Africa

Ethiopian Prime Minister and rebel group blame each other for apparent civilian massacre

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and rebel group Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) are blaming each other’s military forces after an unconfirmed number of civilians were killed Monday in the country’s Oromia region. The incident appears to be an ethnically targeted attack, according to a statement from the state-appointed Ethiopian Human …

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Tunisia ex-parliament speaker Ghannouchi’s bank accounts frozen

Tunisian judge orders accounts frozen of several politicians tied to the Ennahdha party, as political crisis continues. A Tunisian court has frozen the bank accounts of several key opponents to President Kais Saied, including Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the Ennahdha party, previously the biggest party in the country’s dissolved …

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French forces make Niger new home after being expelled by Mali

French forces in the Sahel will switch operating mode after they leave Mali, acting more “in support” of local forces rather than substituting for them, their commander says. After nearly a decade fighting militants in Mali, France is pulling its troops out of the country after falling out with its …

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US warns of jihadists and Russian forces as Africa war games end

The United States’ top general for Africa has warned of “violent extremism” and the threat of Russian mercenaries in the Sahel region, speaking as war games wrapped up in Morocco. “We are seeing the rise of violent extremism in Western Africa, predominantly in the Sahel region,” said General Stephen J. …

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European force battling extremists withdraws from Mali

A European military task force that helped Mali’s government fight Islamic extremists has formally withdrawn from the West African country amid tensions with its ruling military junta. The French military, which spearheaded the Takuba task force, announced Friday that it officially ended its work Thursday. The move was tied to …

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Morocco/Spain: Horrific Migrant Deaths At Melilla Border

The deaths of at least 23 African men at the Melilla-Morocco border on June 24, 2022 requires an independent, impartial investigation capable of determining what occurred and who bears responsibility for such loss of life, Human Rights Watch said. The deaths occurred during an attempt by as many as 2,000 …

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Algeria has been isolated for years. Now it’s making a shaky return to the world stage.

Long viewed as North Africa’s most isolated and inscrutable country, Algeria is suddenly the belle of the ball. This year, Algeria has hosted official visits from Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, and the United States (the first …

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Algeria to maintain gas supplies to Spain despite dispute

Algeria’s announcement concerning the immediate suspension of the treaty of friendship and good neighborliness concluded with Spain in October 2002, after Madrid’s radical change of position on the Western Sahara issue on March 18, will not have negative consequences on gas contracts signed by the two countries. The ongoing political …

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After Xenophobic Attacks, Nigeria and South Africa Try to Reset Ties

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari traveled to Pretoria in early October to meet his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, just weeks after the latest outbreak of attacks against foreigners—including Nigerians—in South Africa in September. The visit was intended to smooth over bilateral relations between Africa’s two largest economies, which have been …

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Imports up pressure on Morocco’s foreign reserves

Energy and food imports alongside a growing trade deficit put pressure on Morocco’s foreign currency reserves. The Office des Changes (OC) published its monthly newsletter in early June, indicating a sharp rise in both exports and imports. The newsletter shows that remittances and phosphates were the leading sources of foreign …

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