

Toumba Diakité, principal figure in 2009 massacre in Guinea, has died
One of the principal figures convicted in an infamous 2009 stadium massacre in Guinea died in custody Wednesday in the capital Conakry, the west African country's prison service said. Aboubakar Sidiki Diakité, known as Toumba Diakité, was serving a 10-year sentence for his role in the September 2009 killing of 156 people and the rape of at least 109 women by pro-junta forces under then-dictator Moussa Dadis Camara. He is at least the second person convicted in connection with


Israeli billionaire's firm settles DR Congo graft probe for $30 million
A former holding company of United States-sanctioned Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler is paying $30 billion to settle a Dutch corruption investigation over mining deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Netherlands-registered firm, Fleurette, has been under investigation since 2018. Investigations have been looking at whether Fleurette, which served as the holding company for the Gertler group, and commodities group Glencore paid bribes for copper and cobalt mining righ


Nigeria: Dangote refinery supports oil distribution amid Iran war
Although it is an oil producing country, Nigeria is highly vulnerable to price fluctuations linked to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran. But in order to avoid shortages, the nation can rely upon billionaire Aliko Dangote’s refinery in Lagos, which is capable of processing some 650,000 barrels of crude oil per day. On Tuesday, the refinery slashed the price of gasoline and diesel in line with the overall price of crude oil. Prices are now 1,075 naira per liter of gasoline and 1,430


More than 150,000 people evacuated in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and floods
Tens of thousands of people have been forced from their homes in northern Morocco due to heavy rains and flooding. It was through a call from her local mosque's loudspeakers that Kasia El Selami learnt it was time to flee as floodwaters rose in her Moroccan village of Ouled Ameur. Selami is among more than 150,000 people to have been evacuated over the past week as heavy rainfall battered provinces in Morocco's north. "We felt immense fear... especially for our children", sai


More than 640,000 people affected by catastrophic Mozambique floods
More than 640,000 people affected by catastrophic Mozambique floods Catastrophic flooding across Mozambique has affected more than 640,000 people, authorities say, with more than half of those in Gaza province. The regional capital Xai-Xai is submerged and fears of hunger and disease are mounting. Local authorities are coordinating with the country’s relief agency, the National Disaster Management Institute (INGD), to ensure aid reaches those in need. "In less than 24 hours,


Wife of Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine in hospital after soldiers raid her house
The wife of Ugandan opposition politician Bobi Wine has been speaking to journalists from her hospital bed in Kampala, describing what she says was an overnight raid on her home by soldiers searching for her husband. Barbra Itungo Kyagulanyi said she was strangled and held at gunpoint during the raid. "One of the main reasons was to look for my husband because his phone has been home. I switched it on yesterday because there is a password I was looking for and then that was l


China warns against foreign interference in wake of Tanzania's contested election
China's top diplomat on Saturday warned against any foreign interference in Tanzania in the wake of its contested election late last year. In a statement shared at the end of an official visit, Wang Yi, congratulated the country for what he described as the "successful conduct" of the polls. "China reiterated its full confidence in Tanzania's leadership and institutions to manage internal affairs independently," it added. The legislative and presidential elections saw Samia S


Senegal prime minister says country will not seek debt restructuring
Senegalese prime minister Ousmane Sonko said his government would not seek a deal to restructure its debt despite facing repayment difficulties. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the west African country's debt reached 132% of GDP at the end of 2024. The Fund has since paused a $1.8 billion lending programme, leaving Dakar struggling to meet its financing needs. Speaking at a joint press conference with Mauritania's prime minister on Thursday, Sonko said there was a


Uganda: Opposition figure Kizza Besigye denied bail
More than a year after he was detained, Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye has been denied bail by the country’s high court. Besigye has been charged with treason due to accusations he planned to oust the country’s longtime president Yoweri Museveni by force. During a court session on Tuesday, he described the allegations against him as persecution. “ This is really a persecution, it is not a prosecution; it is like I am being tried by the prosecutors and the persecutors


Turkey's president condoles with Libya after death of army chief in plane crash
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday offered his condolences after a jet crashed in the country, killing Libya’s military chief and other senior officers. "An investigation has been launched into this tragic incident that has deeply saddened us, and our ministries will provide information about its progress,” Erdogan said. Search teams on Wednesday recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from the jet, while efforts to retrieve the victims' remains











