AFRICA

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | For months, they have bombarded voters with campaign slogans and speeches by “their” candidate, but on Tuesday, two fiercely-partisan media groups in Madagascar fell silent a day before the presidential run-off election. The “ceasefire” — in line with electoral law — is in stark contrast …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP |  An inquest into the fatal shooting of six people in post-election violence in Zimbabwe squarely blamed the military and police on Tuesday, saying the use of live fire was “unjustified and disproportionate”. The victims were gunned down and dozens others were wounded when soldiers opened …

  Mogadishu, Somalia | THE INDEPENDENT | Ahead of its inaugural flight to Somalia in January 2019, Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways, made a test flight to Mogadishu today, as part of routine preparations preceding the formal launch of the direct flight early next year. The carrier has leased a …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Police in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara regional state have arrested a “doomsday prophet” who caused widespread panic over claims his village would be wiped out on Monday, state media reported. The state-owned Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA) reported that the prophet had told his followers …

Goma, DR Congo | AFP | Two Congolese soldiers were killed in clashes with Rwandan pro-Hutu rebels after two of their leaders were arrested in an eastern frontier region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a military spokesman said Monday. The Congolese army has battled militants from the Democratic Forces …

Amboasary, Madagascar | AFP | One after another, the mothers sat their babies in the shade, on a mat placed on the dusty ground. This morning at least, their children will have enough to eat. In the village of Ifotaka, at the southern tip of Madagascar, the noise and excitement …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP |  Nigeria is “concerned” about Amnesty International’s activities, a spokesman for President Muhammadu Buhari said Monday, just days after the government briefly banned UNICEF over claims it was training “spies” sympathetic to Boko Haram. “The federal government is increasingly concerned about the role that Amnesty International …

Lilongwe, Malawi | AFP |  Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima was elected head of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) party on Monday, paving way for him to challenge President Peter Mutharika in May elections. Chilima was handpicked by Mutharika to run alongside him in the 2014 elections on the Democratic …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | More than 3,600 people have been killed in clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria since 2016, Amnesty International said on Monday, blaming the government’s failure to punish the perpetrators for fuelling the violence. The international human rights organisation said more than 2,000 were killed …

Paris, France | AFP | Sadio Mane captured the headlines among Africans in Europe at the weekend by opening the scoring as Liverpool beat Manchester United 3-1 to regain the Premier League leadership. It was the eight goal of the season for the Senegalese winger, but his first in nine …