In the news

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States supports ECOWAS’ determination to explore all options for the peaceful resolution of the coup in Niger. The statement comes after the regional bloc approved a “standby” military force. He said the US would hold the Niger junta accountable for the …

Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday told Zimbabweans that they would be lost if they failed to re-elect him, in a clarion call for them to vote for him in the upcoming election. Mr Mnangagwa also told his supporters that they would suffer if they voted for the opposition, whom …

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) ordered on August 10 the deployment of the organization’s “standby force” to restore constitutional order in Niger, without immediately specifying the form and the role of this deployment. The President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu, who holds the rotating presidency of ECOWAS, stressed …

At least 20 people were killed and others sustained gunshot wounds on Thursday after armed men attacked two villages in the north central state of Plateau, where violence between cattle herders and farmers is common, police said. Plateau police spokesperson Alfred Alabo said the attacks took place in the early …

Emergency room visits for suspected Covid-19 are on the rise among children under 2 and adults for the week of July 31 to August 6 in France, according to data from the Oscour network (Organization for Coordinated Emergency Surveillance). In its bulletin published on Tuesday, the network reports a 56% …

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday he was “concerned” about the conditions of detention of ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, and demanded his release. “Antonio Guterres denounced the deplorable conditions in which President Bazoum and his family would live,” the UN said in a statement. According to the …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has accused the World Bank of seeking “to coerce” the government over its anti-LGBT legislation. It follows the announcement by the lender that it was suspending any new loans to Uganda on the grounds that the law against same-sex relations contradicts its values. But in a …

The Kenyan government has started talks with the opposition to try to resolve a political row following a series of violent protests over the high cost of living and calls for electoral reforms. Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has organised a series of demonstrations in recent months. Officials say at …

Niger’s coup leaders on Wednesday accused France of violating the closure of Niger’s airspace and “liberating the terrorists”, which they say constitutes a real plan to destabilize Niger. “French forces took off on Wednesday from N’Djamena, Chad, a military plane at 6:01 a.m. local time,” said a statement from the …

The World Bank has announced the suspension of new loans to Uganda following the enactment of the anti-homosexuality law in the country. President Yoweri Museveni signed the anti-LGBT law in May, which imposes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality” and a 20-year prison sentence for “promoting” homosexuality. The World Bank …