Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | South African lawmakers on Wednesday re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as the nation’s president, two weeks after the ruling ANC party returned to power in legislative elections. Ramaphosa was “duly elected president of the Republic of South Africa,” chief justice Mogoeng Mogoeng told parliament. Ramaphosa …
Read More »Algeria army chief says he has ‘no political ambition’
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Algeria’s army chief said Wednesday he has “no political ambition”, days after the key powerbroker urged anti-government protesters to take part in presidential polls set for July. “I have personally committed myself repeatedly… to support the Algerian people” who are protesting “as well as the efforts …
Read More »Algeria declared malaria-free by World Health Organisation
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Algeria has been officially recognized as malaria-free, becoming the third country in Africa to be officially declared malaria-free, after Mauritius, which was certified in 1973 and Morocco in 2010. The certification by the World Health Organisation is granted when a country proves beyond a reasonable doubt, …
Read More »Ramaphosa: from activism to business, and then to power
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Over the course of his 66 years, Cyril Ramaphosa has experienced the poverty of Soweto, jail for fighting apartheid, trade union activism, fabulous wealth — and now elected leadership of his country. Ramaphosa, who became president last year through internal ANC politics, won a …
Read More »Zimbabwe hikes fuel prices again as crisis deepens
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe on Tuesday announced a fresh increase in fuel prices, months after a price hike triggered nationwide protests and a brutal security crackdown as the country’s economy woes deepen further. Upping prices by about 46 percent, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) said …
Read More »Sudan agents prevent arrest of former spy chief
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese prosecutors said Tuesday that security agents guarding the house of former spy chief Salah Ghosh had prevented them from arresting him, despite a warrant issued by anti-graft authorities. Ghosh had resigned as chief of the country’s feared National Intelligence and Security Service soon …
Read More »Malawi presidential candidates in an uncertain race
Lilongwe, Malawi | AFP | Malawi votes on Tuesday in a presidential race that could test President Peter Mutharika’s hold on power. Here are the leading contenders: – The elderly president – President Peter Mutharika, 78, won the 2014 election — two years after his elder brother Bingu wa …
Read More »Tshisekedi finally appoints PM, Katumbi returns to DRC
Lubumbashi, DR Congo | AFP | DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday named a government veteran, Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, as the next prime minister, a move that came nearly four months after his inauguration. Ilunga Ilunkamba was appointed under “the political agreement” between Tshisekedi and his predecessor Joseph …
Read More »Zuma dismisses S.Africa graft charges as a ‘witch hunt’
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa | AFP | Former South African president Jacob Zuma said Monday that he was victim of a “witch hunt” over corruption charges as lawyers argued in court that he could not expect a fair trial. Zuma, who was forced to resign by the ruling ANC party last …
Read More »Sudan army rulers say civil talks to resume as Islamists protest
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Talks between Sudan’s military council and protesters are set to resume, army rulers said Saturday, as hundreds of supporters of Islamic movements rallied for the inclusion of sharia in the country’s political roadmap. The ruling military council announced that “negotiations with the Alliance for Freedom …
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