Bamako, Mali | AFP | Seventeen soldiers were killed and 35 wounded in central Mali Tuesday in an assault on their base that authorities called a “coordinated terrorist attack”. “The toll has increased: we have lost 17 men and 35 are wounded,” Mali’s defence minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly said. Authorities …
Read More »Fresh firefight in South Sudan capital: residents, UN
Juba, South Sudan | AFP | Gunfire was once again heard in South Sudan’s capital on Sunday as former rebels and government soldiers exchanged fire on the outskirts of the city. “Gunshots, heavily armed exchange UN House area once again; going on now since approx. 0825 (0525 GMT),” the UN …
Read More »Britain exits EU: What does it mean for Africa?
A view from the Economic Policy Research Centre Makerere On June 23, the British voted in a referendum to exit the European Union. The referendum was predictably surrounded by discussions of what a British exit- Brexit- would mean for the people and its social, political and economic impact. Of particular …
Read More »Israel and Rwanda share bond of ‘pain of genocide’
Kigali, Rwanda | AFP | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Rwanda on Wednesday for a symbolic stop on his “historic” African tour, boosting ties between two countries with a history marked by genocide. Welcomed on arrival by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Netanyahu visited the Kigali Memorial Centre where …
Read More »Bolivia, Ethiopia, Sweden, Kazakhstan win UN council seats
United Nations, United States | AFP | Bolivia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan and Sweden were elected on Tuesday to serve a two-year stint on the UN Security Council, with the Netherlands and Italy locked in a tight race for a remaining spot. Five non-permanent seats were up for grabs in the vote …
Read More »AMISOM hails Ugandan UN battalion after Somalia tour of duty
The Ugandan United Nations battalion in Somali has been hailed by the African Union (AU) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) after they completed a year’s tour of duty. “What you are doing is really important. You are a very important part of a bigger effort to help Somalia …
Read More »Several dead in Mogadishu hotel attack claimed by Shabaab
Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | At least 11 people were killed Saturday in an attack on a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu that was swiftly claimed by Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shabaab militants. The assault, the latest in a series by the Islamist group targeting hotels and restaurants, began when a suicide …
Read More »Algerians celebrate return of social media after blackout
Algiers, Algeria | AFP | Algerian internet users flocked back to social media on Friday following several days of blackout as the government sought to prevent a repeat of leaks of high school test papers. A leak of the papers on social media meant 555,000 out of 800,000 high school …
Read More »UPDF: Uganda to be out of Somalia ‘by 2017’
Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Uganda, the largest contributor to an African Union mission fighting jihadists in Somalia, will pull out its troops from next year, the head of the military said Thursday. Uganda was the first country to send soldiers to Somalia, spearheading the African Union Mission in Somalia …
Read More »Nigeria demoted, Uganda stays in Pot 4 for Africa World Cup draw
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | FIFA have altered the seeding for the 2018 World Cup Africa group draw in Cairo Friday with Egypt, Guinea and Cameroon promoted and Tunisia, Nigeria and Mali demoted. Egypt are now among the top seeds and Guinea and Cameroon are second seeds ahead of …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price