AFRICA

Gaborone, Botswana | AFP |  Botswana goes to the polls on Wednesday in a hotly contested general election that could test the country’s traditionally stable politics, as the ruling party faces its toughest challenge yet. The historic Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) — whose rule has been unfettered since independence from Britain …

Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Climate change poses serious challenges to current and future peace building efforts and can amplify conflicts, according to a report on years of devastating violence and drought in Somalia released Wednesday. Researchers at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) looked at how conflicts and the …

Dan Issa, Niger | AFP | Nothing crosses into Nigeria and nothing comes out. It’s hermetically sealed,” said Amadou Idi, sitting in a makeshift shelter to keep out of the rain, and reflecting on the downturn in his luck. “We twiddle our thumbs and pray.” Idi’s job is a transiting agent …

He has won the Nobel Peace Prize but not everyone is excited NEWS ANALYSISI | THE INDEPENDENT | Since he became Prime Minister in April 2018, Abiy Ahmed has brought a breeze of happy air to Ethiopia and the Horn of East Africa region. Under him, most Ethiopians started to …

  COMMENT | VLADIMIR PUTIN | It gives me great pleasure to welcome you at the opening of the Russia–Africa Economic Forum. The rich history of relations between Africa and Russia has never seen an event of a similar scale. Members of government agencies and business community, and experts are …

Gaborone, Botswana | AFP |  Botswana votes on Wednesday in the most closely fought general election in the history of the southern African country, long known as one of the continent’s most stable democracies. Former president Ian Khama has shaken up the country’s traditionally calm politics by dramatically renouncing his hand-picked …

Kampala, Uganda | KHISA ISAAC  | Andrei Slepnev is the Director General for Russian Export Center (REC), the organisers of the first ever Russia-Africa Economic Forum with the African Import Export Bank. He spoke to Russia News Agency about the opportunities that lies ahead of the summit. QUESTION: Russia-Africa Forum is …

Juba, South Sudan | AFP | Sudan’s government agreed Monday to allow humanitarian relief to war-torn parts of the country and renewed a ceasefire pact with major rebel groups at peace talks in South Sudan. Officials from all sides said the new administration in Khartoum and two umbrella groups of rebels …

Maputo, Mozambique | AFP | Mozambique’s main opposition party Renamo on Monday urged the population to reject the “massive electoral fraud” it claims had been perpetrated during last week’s polls. The former rebel group has called for fresh elections, accusing the government of breaching a peace deal by using violence and …

Gaborone, Botswana | AFP |  Diamond-rich Botswana is hailed for its stability, but the southern African nation struggles with income inequality, unemployment and a high rate of HIV. Ahead of its general election on October 23, here is some background about the landlocked country of 2.2 million people wedged between …