Africa

Nigerian police say a Swiss national and another person have been kidnapped in the south-west of the country. They were intercepted on a road in Ogun state as they were making their way from a farm. Police said two of the kidnappers were killed. Read also: COVID-19: the French demonstrate …

In a letter written to Alassane Ouattara, former ivorian president Henri Konan Bédié urged the president to open an inclusive political dialogue in the country. The letter was sent on Wednesday August 4, a few days before Independence Day, which takes place Saturday August 7, when Alassane Ouattara is due …

A new boss is taking over the running of Mozambique’s Ndlavela Women’s Penitentiary, where it was found that inmates there had been forced into prostitution. Herminia Nhamuze was sworn in as the new director, replacing Albertina Dimande. She had been removed in June during investigations into the allegations first exposed …

A day after seizing the Lalibela historic town, a UN World Heritage site in Amhara State, rebels in Ethiopia’s Tigray region rejected calls by the United States to leave neighboring regions. On Thursday, Tigrayan forces took control of the town of Lalibela, with its rock-hewn churches, which is of great …

Suspected jihadists have killed 30 people during an attack in the north of Burkina Faso, near the Niger border. Eleven civilians are among the dead, officials say. Armed men targeted villages near the border with Niger on Wednesday, before opening fire on security forces who responded to the raids. “Ten …

Jacob Zuma, the South African former President has been admitted to a hospital outside prison for medical observation. The announcement has been done by the prison’s authorities. His foundation said it was an “annual medical routine check-up” and there was “no need to be alarmed”. As a former head of …

Chadian army was attacked on the night of August 4-5 by elements of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region. The attack left 20 soldiers dead and several others missing. The Chadian army, which has just suffered the biggest attack since the death of Idriss Déby last April, is currently …

Lions have killed three children who had gone to look for missing cattle in northern Tanzania’s Ngorongoro wildlife reserve, police said in a statement on Thursday. The children, aged between nine and 11, went looking for the livestock just after they had returned from school, Arusha police chief Justine Masejo …

Rebels from Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray have captured the historic town of Lalibela in the neighbouring Amhara regional state, has announced the town’s deputy mayor, Mandefro Tadesse. Witnesses contacted by the Reuters and AFP news agencies have also reported that the rebels are in control. Lalibela is well known …

The African Union has started the distribution of 400 million Covid vaccines to member states, its chairman, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced. Several countries will receive the first of the monthly shipments on Thursday. The AU’s aim is to deliver 25 million vaccines a month by January. Member …