Africa News Feed

Former Ghana, Nottingham Forest and Bristol Rovers striker Junior Agogo dies at the age of 40.

Gabonese judges are reacting to the suspension of Paulette Ayo Mba Akolly, President of the Libreville Court of Appeal. Akolly had approved an opposition request for a medical examination of President Ali Bongo. The aim was to ensure that he was capable of leading the country. Germain Nguema Ella is President of Gabon Judges’ Union. “It seems that the colleague has overlooked it. But how can she ignore it. By deciding to refer the case back on the 26th, had it somehow decided […]

Displaying the apartheid- era flag in public is now a crime in South Africa. The ruling by Johannesburg High Court said publicly displaying the flag constitutes discrimination against black people and violates equality laws. “It is declared that subject to the provisor in Section 12 of the Equality Act, any display of the old flag constitutes; a) hate speech in terms of Section 10.1 of the Equality Act. b) Unfair discrimination on the basis of race in terms of Section 7 of the […]

Sudan’s new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was sworn in on Wednesday (August 21) as leader of a transitional government, and vowed to make achieving peace and solving the country’s economic crisis a priority. The appointment of the renowned economist came as General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the outgoing head of the military council, was sworn in as leader of the new Sovereign Council that will run the country for three years until an election. “The revolution’s […]

The streets of Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, were a scene of joy and jubilation marking celebrations of the appointment of the new Prime Minister. A new beginning with a civilian as head of government. Economist Abdallah Hamdok was sworn in on Wednesday as the country’s Prime Minister. He will have to lead a transitional government following Omar al-Bashir’s toppling after his 30 year rule “We are very satisfied with the appointment of the Prime Minister of Sudan. […]

The Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Public Procurement Authority, PPA, has been suspended by the president in the wake of an investigative report alleging improper conduct on his side. Mr. Agyenim Boateng Adjei has since been referred to relevant authorities for two separate probes. One on conflict of interest and the other over potential acts of corruption. The suspended official according to an investigative documentary was found engaging in acts of selling government contracts […]

Members of Sudan’s new ruling body, the Sovereign Council, have been sworn in, a day after the final signing of a long-anticipated power sharing agreement between the military and the civilian alliance.

Now, in Gabon, the magistrate who was to examine the opposition’s request for an expert report to judge President Ali Bongo Ondimba’s ability to govern after his stroke, has been suspended from office. Judge Paulette Akolly had decided on July 26 to hear an opposition’s request that President Ali Bongo submit to a medical examination to determine if he can still perform his duties, 10 months after having suffered a stroke.

An art exhibition of the legendary Michael Jackson is facing criticism over allegations of sexual abuse against the late iconic musician ten years after his passing. The organizers in Finland that have come under fire insist that they are not celebrating the artist but rather merely showcasing him and his impact to the pop culture. “We can’t shy away from these difficult subjects but we… we of course condemn all kind of abuse as a museum, but we also want to provide a […]

Capital of Cameroon’s North West region, Bamenda, is experiencing a social shutdown following eruption of violence after the recent sentencing of separatist leaders by a military court. According to a BBC witness, businesses have remained closed whiles people have also remained at home for fear of getting caught in clashes. Reports said after Tuesday’s sentencing of Sisuku Ayuk Tabe and nine others to life imprisonment by a military court in Yaounde, fighting broke out between […]

Samantha Kureya, known by her stage name ‘Gonyeti’, has joked about the police and government.

25-year-old David Adedeji Adeleke known by his stage name, Davido, has made an audacious prediction on YouTube relative to views for his new musical collaboration. He is projecting a 100 million views for the “Blow My Mind” video which was posted three weeks ago on the video-sharing platform. The collaboration with American musician Chris Brown has been viewed over 10 million times as at Tuesday (August 20) when Davido hinted that there was 990 million target to be reached. […]

Matches are underway in Eritrean capital Asmara which is hosting the Council for East and Central African Football Associations, CECAFA, under 15 championships. Hosts Eritrea stuttered on day one as they failed to win their fixture against Burundi. The East Africans prevailed 2 – 1 in the game. The Eritrean team, however, redeemed their chances on Day 5 (August 20) beating neighbouring Sudan emphatically by 6 – 0. The Sudanese have so far conceded 10 goals and are yet to score. […]

Ahmed Madobe has secured reelection as leader of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubbaland region after a poll in the capital Kismayo on Thursday morning. Full name Ahmed Mohamed Islam, Madobe polled 56 out of 74 votes whiles his contender Anab Mohamed Darir got 17 votes. It was a first-round win for the incumbent since he got more than two-thirds of the vote. He has since been sworn into office despite the federal government saying it was not going to recognize the outcome according to […]

President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea on Wednesday sent a delegation to Sudan to deliver messages aimed at boosting bilateral and regional ties. The team led by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh and presidential advisor Yemane Ghebreab first visited the South Sudan capital Juba before flying to the Sudan capital Khartoum. They delivered Afwerki’s message to his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir. “President Salva Kiir stressed Eritrea’s long-standing solidarity with South […]

The disruption of transport sector by digital technologies is having significant impact in Africa. The revolution can be felt in air travel especially in the once lucrative business of air agency. With the 24 percent of Africans able to access mobile phones and internet according to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), E-commerce has made it easy to access airline services and make online payments. Africa has over 100 airlines operating in its skies with more coming up, but even […]

The leaders of Uganda and Rwanda agreed on Wednesday to re-open the border between the two countries following a summit mediated in Angola, ending months of tensions that raised fears of armed hostilities. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda also agreed to “refrain from actions conducive to destabilization or subversion in the territory of the other,” according to a statement issued in the Angolan capital, Luanda, at the end of the latest round of […]

It’s the latest move designed to bring about civilian rule and end months of political strife.

A scheme in Uganda partners dogs with war survivors to help them overcome trauma.

Sudan’s new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was sworn in on Wednesday as leader of a transitional government, and vowed to make achieving peace and solving the country’s economic crisis a priority.

Ahead of the annual remembrance day for the abolition of the slave trade, art conservationists are working to restore a rare painting of a kneeling African slave to go on display in the British port city of Liverpool. Acquired by the International Slavery Museum in February 2018 through Ben Elwes Fine Art, London the “Am Not I A Man And A Brother” painting depicts an enslaved African, kneeling, bound in chains and looking to the sky. Senior Painting Conservator for Art Galleries […]

Nigeria on Wednesday marked three years free of endemic wild polio with health officials saying the nation’s progress in fighting the crippling viral disease could result in the whole of Africa being declared polio-free early next year. According to health officials, the three-year milestone sets in motion a continent-wide process to ensure that all 47 countries of the World Health Organization’s African region have eradicated the virus. Executive Director of the National […]

A former deputy governor of Liberia’s central bank has been rearrested and slapped with a further charge for his involvement in the printing of $16 million worth of local currency notes. Charles Sirleaf, a son of former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is now facing charges that are amounting to $120 million. Before his latest arrest on Tuesday (August 20), he was already facing a charge relating to unlawful and unregulated printing of about $104m worth of local banknotes. The […]

Phelekezela Mphoko denies the charges and was released on bail a day after being called a fugitive.

Nigeria, the continent’s last country to have had a polio case, is close to being declared polio-free.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has formally inaugurated his new cabinet following a successful re-election earlier this year. The event took place at the presidency in Abuja where 43 ministers – substantive and ministers of state, took their oaths. According to the list, President Buhari maintained his position as Petroleum Minister, a post he has held since 2015. A number of appointees from the last cabinet maintained their portfolios among others, Chris Ngige (Labour and […]

Teenager Zameer wants to become the best car spinner in South Africa.

The southern Somali state of Jubbaland has blocked access to the capital city Kismayo and its main airport ahead of Thursday’s vote to elect a president of the semi-autonomous region, a senior regional official said on Tuesday. The move underscores escalating tensions between Jubbaland authorities and the federal Somali government in Mogadishu, which has been seeking to exert control over the election process in the last month. “We have closed all the approaches to Kismayo to […]

Sudan’s pro-democracy movement and the army announced a joint ruling body on Tuesday. The new, 11-member body — called the Sovereign Council — has since been sworn in as at Wednesday. The Sovereign Council formally brings an end to the reign of the military junta, Transitional Military Council – TMC, that took power after the ouster of longtime president Omar al-Bashir in April. The Council is to rule Sudan for a little over three years until elections can be held. […]

Today we reflect on the problem of the currency crisis in several African countries… From Nigeria to Zimbabwe to the Central African states, the problem is real. The dollar, the euro and the pound sterling, which are widely used in international trading, are in short supply. Much has been said about the origin of this situation. Beyond the fact that economies are essentially extroverted; oriented towards satisfying external needs, beyond the structure of African economies […]

Should we fear an Ebola epidemic in Burundi? The country is not taking chances with the haemorrhagic fever. Burundi authorities have stepped up health controls along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo increasing surveillance and safety procedures on the border movement. After confirmed cases of the virus in the Congolese area of South Kivu, international authorities and organisations are raising awareness about the spread of the haemorrhagic fever disease to neighbouring […]