The next president of Africa’s largest democracy, Nigeria, is due to be sworn in on Monday. Bola Tinubu, 71, won February’s election with a promise to renew hope – but he faces tough economic and security challenges. He will take over from two-term President Muhammadu Buhari amid a high inflation rate, record debt levels and increasing cases of kidnap-for-ransom. Mr Tinubu’s victory is being challenged in court by his two closest rivals. They say the outcome was manipulated. But the outgoing president, who did not run in the election after eight years in power, said the results were “credible” and … Continue reading Date with Destiny: Nigeria to swear in new president

Gunmen have attacked a church in north-west Nigeria’s Kaduna state, kidnapping at least 25 members of the congregation. According to an official from the Christian Association of Nigeria, the gunmen burst into the Bege Baptist Church in Chikun initially abducting 40 people but 15 managed to escape. A police spokesman confirmed there had been an attack but gave no details. Over the last two years, there have been frequent mass kidnappings by criminal gangs that are not thought to be linked to the Islamist militants, active in parts of northern Nigeria. Kidnappers often demand ransom before releasing the hostages. This … Continue reading Just in: Gunmen kidnap 25 from church in north-west Nigeria

A former Sudanese politician wanted for alleged crimes against humanity has said that he and other former officials are no longer in jail. Ahmad Harun was among those being held in Kober prison in the capital Khartoum who are facing charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC). A ceasefire between Sudan’s army and a rival paramilitary group still largely appears to be holding. But there are doubts about both parties’ commitment to a lasting peace. In another development, a second evacuation flight rescuing UK nationals from Sudan landed in Cyprus, while a boat evacuating more than 1,600 people from dozens of … Continue reading War crimes suspect freed from prison amid crisis in Sudan

A growing list of countries have evacuated diplomats and citizens from Sudan’s capital as fierce fighting continues to rage in Khartoum. The US and UK announced on Sunday they had flown diplomats out of the country. France, Germany, Italy and Spain have also been evacuating diplomats and other nationals. A vicious power struggle between the regular army and a powerful paramilitary force has led to violence across Sudan for more than a week. US authorities said they had airlifted fewer than 100 people with three Chinook helicopters on Sunday morning in a “fast and clean” operation. The US embassy in … Continue reading Diplomats and foreign nationals evacuated amid ongoing battle in Sudan

The EU’s ambassador in Sudan, Aidan O’Hara, has been assaulted at his home in Khartoum, which is gripped by deadly fighting between rival forces. The Irish diplomat was not “seriously hurt”, Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin has confirmed. Mr Martin described the attack as a “gross violation of obligations to protect diplomats”. Around 185 people have been killed and more than 1,800 injured in three days of fighting, according to the UN. The city has seen air strikes, shelling and heavy small-arms fire. Both the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) claim to control key … Continue reading EU ambassador assaulted in Khartoum home amid ongoing battle between RSF and the military in Sudan

Fierce clashes have been reported across Sudan as fighting between rival armed factions continues to spread. Violence between the army and a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued overnight into its third day. Nearly 100 people have been killed, a doctors’ union said, and one estimate put the number of injured at 1,100. Both sides claimed to control key sites in the capital Khartoum, where residents sheltered from explosions. Earlier on Sunday, they held a temporary ceasefire to allow the wounded to be evacuated, although it was not clear how strictly they stuck to it. Doctors warned … Continue reading RSF and army clash in Sudan continues for third day

A Nigerian court has ordered the slaughter of a rooster on Friday after a noise pollution complaint by neighbours, local media report. The court in northern city of Kano declared the cockerel a nuisance to the neighbourhood after constant crowing that two neighbours said deprived them of their sleep, Premium Times news website reports. One of the neighbours, Yusuf Muhammed, told the court that the rooster’s relentless crowing was an infringement of his right to a restful sleep. Isyaku Shu’aibu told the court that he had bought the bird for Good Friday celebrations and asked to be given until the … Continue reading LOL: Nigerian rooster loses court battle over noise complaint

Uganda’s parliament has passed a bill which would criminalise people who identify as gay, or a sexual minority. Individuals could face lengthy prison terms if the bill is signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni. Under the proposed legislation, friends, family and members of the community would have a duty to report individuals in same-sex relationships to the authorities. Homosexual acts are already illegal in the east African country. But the bill seeks to go further and criminalise people on the basis of their sexual identity. The bill, which was first tabled earlier this month, passed with widespread support in Uganda’s … Continue reading Ugandan parliament passes bill to jail gay people

Two and a half tonnes of uranium have gone missing from a site in Libya, the UN’s nuclear watchdog has said. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sounded the alarm after a visit by its inspectors to the undisclosed site earlier this week. They found that 10 drums containing uranium ore had disappeared, the IAEA said. There are fears the uranium could pose a radiological risk as well as nuclear security concerns. In a statement, the IAEA said it would conduct further activities “to clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location”. It is … Continue reading Alarm: Tonnes of uranium gone missing from Libya site

Opposition parties have walked out of the venue where results from Nigeria’s tightly contested presidential elections are being announced. The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party have claimed there is a lack of transparency with the new electronic voter system. This is the first national election where an electronic device has been used to accredit voters. The election commission has denied the opposition parties’ complaints. The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the announcement of results would continue. The PDP representative at the election centre in Abuja described the process as fraudulent, and … Continue reading Nigeria election results 2023: Opposition Parties accuse APC and Inec

The Burkina Faso Army reported Monday the death of 160 “terrorists” and 51 military personnel in an ambush perpetrated by armed militiamen last Friday between Deou and Oursi, in the province of Oudalan. “At the end of Monday, February 20, 2023, 43 more bodies have been found, bringing to 51 the number of fallen soldiers,” the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso have reported in a statement picked up by the news portal Burkina24. “The operations continue with an intensification of aerial actions that have allowed the neutralization of a hundred terrorists and the destruction of materials,” it said. This figure … Continue reading At least 160 terrorists and 51 military personnel killed in clashes in northern Burkina Faso

The Nigerian military has denied a claim by the governing party that it is planning to disrupt the upcoming presidential election. An official from the APC party had said that generals had last week held a secret meeting with the rival PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. The allegations are “wicked” and “malicious”, the army statement said. The race to become the next president of Africa’s most populous country is too close to call. The three top contenders in the 25 February elections are: Bola Tinubu from the governing All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter … Continue reading Nigeria military denies coup plot claim ahead of 2023 general elections