Western diplomats in Kenya issued a joint statement on Thursday urging the nation’s leaders to move forward in this year’s election process in a fair and transparent manner. The statement followed a three-day National Election Conference this week in Nairobi, geared toward ensuring a peaceful election process on August 8….
An independent audit of Kenya’s voter registration rolls shows a number of discrepancies, including 2.9 million voters with some type of inaccuracy in their records, with the recommendation that thousands of names of now-deceased persons need to be removed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya. Comprehensive…
Attacks on South African journalists covering violent clashes this week – along with police interference with their work – have met with condemnation from the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef). On Monday, protests in Coligny followed a court decision to grant bail to two farmers accused of killing a…
As Gabon moves toward the end of an extended period of national dialogue initiated by President Ali Bongo, the nation’s sharp divisions remain – and so do questions about the outcome of the process. The dialogue is a response to the August 2016 political violence after the disputed outcome of…
A widely circulated video of Burundi youth in the Imbonerakure militia chanting slogans about raping and killing their political opponents has met with condemnation from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said Tuesday that the video of the Imbonerakure, the youth wing of the ruling…
More than 4,000 Congolese have crossed the border into Angola since Wednesday, seeking refuge from the fighting between Kamuina Nsapu rebels and government forces in the southern Kasai region of Democratic Republic of Congo. That’s according to figures provided on Saturday by the DR Congo consulate in Moshico, cited by…
The United Nations envoy for Libya warns of dangerously escalating violence amid the deteriorating security situation in Tripoli, while appealing to the country’s various militia factions for national unity. “I call for all parties to put Libya and the unity of Libya ahead of their own narrow interests,” said Martin…
Kenyans have joined the list of foreigners living in South Africa who feel they may be targets of angry and xenophobic protesters, and are avoiding the danger of violent protests and street riots. The Kenyan government is monitoring the situation on behalf of its citizens, the Daily Nation reports. Monica…
Representatives of the Anglophone community in Cameroon, where decades of political and cultural frustration has simmered to the surface in recent months, have called for a new general strike on Monday and Tuesday. The appeal for a “ghost town” action to shut down activity in schools, shops and streets follows…
Two electoral delegates have been executed in Somalia, the latest in a string of attacks related to the country’s troubled elections. Radio Shabelle reported Tuesday that the two delegates were killed by Al Shabaab militants as they returned from a lower house polling place in Adado, in the central region of…
One person is dead and 14 others were injured in Ghana late Monday, as supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and incumbent President John Dramani Mahama clashed with the political opposition in the northern town of Chereponi. “There was a rally for both the NDC and the NPP. There…
The United Nations Security Council said it is closely monitoring political developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and remains concerned about escalating violence and instability ahead of the December 19 election deadline. “The Security Council reiterates its call upon all political parties, their supporters and other political actors to…
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday urged President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and the New Patriotic Party opposition presidential candidate, Nana Akufo Addo, to continue their leadership roles in keeping the peace ahead of the country’s December 7 elections. Ban made separate calls to the two leaders to discuss next…
As the world recovers from post-election America and adjusts to president-elect Donald J. Trump, analysts have turned to what a Trump presidency means in the future of African nations. Yet there is a lot less conversation about how Americans might need the wisdom of Africans in their future too. How the…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The annual palm festival at Dzodze, in the rural Ketu North district of Ghana, has known better times. The oil palm industry on which the region depends is described as anemic – which might well describe the Ghanaian economy as a whole, even with a modest boost from its recent…