Lome, Togo | AFP | Togo’s opposition has accused the government of deploying police and soldiers in a brutal crackdown in which two protesters were killed during a rally against upcoming elections. Security forces fired teargas and fought running battles on Saturday with demonstrators in the capital, Lome, and several other …
Read More »ENTEBBE: DNA sleuths bolster case against three ivory cartels
Tampa, United States | AFP | DNA tests on smuggled elephant tusks have identified three major ivory cartels in Africa and are helping investigators bolster the criminal cases against some of the most dangerous traffickers, researchers said Wednesday. Around 40,000 African elephants are killed every year for their tusks, which …
Read More »Guinea president to take legal action over Bollore row
Conakry, Guinea | AFP | Guinean President Alpha Conde said Thursday he would file a complaint in the French courts over allegations raised in a corruption case embroiling French billionaire Vincent Bollore. “I shall bring a complaint in Paris for false accusation,” Conde told reporters in Conakry, without giving further …
Read More »French tycoon Bollore’s African assets
Paris, France | AFP | Billionaire French industrialist Vincent Bollore is being questioned in Paris over allegations that his conglomerate used corrupt connections in Africa to win port contracts. Founded in 1822, the Bollore Group, which is majority owned by the Bollore family, has diverse interests ranging from logistics and energy …
Read More »French tycoon Bollore held for questioning over Africa ports deals
Paris, France | AFP | Billionaire French tycoon Vincent Bollore was detained Tuesday as part of a corruption investigation involving his group’s acquisition of contracts to operate ports in West Africa, legal sources told AFP. The 66-year-old head of the Bollore Group, was taken into custody in the Paris suburb …
Read More »Talks resume between Togo govt and opposition
Lome, Togo | AFP | Talks between Togo’s ruling party and the opposition resumed on Friday after a month-long pause, with Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo acting as a mediator. After an hour of debate between the two sides, Akufo-Addo decided to move to bilateral talks, meeting first with the ruling party …
Read More »Togo opposition suspends protests at Ghana request
Lome, Togo | AFP | Opposition groups in Togo said Friday they were suspending upcoming protests against President Faure Gnassingbe at the request of Ghana, which is mediating in the crisis. “The facilitator, Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, received a delegation from the (opposition) coalition on Wednesday in Accra and asked us …
Read More »Togo opposition announces resumption of protest demos
Lome, Togo | AFP | Togo’s opposition coalition on Tuesday said it would resume its protests against President Faure Gnassingbe and his government, despite both sides having agreed to a suspension during talks. The grouping of 14 parties’ spokesman, Eric Dupuy, told AFP: “We have decided to start our protests again …
Read More »Togo talks offer ‘last chance’ to resolve crisis
Lome, Togo | AFP | After six months of political crisis, a dialogue between Togo’s government and the opposition opening on Monday is seen by many as the last chance to resolve a bitter dispute over the rule of embattled President Faure Gnassingbe. But the talks have raised a welter …
Read More »Nigeria’s president warns Togo about political instability
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday warned about the dangers of political unrest as he met the new envoy from Togo, where there has been a wave of anti-government protests. Buhari did not specifically mention Togo as he received the newly appointed ambassador, Lene Dimban, …
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