AFRICA

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South Africa’s government was facing growing questions on Thursday over who should foot the legal bills of former president Jacob Zuma as he fights numerous allegations of corruption. His successor President Cyril Ramaphosa appeared to endorse underwriting the mounting legal court costs of his …

Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | A top UN official on Thursday asked Liberia to implement the recommendations of a truth commission dating back to 2009 which included prosecuting eight ex-warlords for alleged crimes against humanity. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a conference in Monrovia it was “critical to implement the …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe shot dead a large crocodile that strayed into the northern town of Hwange and blocked entry to a hospital, an official said Thursday. The crocodile took up position outside the main gate to St Patrick’s hospital and charged at anyone trying …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | More than 100 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram were in Nigeria’s capital on Thursday, a day after their surprise release that fuelled rumours about how their freedom was won. A total of 104 of the 110 students seized from the school in Dapchi, in the …

Kano, Nigeria | AFP | Boarding schools have been shut indefinitely in the northeast Nigerian state most affected by Boko Haram violence, the government has said, in the latest blow to children’s education. “All boarding secondary schools in the state, with the exception of those in (the state capital) Maiduguri …

Freetown, Sierra Leone | AFP | A key third party in Sierra Leone announced Wednesday it would not ask supporters to back either contender in a March 27 presidential run-off, after police warned violence has plagued campaigning. With the margin between the opposition Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP) and ruling All …

Cairo, Egypt | AFP | On the streets of Cairo’s Shubra district, many Coptic Christians — but not all — say they will support President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in his re-election bid on Monday. Pro-Sisi banners hang overhead in the neighbourhood where many Copts reside, often showing the president standing …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Tanzanian police said Wednesday they had arrested a driver and a farmer accused of urging fellow citizens to protest against the increasing authoritarianism of President John Magufuli on social media. A call for nationwide protests on April 26, first launched by an opposition activist, has …

Countries and Signatories: 1.Niger – President Mahamadou Issoufou 2.Rwanda – President Paul Kagame 3.Tchad – President Idriss Deby 4.Angola – President Joao Lourenço 5.Central African Republic – President Faustin-Archange Touadéra 6. Comoros – President Azali Assoumani 7. The Republic of Congo – President Denis Sassou Nguesso 8. Djibouti – President …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Boko Haram Islamists who kidnapped more than 100 schoolgirls in Dapchi, northeast Nigeria, just over a month ago have returned the students to the town, two parents told AFP on Wednesday. A senior government source in Abuja and police in Yobe state also confirmed the …