AFRICA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | The African Union has welcomed Robert Mugabe’s decision to step down as president of Zimbabwe, saying the people had expressed their will for a “peaceful transfer of power.” AU commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said he “welcomes the decision by President Robert Mugabe to …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will return home on Wednesday, more than two weeks after fleeing the country following his ouster by Robert Mugabe, his aide said. Mugabe resigned as president on Tuesday, swept from power as his 37 years authoritarian rule crumbled within …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabweans waited Wednesday to discover when their new leader would be appointed after president Robert Mugabe’s resignation brought a sudden end to a 37-year reign of authoritarian rule. Mugabe’s tenure ended in an announcement at a special joint session of parliament where MPs had convened …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | The Zimbabwean parliament did not have time to vote for Robert Mugabe’s dismissal — because the president had already resigned. But this extraordinary session served as an outlet for elected officials, who took the opportunity to denounce the excesses of his authoritarian regime. On this …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May said Robert Mugabe’s resignation on Tuesday gave Zimbabwe “an opportunity to forge a new path free of the oppression that characterised his rule,” and declared Britain stood ready to help. “In recent days we have seen the desire of the …

Cotonou, Benin | AFP | South African mobile phone giant MTN is in talks with Benin’s telecoms regulator after its subsidiary was slapped with a bill of more than $200 million. The regulator (Arcep) wants MTN Benin to pay 134.4 billion CFA francs — the equivalent of $213 million (205 million …

Paris, France | AFP | Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who resigned on Tuesday, is the latest in a long list of African leaders forced from power by coups, rebels and popular uprisings since 2010. Aged 93, Mugabe stepped down days after a military takeover and following unprecedented demonstrations against his rule. – …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Robert Mugabe shocked Zimbabwe and the world when he resigned as president on Tuesday, ending his 37-year grip on power. It also plunged the nation into uncertainty, raising institutional questions over succession although the military will likely retain power for now. Speaking to AFP, Derek …

N’Djamena, Chad | AFP | Chad’s government on Tuesday denied allegations by US investigators that President Idriss Deby received a $2 million (1.7 million euros) bribe for oil rights in the country. “Faced with this umpteenth false allegation, the government of Chad formally refutes this shameful fabrication,” the government said in …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking as vice president sparked the crisis that led to Robert Mugabe’s resignation, could be named as the country’s new leader on Wednesday, a ruling party spokesman told AFP. “I believe that the fired vice president Mnangagwa, who the party central committee …