News

The trial has begun in Paris of the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, who is accused of using money plundered from his native country to buy lavish properties, cars and other goods in France. It’s the first case to come to court, of several being investigated by French authorities into allegedly illegal acquisitions by African leaders …

The northern German city of Braunschweig has launched a special commission to investigate more than 300 cases of welfare fraud by asylum seekers. One fraudster is believed to have used as many as 12 different identities. Regional German broadcaster NDR reported on New Year day that the majority of more than 300 cases of welfare fraud in the northern city …

Antonio Guterres replaced Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary-General on New Year day. In his first address to the international community, Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal, pledged to make 2017 a year to “put peace first.” The ninth UN chief, 67, said in a message that he would be working to resolve wars and other violent conflicts in countries …

For many the current position of Britain’s Black population is one that is mired between achievement and marginalisation, reports Alasdair Soussi Glasgow, United Kingdom – They are one of Britain’s most dynamic and enduring communities whose presence in the UK dates back hundreds of years. From serving Britain with distinction in the first and second world wars to their modern-day …

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has warned that any troop deployment by ECOWAS members would constitute “a declaration of war”. In a New Year’s message broadcast on Saturday, Jammeh said the “blatant and one-sided” approach of the regional body, “disqualified it from providing mediation services”. “Let me make very clear, we are ready to defend this country against any aggression,” Jammeh …

Agreement reached by Congolese political parties aims to have transitional government in place by March. President Joseph Kabila will step down as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo after elections held before the end of 2017, under a draft agreement reached by political parties, according to a lead mediator from the Catholic Church. Under the deal, reached on New …

In her New Year’s speech, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called on citizens to go into 2017 with optimism and defy terrorism. But to guarantee “security in freedom,” she said new security measures may be necessary. With Germany still reeling from the deadly Berlin truck attack, Angela Merkel has used her annual New Year’s message to insist the country and …

Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has appointed six foreign judges into the Supreme Court to join the remaining member, Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle, a Nigerian national, so that his election petition could be heard. Although the names of the judges have not been officially revealed, they are believed to come from Nigeria and Sierra Leone. The President has also ordered the …

Refugees arriving in Europe via the Mediterranean should be sent back to Africa, and the current migrant policy must end, Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU), a junior partner in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition, demanded in a leaked policy paper. “The existing policy of automatically bringing to Europe all people rescued in the Mediterranean must be broken,” urged in an …

Black people often experience prejudice from landlords or estate agents when they look for an apartment in Europe. However, most times they’re not able to prove that racism is responsible for why they’re not able to rent an apartment. Landlords always emphatically reject any accusation of bias. Now a case in France has shown that indeed landlords do specifically discriminate …

Former Super Eagles of Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has been appointed as the new head coach of Dutch second division side Fortuna Sittard. The 42-year-old former Nigeria captain signed a two-and-a-half year deal at the club. Oliseh who quit the Nigerian national team job in March is expected to resume duties as coach on 2 January 2017. “It’s a new …

Dr Adebisi Laja, one of the oldest members of the Nigerian community in Germany, has passed on. According to his associates, the retired medical doctor died peacefully at home in the western German town of Lindenfels on 12 December at the age of 84. Laja arrived in Europe in June 1954 to study in Glasgow. He moved to Germany in …

The Nigerian Army has driven Boko Haram militants from their last camp in the northeastern Sambisa forest, President Muhammadu Buhari has said in a statement. The military has launched a large-scale offensive against the jihadist group in recent weeks. Buhari said in a statement that the head of the army informed him on Friday, 23 December that the last major Boko Haram …

More than 5,000 migrants are thought to have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016, a record figure described as “a devastating milestone” by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). On Thursday, 23 December alone, some 100 mainly West Africans were feared to have perished making the treacherous crossing to Europe. To save lives, the UNHCR says legal entry for those …

President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia stands the risk of being forcefully removed from power should he carry out his threat to sit tight after losing the December 1 election. ECOWAS leaders warned yesterday that they would not hesitate to send troops to Banjul, if Jammeh, who lost the election to opposition candidate, Adama Barrow, fails to step down next month. Senegal,which …

Congolese politicians have agreed in principle to a deal under which President Joseph Kabila willl leave office by the end of 2017, opposition leaders said on Friday, 23 December, an unexpected breakthrough after dozens were killed in anti-government protests this week. If the deal does succeed, it would be a major achievement for the Catholic church, which has been mediating …

Anis Amri, the chief suspect in Monday’s truck attack on a Berlin Christmas market, has been shot dead by police in Milan. Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti told a news conference on Friday morning that Amri was killed during a shootout with police at 3am. Amri opened fire during a routine check when he was asked for his identity documents …

The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved the payment of 5 per cent of recovered looted fund to the whistle blower behind the recovery. Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun briefed State House correspondents at the end of the cabinet meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, 21 December. According to her, the programme is designed to encourage anyone with …

More details have been released about the man all Europe’s police are now looking for. It appears the main suspect in the Berlin truck attack was previously known to German police, and a 100,000 euro reward is being offered for his capture. He has been identified as Tunisian-born 24-year-old Anis Amri, who had previously served four years in an Italian …

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani reports on the trafficking of young women from Nigeria to Italy which, according to international migration organisations, has significantly increased in the past two years. The report, sponsored by Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian news, women’s rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change, exposes the intricacies of the sex trade. EDO, …