AFRICA

Tripoli, Libya | AFP |   In the Libyan capital Tripoli, where war casts a long shadow over everyday life, a church offers something of a sanctuary for Christian migrants like Nigerian engineer Jonathan Joshua. “I find life very difficult but here at the church… I forget I am in Libya, …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP |  A year after demonstrations broke out in Sudan over soaring bread prices, celebrations are planned across the country on Thursday to mark the uprising that brought down veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir. In the central town of Atbara, the cradle of the revolt, hundreds of people are …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP |  The US ambassador to South Sudan on Wednesday warned that Washington would not hesitate to slap additional sanctions on “spoilers” holding back peace in the war-torn African nation. Ambassador Thomas Hushek was recalled in November when South Sudan’s rival leaders failed to meet a …

South Sudan rivals agree to form unity government by deadline Juba, South Sudan | AFP | South Sudan’s president and its armed opposition leader agreed Tuesday to form a power-sharing government by a February deadline, as they face international censure over faltering peace talks. President Salva Kiir and his former …

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States on Monday imposed sanctions on two sitting ministers in South Sudan, accusing them of obstructing the young country’s peace efforts despite promises to form a unity government. The order against Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk and Martin Elia Lomuro, minister of cabinet …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | The wife of Zimbabwe’s vice president was remanded in custody on Monday after appearing in court to face charges of fraud, money-laundering and attempted murder of her husband. Marry Mubaiwa, 38, who is the wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, was arrested by Zimbabwe’s anti-graft commission …

Epworth, Zimbabwe | AFP | It’s a meagre sum, just $9 per month, but for many families in poverty-stricken Zimbabwe, it is their last shred of hope. The innovative scheme by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), UKAID and Denmark’s DanChurchAid (DCA) is helping thousands of urban households that each day …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP | Zambian President Edgar Lungu wants the US to recall its ambassador to Lusaka for criticising the southern African nation over a 15-year jail term slapped on two gay men for consensual sex. Daniel Foote came under fire in Zambia after he expressed horror over the high …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Fake eyelashes fluttered, bespoke suits were on display and slick music videos played at the inaugural edition of The Entertainment Fair and Festival in Nigeria’s economic hub Lagos in late November. But behind the glitter, the reality of the film and music sectors in Africa’s most …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP |  As if choreographed by a puppet master, stores along the aisle of a Johannesburg mall hurriedly shut their doors one by one as soon as power outages strike slap-bang in the middle of the day. “We have to close the store immediately because people can …