West Africa

Burkina Faso’s coup leader Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba is ready to be sworn in as the country’s president, just over two weeks after the overthrow of President Roch Kaboré. Last week, the Constitutional Council, after taking note of Mr. Kaboré’s resignation, declared Mr. Damiba president of Burkina Faso. State television says …

A teacher at Asaba Nursery and Primary School in Nigeria’s Delta State has been arrested for allegedly whipping a 19-month-old pupil to death, police report. The teacher allegedly left several marks on the toddler’s body after whipping him last Monday. According to reports, the suspect, believed to be the son …

Political activist in Ghana, Oliver Barker-Vormawor has been charged with treason after being arrested on Friday for making comments on social media about a coup, the BBC reports. Oliver Barker-Vormawor has led protests against President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government under the banner “Fix The Country”. A request for bail was turned …

Two security forces in Mali have been killed in an attack on their post by suspected Islamist militants, the army said on Sunday. Malian army said terrorists attacked Niafunké post, killing two soldiers. Five of the jihadists were also killed in the attack. “The toll is two dead on the …

The number of people killed during three bomb blasts in a national park in Benin this week has risen to nine, government has announced. A soldier and five park rangers were killed in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in W National Park in northern Benin, the South African wildlife …

Thousands of Ghanaians took to the streets of the capital Accra on Thursday to demonstrate against a controversial government-sponsored electronic transaction tax bill. The parliament is yet to pass the bill, which introduces a 1.75% tax on all money transactions above 100 cedis ($15; £11). The majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu …

Nigeria’s parliament has declared ritual killings a national emergency. Minority leader Toby Okechukwu blamed the vice on Nollywood films with storylines that feature juju. “Ritual killing had become a predominant theme in most homemade movies which if not checked, our younger generation may begin to view it as an acceptable …

Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoko Embaló says the masterminds of last week’s coup attempt served time in US jails for drug trafficking. The president said a former navy admiral and two of his aides were involved in a well-funded plot to assassinate him, his prime minister and other senior officials. He …

A soldier and five park rangers have been killed in an attack by suspected Islamist militants in a national park in northern Benin. At least 10 other people have been injured. The ambush on Tuesday afternoon happened during a routine patrol in the W National Park, which straddles the borders …

A Ghanaian journalist and host of Power FM Radio has been sentenced to 14 days in prison for contempt of court, reports the BBC. The journalist Oheneba Boamah Bennie, reportedly issued a series of threats to President Nana Akufo-Addo in a live video on his Facebook page. The journalist alleged …