Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone’s election chief called for patience on Thursday as ballots from its general election are counted, with tensions high after a police raid on an opposition leader’s home. More than 3.1 million Sierra Leoneans were eligible to cast their ballots for a new president, …
Read More »FARC withdrawing from Colombian presidential race
Bogota, Colombia | AFP | Colombia’s FARC said Thursday it is pulling out of the country’s presidential race after its candidate, 59-year-old ex-guerrilla leader Rodrigo “Timochenko” Londono, suffered a heart attack. Ivan Marquez, a senate candidate and senior member of the political party formed by the former Revolutionary Armed Forces …
Read More »Counting begins in Sierra Leone as opposition residence raided
Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Counting began on Wednesday in Sierra Leone following a general election, as the residence of an opposition leader was raided by police. Polls closed at 5 pm as expected for the West African nation’s 3.1 million voters, who were choosing a new president, parliament and …
Read More »Sierra Leone picks new president with hopes of economic turnaround
Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leoneans voted Wednesday in a general election to pick a new president, with many craving economic change and a boost to living standards in one of the world’s poorest countries. Dozens of people joined queues at a polling station visited by AFP in …
Read More »Shifting fortunes for main parties as S. Leone votes
Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone holds a general election on Wednesday with uncertainty over the impact of new movements vying to break the stranglehold of two parties which have ruled since independence from Britain in 1961. President Ernest Bai Koroma is stepping down after a decade and …
Read More »Sierra Leone leader defends presidential candidate, record
Kambia, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone’s outgoing leader has defended the presidential candidate widely seen as his handpicked successor on amid accusations of personal interference, and hit out at opponents of an election day vehicle ban. The West African nation goes to the polls on Wednesday to choose …
Read More »Trump names campaign manager for 2020 reelection bid
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump has only just completed his first year in the White House, but he is already looking ahead to a 2020 reelection campaign, tapping Brad Parscale to get the ball rolling. In a statement on Tuesday, Trump’s campaign announced the 42-year-old digital expert …
Read More »Kabila agrees to UN chief’s request to visit DR Congo
United Nations, United States | AFP | Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has agreed to a request from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to visit his country ahead of elections later this year, the UN spokesman said Tuesday. Guterres wrote to Kabila to propose a joint visit with African …
Read More »Egypt presidential race starts with Sisi favourite to win
Cairo, EGYPT | AFP | Campaigning began in Egypt’s presidential election on Saturday with incumbent Abdel Fattah al-Sisi likely to romp to victory in the absence of a serious challenger in the two-candidate race. The former army chief will face the head of the liberal Ghad party, Mussa Mustapha Mussa, …
Read More »Ethiopia ruling party to pick new PM next week
Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA | AFP | Ethiopia’s ruling coalition will meet to choose a new prime minister next week, a party official said on Saturday. Hailemariam Desalegn resigned as prime minister last week after ordering a mass prisoner amnesty and days of protest in Africa’s second most-populous country. A state …
Read More »