Aid groups say a humanitarian crisis in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo will likely intensify, now that rebels have taken the city of Goma. The World Food Program says aid workers are now taking shelter in its compound in Goma, which is protected by U.N. peacekeepers. It says its operations for internally displaced people […]
Mauritanian President Says Return Imminent
Posted November 20th, 2012 at 8:50 am (UTC-5)
Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz says he will return to his country “in a few days,” following treatment in France for a gunshot wound. The president spoke to journalists Tuesday in Paris, after meeting with French President Francois Hollande. Mr. Aziz was shot by a soldier outside the Mauritanian capital October 13, in what […]
Explosion on Kenya Bus Kills Seven
Posted November 18th, 2012 at 12:55 pm (UTC-5)
An explosion on a bus in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has killed at least seven people. The Kenyan Red Cross says at least 29 people were injured in the blast Sunday’s explosion occurred on a local bus in the Somali-dominated suburb of Eastleigh. Early reports say an explosive device was thrown into the bus causing […]
DR Congo Rebels Advance to Goma Outskirts
Posted November 18th, 2012 at 11:45 am (UTC-5)
Rebels are advancing on the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma after pushing back United Nations peacekeepers and government troops in recent fighting. Rebel spokesman Vianney Kazarama said M23 fighters are just a few kilometers from Goma. He said they are ready to respond to an attack by the army and repel it […]
Sierra Leone Choosing President, Parliament
Posted November 17th, 2012 at 7:15 pm (UTC-5)
Vote counting has begun in Sierra Leone, where voters were choosing a new president and parliament Saturday. This is the third set of elections since the end of the nation’s civil war in 2002, and voters flocked to the polls early in the day to place their votes. The head of the European Union observer […]
Congo Rebels Capture New Town In Renewed Fighting
Posted November 17th, 2012 at 7:15 pm (UTC-5)
United Nations helicopters have failed to stop rebels from taking control of another town in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. A U.N. spokesman said that rebels from the M23 group fought government troops on Saturday and captured the town of Kibumba, about 30 kilometers north of Goma, the capital of restive North Kivu province. […]
Sierra Leone Choosing President, Parliament
Posted November 17th, 2012 at 2:05 pm (UTC-5)
Polls are crowded but peaceful in Sierra Leone, where voters are choosing a new president and parliament Saturday. This is the third set of elections since the end of the nation’s civil war in 2002, and voters flocked to the polls early in the day to place their votes. The head of the European Union […]
Fresh Violence Breaks Out in DRC
Posted November 17th, 2012 at 12:25 pm (UTC-5)
United Nations helicopters have launched an aerial attack on M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo, after fresh fighting broke an uneasy truce between the rebels and Congolese soldiers this week. The United Nations and local officials in eastern DRC say U.N. aircraft fired on M23 forces after they gained ground against troops in […]
Sierra Leone Choosing President, Parliament
Posted November 17th, 2012 at 4:55 am (UTC-5)
Voters in Sierra Leone are choosing a new president and parliament Saturday. People formed long lines outside polling stations in the capital, Freetown, before the voting got under way. Incumbent President Ernest Bai Koroma faces eight challengers, including main opposition candidate Julius Maada Bio. Ahead of the polls, political parties urged their supporters to refrain […]
South African Platinum Miners End Strike
Posted November 15th, 2012 at 6:40 am (UTC-5)
Striking miners in South Africa have returned to work at Anglo American Platinum, after a two-month work stoppage that crippled operations at the world’s top platinum producer. The company said Thursday production will not restart for at least a week while employees attend safety seminars. Workers launched the strike in the September demanding higher wages […]
