Detained Turkish citizens released as LNA steps up Libya attacks

Detained Turkish citizens released as LNA steps up Libya attacks

Six Turkish citizens were released by Libyan forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar on Monday, following Haftar’s declaration that all Turkish citizens and assets in the country are Libyan National Army targets – and an equally forceful message from Turkey that warned of retaliation. Turkey’s ministry of foreign affairs called the…

New images raise concern over arms shipments to Libya

New images raise concern over arms shipments to Libya

Both sides in Libya’s battle over Tripoli are getting military equipment from foreign countries, with widely shared social media images raising new questions over violations of a 2011 United Nations ban on sending weapons and equipment to Libya. Forces aligned with Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) posted one set…

South Africa, Somalia make statements on Khashoggi case

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…

Khashoggi, the Gulf’s Qatar crisis and implications for Africa

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 Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Turkey-Africa Economy and Business Forum set for Istanbul

Turkey is set to welcome ministers and business representatives from 49 African countries as the two-day Turkey-Africa Economy and Business Forum begins in Istanbul on Wednesday. This year’s forum is jointly organized by the African Union Commission, the Turkish Ministry of Commerce and Turkey’s Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEİK). Participants…

Erdoğan declared winner in Turkey’s critical election

Election officials in Turkey say President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has an absolute-majority win in Sunday’s presidential election with 99 percent of the votes counted. The Supreme Election Council announcement, reported by Turkey’s state-aligned Anadolu news agency, countered claims by the opposition that Erdoğan would need to compete in a runoff…

EU sees spike on Turkey migration route as NGOs slam return policies

Global human rights organization Amnesty International is again pressuring European Union nations to change its policies on migration from Libya, where thousands of refugees and migrants are trapped in shocking conditions. That message comes as EU officials said Wednesday that the central Mediterranean transit numbers remain much lower, but the…

Qatari diplomat says Suakin Island work to begin this month

Qatar’s ambassador to Sudan said Tuesday that work to restore the port at Suakin Island will begin this month, following the USD$4 billion deal between the two countries to develop the Red Sea site. Rashid Abdul Rahman Al-Nuaimi said the work will begin in the first of three stages, the…

Laureen Fagan

Laureen is the editor of Africa Times

Turkey’s Erdogan begins four-nation Africa tour in Algeria

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey began a tour of four African nations on Monday in Algeria, where he met with Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia to discuss cooperation on counterterrorism, energy, and economic development and trade. It is Erdoğan’s second visit to Algeria since becoming president in 2014 and he…