Nigerian army rescues hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, from Boko Haram extremists

Nigerian army rescues hundreds of hostages, mostly women and children, from Boko Haram extremists

The army said the hostages were rescued during a days-long military operation in Sambisa Forest, which was once a bustling forest reserve that stretches along the border with Cameroon and Niger, but now serves as an enclave from where Boko Haram and its breakaway factions carry out attacks that also target people and security forces in neighbouring countries.

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Ruto’s Washington visit billed as platform for Biden to outline US economic and trade policy for Africa

Ruto’s Washington visit billed as platform for Biden to outline US economic and trade policy for Africa

Washington is also urging international financial institutions to offer low-cost financing to Kenya and other countries. The official said to expect some significant joint announcements about debt relief during the state visit this week “on how countries like Kenya can tackle this problem of debt.”

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Questions emerge about involvement of American nationals in plot to oust Congo president

Questions emerge about involvement of American nationals in plot to oust Congo president

Dino Mahtani, an independent researcher into African issues, said he first heard of Malanga in 2018 while serving as a political advisor to the United Nations in Congo. He said Congolese authorities voiced suspicions that Malanga was involved in a purported plot to kill then-President Joseph Kabila.

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Flight threat: Nigerian judge denies separatist leader, arrested in Kenya, bail for a second time

Flight threat: Nigerian judge denies separatist leader, arrested in Kenya, bail for a second time

However, in a dramatic reaction in court on Monday, Kanu yelled out that he would not stand trial in any Nigerian court after his bail request was denied. Kanu’s IPOB campaigns for the secession of southeastern Nigeria where the majority belong to the Igbo ethnic group. Nigerian authorities have labelled IPOB a terrorist organisation.

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South Africa’s Constitutional Court disqualifies ex-president Zuma next week’s elections citing criminal past

South Africa’s Constitutional Court disqualifies ex-president Zuma next week’s elections citing criminal past

Zuma was South African president from 2009-2018 but resigned under a cloud of corruption allegations. He made a return to politics last year with a new party and has been fiercely critical of the ruling African National Congress party he once led.

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Three shot dead in Kinshasa during what military termed coup attempt to oust Tshisekedi

Three shot dead in Kinshasa during what military termed coup attempt to oust Tshisekedi

Congolese army spokesperson Brigadier General Sylvain Ekenge said on state television on Sunday that the attempted coup d’état was “nipped in the bud by Congolese defence and security forces (and) the situation is under control.” He did not give further details.

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Fiery ex-South Africa President Zuma launches new party’s manifesto promising jobs, free education

Fiery ex-South Africa President Zuma launches new party’s manifesto promising jobs, free education

Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party, known as the MK Party, has emerged as a significant player in South Africa’s upcoming elections after it was launched in December last year.

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Cancer: Why hospitals in Africa are learning to  ‘put life into your days, not days into your life’

Cancer: Why hospitals in Africa are learning to ‘put life into your days, not days into your life’

Kenya has a national policy that compels nearly all public hospitals to have palliative care units, and the government’s National Health Insurance Fund covers hospital-based treatment. That could soon be extended to home-based care, picking up some of the associated costs like gloves and syringes.

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How River Nile migrated eastward: Long-lost branch of the Nile finally located near Egypt’s Giza pyramids

How River Nile migrated eastward: Long-lost branch of the Nile finally located near Egypt’s Giza pyramids

River Nile is prone to migrating, and in the past, populations have had to relocate to keep up. Over the past few hundred years, the Nile has moved several kilometres to the east, possibly owing to shifting plate tectonics.

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How Mali’s historic city and world’s oldest mud-brick Grand Mosque of Djenné are starved of tourists

How Mali’s historic city and world’s oldest mud-brick Grand Mosque of Djenné are starved of tourists

The Grand Mosque, built in 1907 on the site of an older mosque dating back to the 13th century, is re-plastered every year by local residents in a ritual that brings together the entire city. The towering, earth-coloured structure requires a new layer of mud before the rainy season starts or it would fall into disrepair.

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