Five demonstrators were killed in pro-democracy protests in Sudan on Saturday, according to the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors. The group said four protesters died of gunshot wounds, and a fifth from choking on tear gas during clashes with security forces. Tens of thousands took to the streets for mass anti-coup protests in cities and […]
By Pumza Fihlani BBC News, Johannesburg For some in South Africa, FW de Klerk was a great statesman – the Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped end the system of legalised racism which he inherited. For others, he benefited enormously from that same system and deserved to be prosecuted for its many crimes. In truth, […]
Tigray crisis The United Nations says that 72 drivers contracted to deliver humanitarian aid have been arrested in the war-torn north of Ethiopia. It said that the drivers, who were working for the World Food Programme (WFP), were detained in Semera, capital of the Afar region. The UN is speaking to the government to establish […]
The 115 people killed in Friday’s massive fuel tanker explosion in Sierra Leone are being buried in a mass ceremony in the capital, Freetown. Many of the dead were burnt beyond recognition after fuel leaked before catching fire at a busy junction. The authorities have also made an urgent appeal for blood donations to treat […]
By Priya Sippy Journalist Nobel Prize Zanzibar-born Abdulrazak Gurnah became the most talked-about writer in the world when he won this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature, yet he is little known in Tanzania. The accolade for the 72-year-old author was hailed as ground-breaking for African writing, but in bookshops across the East Africa nation, […]
By Orla Guerin BBC News, Libya Libya’s presidential council says it has suspended Foreign Minister Najla El-Mangoush for 14 days and banned her from travelling, pending an inquiry. It accused her of not co-ordinating on foreign policy, but the transitional government rejected the decision, saying she would carry on as normal. The political infighting follows […]
At least 99 people have died after a massive explosion when a fuel tanker collided with a lorry in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. Fuel spilled before igniting and the resulting inferno engulfed bystanders and vehicles at a busy junction. Footage broadcast by local media outlets showed badly charred bodies in the streets surrounding the tanker. […]
By Nomsa Maseko BBC News, Johannesburg The governing African National Congress (ANC) has dipped below 50% of the vote for the first time in South Africa’s democratic history. Results from Monday’s local elections have left the party of Nelson Mandela politically wounded. “We are eating this elephant bit by bit,” were the words echoed by […]
By Damian Zane BBC News The prize-winning film The Gravedigger’s Wife looks like the work of a seasoned director, yet it is Khadar Ahmed’s debut feature. Its pacing, timing and beauty show a confidence belying the 40-year-old’s lack of experience. He fled Somalia’s civil war with his family and ended up in Finland aged 16 […]
Sudan’s security forces have fired live rounds and tear gas at pro-democracy protesters, killing at least three people, a doctors’ committee says. Thousands marched in the capital Khartoum and other cities on Saturday, demanding the reinstatement of ousted Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok. The interior ministry denied that live rounds had been fired. Activists say around […]
