By Africanews Tanzanian authorities on Monday released four opposition figures who were arrested on accusations of involvement in deadly election protests in October. CHADEMA vice-chairman John Heche was among the four released on bail. He had been arrested on October 22 and questioned by police on suspicion of terrorism, according to his lawyer. The protests, which observers say are the east African country’s biggest political crisis to date started on the eve of the election which President Samia Suluhu Hassan won with nearly 98%. CHADEMA has claimed as many as 1,000 people were killed by security forces. There has been…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Intense violence continues to tear apart Sudan after the fall of El Fasher, with new images from the city revealing the extent of its destruction, and the United Nations warning about the increasing number of displaced people in the country. Saudi Arabian state-owned TV channel Al Arabiya aired footage from this weekend of the damage in el-Fasher. The video shows the walls of buildings and a mosque inside a military medical facility bearing traces of heavy gunfire, while red tape indicates the presence of landmines. The medical military facility was near the 6th army division…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Armed men in Mali killed a TikTok influencer who had posted videos in support of the West African nation’s military, authorities said Monday. “The young TikTok user Mariame Cissé was abducted by armed men on Friday while she was at the weekly market in Echel … The following day, at dusk, the same men brought her back to Independence Square in Tonka and executed her in front of a crowd,” Yehia Tandina, the mayor of Timbuktu, told The Associated Press. The mayor of Tonka in the Timbuktu region, Mamadou Konipo, confirmed the killing but said…
In a landmark move for historical justice, South Africa has reopened the inquest into the 1967 death of Chief Albert Luthuli, the first African Nobel Peace Prize winner and former ANC president. Luthuli, the leader of the African National Congress at the time, was struck by a train while walking near his home. The original inquest ruled his death an accident. For decades, his family and historians questioned this finding, suspecting state involvement in the death of the prominent government critic. This new judicial review, prompted by family petitions, seeks to uncover the truth regarding Luthuli’s death finally. The inquest is part…
Yusuf Ishaya, a Nigerian documentary filmmaker did not set out to make a film about FESTAC. He was at a workshop with archivists, filmmakers, and creators in Lagos, discussing the possibilities of archival materials, when the conversation shifted towards FESTAC. “Up until that moment, I had not known that there had been an event like that,” Ishaya admits. “I knew about Festac Town, and I knew that it was in Lagos, but I didn’t know why it was built or what it was built for.” This curiosity led Ishaya towards digging into the vast history of FESTAC (Festival of Arts and Culture). In…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Protesters in Nigeria have disrupted this week’s opening of a major museum of West African art, where local disputes over the world-renowned Benin Bronzes have already kept them from being put on display. Videos circulating online show more than a dozen young people on Sunday evening rushing the grounds of the multi-million-dollar Museum of West African Art in Benin City, the seat of a famous pre-colonial empire. The demonstrators asserted that the museum’s opening is a violation of Benin City’s cultural heritage, which falls under the authority of its traditional ruler. They chanted in support…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP More than 130 gold and bronze artefacts taken between the 1870s and early 20th century were returned to Ghana on Sunday. They were delivered by Britain and South Africa to King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II at the Manhyia Palace Museum in Kumasi. The artefacts included royal regalia, drums, and ceremonial gold weights. Dating between 45 and 160 years old, they depict governance systems, spiritual beliefs, and the role of gold in Asante society. The king thanked South African mining company, AngloGold Ashanti, for returning several items purchased on the open market. Other artefacts came from…
Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has publicly rejected the idea of restructuring the nation’s debt, emphasizing the government’s commitment to financial sovereignty and market credibility. Sonko argued that while such a measure might offer temporary relief, it would severely damage Senegal’s financial reputation and access to international markets. This stance follows difficult negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which recently concluded a mission without reaching an agreement on a new facility. The Senegalese government is grappling with a significant budget deficit and a high public debt burden, partly due to billions in previously undisclosed borrowing from the prior administration. Instead…
Nigeria’s new army chief, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has vowed to intensify military operations against Islamist insurgents in the country’s northeast. During his first operational visit to Borno State, the epicenter of a prolonged insurgency, he promised a campaign with “renewed energy” to crush the insurgency. This commitment comes just days after US President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern for religious freedom, citing violence against Christians. President Trump indicated that he has asked the Pentagon to prepare for potential military action if the Nigerian government fails to adequately address the situation. During the visit, General Shaibu promised to…
The 2026 Infrastructure Africa Business Forum to spotlight opportunities driving investment and development across Southern Africa. The pace of infrastructure development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is gaining momentum, with governments, investors, and development finance institutions prioritising projects that can accelerate regional trade, energy access, transport connectivity, and industrialisation. These themes will take centre stage at the Infrastructure Africa Business Forum, taking place from 2 – 3 March 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Africa’s infrastructure investment gap stands at US$130–170 billion annually, with Southern Africa accounting for nearly 30% of that need. Despite this, SADC countries…