The events that unfolded in Somalia this week are heartbreaking. The life of a promising young minister, Abas Abdullahi Sheikh, was taken away from him. To make matters worse, his tragic death was a “mistake”. This shines the light on a larger issue in Somalia: the constant conflict plaguing the country since the long-serving ruler Siad Barre was ousted in… Read more »
Tunis – A Tunisian court on Wednesday sentenced two people to death and 16 others to jail terms for acts of “terrorism” in 2014 during which a security guard was killed. Judiciary spokesman Sofiene Sliti told AFP that nine of those sentenced were tried in absentia. The two death sentences were handed down for the murder of the guard in… Read more »
Libya has been hit by war and chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 Talks between the two largest factions in war-torn Libya have made progress in reaching a deal to resolve the country’s political and economic crises, government officials say. They have agreed on joint efforts to fight extremism and boost the economy. But initial optimism that… Read more »
Algerian voters go to the polls on 4 May to elect a new parliament amid uncertainty over the health of the country’s ailing president, dwindling oil revenues, and instability on the borders with neighbouring countries. What is at stake? Ruling officials have been campaigning on one key slogan: Stability. But delivering on this promise will be a tall order for… Read more »
Somalia’s security forces have shot dead a 31-year-old government minister after mistaking him for a militant Islamist, officials have said.He was killed in his vehicle near the presidential palace in the capital, Mogadishu, the officials added. The president has cut short his visit to Ethiopia following Abas Abdullahi Sheikh’s killing, state radio reports. He grew up in a refugee camp,… Read more »
The dynamics of the global economy are shifting apace. With uncertainty in developed markets such as the UK, the US and Europe, many brands are looking beyond their traditional customer bases in search of new opportunities and sources of growth. Africa, the world’s poorest continent but also the most untapped by consumer brands, looks set to benefit. Africa is of… Read more »
Congolese police deployed heavily across the capital Kinshasa on Monday as opposition calls for a general strike after a breakdown in talks with President Joseph Kabila’s allies last week raised fears of renewed violence. Security forces in Democratic Republic of Congo killed dozens in protests over election delays last year but the strike appeared to be peaceful on Monday morning… Read more »
The Gambia’s longtime opposition won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections, easily defeating the party of ousted leader Yahya Jammeh, results announced Friday showed. Official results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) showed the United Democratic Party (UDP) had won 31 of the 53 available elected seats in the country’s National Assembly “(I) hereby declare the final results as… Read more »
The United Nations said late Tuesday that 16 staff members taken hostage by unarmed South Sudanese refugees at a UN camp in a restive eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been released unharmed. The UN peacekeeping department said in a statement released at UN headquarters in New York that “the camp is quiet and under full control”… Read more »