Reuters – The European Union, under an agreement published on Monday, will provide funds to Mali to help it create jobs and strengthen border management in return for the African country’s aid in fighting people smugglers and accepting deportees from Europe. The Mali agreement comes as the EU is stepping up migration collaboration with countries of origin and transit in …

West African leaders are to head to Gambia on Tuesday to try to persuade incumbent President Yahya Jammeh to agree “to leave office” after his defeat at the ballot box, a Senegalese foreign ministry source said Monday. The delegation headed by Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, current chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will include Nigerian …

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was born and raised in Ga-Maami (Accra Central) and in the Nima area of Accra. His father’s residence, Betty House at Korle Wokon in Accra, was effectively the headquarters of the country’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), after it was formed at Saltpond on 4 August 1947. Three of the ‘Big Six’ …

Ghanaians have elected Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the candidate of the main opposition party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), as their new president. Akufo-Addo, 72, who ran for the office for the third time, comfortably edged out incumbent president, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) by almost 10 points. The Electoral Commission of Ghana (ECG) tweeted late on Friday, …

Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh has rejected the result of the presidential election held earlier this month, a week after admitting defeat. Speaking on state TV on Friday, Jammeh cited “abnormalities” in the vote and called for fresh elections. Jammeh, who came to power in a military coup in 1994, suffered a shock defeat to Adama Barrow. “After a thorough investigation, …

Passers-by describe the scene as horrific as an African man poured petrol on his wife in broad daylight in the northern German town of Kronshagen, near Kiel on Wednesday. The Kieler Nachrichten, a daily newspaper, reports that the man poured fuel over his wife, both originally from Togo, as she left a clinic in the town before setting her ablaze. …

After 22 years of authoritarian rule, Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh conceded defeat at the country’s elections on 1 December. We can learn from The Gambia that we are stronger united than divided, says Swazi activist Bheki Dlamini. Swaziland and The Gambia are two of Africa’s smallest nations, both less than 20,000 square km and with populations below 2 million. Both …

Gambia’s army chief has pledged allegiance to President-elect Adama Barrow, Barrow’s spokeswoman has said, reinforcing hopes that the tiny West African nation will see its first peaceful change of power in more than half a century. A self-made real estate developer who once worked as a security guard at retailer Argos in London, Barrow beat incumbent Yahya Jammeh in last …

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a ban on the burka in public life “wherever possible” during her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party congress in Essen, officially launching her election campaign to hold on to Germany’s Chancellery. Speaking to sustained applause from her CDU delegates, Merkel said the full-face veil worn by some Muslim women in Germany was …

Gambians make up the third largest group of African refugees in Germany. With Gambia on the road to democracy and Germany’s goverment getting tough on immigration, will they be allowed to stay?

Gambia’s Information Minister Sheriff Bojang has denied speculations that defeated President Yahya Jammeh may renege on his promise to hand over to his successor. The minister has assured his countrymen and women and the international community that Jammeh, who has ruled Gambia for 22 years with iron hand, will hand over to President-elect Adama Barrow latest by the end of …

The Federal Government of Nigeria has banned the importation of vehicles into Nigeria through the land borders. The ban takes effect from 1 January 2017. According to a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs, Wale Adeniyi, “The prohibition order covers all new and used vehicles.” He added, “The ban is sequel to a Presidential Directive restricting …

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named a Nigerian, Adebayo Ogunlesi, as a member of an advisory council that will help the incoming president implement “his plan to bring back jobs and Make America Great Again.” Ogunlesi is the Chairman and Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners, a private equity firm with more than $35bn in assets under management. He has …

President Yahya Jammeh scored only half his previous ballot box tally in last week’s election, handing victory to opposition coalition leader Adama Barrow. But why did Gambians turn against Jammeh after 22 years in power? Economic crisis A triple blow has been dealt to the Gambian economy in the last three years, making life close to unbearable for many and …

Njideka Harry, in commemoration of this year’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Day, writes on how Youth for Technology Foundation in partnership with Mastercard supports two women’s journey to self-fulfillment and financial freedom in Africa’s most populous country. Statistics show that female entrepreneurs in Africa serve as the backbone of the economy and have the power to drive incredible growth. A Global Entrepreneurship …

"I have tiny arms – they did not develop properly during my mother’s pregnancy. But even as a kid I was aware that my disability would not hold me back – on the contrary it would be the engine to push me forward."

A fake US Embassy operated by organized crime gangs has been shut down in Ghana’s capital city Accra after a decade of operations, issuing counterfeit US visas. The US Department of State revealed in a statement that the sham embassy was run by Ghanaian and Turkish criminals as well as a Ghanaian lawyer, specializing  in immigration and criminal law. The …

I Am Bolt is a new documentary about Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, the athlete known as “the fastest man alive”. The directors of the film, brothers Gabe and Benjamin Turner, followed Bolt around for about two years, capturing the nine-times Olympic gold medallist in training and in competition, as well as in private life, relaxing at home with family and …

Gambian leader Yahyah Jammeh, who vowed to rule the tiny West African nation for “a billion years”, was handed a shock election defeat on Friday 22 years after seizing power in a coup. The electoral commission head declared Adama Barrow president-elect on state television, with 45.5 percent of the vote against Jammeh’s 36.7 percent. “Having received 263, 515 votes out …

World AIDS Day, marked on 1 December every year since 1988, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control. Here are …