Africa (except North Africa)

BISSAU, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Heads of state and government of West African countries have elected President of Nigeria Bola Tinubu as the new chairman of the regional bloc, replacing President of Guinea-Bissau Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

Tinubu said he would promote democracy so that elections are the only possible route to power in the region, and fight terrorism that threatens peace and security.

He made the remarks at the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that ended Sunday.

JUBA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese have pinned hopes on the upcoming elections scheduled for December 2024 as they celebrated the 12th Independence Day anniversary on Sunday.

The world's youngest nation experienced short-lived peace after it won independence on July 9, 2011, from neighboring Sudan before a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his then-deputy Riek Machar plunged the country into war in December 2013.

KAMPALA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military on Sunday said it has killed a senior commander of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels and three of his fighters in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in a joint operation with the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) killed Lubangakane, one of the most senior ADF commanders in Mwalika valley, North Kivu province in the eastern DRC, the military said in a statement issued here.

MAPUTO, Jul 8 (NNN-AIM) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF), said yesterday that, its executive board has completed the second review of a three-year loan programme for Mozambique, which greenlights an immediate disbursement to Maputo of 60.6 million U.S. dollars.

PRETORIA, July 6 (NNN-SANEWS) — International Relations and Cooperation Deputy Minister Alvin Botes is leading South Africa’s delegation to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinating Bureau (CoB) in Baku, Azerbaijan.  

“The meeting reviews the movement’s principled positions on global issues pertaining to development, human rights, peace and security, and the promotion and preservation of multilateralism, in line with the Charter of the United Nations and the Bandung Founding Principles of the NAM.”

HARARE, July 5 (NNN-XINHUA) — Zimbabwe announced on Tuesday the end of power cuts the country has experienced since last December following the rehabilitation of Hwange Thermal Power Station, the country’s largest coal-fired power plant, implemented by a Chinese firm.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told a press briefing that the country’s power supply situation has vastly improved after the completion of the upgrading of Hwange Unit 7 and 8 by Chinese firm Sinohydro.

CAPE TOWN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- TikTok has overtaken Instagram to secure the second place among the "Big Five" social media platforms in South Africa, challenging Facebook's dominance in the country.

Facebook, with a commanding 56.7 percent penetration of South Africans aged 15 and over in urban areas, continues to dominate the social media realm, according to the South African Social Media Landscape 2023 study, released by brand intelligence consultancy Ornico and market research house World Wide Worx, local media reported Saturday.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A truck rammed into several other vehicles and market traders in western Kenya killing at least 51 people, police said.

The Friday evening accident occurred at a location known for vehicle crashes near the Rift Valley town of Londiani, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi.

Officers at the scene counted 51 bodies, but more people were believed to be trapped in the wreckage, Rift Valley police commander Tom Odera told The Associated Press.

PRETORIA, June 29. /TASS/: Ethiopia hopes for a positive decision on its application to join BRICS member states, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Meles Alem said.

"We expect BRICS will give us a positive response to the request we have made," the ENA news agency quoted him as saying at a media briefing. The diplomat noted that Ethiopia had officially applied to join the alliance.

PRETORIA, June 28 (NNN-ALLAFRICA) — Germany’s top diplomat is in South Africa to discuss strengthening bilateral ties in fighting climate change, but the war in Ukraine remains a sticking point.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Tuesday that the short-lived uprising in Russia “makes it clear once again that Russia’s illegal war of aggression is not just an attack on Ukraine … but that President Putin is destroying his own country.”