AFRICA

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Collapsing revenues, rising layoffs: the coronavirus crisis is battering media outlets across Africa that were already struggling for cash and often facing pressure from hostile authorities. The news of cutbacks was sudden and painful for journalists at two of Nigeria’s most popular independent newspapers when bosses …

Rabat, Morocco | AFP |  Pottery, basketwork and wrought-iron furniture pile up in the deserted stalls of the Oulja arts and crafts complex in Sale near the Moroccan capital Rabat. Artisans have been starved of income for almost three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Coronavirus is the knockout punch: without …

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | In just months, African super-banker Akinwumi Adesina has gone from glory to fighting for his career, battling US demands for a probe into accusations of ethical violations and favouritism. In 2015, the son of a farming family wrote another chapter in a remarkable tale, becoming …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday warned that coronavirus could further weaken sub-Saharan Africa’s ability to adapt to climate change, as measures to contain the pandemic stretch limited resources. A recent study on the impact of rising temperatures and extreme weather events on growth suggests sub-Saharan Africa — …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Africa needs to triple its coronavirus testing in the coming months “to move ahead of the curve” as more countries ease lockdown measures, the director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. The continent has so far conducted 3.4 million tests, a figure that director …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  As coronavirus closed businesses around the world and forced billions to stay home, Nigerian director Obi Emelonye came up with an innovative way to keep filming. Inspired by his wife’s teleconferencing calls from their isolation in Britain, he wrote and put together a short feature about …

Nouakchott, Mauritania | AFP |  The Sahara: boundless dunes shimmering in the relentless heat, nomadic tribes following paths as old and inscrutable as time itself, fierce-eyed warriors on camel-back, clad in indigo… These images of the great desert are familiar around the world, but in France they have a special allure. …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP |  In El-Arish, the provincial capital of Egypt’s North Sinai, a group of women sew colourful Bedouin designs on masks to combat coronavirus, as an insurgency simmers in their restive region. Egypt’s toll from the COVID-19 pandemic has reached over 28,600 cases, including more than 1,000 deaths, …

TICHITT, Mauritania | AFP |  A few centuries ago, Tichitt was a citadel of trade where Saharan merchants bearing gold, salt and cloth would stop to water their camels and haggle. Today, red-and-white signs in the sand dunes point to where this once great hub of commerce and centre of Islamic …

Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Sudanese protesters took to the streets of Khartoum Wednesday, angrily demanding justice for scores of pro-democracy demonstrators killed a year ago in a bloody crackdown. The popular mass movement had already brought down long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir but was still on the streets demanding further reforms …