AFRICA

Paris, France | AFP |  Cameroon President Paul Biya, 85, who is seeking a seventh consecutive term, is the second longest-serving leader in Africa with nearly 36 years in office. Only Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea is ahead, by three years. Here is a rundown of the continent’s leaders …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  Lake Victoria is the biggest lake in Africa and crossed every day by scores of boats that are often poorly maintained and overloaded, making them vulnerable to poor weather. Here is some background on the vast lake where more than 200 people drowned last month …

Tampa, United States | AFP | DNA tests on smuggled elephant tusks have identified three major ivory cartels in Africa and are helping investigators bolster the criminal cases against some of the most dangerous traffickers, researchers said Wednesday. Around 40,000 African elephants are killed every year for their tusks, which …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP |  Muhammadu Buhari swept to power on a wave of optimism in 2015, becoming the first opposition candidate in Nigerian history to defeat a sitting president. The candidate who promised change now wants a second term of office and has vowed to double down on his …

Economists downplay need for EPA to grow regional trade Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | The Cotonou Agreement that has been guiding trade and cooperative relations between the European Union and close to 80 countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions for the last 20 years is set to …

Kampala, Uganda | ALEXIS BIKORIMANA | Rwanda’s marriage customs are facing a test because of current rapidly changing norms. The traditional practice where young men intending to get married were expected to work hard and pay bride-price to their betrothed parents could soon become history in some parts of the …

They may have transformed the Sahara from lush paradise to barren desert Kampala, Uganda | DAVID K WRIGHT | Once upon a time, the Sahara was green. There were vast lakes. Hippos and giraffe lived there, and large human populations of fishers foraged for food alongside the lakeshores. The “African …

  Nyiragongo: Because it can erupt any time, residents and the government must have a plan  Kigali, Rwanda | KELLY RWAMAPERA | The Nyiragongo Mountain in eastern DR Congo is a spectacle to behold. Standing at 3,470 metres high (slightly lower than Mt. Elgon which is Uganda’s second highest mountain …

Uganda Airlines, the national carrier of Uganda, has signed a memorandum of understanding for two A330-800neo, the new version of the best-selling A330 widebody airliner, featuring new wings new Rolls-Royce’s latest-generation Trent 7000 engines, new systems and a new Airspace cabin interior. The agreement was announced at Farnborough airshow by …

Abuja, Nigerai | ISAAC KHISA | South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged Nigeria to sign the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create a single continental market for goods and services in member nations, with free movement of persons and investments. Ramaphosa, who was the chief quest during …