In the news

Special Forces Group Commander Colonel Mahamady Doumbouya confirmed the takeover of power from President Alpha Conde on Sunday on state TV and pledged to oversee a peaceful transition. Little is known about Col Doumbouya’s early life, except that he is a Malinke like President Conde and hails from Guinea’s eastern …

Sa’adi Gaddafi, the third son of the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been released from jail in the capital Tripoli, where he had been held since 2014. He was commander of Libya’s Special Forces but was also famous for attempting a career as a professional footballer in Italy. After …

Soldiers who carried out the coup in Guinea on Sunday ordered government ministers and national figures to attend a meeting later on Monday. The special forces officers warned that anybody who failed to appear would be regarded as a rebel. Regional governors have been replaced by military commanders. “Ousted President …

Through statements, the head of the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the US State Department have condemned the Coup d’Etat in Guinea. The head of African Union Felix Tshisekedi and the AU Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat called on the African Union Peace and …

Government in Uganda will receive up to 647,000 doses of the American-made Moderna Covid-19 vaccines on Monday. It has been confirmed by the government chief adviser on vaccine access, Prof David Sserwadda. The vaccine doses that have been donated by the US government are expected to arrive at 6pm.  “Logistics …

The Most Reverend Orthodox Archbishop of Uganda, Metropolitan Jonah Lwanga has died. His death has been confirmed by the Orthodox church in a statement on Sunday. “Our spiritual Father is gone to meet the Lord,” the statement said. The Church  early Sunday virtually held an intercessory prayer, also informing  congregants that …

The European Union’s representative in Liberia, Laurent Delahousse, has called on the Liberian authorities to “take immediate action to issue an executive order” banning female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices. Speaking at a human rights forum, the EU envoy also asked the government to relax laws that he …

The government in Uganda has suspended planned mandatory Covid-19 test for all international travellers. An inter-ministerial committee convened by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja cited unpreparedness and postponed implementation for two weeks. Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng had on August 20 announced that all travellers arriving in Uganda, including citizens …

Police in Zimbabwe has arrested a man who was trying to pass himself off as the country’s vice-president to receive free medical treatment. A court in the capital, Harare, heard that Marlon Katiyo, 35, visited two hospitals on several occasions last month to get treatment for his headaches saying that …

The Nigerian army has announced that nearly 6,000 Boko Haram members have surrendered to the authorities in the past two weeks. These are the commanders, the combatants and their families. The army describes the massive surrender of members of the militant group as the result of the intense military offensive …