days later to demand 70,000 Kenyan shillings ($593; £494) in ransom. The …

M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo decided to continue hostilities despite ceasefire agreement signed between President Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame. On Wednesday, president Tshisekedi met Paul Kagame in the Angolan capital, Luanda to hold talks over diplomatic tensions between the two countries. It was under …

After their meeting in Luanda, the Angolan capital, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi agreed to defuse tensions. Angolan President Joao Lourenco, appointed by the African Union to mediate talks said: “The tripartite decided on a process of de-escalation between Congo and Rwanda”. Diplomatic tensions deteriorate …

Burundi’s government said the thousands of children roaming the streets, adult beggars and other “vagabonds” now risk criminal prosecution as they tarnish the country’s image. Street children and other beggars should no longer roam the streets from this Wednesday. “These practices which “deteriorate” Burundian culture must cease,” authorities said. “Repeat …

In an interview with UK’s Financial Times newspaper, DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi warned that his country could react if neighboring Rwanda continued its provocations. Diplomatic tensions continue to escalate between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. President Tshisekedi who accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group and …

Ugandan presidency said in a statement that it validated the adoption of Swahili as one of the country’s official languages and recommended its teaching in primary and secondary schools. The Swahili language develops and becomes one of the official languages in Uganda. In a tweeted statement, the Ugandan cabinet said …