Voters in Senegal head to the polls on Sunday in a closely watched contest that’s raised concerns over electoral violence and a democratic process. Five candidates, including incumbent President Macky Sall, are competing for the presidency. The others include Issa Sall and the Unity and Assembly Party (PUR); Ousmane Sonko of…
Nigerians who went to the polls in droves on Saturday now are waiting for the results of the postponed presidential contest between President Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, the main opposition challenger among dozens of candidates in the race. They did so as the threat of electoral violence continued to rise….
A Nigerian nun speaking at a Vatican conference on sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church had strong words for leaders who have failed to protect their congregations – and a message for Africans who think the abuse is a European and North American problem. Sister Veronica Openibo, leader of…
President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan declared a year-long state of emergency on Friday, in an address that also announced his decision to dissolve his federal cabinet and local governments. He also called on Sudanese lawmakers to defer any constitutional amendments that would allow him to remain in office for a…
Horn of Africa nations continue their battles with a desert locust outbreak that is affecting the Red Sea region, where February rains have promoted a second generation of the insect breeding that began in December. New swarms are expected to form at the end of the month. “Once vegetation begins…
Young Algerians took to the streets on Friday to protest the possibility of a fifth term for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the ailing 81-year-old who has been Algeria’s leader since 1999. The marches in Algiers, Oran, Sidi Bel Abbès and beyond featured signs and slogans to oppose another term for the…
Anadarko, an oil and gas company based in the United States, confirmed on Friday that at least one person was killed in an extremist attack on its project workers in the Cabo Delgado province of northeastern Mozambique. The death of an Anadarko contractor happened on the road between Mocimboa da…
The Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo has now claimed 531 lives, according to Thursday’s report from the Ministry of Health, with the overall number of cases set at 853. The new total includes 788 confirmed cases and 65 probable. Another 177 suspected cases are under investigation in what…
The cost of remittances for African migrants was the focus of a three-day meeting in Ghana, as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other stakeholders looked at how to improve access. While the money sent home to families in sub-Saharan Africa is on the rise, the cost to transfer…
Amnesty International issued an appeal Thursday on behalf of Cameroonian opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who is expected in military court today on charges which carry the death penalty. Kamto, head of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), is in the first group of 131 people who were arrested in January and…
The Chinese government distanced itself on Wednesday from the illegal wildlife trafficking of one of its citizens, who was sentenced this week in a Tanzanian court to 15 years in prison for smuggling almost two tons of elephant-tusk ivory. The trafficking involved ivory from at least 430 elephants. The 2015…
Authorities say there’s a condom shortage in parts of Tanzania, and that’s leading to concern over the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Dr. Faustine Ndugulile, the country’s deputy minister of public health, confirmed the shortage on Tuesday during a visit to Tanzania’s national orphanage in Kurasini, where about…
Come March 1, the finance sector in the island nation of Mauritius will launch its custodial services license program for Blockchain and other cryptocurrencies – a move its leaders say will make it the first nation on the globe to offer this regulatory framework for the digital assets. “In revolutionizing…
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda has received backing from his ruling National Resistance Movement Party to seek another presidential term when the country holds general elections in 2021. Reports of the decision followed the conclusion of NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) retreat at the Chobe Safari Lodge in northwest Uganda….
While the European Union has declined to impose additional sanctions against Zimbabwe, there remains much concern over human rights and democratic principles amid the country’s economic and political crisis. “We have seen a crackdown on demonstrations in January – just a month ago – as well as the disproportionate use of force by…