AFRICA

There have been angry protests in Democratic Republic of Congo, calling for President Joseph Kabila’s resignation. Kabila has been in power since 2001. His second term in office officially ended in December 2016, but he is still there – refusing to leave. The UN Secretary-General has now waded into the crisis following deadly clashes in the capital, Kinshasa. Congolese protested …

In his first press conference since his election as president, George Weah has promised that he would not tolerate corruption in his government while his focus would be the transformation of the lives of the masses. Addressing journalists, his partisans and supporters at his first victory press conference held at the headquarters of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on …

Authorities in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea say they foiled an overnight attempt to overthrow the government of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasago – Africa’s longest serving leader. The attempt as reported by the French news portal Jeune Afrique took place overnight from Wednesday December 27 to Thursday December 28. Even though details of the incident are sketchy, there is said to be …

The Head of UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Farid Zarif, has commended the outgoing President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, for the prevailing peace in the former war-torn country. Zarif said the legacy of Sirleaf was also connected to the legacy of UNMIL, which would wind down in March 2018 after 15 years of operations in the country. He said …

George Weah emerged from Liberia’s slums to become a superstar footballer in the 1990s, and leveraged his status as a revered figure among the country’s young to be voted president. Weah easily beat Vice President Joseph Boakai in Tuesday’s presidential run-off, the culmination of 12 years spent building political credibility to match his huge popularity. “You know I’ve been in …

Superstition, defined as “irrational belief usually founded on ignorance or fear and characterized by obsessive reverence for omens, charms, etc”, is a phenomenon that is as old as humanity and it occurs in all cultures. Normal natural phenomena such as thunders and heavy rains used to be interpreted as the result of the actions of gods. With the increasing influence …

Liberians go to the polls Tuesday (26 December) to select either former international footballer George Weah (51) or Vice President Joseph Boakai (72) as their new president, in a vote that analysts say is too close to call. Campaigns over, ballot boxes and other electoral materials deployed across Liberia, the National Elections Commission (NEC) says all is set for today’s …

The parliament of the East African country has scrapped presidential age limit, paving the way for Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, to rule until 2037 The Ugandan parliament on Wednesday evening (20 December) voted to scrap presidential age limit which was formerly pegged at 75 years. The controversial age limit bill was passed after going through …

In his maiden speech as president of the African National Congress (ANC), Cyril Ramaphosa, appealed for unity in the South African ruling party, pledging to tackle corruption and support resolutions made to empower poor South Africans, including the expropriation of land without compensation. As the ANC elective conference came to a close, many including Ramaphosa breathed a sigh of relief …

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has elected Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa as its new leader. The former trade unionist and top businessman will replace his embattled boss; President Jacob Zuma; and would lead the ANC into elections slated for 2019. Ramaphosa polled 2440 votes as against 2261 received by his main rival, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, in the tightly fought …

West African leaders have called on Togolese political actors to hold an “inclusive dialogue” to resolve the political crisis in the country. The Summit of Heads of State of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) made the call in Abuja, Nigeria, on Saturday. The conference expressed its concerns over persistent political tensions and condemned the forms of violence and …

The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands; has awarded $10 million in compensation to child soldiers recruited by Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga. The ICC said Lubanga was liable to pay the full amount to his young victims and their relatives, but added it recognised there was no way he would be able to afford paying this compensation that is …

Liberia will hold a delayed presidential run-off vote on 26 December, the electoral commission chief said on Tuesday (12 December). Former football star George Weah faces Vice-President Joseph Boakai in the poll that was held up for several weeks by a court challenge by the candidate who came third in round one. The winner will replace Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as …

Thousands of people are fleeing villages in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon less than a week after President Paul Biya declared war against Anglophone separatist groups. Fleeing villagers complain troops are engaging in rape, killings, and harassment, but the military says they are out to defend the population. The number of people travelling along the Kumba Mamfe Road in the …

Crackdown comes after Anglophone insurgents kill soldiers and police officers, reports Mbom Sixtus* from Yahoundé The secessionist crisis in Cameroon’s western region is deepening, with the government promising to crack down hard after Anglophone militants shot dead four soldiers and two policemen last week. The soldiers were killed in an ambush on a military convoy outside the town of Mamfe …

Gambians celebrated the first anniversary of the electoral defeat of long-serving leader Yahya Jammeh on Saturday. The main event saw President Adama Barrow addressing citizens about the victory of 2 December 2016 and warning that there was more work to be done to better the lives of the people. Jammeh until 2016 had been president of the Gambia for 22 …

Thousands of Zimbabweans from all walks of life celebrated the inauguration of the country’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, a man in whom many are placing their hopes for the future. Can he live up to the expectations of his countrymen and women? After a tumultuous two weeks of political brinkmanship, Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in on 24 November as Zimbabwe’s …

The death toll in Egypt’s worst Islamist terror attack in modern history has now passed 300 and at least 128 others were wounded. It is the second deadliest terrorist attack of 2017 to date, after the Mogadishu bombings in October that left more than 358 dead. About 40 militants stormed a Sufi mosque in the town of Bir al-Abed in …

Emmerson Mnangawa has been sworn in as interim President of Zimbabwe, replacing long-serving ruler Robert Mugabe, who resigned under pressure this week. The former vice president, whose sack sparked the crisis that led to Mugabe’s forced resignation, was inaugurated into office at a colourful ceremony in the National Sports Stadium in the capital, Harare, on Friday. The event was witnessed …

After removing visa requirements for African nationals, Rwanda has announced a new visa system that will issue a 30-day visa to citizens of all countries upon arrival without prior application. Rwanda has announced a new visa regime that allows travellers from across the world to be issued a 30-day visa on arrival in Kigali, beginning 1 January 2018. The first …