President Ali Bongo of Gabon is due to arrive in Morocco on Wednesday to continue his medical convalescence, according to information provided by the Gabonese first lady, Sylvia Bongo. He’ll travel to Rabat from King Faisal Hospital in Riyadh, where he has been treated for what is reported to be…
After weeks of investigation into the October 2 death of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, the United States said Tuesday that it stands by its relationship with Riyadh – a move that critics say gives a green light to repressive, authoritarian governments in Africa and across the globe….
The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said Saturday that he is deeply concerned about instability in the West African nation of Gabon as its leader remains hospitalized. Faki, alongside AU President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, wished President Ali Bongo a full recovery in an announcement made…
After nearly three weeks, Gabonese government spokesman Ike Ngouoni admitted Sunday that President Ali Bongo was seriously ill but is now recovering in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Bongo has remained under care in Riyadh since an October 23 trip to attend the “Davos in the Desert” investment forum. The latest…
President Ali Bongo of Gabon remained hospitalized in Saudi Arabia on Monday, according to Al Jazeera news, but the reasons for his medical treatment are still unclear. Gabon traveled to Riyadh last week to participate in the Future Investment Initiative that began on October 23, the “Davos in the Desert”…
The South African government has joined the global community in pressing for answers on what happened to Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi, even as new details provided by Turkey added information about the suffering in Khashoggi’s final moments. South Africa’s foreign affairs ministry, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), issued…
Twelve days after the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, there are still no definitive answers about what happened to the widely respected critic of Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the kingdom. What is clear is that what began as an incident involving Riyadh and Ankara after Khashoggi’s fateful visit to an…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Authorities in Saudi Arabia announced the official sighting of the moon on Thursday, and said the Eid Al-Fitr celebration will begin Friday for Muslims in Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and a host of countries. South Africa also is among nations observing the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which is…
The celebration of Eid al Fitr begins Sunday, with the announcement that the official moon sighting in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and most other nations has come. The governments of Egypt and Nigeria are among those beginning Eid al Fitr and marking the end of the holy month of…
Government officials in Qatar say they have reviewed a list of 13 demands presented by Saudi Arabia and aligned nations earlier this week, and find them neither “reasonable nor actionable,” according to the Al Jazeera network. Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al Thani, Qatar’s communications director, mirrored the precise language used…
The nation of Chad has recalled its ambassador from Qatar, the latest African nation to distance itself from the small Arabian Gulf state following Bahrain’s severing of ties with Qatar over terrorism. Chad’s foreign ministry confirmed its decision in a statement Thursday, according to Reuters. Bahrain, immediately followed by Saudi…
As President Donald Trump of the United States plans his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia, word that Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir also has been invited to attend has sparked diplomatic controversy – and a swift response from the American Embassy in Khartoum. Bashir will travel to Saudi Arabia on…
At least 42 people are now reported dead and another 20 to 30 injured following an attack Thursday on refugees traveling by boat across the Red Sea from Yemen and heading to Sudan. The update from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that many of the victims are…
African economies dependent on oil revenues continue to struggle with high supply levels and low prices, as representatives of OPEC nations meeting in Algeria Tuesday said it will be November before any decision to limit output and stabilize markets could have an impact on their ailing budgets. Nigerian Mohammad Barkindo,…
Since Saudi Arabia took the decision on Saturday to execute a prominent Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and Iranians attacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran, tension between the two countries has escalated drawing in allies. Saudi Arabia is a predominantly Sunni Muslim country whereas Iran is Shiite which has…