Africa

At least 20 people were killed and others sustained gunshot wounds on Thursday after armed men attacked two villages in the north central state of Plateau, where violence between cattle herders and farmers is common, police said. Plateau police spokesperson Alfred Alabo said the attacks took place in the early …

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he was “concerned” about the conditions of detention of ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, and demanded his release. “Antonio Guterres denounced the deplorable conditions in which President Bazoum and his family would live,” the UN said in a statement. According to the …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has accused the World Bank of seeking “to coerce” the government over its anti-LGBT legislation. It follows the announcement by the lender that it was suspending any new loans to Uganda on the grounds that the law against same-sex relations contradicts its values. But in a …

The Kenyan government has started talks with the opposition to try to resolve a political row following a series of violent protests over the high cost of living and calls for electoral reforms. Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has organised a series of demonstrations in recent months. Officials say at …

Niger’s coup leaders on Wednesday accused France of violating the closure of Niger’s airspace and “liberating the terrorists”, which they say constitutes a real plan to destabilize Niger. “French forces took off on Wednesday from N’Djamena, Chad, a military plane at 6:01 a.m. local time,” said a statement from the …

The World Bank has announced the suspension of new loans to Uganda following the enactment of the anti-homosexuality law in the country. President Yoweri Museveni signed the anti-LGBT law in May, which imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and a 20-year prison sentence for “promoting” homosexuality. The World Bank …

Ghana’s main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has given a three-week ultimatum to the central bank governor and his deputy to resign. NDC accuses Ernest Addison of recklessness and mismanaging the bank – with the bank accused of illegally printing money and spending over $8.6m on travel expenses. …

US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken warned in an interview that Wagner was taking advantage of the instability caused by the coup in Niger, as the group of Russian mercenaries had already moved closer to neighboring Mali. US secretary of state tells BBC he doesn’t believe Wagner, who initiated a failed …

Talks between the governing Kenya Kwanza and the opposition Azimio la Umoja coalitions to end political tensions over the rising cost of living and electoral reforms are due to resume, local media reported. Azimio led deadly protests in March and July against President William Ruto’s government to demand the reconstitution …

French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Monday refuted the idea that Operation Barkhane was a failure, in response to an open letter from around a hundred senators addressed to French President Emmanuel Macron. “Today Niger, yesterday Mali, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso rejected France, French forces, French companies”, …