Africa

The Somali government on Sunday decreed a ban on TikTok, Telegram and an online betting site claiming that these platforms were used by “terrorists” for propaganda purposes. This decision comes as the second phase of the military offensive against radical Al-Shabaab Islamists, who have been leading a bloody insurrection against …

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has once again declared that his country will not be drawn into global power dynamics, local media reported. Mr Ramaphosa’s televised address came ahead of the meeting of the Brics nations – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – in Johannesburg on Tuesday. “We …

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has rejected the Nigerien coup leader’s plan to lead the country for three years before restoring civilian rule. The organisation’s political commissioner, Abdel-Fatau Musa, said the timetable was unacceptable. On Saturday, Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani said a national dialogue was needed to lay …

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned of the situation of children facing the cholera epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 8,000 children under the age of five have been infected with cholera in the first seven months of the year in the troubled province of …

Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has said a military offensive against al-Shabab aims to eliminate the al-Qaeda linked group in the next five months. Correspondents say a promise to eliminate the group is hugely optimistic seeing as it has been around since the early 2000s, is deeply embedded in communities …

Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet African heads of state on the sidelines of the BRICS summit next week “to advance China-Africa cooperation in the new era”, Reuters reported, citing China’s ambassador to South Africa. “The meeting will take place late on Thursday, the last day of the three-day summit,” …

A Kenyan man who said he was protesting against the high cost of living set himself on fire in the coastal city of Mombasa on Thursday afternoon, local media reported. He had climbed on top of a statue in the middle of a busy roundabout before setting himself alight.. In …

Seven political parties in South Africa has signed a pact in a bid to unseat the governing African National Congress (ANC) in the 2024 election, the BBC reported. The Multi-Party Charter for South Africa said if they came to power, they would work together and allocate ministerial positions and parliamentary …

West African military chiefs have said they are prepared to use force to restore democracy in Niger following last month’s coup if diplomacy fails. The generals from the Ecowas group of nations are meeting in Ghana to co-ordinate possible military intervention. The Ecowas peace and security commissioner, Abdel-Fatau Musah, said …

A 55-year-old polygamous man who got up one day and angrily divorced all his three wives has given reasons for the action and vowed never to marry again. Identified only as Mutiacya, the elderly man who lives in Uganda recounted in an interview with Afrimax English that he was once …