AFRICA

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP Ethiopia said Friday it was ready to send more soldiers to strengthen the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. “We’re more than willing to take on our part of responsibility in restoring calm in South Sudan,” said government spokesman Getachew Reda. “We hope and expect …

A recent flare-up of deadly violence in South Sudan will dominate the agenda as heads of state gather Sunday for a key African Union summit in the Rwandan capital Kigali. South Sudan is just one of the crises shaking the continent that African leaders will seek to confront as divisions …

Former Burundian government minister and spokeswoman Hafsa Mossi was shot dead in the capital Bujumbura on Wednesday, police said. “Hon. Mossi assassinated 10.30 in Gihosha”, in the east of Bujumbura by, “two criminals in a vehicle,” police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye said on Twitter. Mossi was Burundi’s information minister and government …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP | A ceasefire in South Sudan’s capital appeared to hold for a second straight day Wednesday after intense fighting that killed hundreds of people and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. No gunfire or artillery was heard in Juba and evacuation flights for …

Amman, Jordan | AFP | Three-quarters of the population of South Sudan needs humanitarian aid after four days of deadly fighting, the UN’s World Food Programme director Etharin Cousin told AFP on Tuesday. Between Friday and Monday, the capital Juba was rocked by clashes between forces loyal to President Salva …

The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | The International Criminal Court on Tuesday said it is referring Uganda and Djibouti to the UN Security Council after the two east African countries’ failed to arrest wanted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. The Hague-based ICC’s judges said in a statement “the Republics of Uganda …

  Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  “Exactly forty years ago, our forces took part in a historic mission to rescue hostages. The forces landed in the dead of night in a country ruled by a dictator who aids terrorists. Now here I am, I have landed in daylight in a friendly …

  Juba, South Sudan | AFP | Heavy fighting resumed in South Sudan’s capital Juba on Monday despite international calls for calm after deadly gun battles sent thousands of people fleeing and threatened the young nation’s shaky peace deal. The United Nations has voiced deep alarm over the surge in …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP |  Ethiopia has blocked social media sites for the next few days, after questions from end-of-year exams were posted online last month, sparking a national scandal and leading to their annulment. A government spokesman said the ban was aimed at stopping students taking university entrance …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP |  South Sudan has been plunged back into violence as it marks five years of independence, with a peace deal stalled and huge swathes of the country facing food shortages. Tens of thousands have died in the war that started in December 2013 in the …