In the news

The Spanish company, Maxam, owner of the truck that exploded and killed 13 people last month en route to an internationally-run gold mine in western Ghana violated storage and transport laws and has been fined $6 million, the lands ministry said on Tuesday. The truck, was transporting explosives to the …

Authorities in Ethiopia’s Oromia region have accused a rebel group of killing more than 160 civilians and burying 87 bodies in a mass grave, local media reported. The federal government has often accused the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) of being behind the killings of ethnic minorities living in the area. …

A concerned mobile network subscribers group in Ghana has declared Tuesday “No Calls Day” in protest at a government directive to re-register all SIM cards in the country. They argue that the directive is illegal. The group has so far collected more than 7,000 signatures online as part of the …

Malian government has asked the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) to lift sanctions that will have severe consequences for the population, it said on Monday. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the UEMOA regional monetary union both imposed sanctions on Mali on Jan. 9 after …

More than 100 members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) jihadist group and their families have surrendered, Nigerian army said. The Nigerian army said on Twitter that jihadists including 22 men, 27 women and 55 children have surrendered over the weekend in the north-east. Local media reports that …

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum and other cities on Monday to demonstrate against military rule and call for the restoration of civilian rule, Reuters reported. The demonstrators were worried about the return to government of members of the overthrown regime of former President …

At least 20 people have been killed and several others displaced by Cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar, the head of the United Nations food aid agency in the country said on Monday. Cyclone Batsirai slammed into the Indian Ocean island late on Saturday, knocking down houses and electricity lines along the …

The authorities in Kenya say 90% of the fire that engulfed the famous Aberdares National Park and forest in central Kenya has been contained. Firefighters and local residents have been battling the huge blaze since Saturday. Initial reports indicate it could be a case of arson but the government says …

The sound of heavy gunfire heard in Guinea Bissau’s capital created panic among some civil servants nearly a week after an attempted coup. But the attack by unknown gunmen was not on government buildings but rather the offices of a private radio station. Capital Radio’s equipment – including its transmitter, …

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has visited areas affected by the civil war between government and allied forces and Tigray rebels in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, the BBC reports. Ms Mohammed on Sunday visited a mass grave and the state broadcaster Fana tweeted photos: #Ethiopia: #UN Deputy Secretary-General witnesses mass grave, …