By Rédaction Africanews with AP Around 200 artists, researchers and musicians gathered in Fez in Morocco for the 17th edition of the Sufi Culture Festival last week. Participants came from various countries including Morocco, Senegal, Turkey, Spain and India, to celebrate Sufi heritage. Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism. The Sufi Culture Festival of Fez was founded in 2007 to celebrate this religious practice. Its location is not a coincidence as the city of Fez has been a major historical centre for Sufism. “One of the messages we wish to convey is that we are working hard to keep this heritage alive at all times…
Author: Montage Africa
As Tanzania heads toward its October 29 general elections, Amnesty International warns of a deepening crackdown on dissent, marking a sharp reversal from early reform promises under President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Opposition leaders, journalists, and activists face arbitrary arrests, torture, and even extrajudicial killings, with dozens reported missing. Treason charges against opposition leader Tundu Lissu and restrictive new laws highlight how the government has weaponized the justice system to silence rivals. Amnesty’s report, “Unopposed, Unchecked, Unjust,” paints a grim picture of shrinking civic space and systemic repression. Without international pressure, observers fear the polls could be reduced to a formality, held under a pervasive climate of fear.…
By Rédaction Africanews While the country awaits definitive results for the presidential elections, the electoral commission has announced first results that point to an overwhelming victory of current president Alassane Ouattara, who would thus start a fourth mandate aged 83. Around 9 million voters cast their ballots on Sunday in Ivory Coast to select their next president. Without much surprise for analysts of the political situation, the next president might not differ much from the current one – or rather, not at all. According to preliminary election results released by the independent electoral commission (IEC), current president Alassane Ouattara is…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Mali closed schools and universities nationwide starting Sunday due to a fuel scarcity caused by a blockade on fuel imports jihadi militants imposed on the capital. Education Minister Amadou Sy Savane announced on state television classes would be suspended for two weeks “due to disruptions in fuel supplies that are affecting the movement of school staff.” Militants from the al-Qaida-backed Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group announced a ban on fuel imports from neighboring countries into Mali in early September, squeezing the landlocked country’s fragile economy and leaving hundreds of fuel trucks stranded at the border.…
Cynthia Okere, Lagos As Africast 2025 comes to an end, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has reiterated its firm commitment to a stakeholder engagement drive aimed at elevating Nigerian television to a global platform. The Director-General of the NBC, Mr. Charles Ebuebu, said that the Commission will engage key players in the music, film, and broader media ecosystems to address fundamental issues hindering the sector’s global reach. ”Our creative stories are selling everywhere in the world; what is the issue with TV?” he questioned. “We’re going to identify the issues and address them to enable us take TV to the next level.”…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP The two countries required each other’s citizens to post up to 10,000 dollars in bonds if they are applying for a tourist or business visa. The US has now removed Mali from the list of countries required to post visa bonds to obtain a US visa. Up to $10,000 in bonds for a tourist or a business visa. This is the effort Malian citizens and then their counterparts from the US had to make to obtain a visa to the other respective country. The visa policy row between the two nations started in early October,…
Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has removed Natangwe Ithete from his posts as deputy prime minister and minister of industry, mines and energy, the presidency said in a statement on Sunday. “In the interest of ensuring continuity and effective coordination within this key sector, President Nandi-Ndaitwah will assume responsibility for the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, effective immediately,” the statement said. It did not give a reason. Ithete was appointed to the posts in March as part of Nandi-Ndaitwah’s new administration. He remains a member of parliament, the statement said. Namibia is aiming for its first crude oil production by…
By Abdul Mohammed Isa, Abuja Former Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), has issued a compelling call for African land forces to institutionalize military cooperation and seamless communication during peacetime. The retired General, who also served as Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Benin, delivered this imperative as a principal panelist at the recently concluded Land Forces Commanders Symposium (LFCS) 2025 in Kigali. The high-level forum, hosted by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) from October 20-22, gathered senior army chiefs, defence officials, and strategic partners under the theme: “Leveraging Land Forces Capabilities for Enhanced Implementation…
By Mnena Iyorkegh, Abuja Africa is reaffirming its position as a central player in driving global economic inclusion, as China restates its commitment to equitable development and multilateral cooperation. Reinforcing this shared vision, the Head of Mission of China to the African Union and Representative to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Ambassador Jiang Feng, said in a statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, that global prosperity cannot be achieved in a world where the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer. “Development is an inalienable right of all countries, not a privilege of a few.…
By Agencies Paul Biya, aged 92 and the world’s oldest head of state, has been officially declared winner of the presidential election in Cameroon, securing a historic eighth term in office. The ruling was announced by the country’s Constitutional Council on Monday after a vote held earlier this month. Biya has been in power since 1982 and extends his decades-long rule amid significant political tension. He faces accusations of delaying results, restricting opposition participation, and overseeing a system in which his party holds deep influence. While Biya’s victory seems assured, the announcement comes amid unrest and claims of irregularities in…