President Idriss Déby of Chad has died following injuries sustained during fighting in the country’s north, according to a state spokesman. The longtime leader of Chad died Tuesday following wounds inflicted at the weekend, according to Gen. Azem Bermandoa Agouna in an announcement on state television. The death was quickly confirmed…
The Eritrean government acknowledged for the first time Friday that its troops are active in the Tigray conflict zone in northern Ethiopia, in a letter from Sophia Tesfamariam, the Eritrean ambassador to the United Nations. Tesfamariam wrote the letter in response to last week’s U.N. Security Council meeting, in order…
There are at least 32 million more people living in extreme poverty across sub-Saharan Africa because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and countries in the region will need about $425 billion in additional external funding over the next five years, the IMF said on Thursday. “The outlook for sub‑Saharan Africa is…
The explosive La Soufrière volcano in the Caribbean continues to affect the atmosphere over the African continent, with enormous sulfur dioxide (SO2) plumes stretching across the Atlantic Ocean. Experts including Mark Parrington, a senior scientist with Europe’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, are sharing forecast and model images that show the…
Congolese Prime Minister Sama Lukonde said Monday that the announcement of a new government is “a first step taken” toward progress in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the nation distances itself further from former leader Joseph Kabila. Lukonde, who became prime minister under President Felix Tshisekedi in February, presented…
Top African health officials are calling for more equitable vaccine distribution, noting that less than 2 percent of the vaccines delivered to date have been for people on the continent and most of that is in just 10 nations. “Although progress is being made, many African countries have barely moved…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe signaled that regional military support for Mozambique may be on the way in its fight against Islamic State-aligned extremists in the Cabo Delgado region. Mnangagwa made the comment while talking with reporters following Thursday’s Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting, called to elevate the urgency…
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia says it will issue permits for some visits to Muslim holy sites during the upcoming month of Ramadan, but only if applicants comply with COVID pandemic restrictions. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced earlier this week that only people who are fully vaccinated for…
Nigeria announced the appointment of a new police chief on Tuesday, following a jailbreak in Imo State that allowed more than 1,000 inmates to escape. Usman Alkali Baba will serve as the Acting Inspector-General of Police, moving from his current position as deputy inspector general. He replaces Mohammed Abubakar Adamu,…
Pope Francis delivered his Easter message on Sunday with a reminder of the hope amid troubled times that is the heart of the resurrection message celebrated by Christians around the world. “The Easter message does not offer us a mirage or reveal a magic formula. It does not point to…
The mummies of King Ramses II, Queen Hatshepsut and 20 other ancient royals were the highlight of Egypt’s celebrations on Saturday in honor of the opening of the main hall of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Cairo. The mummy parade wound through the streets from Tahrir Square…
The head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that ongoing delays in receiving Astra Zeneca vaccines from India pose a threat to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of emerging variants. John Nkengasong says any interruption would definitely impact the ability to continue vaccinating people….
Humanitarian workers in Mozambique say thousands of people fleeing the violence in Cabo Delgado province are arriving in other parts of the country, while still others escape across the border into Tanzania. So far there are 3,300 people seeking assistance, according to an update from UNOCHA, the United Nations agency…
The massive container ship that blocked the Suez Canal to shipping traffic for nearly a week is free and the first southbound convoy of ships began moving on Monday. Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said the MV Ever Given was refloated by using tugboats to strategically…
There are now at least 327 vessels waiting to transit through the Suez Canal in Egypt, as Saturday’s efforts to move the grounded MV Ever Given proved unsuccessful in an operation experts say now may take days if not weeks. “Unfortunately, the tidal conditions didn’t help re-floating Ever Given tonight,”…