AFRICA

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Democratic Republic of Congo goes to the polls this week in elections which could see the country emerge from 17 years of conflict-ridden rule under controversial President Joseph Kabila. Twenty-one candidates are running to replace Kabila, whose hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary is one …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | Little known outside DR Congo power circles, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary is a key ally of President Joseph Kabila and, critics suspect, likely to be his puppet if victorious in Sunday’s election. Often dressed in a smart suit and tie, the 58-year-old, who is one …

  Mogadishu, Somalia | THE INDEPENDENT | Sixty two al-Shabaab militants have been killed in weekend air-strikes on their camps in the vicinity of Gandarshe, Somalia, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has said in a statement. According to an AFRICOM assessment, their forces conducted six airstrikes, with 34 militants killed on …

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Madagascar heads to the polls on Wednesday in a crunch head-to-head election between two arch-rivals who have dominated political life on poverty-stricken Indian Ocean island for years. The showdown between Marc Ravalomanana and Andry Rajoelina could revive instability in the country if a close result …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the Somali government are planning joint military operations in Middle Jubba region, to flush out Al-Shabaab remnants. The joint operations will involve troops from AMISOM, Jubbaland State Forces and the Somali National Army. Speaking after holding …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Gor Mahia could become the first Kenyan club to reach the CAF Champions League group phase after defeating Lobi Stars of Nigeria 3-1 on Sunday in a 2018/2019 round-of-30 first leg. It was a better-than-expected result for the Nairobi outfit after they struggled to …

Damascus, Syria | AFP | Sudan’s President Omar al-Bachir visited Damascus on Sunday, the Syrian presidency said, in his first such visit to the war-torn country since the start of the conflict. “President Omar Hassan al-Bashir… arrived this afternoon on a visit to the Syrian Arab Republic,” the presidency said. …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Hundreds fled late Sunday after Boko Haram burned their homes near Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, residents told AFP. Boko Haram fighters in several trucks stormed Maiborti village, five kilometres (miles) outside Maiduguri, firing indiscriminately and setting fire to homes, they said. A military officer …

Bamako, Mali | AFP |  Mali on Sunday announced it will be sending reinforcements to the northern city of Timbuktu amid growing concerns about security in the region. Another 350 police officers, paramilitary gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed, Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga told reporters in Bamako Saturday on …

Washington, United States | AFP | Actor Ryan Gosling is best known for films as diverse as “La La Land” and “First Man” but he recently moved behind the lens for a passion project — taking photos in the crisis-hit Democratic Republic of Congo. The 38-year-old Gosling, who is Canadian, …