In our series of letters from African writers, Kenyan journalist Wahiga Mwaura says heads must roll when tragic events happen, yet very few officials seem to be held accountable. The phrase “winners never quit and quitters never win”, coined by the late American Football player and coach Vince Lombardi, could also describe the mentality of […]

Rwandan police have arrested a controversial US pastor as he was about to conduct a news conference in the capital, Kigali. Evangelist Gregg Schoof was arrested for holding an “illegal meeting with journalists”, police said. Mr Schoof had been due to criticise the Rwandan government for shutting down his radio station and his church. The […]

A military court in Cameroon has freed opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who had been in prison for nine months and facing charges of insurrection. His release, along with that of dozens of his supporters, comes as President Paul Biya is aiming to strike a more conciliatory tone. Mr Kamto was detained after organising protests in […]

Life in Cameroon’s two English-speaking provinces has been been brought to a standstill by three years of conflict, which has cost about 3,000 lives and forced 500,000 from their homes. The dispute had been simmering for decades, but boiled over in 2016, when teachers and lawyers started to protest against the use of French in […]

A selection of the week’s best photos from across Africa: All images are subject to copyright. Source: Read Full Article

Claim: The Kenyan authorities say a move to withdraw old banknotes from circulation to tackle corruption has been a success. Former 1,000 Kenyan shilling ($10; £8) banknotes were withdrawn from circulation starting in June and had to be exchanged for new ones by 30 September, as a way to flush out illegally acquired cash and […]

At least 14 people have been killed in a collapse at an illegal gold mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official says. Government minister Steve Mbikayi said a further three people had been taken to hospital with serious injuries. Search efforts are continuing. The accident occurred at a mine in the town of […]

South Africa has temporarily closed its diplomatic missions in Nigeria following reprisal attacks by Nigerians triggered by xenophobic violence in South Africa. Between Sunday and Wednesday, mobs looted and destroyed shops, many of them foreign-owned, in South Africa’s commercial hub, Johannesburg. Nigeria’s government has been outspoken in its condemnation of the violence. Police say the […]

JOHANNESBURG/MAUWA, Malawi (REUTERS) – Meghan, wife of Britain’s Prince Harry, said on Tuesday (Oct 1) that empowering women through education could be transformational for communities during a visit to Johannesburg University in South Africa. Meghan, who is visiting southern Africa with Harry and their four-month-old son Archie, is herself a university graduate and women’s rights […]

Somalia’s militant Islamists remain relatively undiminished, despite a 12-year UN-backed campaign against them, largely thanks to its sophisticated web of spies, writes the BBC’s Mary Harper. Often, when I return to the UK from Somalia, I get a phone call from al-Shabab. It usually happens even before I talk to my family, while I am […]