Politics

On Tuesday the Senegalese army said it took three rebel “bases” in the restive southern region Casamance and recovered weapons during an offensive launched in late January after months of a lull in the long-standing conflict. Officers of the Senegalese army took the press for a rare visit to two …

Somalia’s government spokesman Mohamed Moalimu has said a planned meeting next week will help end political uncertainty in the country. He told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the government was always ready to facilitate free and fair elections. The country missed the 8 February deadline to hold elections because of …

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has called for a meeting with federal state leaders next week to resolve the impasse on how to proceed with elections. The term of President Farmajo ended on Monday after talks on the elections collapsed on 5 February. Opposition groups have said they no longer …

The Ugandan government has announced the full restoration of internet and social media services. “We apologise for the inconveniences caused, but it was for the security of our country,” Peter Ogwang, State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, tweeted. He added: “Let’s be constructive, not destructive consumers/users of social media.” …

The ruling party in Tanzania has dismissed growing calls from its MPs for President John Magufuli to extend his term in office. The 61-year-old president, who won elections in October, is currently serving his second and final five-year term in office. Humphrey Polepole, the CCM party’s publicity secretary, has told …

Ethiopia plans to close two camps in the northern state of Tigray that have been caught in the fighting between the state’s formers ruling party and the federal government, according to the country’s refugee agency. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, head of the Ethiopian Agency for Refugees and Returnees Affairs …

On Monday, the Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced a new cabinet calling on seven former rebel leaders as ministers, following a peace deal in October aimed at ending decades of war. Veteran rebel leader and economist Gibril Ibrahim, of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) which played a major …

Félix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has now taken over the helm of the African Union to serve as the chairman for one-year. He replaces his south African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, following the African Union’s 34th summit on Saturday. But Tshisekedi faces big challenges this year with …

The trial of two Central African Republic (CAR) rebel leaders, scheduled to open at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday, has been postponed to February 16. Alfred Yékatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona face 21 and 32 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity respectively. The alleged crimes include intentionally …

Delegates from Libya’s warring factions on Friday selected four leaders to guide the North African country through to national elections in December, seen as a major step toward unifying a nation with two rival governments in the east and west. The 74 delegates chose a list of candidates in a …