Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger’s junta to expel U.S. forces. The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a …
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Kenya postpones planned reopening of schools after more than 200 people killed by severe flooding
Kenyan President William Ruto has postponed next week’s planned reopening of schools until further notice, as heavy rains and floods that have killed more than 200 people continue. The president in his state of the nation address on Friday said that “meteorological reports paint a dire picture,” citing the possibility of Cyclone Hidaya hitting coastal Kenya in coming days. Kenya …
Read More »Soccer jersey dispute between Algeria and Morocco clubs over Western Sahara goes to sports court
A soccer politics dispute between Algeria and Morocco over a map of disputed Western Sahara territory on a team jersey will go to a full appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court said Thursday the two sides “are currently exchanging written submissions” and set no timetable for appointing a panel of judges and setting a date …
Read More »M23 rebels seize key smartphone mineral mining town in eastern Congo
A rebel group with alleged links to Rwanda this week seized Rubaya, a mining town in eastern Congo known for producing a key mineral used in smartphones, the group said Thursday in a statement. In a statement shared with The Associated Press, a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group said the town was “liberated.” EASTERN CONGO AID GROUPS WARN OF …
Read More »Mpox outbreak that is rapidly spreading through Congo may be a new form of the disease
Congo is struggling to contain its biggest mpox outbreak, and scientists say a new form of the disease detected in a mining town might more easily spread among people. Since January, Congo has reported more than 4,500 suspected mpox cases and nearly 300 deaths, numbers that have roughly tripled from the same period last year, according to the World Health …
Read More »Liberia passes a law setting up a long-awaited war crimes court
President Joseph Boakai on Thursday signed an executive order to create a long-awaited war crimes court to deliver justice to the victims of Liberia’s two civil wars, characterized by widespread mass killings, torture and sexual violence. Human rights groups have described how girls were subjected to gang rapes, while children were recruited to fight, often after witnessing the killing of …
Read More »Tourists airlifted from Kenyan reserve as freak floods continue
Tourists were evacuated by air from Kenya’s Maasai Mara national reserve Wednesday after more than a dozen hotels, lodges and camps were flooded as heavy rains battered the country. Tourist accommodation facilities were submerged after a river within the Maasai Mara broke its banks early Wednesday. The reserve, in southwestern Kenya, is a popular tourist destination because it features the …
Read More »US says it will return to Chad for talks to keep troops in the country
The U.S. military plans to return to Chad within a month for talks about revising an agreement that allows it to keep troops based there, an American general said Wednesday. The U.S. said last month it was withdrawing most of its contingent of about 100 troops from Chad after the government questioned the legality of their operations there. This followed …
Read More »Arrest warrant issued for Central African Republic's former president over human rights abuses
An internationally backed court in the Central African Republic issued an international arrest warrant Tuesday for the country’s exiled former President François Bozizé for human rights abuses from 2009 to 2013, a spokesperson said. The Special Criminal Court was set up in the capital, Bangui, to try war crimes and other human rights abuses committed during the coups and violence …
Read More »Libya demands improvements after leaked photos show tiny cell of Moammar Gadhafi's son in Beirut
Leaked photographs of the son of Libya’s late dictator Moammar Gadhafi and the tiny underground cell where he has been held for years in Lebanon have raised concerns in the north African nation as Libyan authorities demand improvements. The photos showed a room without natural light packed with Hannibal Gadhafi’s belongings, a bed and a tiny toilet. “I live in …
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