By Africanews with AFP Belgium’s special forces boarded and seized an oil tanker from the “shadow fleet” Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, in an overnight operation announced Sunday. The Belgian government said the “vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet” was intercepted in the North Sea, with aerial support from French military helicopters. Defence Minister Theo Francken said the tanker was escorted to the port of Zeebrugge after being intercepted in Belgium’s exclusive economic zone. Prosecutors identified the ship, which was said to be on its way back to Russia, as the “Ethera”. A spokeswoman for…
Author: Montage Africa
By Africanews with AP The head of Haiti’s National Police told The Associated Press on Friday that authorities are still working on a plan to safely hold general elections this year as promised by the government despite persistent gang violence. André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, who became the department’s interim head in August 2025, said he could not provide more details but would release more information soon. “We ourselves play our part, putting ourselves at the forefront where situations become heated, to see if we can contain what we can cover up or what we must clean up, and allow Haiti…
By Africanews with Malaika Élysée For years, the Amani Festival has come to define Goma’s cultural scene. But not this year. The emblematic event has found a new, temporary home. Due to insecurity, the 11th edition of Amani festival will be held in Lubumbashi, southern DR Congo from April 10 to 12, 2026. “We are aware that there are several constraints the festival would face if it were organized in Goma, notably cancellations by artists who cannot travel to a zone that is not under Kinshasa’s control. So we believe this is among the reasons why the festival has been…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies The intensifying military action in the Middle East will have serious consequences for Africa, the West African economic community ECOWAS has said in a statement. ECOWAS joins the African Union in expressing deep concern over the conflict, which began when Israel and the United States launched strikes against Iran early on Saturday. The ensuing instability will impact global energy markets, trade and food supply chains, especially for Africa and other vulnerable regions, ECOWAS said. Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has also warned of serious economic disruptions for the African continent. With 30 to 40 percent…
By Africanews The United Nations says dozens of civilians have been killed in renewed violence in northern South Sudan over the past 48 hours. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, said it was alarmed by surging clashes in Abiemnom County, in the Ruweng Administrative Area near the border with Sudan. According to the mission, unidentified armed youth attacked the county headquarters, wounding at least 23 people. In a statement, UNMISS said dozens of civilians and several local officials were reported killed in the fighting. More than 1,000 people have sought temporary shelter at a UN peacekeeping…
By Rédaction Africanews Two vessels were attacked Sunday in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security agencies said, as Iran pressed a second day of strikes in response to US-Israeli air raids. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said one ship off the coast of Oman was struck by an unknown projectile above the waterline. An initial fire in the engine room was later brought under control. In a separate incident, another vessel was hit by a projectile that caused a fire, which was subsequently extinguished, and the ship intended to continue its voyage. Private maritime security firm Vanguard Tech…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Congregants at the Ahlul Bait Foundation of South Africa – an association of Shia Muslim communities – gathered in Cape Town to pay their respects to Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US-Israeli military operations in Iran. With candles, Iranian flags and a book to leave words in, mourners of the Shia Muslim community in Cape Town gathered in front of a portrait of the late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamanei was killed in surprise joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Tehran on Saturday. His death was confirmed early…
By Africanews with AP Motorists in South Africa are voicing frustration after a sharp rise in fuel prices, even as the government introduced a temporary tax cut to ease the burden. Authorities announced a reduction of the general fuel levy by three rand per litre, a measure aimed at cushioning the impact of soaring global oil prices linked to the Iran war. However, the relief has done little to offset one of the steepest pump price increases on record. In Johannesburg, drivers say the rising cost of fuel is hitting hard. Kagiso Nyokolodi, Motorist: “Furious, I’m angry, I’m out of words,…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Cubans were relived on Tuesday to learned that a Russian tanker docked at the Cuban port of Matanzas laden with 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker reached the island. The administration of President Donald Trump had allowed the Anatoly Kolodkin to proceed despite an ongoing US energy blockade. Cubans including Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy cheered the ship’s arrival. A shortage of petroleum has exacerbated a deep economic crisis that has left the population mired in long blackouts and facing a severe…
At the South Africa Investment Conference 2026 in Johannesburg, Mulilo announced a landmark commitment of nearly R15 billion, marking a pivotal moment for the nation’s energy sector and economic landscape. This capital injection is not merely a financial pledge; it is a strategic deployment aimed at accelerating South Africa’s energy security through large-scale infrastructure development. Infrastructure and Capacity Expansion The R15 billion investment is structured to fund the immediate rollout of three large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects and a sophisticated battery energy storage system (BESS). Collectively, these assets will contribute 716 MW of new export capacity to the national grid.…