West Africa

Nigerian Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum has reopened a major road that was closed nine years ago over insecurity. The Bama-Banki road, in the north-east, connects the country to neighbouring Cameroon and extends to the Central African Republic. It was closed when insurgents attacked and destroyed the historical town of …

According to the executive director of the United Nations AIDS agency, HIV infections could have a peak in the western and central regions of Africa due to the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic in health services. “We are seeing across countries, a decrease in people receiving prevention, a decrease in …

A dozen civilians were killed on Monday and four others are reported missing in northern Burkina Faso in attacks attributed to jihadists near the border with Niger. The unidentified armed men attacked the group of civilians as they were going to a weekly market in the town of Markoye, about …

Two survivors have been rescued from a collapsed building in Nigeria’s commercial city of Lagos, news agency AFP reports. The partially built 22-storey block of luxury apartments came down on Monday in the wealthy Ikoyi neighbourhood. At least five people have died and dozens are missing, the authorities say. Despite …

Six people including four lecturers have been kidnapped by armed men in the University of Abuja in Nigeria’s capital, the local police has announced. The attackers invaded the living quarters of the university and abducted the victims in the early hours of Tuesday, the police said. The armed men have …

Three Chinese nationals kidnapped in July escaped their captors and were rescued by security forces, the Malian army said in a statement. The three Chinese were kidnapped by armed men at a construction site in the south of the country. In a statement, the army said the hostages had managed …

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says it regrets the “extreme decision” of the Malian authorities to expel its representative. In a statement issued on Thursday, the regional bloc says it “remains committed and will continue to deploy its efforts to support a successful and peaceful transition in …

French president Emmanuel Macron has confirmed the return to Benin of 26 works of art, looted by French troops from the royal treasure house of Abomey in 1892. After viewing the artefacts at the Quai Branly museum in Paris, Mr Macron said African youth should not be denied access to …

The Islamic police in Kano state known as Hisbah have arrested 26-year-old Aliyu Na Idris who was trending on social media last weekend for putting himself up for sale due to “poverty”. Hisbah Commander Harun Ibn Sina confirmed the arrest, adding that Aliyu Na Idris’ actions were forbidden. “Yes we …

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the symbolic leader of Anglicans around the world, has expressed concern over a new bill in Ghana that would impose severe penalties on the LGBT community. The bill is being debated in parliament, with a vote expected in a few days. The bill seeks to increase …