Africa

Libya’s oil blockade widens as factions vie to control central bank

Libya's oil blockade widened with eastern leaders demanding western authorities back down over the replacement of the central bank governor, a key position in a state where control over oil…

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Egypt sends arms to Somalia following security pact

Egypt delivered its first military aid to Somalia in more than four decades on Tuesday, three diplomatic and Somali government sources said, a move likely to deepen strains between the…

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UN warns Libya faces economic collapse

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a statement late on Monday expressing deep concern "over the deteriorating situation in Libya resulting from unilateral decisions." Disputes over control…

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Libya’s eastern-based government to close all oilfields

The Libyan eastern-based government said on Monday that all oilfields are closing down, halting production and exports, but the country's Tripoli-based National Oil Corp, which controls oil resources, has not…

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Tunisian president shuffles cabinet

Tunisian President Kais Saied announced a broad cabinet reshuffle of 19 ministers that included those for defence, foreign affairs and the economy, ahead of a presidential election on Oct. 6.…

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UN expresses concern at Libya armed mobilisation

The United Nations Libya mission said late on Thursday it was concerned about reports of forces mobilising in Tripoli and threats of force to resolve a crisis over control of…

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UN migration agency appeals for $18.5 mln in assistance for mpox outbreak

The United Nation's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) appealed for $18.5 million in assistance to provide health care services to people impacted by the mpox outbreak in East and Southern…

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UPDATED: Libya central bank reopens after kidnapped official freed

Libya's central bank (CBL) says it has resumed operations following the release of a bank official who had been abducted from his home. CBL confirmed the release of Musaab Muslamm,…

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IFRC says shortage of testing, vaccines hampers mpox response in Africa

Far more diagnostic kits, treatments and vaccines need to be shipped to Africa to respond adequately to the outbreak of a new strain of the mpox virus there, an official…

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Libya’s Interior Ministry Issues Warning on Importing Predatory Animals

The Libyan Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Unity has issued a stern warning against importing predatory animals into Libya, cautioning that violators will face legal consequences. The…

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Mpox declared public health emergency in Africa

Africa's top public health body declared what it termed a "public health emergency of continental security" on Tuesday over an outbreak of mpox that has spread from the Democratic Republic…

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Tens of thousands in Sudan risk death if world does not step up response, says IOM

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) urged countries to step up their donations in response to the world's largest displacement crisis in Sudan, warning on Tuesday that inaction could cost…

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UN chief calls for permanent Africa Security Council seat

UN chief António Guterres has called for Africa to be given a permanent seat at the UN Security Council as part of reforms to correct historical injustices. The Security Council…

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India loosens restrictions on nationals wishing to travel to Libya

Indian authorities announced easing travel restrictions to Libya, after a travel ban was imposed on its citizens 8 years ago, explaining its new decision was taken after the "improved security…

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Tunisian president sacks prime minister

Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani and appointed Social Affairs Minister Kamel Maddouri as his replacement, the Tunisian presidency said in a statement late on Wednesday. Hachani…

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WHO to convene emergency committee to assess international risk from mpox outbreak

The head of the World Health Organization said an emergency committee will be convened to discuss whether the current mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo represents a public…

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Tunisian court jails four presidential candidates and bars them from elections

A Tunisian court sentenced four potential presidential election candidates to eight months in prison and banned them from running for office on a charge of vote buying, politicians and a…

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Miss South Africa contestant faces xenophobic scrutiny and abuse over Nigerian father

A South African beauty pageant contestant with a Nigerian father has been subjected to relentless online abuse and interrogations of her right to compete for the Miss South Africa title,…

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Attempts to shut operations at the Sharara oil field in Libya

Libya's internationally recognised government condemned attempts to shut operations at the Sharara oil field, describing them as "political blackmail". In a statement, the government said it would not spare efforts…

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Tunisian presidential candidates complain of restrictions and intimidation

Tunisian opposition parties, presidential candidates and human rights groups have accused the authorities of using "arbitrary restrictions" and intimidation in order to ensure the re-election of President Kais Saied in…

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Morocco releases jailed journalists, pardons 2,476 convicts

Morocco's King Mohammed VI ordered the release of jailed journalists Taoufik Bouachrine, Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raisouni, as part of a pardon benefiting 2,476 convicts, a government source said. "This…

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South Africa’s ANC expels former president Zuma

Former South African president Jacob Zuma has been expelled from his long-time party, the African National Congress, the ANC's secretary general said on Monday. Zuma was suspended from the ANC…

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Libyan court jails 12 officials over deadly floods in Derna

A Libyan court has jailed 12 officials in connection with the collapse of a series of dams in Derna last year that killed thousands of the city's residents, the Attorney…

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Morocco Heatwave: 21 Dead as Temperatures Soar to 48C

A heatwave in Morocco has killed at least 21 people in a 24-hour period in the central city of Beni Mellal, the health ministry revealed. The meteorology department said soaring…

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Facebook removes 63,000 accounts in Nigeria over ‘sextortion’ scams

Meta Platforms said on Wednesday it had removed about 63,000 Facebook accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in financial sexual extortion scams mostly aimed at adult men in the…

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Civilians suffering horrendous violence in Sudan conflict, MSF says

Civilians in Sudan have suffered horrendous levels of violence during more than a year of conflict between the army and a rival paramilitary force, facing repeated attacks, abuse and exploitation…

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Armed Bandits Disrupt Mediterranean Migrant Rescue Mission

An aid group rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean reported that one of its missions was interrupted by armed bandits who commandeered the smugglers' overloaded boat after the migrants jumped into…

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UPDATED: UN rights chief says investigating mass grave on Libya-Tunisia border

The U.N. human rights chief said on Tuesday that his office was following up on reports of a mass grave in the desert along the Libya-Tunisia border, after the bodies…

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Risks multiply for Mediterranean-bound migrants, UN study shows

More migrants and refugees are embarking on dangerous journeys across Africa towards the southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea where they face growing risk of abuse such as kidnapping and…

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Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage

Sierra Leone officially banned child marriage on Tuesday with President Julius Maada Bio signing into law a bill to end the practice that remains widespread. Advocates hope the new legislation…

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Tunisian president sets election date for Oct. 6

Tunisian President Kais Saied set the presidential election date for Oct. 6 and is widely expected to seek a second term, with at least one potential candidate in jail and…

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European firms sign flurry of deals as EU bolsters ties with Egypt

European firms are signing deals potentially worth over 40 billion euros ($42.85 billion) with Egyptian partners, the EU Commission chief told an investment conference in Cairo over the weekend, part…

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Sudan on precipice of famine ‘beyond imagination’

Sudan is facing horror “beyond imagination”, the outgoing UN aid chief has warned, with 750,000 people under imminent threat of famine and with conditions in danger of worsening even further.…

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Morocco bets on cannabis to boost economy

The potential of the European cannabis market could bring between 420 and 630 million dollars to the North African country. Morocco has announced an ambitious project to turn the cannabis…

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Chaos in Nairobi as police fire on demonstrators trying to storm Kenya parliament, several dead

Kenyan President William Ruto said on Tuesday security was his "utmost priority" after protests against a bill to raise taxes descended into violence, with police firing on demonstrators trying to…

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Interpol candidate accused of role in kidnap of Indian businessmen

A candidate to be the next head of Interpol has been accused of involvement in the kidnap, detention, assault and attempted extortion of two Indian businessmen. Lawyers for Vinod and…

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Russia denies reports of hundreds of Wagner Group fighters in Libya

The Libya Observer reports that the Russian Embassy in Libya has denied recent reports alleging that hundreds of Wagner fighters have arrived in Libya. It described the information as baseless…

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Malawi vice president Chilima killed in plane crash

Malawi's Vice President Saulos Klaus Chilima and nine others on board a military aircraft that went missing on Monday were killed in a plane crash, President Lazarus Chakwera said on…

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Nigeria’s new national anthem sparks criticism

Nigeria adopted a new national anthem after lawmakers passed a law that replaced the current one with a version dropped nearly a half-century ago, sparking widespread criticism about how the…

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South Africa: What happens next after the ANC loses its majority?

For the first time in South Africa's democratic era, the African National Congress (ANC) will have to seek one or more coalition partners to govern with after it fell well…

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Early results in South Africa’s election show ANC losing majority

The African National Congress appeared on course to lose the parliamentary majority it has held for 30 years, partial results from South Africa's national election showed, in what would be…

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Libya oil and gas minister resumes work after two-month suspension

Libya's oil and gas minister resumed work on Tuesday after a suspension for two months pending a legal investigation, the ministry said in a brief statement. Mohamed Oun, oil and…

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South Africa 2024 election: How it works

South Africans vote in national and provincial elections on May 29 that polls suggest could loosen the African National Congress' 30-year grip on power. After the vote, the new National…

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Tripoli claims Greece is conducting illegal prospecting south of Crete

The interim government of Tripoli claims Greece is conducting illegal prospecting south of Crete in areas it says are under Libya’s jurisdiction. The issue was raised last week through a…

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Tunisian lawyers go on strike, protest against alleged police abuse

Tunisian lawyers staged one-day nationwide strike on Thursday, with hundreds taking to the streets of the capital, to protest against the recent arrest of two of their colleagues, one of…

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Three Libyan fighters killed in clashes with smugglers near border with Algeria

Three Libyan fighters of a military force based in Tripoli were killed in clashes with smugglers and drug dealers in the desert near the border with Algeria, the force said…

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Canadian man shot dead in Egypt

A Canadian man "of Jewish Israeli descent" has been shot dead during a robbery in the Egyptian city of Alexandria and authorities are investigating the incident as a criminal case,…

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Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta…

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Kenya flood toll rises to 181 as homes and roads are destroyed

Floods and landslides across Kenya have killed 181 people since March, with hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes, the government and Red Cross said, as dozens more were…

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Secretary-General of the Arab League warns of political deadlock in the Libyan crisis

The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, warned of the political deadlock in the Libyan crisis. Aboul Gheit stressed in a television interview that there are no indications…

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491 dead and missing in central Med in 2024 – IOM

There have been 167 migrants dead and 324 missing in the central Mediterranean since the beginning of the year, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Libya reported in its…

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UNHCR warns Sudanese refugees may head to Europe if aid not provided

The United Nations refugee chief said on Friday that Sudanese refugees could be making their way to Europe if humanitarian aid was not adequately provided to the people of the…

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EU marks anniversary of Sudan war with funding push

Top diplomats from the European Union were set to push for more funding for Sudan on Monday at a meeting in Paris to mark the first anniversary of a war…

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Hunger grips southern Africa as Zimbabwe declares drought a disaster

By Nyasha Chingono HARARE, April 3 (Reuters) - President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday declared Zimbabwe's drought a national disaster and said the country needed more than $2 billion in aid…

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Somali pirates’ return adds to crisis for global shipping companies

Pirates had been dormant for nearly a decade 2008-2014 attacks cost the global economy billions of dollars Recent pirate raids are increasing costs for shippers Pirates take advantage of security…

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Tunisia-Libya border crossing remains closed

Tunisia and Libya have kept a major border crossing at Ras Jdir closed due to armed clashes Libya's interior ministry said in a statement this week that "outlaws" had attacked…

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Zimbabwe goes hungry as crops wither amid El Nino drought

By Nyasha Chingono BUHERA, Zimbabwe, March 18 (Reuters) - Residents of the Zimbabwean village of Buhera stood in groups at a primary school waiting to be called by name to…

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