Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The Burundi government has ordered the United Nations Human Rights Council to shut its office in the country within two months, foreign ministry and UN sources told AFP. The government on Wednesday sent a verbal note to resident UN coordinator Garry Conille to transmit the …
Read More »DR Congo election candidate campaigns in region hit by unrest, Ebola
Beni, DR Congo | AFP | A key opposition candidate in DR Congo presidential elections launched his campaign Wednesday in a city caught between an Ebola epidemic and militant attacks in one of the country’s most dangerous regions. Martin Fayulu, vying to replace President Joseph Kabila in the pivotal December …
Read More »ICC members back court, but urge it to speed up work
The Hague, Netherlands | AFP | Countries signed up to the International Criminal Court renewed their backing Wednesday for the embattled global legal body, targeted by the Trump administration, but urged it to speed up its work. “The European Union strongly supports the International Criminal Court and its work as …
Read More »Gabon president leaves Morocco hospital
Rabat, Morocco | AFP | Gabon’s President Ali Bongo has left hospital in Rabat and will stay at a private residence in the Moroccan capital as he recovers from illness, a presidency source said Wednesday. The 59-year-old, who fell ill on October 24 at an economic forum, arrived in Morocco …
Read More »May accused of misleading MPs over Brexit deal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Theresa May was accused on Wednesday of misleading MPs over her Brexit deal as her government published legal advice likely to increase opposition to the agreement ahead of a crucial vote next week. Scottish National Party (SNP) lawmaker Ian Blackford was …
Read More »Gabon president Bongo ‘doing well’ in Morocco after illness: PM
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s President Ali Bongo is recovering well after being hospitalised in Morocco, his prime minister said after the two met in the capital Rabat. The 59-year-old president, who fell ill on October 24 at an economic forum, arrived in Morocco last week following a month’s …
Read More »Malawi court blocks contested NGO regulation law
Lilongwe, Malawi | AFP | A Malawi court has blocked parliament debating a contested bill critics say would hamper charities and NGOs while giving government control over their work in the aid-reliant country. Judge Charles Mkandawire ruled on Monday in favour of activists who had sought the injunction of the …
Read More »Angola president holds unprecedented talks with civic groups
Luanda, Angola | AFP | Angolan President Joao Lourenco, elected last year as the country’s first new leader in nearly four decades, met civic groups on Tuesday in unprecedented talks as part of his reforms. The meeting was marred by presidential staff refusing entry of investigative journalist Rafael Marques …
Read More »South Africa names first female top prosecutor
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | President Cyril Ramaphosa named a respected female lawyer on Tuesday to head South Africa’s prosecuting authority which had been accused of improperly protecting former president Jacob Zuma. His appointment of Shamila Batohi further distances him from Zuma’s scandal-tainted rule during which several top jobs, …
Read More »Gabon top officials join ailing president in Morocco
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon’s top government officials gathered Tuesday in Rabat where President Ali Bongo is recovering after treatment for an illness that has not been officially revealed, his office said. The 59-year-old leader, who fell ill on October 24 at an economic forum, arrived in Morocco last …
Read More »