AFRICA

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | Mining companies have invested at least $5 billion towards gold exploration in West Africa in the last decade but significant reserves are under-exploited, mineral industry experts said on Tuesday. Delegates at the Ecomof mining and petroleum forum in the Ivory Coast commercial capital Abidjan …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | A bid to impeach Somalia’s president for alleged abuse of office was ruled “invalid” Tuesday after the parliamentary clerk said over a dozen MPs had denied signing the motion. “We have received written statements from 14 lawmakers who claim their names have been used wrongly …

  Cairo, Egypt | AFP | Egyptian authorities have unofficially restricted the sale of “yellow vest”, traders in Cairo told AFP Tuesday, signalling fears of possible protests inspired by those in France. The move comes ahead of the eighth anniversary of the uprising that toppled Egypt’s longtime president Hosni Mubarak …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP |  Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and a number of opposition leaders on Tuesday signed a deal for peaceful elections but the main challenger for the country’s top deal was not present. The 75-year-old former military ruler was joined by representatives of dozens of other parties to …

Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | France on Tuesday handed over 1,400 AK-47 assault rifles and three amphibious vehicles to the Central African Republic to shore up its beleaguered armed forces. French Defence Minister Florence Parly oversaw the handover at a ceremony at M’Polo military base in the capital …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Streaming giant Netflix announced on Monday that it will launch the platform’s first original series made in Africa in 2019, adding that it planned further investment in productions on the continent. “#QueenSono — Africa’s first Netflix original! A thrilling story about a kickass female …

Maputo, Mozambique | AFP | Mozambique’s government said on Monday that it had identified 30,000 “ghost employees” in its civil service who cost $250 million between 2015 and 2017. Some of those on the government payroll, which accounts for 55 percent of the poor African country’s state expenditure, did exist …

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States said Monday it would forbid entry into the country of former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh and his family over corruption during his 22-year rule. Under a US law that bans foreign officials involved in “significant” corruption or human rights abuses, the …

Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Somalia was plunged into fresh political problems on Monday after a motion to impeach President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed for alleged abuse of office cleared a key hurdle. Parliament speaker Mohamed Mursal agreed late Sunday to accept the motion, signed by 92 out of 275 legislators. …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | South Sudan will vaccinate key health workers against Ebola close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, which faces a new epidemic, the World Health Organization said Monday. The ministry of health’s vaccination campaign, with cooperation from the WHO, will target healthcare and …