By Agencies Madagascar’s transitional leader, Michael Randrianirina, has appointed the head of the country’s financial intelligence unit, Mamitiana Rajaonarison, as prime minister, just days after dissolving the government. In a statement on Sunday, the presidency said Rajaonarison, who has led the anti-money-laundering agency SAMIFIN since 2021, would head a new cabinet. A former senior gendarmerie officer and career civil administrator, he replaces Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, who was dismissed last week when the cabinet was unexpectedly dissolved. Rajaonarivelo had been appointed shortly after Randrianirina took power in October during protests that forced former president Andry Rajoelina to flee the country. Speaking during…
Author: Montage Africa
A further four people have died in Kenya after heavy rain caused widespread flooding, police said, taking the number to have died in the past week to at least 66. The capital, Nairobi, was hit by more heavy rain overnight although no new deaths were reported. Eleven people were rescued after a minibus taxi, known locally as a matatu, got stuck as water rose in Nairobi, according to the Kenya Red Cross, while two children were saved from a flooded house. Heavy rainfall over the past week has triggered flash floods as rivers have burst their banks, flooding homes and…
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is pleased to launch the second season of its documentary series, Impact Stories. Building on the success of the inaugural season, the new collection of six films expands the series’ geographic scope to capture the Bank’s growing footprint across Global Africa, featuring stories from the Caribbean and Africa. Produced by Afreximbank in partnership with Create, CNN International Commercial’s branded content studio, Season Two takes viewers on location to Grenada, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. The series brings to life the impactful outcomes of strategic investments, moving beyond finance to capture the human and economic transformation unfolding…
Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has told the BBC that he left the country because he feared for his life following January’s disputed election. Speaking to Newshour from an undisclosed location after spending two months in hiding in Uganda, he said “it was clear that the regime wanted to eliminate me”. The pop star turned politician earlier announced he had fled the country in a video posted on X. In it, he repeated his claim that the election had been rigged in favour of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. Museveni, 81, won with 72%…
By Agencies with AFP Vote counting is underway in the Republic of Congo following a presidential election that could extend President Denis Sassou N’Guesso’s rule for a fifth consecutive term. Polls closed on Sunday, with official results expected within two weeks. The election was marked by low voter turnout, as many citizens expressed skepticism that the vote would bring political change after more than four decades of leadership by the 82-year-old incumbent. Several opposition parties had called for a boycott of the polls. Six other candidates contested the presidency in the oil-rich Central African nation, but analysts say none is…
Four more men removed by the United States arrived in Eswatini on 11 March and are being detained in the Matsapha Correctional Complex, a maximum-security prison located some 2 kms from the country’s international airport. According to information received by Amnesty International, the men – two Somali nationals, one Tanzanian national and one Sudanese national – arrived at around 11PM on a flight originating from Phoenix, Arizona. “This latest unlawful transfer makes clear that the United States is continuing to send people to Eswatini under a secretive third-country removal arrangement, and that Eswatini is continuing to hold them in unlawful detention without transparency or adequate legal safeguards,” Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said. “People with no known ties to Eswatini are…
By Lebo khoza Bola Tinubu, Father of Modern Nigeria and a Trailblazing African Statesman In the evolving story of Nigeria’s democratic journey, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands out as one of the most influential political architects of modern Nigeria. Often described by supporters as the “father of modern Nigeria,” Tinubu’s decades-long involvement in governance, democratic activism, and political institution-building has left a deep imprint on the country’s political landscape. Tinubu first gained national prominence during Nigeria’s struggle for democracy in the 1990s, when he joined pro-democracy forces resisting military rule. His role in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) placed him…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP Reactions are mounting across Africa as tensions escalate in the Middle East following strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran, and Iran’s subsequent retaliation across the region. Governments have issued statements urging restraint, while many citizens are focusing on the potential economic consequences. In Morocco, King Mohammed VI described the attacks as “abhorrent” and said they violated the security and territorial integrity of Arab states. Beyond official reactions, many Moroccans say their main concern is the economic fallout. “I think this concern is mainly about the economic situation,” said Mustapha Abouzir, a 38-year-old…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Uganda has announced visa-free entry for nationals of 40 countries, excluding the United States and European Union nations from this list. This is a new measure. According to the Ugandan government, travelers from the targeted countries will no longer need to obtain a visa to travel to Uganda and can stay for up to three months for tourism or business purposes. The African countries that will not need to obtain a visa before traveling to Uganda are: Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, Seychelles, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Comoros,…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP Thousands of white South Africans are returning home after years abroad, reversing a long-standing trend of emigration. Many are reclaiming citizenship through a government portal launched after the repeal of a 1995 law that had stripped citizenship from some expatriates. Part of the migration story is shaped by the United States. The Trump administration launched a program offering refuge to white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners, citing concerns over crime and alleged persecution, claims that South African authorities deny. While some took advantage of the US program, growing worries about mass shootings, immigration enforcement, and political…