The decision to uphold the 2016 life-sentence conviction of Hissène Habré, the former president of Chad, for crimes against humanity committed during the 1980s was welcomed by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization on Thursday. The ruling by the Extraordinary African Chambers in Senegal “vindicates the persistence of the victims’ struggle…
As part of the global effort to combat climate change, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued its first annual Airborne Dust Bulletin to better understand how dust and sand storms impact humans – and how humans contribute too. “Every year, an estimated 2,000 million tons of dust is emitted into…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
New African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat officially begins his role Tuesday, as outgoing chairwoman Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma comes to the end of her tenure in Addis Ababa. Moussa Faki, the foreign minister of Chad who previously served as the nation’s prime minister, has said he will make the…
For the first time, the United Nations Security Council has visited Niger as part of its tour of the Lake Chad region to focus on humanitarian needs driven by the fight against Boko Haram. In Niamey, Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom and current UNSC president, promised solidarity with…
The nations of Chad and Rwanda – along with Oman and Jordan – have ratified the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement, pushing the agreement past its necessary two-thirds threshold among WTO members to enter into force. “I am very happy to announce that the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement…
Morocco’s readmission to the African Union (AU) was a welcome development to many – including Western Sahara itself — but it’s already become a controversial point among some member states, including South Africa and Kenya. “Morocco is not returning to the African Union through the back door, but by the…
Algeria says it has completed the removal of border landmines, destroying nearly 9 million mines that date to the colonial era. “The completion of the mine clearance operation crowns over 50 years of constant work on the ground, for the final eradication of mines in our country,” said General Boualem…
Morocco’s decision to ban the burqa, at least in part, has again touched off a controversy over women’s right to choose to wear the full-body Islamic covering, or whether the burqa represents an unacceptable security risk to society. The Moroccan Ministry of Interior has announced it will prohibit the manufacture…
Citing the threat of terrorism, Chad on Thursday closed its 2,000 kilometer border with Libya and will keep troops deployed to guard against armed militants moving from its chaotic neighboring state. “For some days now, the government has noted with regret a worrying deterioration of the security situation in Libyan…
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) stated on Tuesday that “a staggering” one million children have been forced out of school due to conflict caused by Boko Haram. The “violence and attacks against civilian populations in northeastern Nigeria and its neighboring countries have forced more than 1 million children out…
Suicide bombers have killed at least 27 and injuring 90 on the Island of Koulfoua in Chad yesterday. However the exact numbers are not clear some news agencies have put the death toll at 19 with 130 people injured. “Three suicide bombers blew themselves up in three different places at…
Yesterday, Chad executed 10 members of Boko Haram by firing squad. The Guardian reported that this is the first use of the countries death penalty since they increased their anti-terrorist measures. A judicial source told AFP “they were executed this morning on a shooting ground north of N’Djamena.” The 10…
Reuters reported that two suicide bombers have blown themselves up just outside a Chadian army camp today. Security sources have blamed the attack on the Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram. The group has expanded its reach into neighbouring countries. An officer at the Kaiga Ngouboua base in the Lake…
Overnight six villagers were massacred by insurgents part of the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, in Cameroon before the government troops could put a stop to the attack. 12 of the Islamist fighters were killed, a defence spokesman told the media on Thursday. “Six villagers had their throats slit. Twelve…
Boko Haram, the Nigerian based Islamist militant group has declared a new leader, said Chad’s President Idriss Deby. However, there has been no mention as to where or what could have happened to Abubakar Shekau, the previous leader of the group. Mahamat Daoud, who that has not been reported on…