By Rédaction Africanews In his first speech in Algiers, Pope Leo paid tribute to victims of the country’s 1954-1962 war of independence from France and called for “forgiveness”. The remarks came amid heightened tensions between Algeria and France, and followed a meeting days ago with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Vatican. “In this place, let us remember that God desires peace for every nation,” he said at the Algerian Martyrs Memorial in the capital. Leo’s two-day visit to Algeria was infused with personal significance for the pope. Algeria was the home of Saint Augustine (354-430), whose spiritual legacy permeates…
Author: Montage Africa
Ghanaian footballer Dominic Frimpong has died after suspected armed robbers opened fire at the bus carrying his team Berekum Chelsea back from a match. “Masked men wielding guns and assault rifles” ambushed the bus and “blocked the road” as the team returned home on Sunday, according to the club. Police say Frimpong sustained gunshot wounds and died while receiving treatment. A manhunt for the suspects is under way. The Ghana Football Association (GFA) expressed its “profound shock and deep sorrow”, describing the 20-year-old as a “promising young talent whose dedication and passion for the game embodied the spirit of our…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Patrice Motsepe says he welcomes any independent inquiry into governance at the African football body, as tensions rise over the decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and award it to Morocco. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has been thrown into turmoil after its appeals commission withdrew the 2025 AFCON hosting rights from Senegal and handed them to Morocco. Dakar has fiercely contested the move and lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). A final ruling from the international tribunal is now awaited. Motsepe’s tour…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP A former Nigerian oil minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has denied corruption allegations as she testified before a London court, rejecting claims that she accepted bribes while in office. Speaking at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, the 65-year-old said she “did not abuse” her position during her time as Nigeria’s minister of petroleum resources from 2010 to 2015. She faces five counts of accepting bribes and one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery. Allegations of luxury benefits Prosecutors allege that Alison-Madueke received a range of high-value benefits from energy firms seeking government contracts in Nigeria. These include…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Botswana has signed a series of energy, mining, and infrastructure agreements with Oman as it steps up efforts to diversify its economy beyond diamonds, amid a prolonged downturn in global demand for the precious stones. The Southern African nation, long reliant on diamond revenues for roughly a third of its GDP, is increasingly looking to Gulf partners to broaden its economic base. Falling diamond prices and intensifying competition from lab-grown alternatives have placed sustained pressure on public finances and growth prospects. President Duma Boko and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq formalized the agreements during high-level…
Former Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has been appointed as Ghana’s head coach for the upcoming World Cup. The 73-year-old Portuguese has replaced Otto Addo, who was sacked on 31 March after friendly defeats by Germany and Austria. The Black Stars, who are in the same World Cup group as England, also failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations under Addo. Queiroz had two spells as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Old Trafford, first from 2002-2003 and then from 2004-2008, either side of a stint as Real Madrid head coach. He was most recently in charge…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Libya’s rival eastern and western legislative bodies have signed a US-mediated agreement to unify public spending across the divided country for the first time in over a decade, the central bank said Saturday. The north African country has struggled to recover from the chaos that erupted following the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. It remains divided between a UN-recognised government led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah based in Tripoli and an eastern administration in Benghazi backed by military leader Khalifa Haftar. “This step reflects real progress toward unifying fiscal policy…
By Rédaction Africanews The news agency Reuters said on Sunday that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was recovering from severe and disfiguring wounds from the airstrike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei. Iran’s leader has not been seen in public since his appointment. Mojtaba Khamenei has been Iran’s Supreme Leader for one month and four days. Appointed to the country’s most powerful position in the wake of his father’s death in Israeli and US airstrikes, Khamenei has however not made any public appearances since, including on state television or audio recordings. While one likely reason for his absence is…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP A court in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Friday convicted more than 300 terrorism suspects in a mass trial that spanned four days. The mass trial began Tuesday, with many suspects pleading guilty to charges brought against them by the Nigerian government. Many of them have since been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison after they appeared before a panel of 10 judges. “In total, we brought about 508 cases. Of these 508, we were able to secure 386 convictions,” Nigeria’s attorney general told journalists after the mass trial on Friday. “We…
By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies At least 56 people were killed and 14 injured after a military airstrike hit a market in northeastern Nigeria, according to a UN report, with locals and rights groups warning that civilians were among those killed. The strike in Jilli village on April 11 targeted what the military described as a jihadist enclave linked to Boko Haram. However, witnesses and Amnesty International said traders and residents were caught in the blast. Casualty figures vary widely, with some local sources reporting over 100 dead. Survivors and response Health worker Ishaku Bulus said more than 20…