AFRICA

Kampala, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT | The U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Prosper Africa initiative is partnering with the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to increase two-way trade and investment between the United States and the nations of Africa. The partnership will ensure that businesses are equipped …

Skoura, Morocco | AFP |  Dead palm trees lie on dry, yellowish earth near an abandoned adobe house in Morocco’s arid southeast, as drought threatens ancient oases. “I grew up in this oasis and I have seen it shrink,” says 53-year-old Mohamed El Houkari, who lives in Skoura, a rural oasis …

Tunis, Tunisia | AFP |  Tunisian President Kais Saied’s first major foray into international affairs appears to have backfired, with his diplomatic strategy called into question over the dismissal of Tunis’ UN envoy. Saied, a 61-year-old constitutional law expert with no previous political experience, swept to victory on October 13 last …

S.Sudan’s Kiir returns home as diplomats call for urgent compromise Juba, South Sudan | AFP |  President Salva Kiir returned Wednesday from talks on South Sudan’s future to organised crowds calling him a hero, as diplomats warned time was short to strike a deal for peace. Kiir and his long-term …

Buhera, Zimbabwe | AFP |  Just under a year ago, Alice Posha fled her home in the middle of the night and then watched as it was swept away by floods. The torrential rain came from Cyclone Idai, one of the worst storms ever to hit Africa and the fiercest on …

Bamako, Mali | AFP |  Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has opened the door to talks with jihadists to defuse mounting violence in the West African country, in a break with long-held tradition. Despite the presence of foreign troops, Mali has been struggling to contain a jihadist revolt that broke out …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP |  In the traffic-choked megacity of Cairo, the historic Heliopolis district has long stood out for its leafy boulevards, but now construction crews are cutting new highways through it and uprooting its century-old trees. As Egypt with its burgeoning population nears the milestone of 100 million people, …

Addis Abeba, Ethiopia | AFP | East African nations said Sunday there could be no more delays in forming a power-sharing government in war-torn South Sudan, despite talks between rival leaders ending in deadlock. President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar, whose fall out in 2013 sparked a conflict …

Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | “It was just here. My house was number 41 Clifton Street,” said Cassiem Morris, his voice catching as he points to where his Cape Town home was razed to enforce apartheid. Morris, a South African of Malay origin, took his first baby steps 56 …

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP |  Liberians have faced long queues at petrol pumps for nearly two weeks as sloppy bookkeeping and poor port infrastructure have triggered economically damaging fuel shortages. Incorrect fuel-reserve figures in the impoverished West African country partly led to the shortage, which has dragged on since late January, …