Legislative elections in Benin were held Sunday without opposition party participation – and without Internet access, after the government shut it down during the day. “The decision to shut down access to the Internet and social media on an election day is a blunt violation of the right to freedom…
In Khartoum, an attack on a meeting of the People’s Congress Party (PCP) on Saturday left 64 people injured, according to Sudan’s state news agency. Idriss Sulaiman, the political secretary for the party, said a group of youths were responsible for the vandalism and violence at Cordoba Hall. Members of…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Beginning on Wednesday, Egypt is hosting a three-week human rights conference of the African Union, which currently has President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as its leader. That’s met with criticism from activists in Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and beyond who say the increasingly repressive nation needs to get its own house in…
In Egypt, a referendum has passed that will allow President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to extend his current term until 2024, and remain eligible for another term that could see him in office until 2030. The National Election Authority said Tuesday that the referendum on constitutional amendments passed with a decisive…
Egyptians head to the polls on Saturday to begin three days of voting on a referendum that would allow President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to extend his current term until 2024, and remain eligible for another term that could see him in office until 2030. The National Election Authority set the…
Members of the Convergence for Social Democracy (CPDS) in Equatorial Guinea continue appeals for the release of their leader, Andrés Esono Ondo, who was arrested April 11 in Chad while meeting with that nation’s opposition party, the National Union for Development and Renewal (UNDR). They’re now getting some response from…
Lesotho’s parliamentary meetings have been suspended indefinitely in what many views as a move to protect Prime Minister Tom Thabane – at odds with the ruling All Basotho Convention – from a no confidence vote. The National Assembly had its final meeting on Monday, while Thabane called a meeting of…
Global executions fell by 31 percent last year, the lowest in a decade, but that trend didn’t entirely hold in countries across the African continent, according to a new report from Amnesty International. Five African Union member nations carried out known death-penalty executions last year, including Botswana, Egypt, Somalia, South…
Mokgweetsi Masisi, the current president of Botswana, will be the candidate of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) as the country moves toward elections later this year. His nomination followed the withdrawal of Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who stepped out of the process on Friday with a last-minute statement that said she…
President João Lourenço of Angola met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday, part of a four-day state visit to Moscow focused on trade. The two leaders signed agreements on developing fisheries and aquaculture, and in diamond mining and processing, according to the Russian presidency’s office. They discussed economic issues and culture,…
Human Rights Watch has launched an eight-part series on changes in Ethiopia since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power a year ago. While there’s been much progress, there also remain many challenges in an increasingly tense political atmosphere. “With elections scheduled for May 2020, the next year will be a…
President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria resigned on Tuesday, ending weeks of speculation and confrontation. He followed the announcement with an emotional farewell letter to the Algerian people that recounted the successes of his long tenure but asked their forgiveness for his failings too. “Soon, Algeria will have a new president,…
The United States has issued a one-year extension for Liberians living in the country under Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) provisions that have been in place for decades but were set to expire on Sunday. President Donald Trump said Thursday that he reconsidered the deadline set last year after the administration…
Officials in Comoros confirm at least three people died Thursday and many more were injured as violence continued to escalate following the disputed re-election of President Azali Assoumani on Sunday. The shooting deaths were linked to an operation to release military commander Faissoil Abdousalam from a Moroni prison, where he…
What if there was an Independence Day celebration but nobody came? That’s not quite what happened Thursday, but President Hage Geingob of Namibia found himself defending the government’s decision to mark the 29th anniversary to disgruntled citizens who thought it was a waste of money. Geingob, with President Uhuru Kenyatta…