AFRICA

Leer, South Sudan | AFP | Nyakol was 15, healthy and strong when South Sudanese soldiers attacked her hometown of Leer, forcing her to flee with her mother into the surrounding swamps. Not for the first time, government troops tore through the northern rebel stronghold, killing, kidnapping and raping, so …

Obo, Central African Republic | AFP | Refugees seeking safety from the atrocities of South Sudan’s unending conflict cross the border only to find themselves in one of Africa’s most war-torn and poorest countries. Neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) has been ravaged by armed groups vying to control the vast …

Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | A powerful tropical storm which swept through Madagascar has left 17 people dead and affected thousands of others, according to an official toll published on Sunday. Storm Eliakim packed winds of up to 105 kilometres (65 miles) an hour after hitting the northeast of the …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli security guard to death in Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday before being shot dead by a police officer, Israeli officials said. The stabbing came with concerns over the potential for an upsurge in unrest in the coming weeks as the …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza has set May 17 as the date for a referendum on a controversial constitutional reform that could keep him in power until 2034, according to a decree signed Sunday. Critics accuse Nkurunziza of trying to stay in power for life and …

Paris, France | AFP | He’s France’s most anglophone president ever, who reaches for the language of the old foe when telling global audiences that “France is back”, or that he wants ecologically to “make our planet great again.” Emmanuel Macron’s mastery of English has wowed foreign leaders, who are …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | A body linked to the powerful Catholic Church in Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday called on the United Nations to strengthen its role during December elections. The Lay Coordination Committee (CLC), which has held marches against President Joseph Kabila, said it was asking …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will not attend the African Union summit in Rwanda this week, an official statement said Sunday, in a blow to plans to launch a major free trade treaty across 54 countries. The meeting in Kigali is intended to formally launch the …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Oozing charm and confidence, 22-year-old Sithembiso Mutukura beat 12 other contestants in Zimbabwe’s first Miss Albinism beauty contest aimed at reducing stigma and increasing awareness about the condition. Friday’s “Beauty Beyond the Skin” pageant was held in a Harare nightclub, making Zimbabwe the second African …

Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | Sierra Leone’s electoral commission sounded the alarm on Saturday over a wave of violence between rival groups ahead of a run-off presidential vote later this month. Opposition leader Julius Maada Bio, from the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), took 43.3 percent of votes in …