Niger’s army, locked in a battle with jihadist groups in several regions, should double in size to “at least 50,000” soldiers in the next five years, Defence Minister Issoufou Katambe has told parliament. The impoverished country lies in the heart of the Sahel, a region plagued by overlapping jihadist insurgencies that have spilt across borders […]

Around 40 informal miners have been trapped underground in northeastern Zimbabwe after a shaft in a disused gold mine collapsed, the country’s miners’ federation said Thursday. The disaster occurred late Wednesday in the town of Bindura, around 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of the capital Harare, said Wellington Takavarasha, head of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation. […]

Ten years ago, the Arab Spring offered hope of a wave of democratic change across the Middle East and North Africa. But only Tunisia has made the transition, with the other popular uprisings ending in repression, war or chaos. Even so, recent popular movements that toppled leaders in Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria and Sudan have drawn […]

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power promising real democracy, promoting women and feverishly planting trees across his vast country, snapping up the Nobel Peace Prize along the way. But Abiy’s image of a modern, peacemaking reformer risks shattering entirely after he sent troops and warplanes into Ethiopia’s Tigray region, a move analysts fear […]

US President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday announced an all-female senior White House communications team, in what his office called a first in the country’s history. Among those named was Jen Psaki, who will serve in the highly visible role of White House press secretary. Psaki, 41, has held a number of senior positions, including White […]