West Africa

The Gambian Supreme Court has rejected a petition by opponent Ousainou Darboe to overturn the results of the December 4 presidential election in which Adama Barrow was declared winner with 53% of the vote. Opponent Ousainou Darboe, who comes in second with around 28%, and two other candidates refused to …

The Gambian Truth and Reconciliation Commission reports that former president Yahya Jammeh was responsible for a series of killings, tortures and rapes during his presidency. The commission said Jammeh and his henchmen, including a personal hit squad known as The Junglas, were responsible for 44 specific crimes against journalists, ex-soldiers, …

Authorities in Nigeria said they have destroyed more than a million doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines on Wednesday in a bid to assure a wary public that they have been taken out of circulation. “We have successfully withdrawn 1,066,214 doses of expired AstraZeneca vaccines. We have kept our promise to …

A brawl broke out on the floor of Ghana’s parliament late on Monday as lawmakers debated a proposed tax on electronic transactions that has divided the house for weeks, the Reuters agency has reported. The 1.75% e-levy, which would include taxes on mobile money payments, has been fiercely opposed by …

The French armed forces ministry said on Tuesday that its “Operation Barkhane” unit had killed Soumana Boura, a leading member of Islamic State in Niger. The French army said Boura had been killed by an air strike that took place on December 20. Read also: Central African Republic: United States …

A female soldier has been arrested in Nigeria for accepting a marriage proposal while on duty, an army spokesman has said, accusing her of breaching the military’s code of conduct by “indulging in romance while in uniform”. A video emerged last week of the soldier accepting a ring from a …

Government in Ivory Coast said it had resumed political dialogues, interrupted after the sudden death of former Prime Minister Hamed Bakayoko, with opposition parties. Prime Minister Patrick Achi, who was leading the talks, said it was aimed at strengthening democracy and unity in the country. The local elections scheduled for …

Nigerian lawmakers have rejected a bill introduced by South-east Ekiti State Senator, Biodun Olujimi aimed at empowering women and promoting gender equality. The senator was forced to withdraw the bill after her male colleagues opposed “socio-cultural and Islamic concerns”. “Of course everyone is afraid to empower women … for cultural …

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo announced in a national speech on December 15 that the country was closing its land borders to prevent a fourth wave of covid-19 infections and to curb the spread of the virus. The president said his government was “monitoring the level of threat of the disease …

French military forces in Timbuktu have left the region after spending nine years helping Malian troops retake the city from Islamist insurgents. France has gradually reduced its anti-terrorism operation in northern Mali, despite the persistent threat from jihadists. On Tuesday, a French General handed a symbolic wooden key to a …