Gabon opposition figure rallies support as president hospitalised Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabonese opposition politician Jean Ping on Saturday repeated his claim to have won 2016 elections as President Ali Bongo Ondimba remained in hospital in Saudi Arabia. Ping has continued to describe himself as “the elected president” following …
Read More »Cameroon challenger calls for presidential vote recount
Douala, Cameroon | AFP | Cameroon opposition candidate Maurice Kamto has called for an independent recount of last month’s presidential poll, urging the international community to “assume its responsibilities.” Kamto, who according to official results, came second with 14.23 percent of the vote behind incumbent Paul Biya, posted the appeal …
Read More »EU recalls envoy from Tanzania
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | The European Union said Saturday it has recalled its chief representative in Tanzania to Brussels for discussions, following reports he had been asked to leave by the government. Roeland van de Geer “has been recalled by his headquarters to Brussels to meet next week with …
Read More »Madagascar ex-presidents in final bid to return to power
Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | Two former Madagascar presidents drew tens of thousands of supporters to rival rallies in the capital Antananarivo on Saturday as they entered the final stretch of their election campaign. Former President Marc Ravalomanana and rival Andry Rajoelina are frontrunners in the November 7 ballot in …
Read More »Gabon opposition figure rallies support as president hospitalised
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabonese opposition politician Jean Ping on Saturday repeated his claim to have won 2016 elections as President Ali Bongo Ondimba remained in hospital in Saudi Arabia. Ping has continued to describe himself as “the elected president” following his defeat by a few thousand votes in …
Read More »Trump versus Obama on final US campaign weekend
Indianapolis, United States | AFP | After boasting about the economy and raising fears over immigration, US President Donald Trump is facing pushback from his predecessor Barack Obama, who is taking on an increasingly prominent role in the final weekend of campaigning before midterm elections in which Republican control of …
Read More »Ahead of vote, Twitter says accounts removed over ‘disinformation’
Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter on Saturday said it deleted a “series of accounts” that attempted to share disinformation, ahead of crucial midterm elections, as media reports said thousands of accounts were axed. The social media company “removed a series of accounts for engaging in attempts to share …
Read More »Trump tweets himself as star of own Iran sanctions movie
Washington, United States | AFP | “Game of Thrones” fans are primed for the final season, but starring Donald Trump? Well not quite, though the president had a laugh at Iran’s expense Friday by posing in a GoT-style picture. “SANCTIONS ARE COMING,” reads the mock movie poster Trump tweeted Friday, …
Read More »Trump threatens to shoot migrants who throw stones at US military
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump on Thursday warned that soldiers deployed to the Mexican border could shoot Central American migrants who throw stones at them while attempting to cross illegally. Trump told journalists at the White House that a group of several thousand migrants walking through …
Read More »DR Congo vote watchdogs ‘weak’, study warns
Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The Democratic Republic of Congo presidency has undue influence over two bodies tasked with overseeing elections, a research group said Thursday, warning the country risked “a new cycle of conflict”. The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and Constitutional Court have been subject to “politicisation”, …
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