Campaign ad of burning flag evokes racial tensions in South African as president terms it ‘treasonous’
State broadcaster SABC said on Thursday it would not air the video because of an alleged “outcry from South Africans” and that airing it would only be “fuelling the outrage.” Some say the ad accurately portrays the deep problems of the African continent’s most advanced economy.
Military ruler and son of a former president, Deby Itno, declared winner of Chad’s presidential poll
The oil-exporting country of nearly 18 million people hasn’t had a free-and-fair transfer of power since it became independent in 1960 after decades of French colonial rule. Hours ahead of Thursday’s announcement, Prime Minister Succès Masra published a speech on Facebook accusing the authorities of planning to manipulate the outcome.
Bamako-bound Boeing 737 catches fire, skids off runway at Senegal airport and injures 10 people
The incident has raised scrutiny of Boeing to the highest level since two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. About a dozen relatives of passengers who died in the second crash have been pushing the US government to revive a criminal fraud charge against the company by determining that Boeing violated terms of a 2021 settlement.
Togo’s longtime leader assents to new constitution that eliminates presidential elections
Togo has been ruled by the same family for 57 years, first by Eyadema Gnassingbe and then by his son. Faure Gnassingbe took office after elections that the opposition described as a sham.
Investigations reveal ‘Biden says he told Nigeria to kill fewer civilians, but Nigeria keeps killing lots of civilians’
Between 2000 and 2022, the US provided, facilitated or approved more than $2 billion in security aid, including weapons and equipment sales to Nigeria, according to report by Brown University’s Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies and the Security Assistance Monitor at the Centre for International Policy, a Washington think-tank. Over that time, the US also carried out more than 41,000 training courses for Nigerian military personnel.
Elections security gets top priority as South Africa turns to 350 private firms to assist police
Police and voting stations have received threats and intimidation before Election Day
Kaizer Chief FC player Luke Fleur’s murder is grim reminder of South Africa’s endemic crime ahead of this month’s polls
At 45 per 100,000 people in 2022/23, South Africa’s murder rate was the highest in 20 years, police figures show, roughly equivalent to Ecuador’s and higher than that of Honduras, a country plagued by extreme gang violence. The murder rate in the United States, one of the highest in the developed world, was six per 100,000 in 2022, according to government data.
Climate change funds flow to Africa has risen markedly but a yawning funding gap remains
Funding for climate tech startups in Africa from the private sector is growing, with businesses raising more than $3.4 billion since 2019. But there’s still a long way to go, with the continent requiring $277 billion annually to meet its climate goals for 2030.
Wary of disruptive Umkhonto Wesizwe’s influence, South Africa’s ruling ANC is investigating ex-president Zuma’s party for forgery
The new investigation into the MK Party came after a national newspaper reported on Sunday that a former party official has told police there was an elaborate scheme to forge some of the 15,000 signatures required for parties to register for the elections.
Arrest warrant out for forrmer Central African Republic president Bozizé for human rights abuses
Bozizé lives in exile in Guinea Bissau, where that country’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló said he had not received any request from Bangui about the arrest warrant, and that the country’s laws do not allow for extradition.
