To mend fences with African countries whose nationals were victims of recent xenophobic attacks targeted at foreign African residents in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa dispatched three special envoys to seven African countries to deliver messages of apology and solidarity on 15 September. Analysts across the continent are interpreting the gesture and its likely impact on the future safety of …

Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, a former president of Tunisia has died in exile, his family said. Ben Ali, 83, fled to Saudi Arabia when he left office and was living there before his death on Thursday. His funeral will take place on Friday in Saudi Arabia, his lawyer told Reuters news agency. Ben Ali’s death is coming days after Tunisia …

West Africa is embracing technology to power the response to infectious disease outbreaks. The 15 member states of the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) are leveraging technology that will help them prevent cross-border outbreaks of epidemics including Ebola, cholera, yellow fever, Lassa fever, measles, onchocerciasis and meningitis. As part of the USAID funded Regional Action through Data (RAD) program, WAHO …

Belgium’s flag carrier has launched new cabin seats to give its passengers more comfort. Brussels Airlines presented the new seats to the public on Thursday at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Belgium in Berlin, at a ceremony attended by diplomats, corporate managers, travel agents and journalists. The overhauling of the cabin arrangement aboard the airlines planes, so that “it …

Nigerian hip-hop singer, Innocent Idibia, better known as 2baba, marked his 44th birthday on Wednesday. The singer also celebrated two decades in the music industry by unveiling Tboiz, a boy band which will perform at his ’20 Years A King Concert’.   Speaking at a media launch in Lagos, Nigeria, 2baba said that members of the band would include khiria …

Members of the Coalition for Revolution movement and supporters of Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner currently detained by the government, carried out peaceful protests in three countries on Thursday.    The “#FreeSoworeNow Global Action” was carried out in Lagos, London and Rome.   They called for the release of Sowore and other activists …

Majek was flown to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London, United Kingdom, when his health condition deteriorated. There were rumours that Majek was dead, but his manager has debunked it in a short Instagram video.

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force have barricaded the Lagos, Nigeria office of SaharaReporters, an online news platform owned by Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner currently detained by the government. The security operatives reportedly prevented staff from gaining access into the building premises, located at GRA in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. …

The evacuation of the second batch of Nigerians from South Africa, on Tuesday suffered setback following the delay by the South African authorities to grant landing permit to Air Peace. Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, had volunteered to evacuate the returnees in the wake of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in the country. The airline, in …

There will be a global protest for the release of Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian journalist, human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner. The protest, according to the TakeItBack Movement, will hold on 18 September in Nigeria and across Nigeria embassies in European countries like Germany, Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Using the hashtag #FreeSoworeNow, the organizers said the protest will also …