Author: Montage Africa

By Dominic Wabwireh with other agencies Mauritius has pledged to “spare no effort” to reclaim control of the Chagos Islands after a proposed handover deal by Keir Starmer collapsed amid shifting U.S. support. Speaking at a regional conference, Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful said his country would pursue “every diplomatic and legal avenue” to complete what it calls the decolonisation process. “This is a matter of justice,” he added. Deal derailed by U.S. shift The agreement would have transferred sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius while preserving the strategic Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease. But support from Donald Trump…

By Rédaction Africanews and AP A stampede at a mountaintop fortress popular with tourists in northern Haiti has killed at least 30 people and injured dozens of others, authorities said, revising an earlier, higher number of fatalities. Municipal authorities in the city of Cap-Haïtien in a statement said that Saturday’s stampede in Milot “resulted in numerous cases of asphyxiation, trampling and loss of consciousness.” Authorities said dozens of people who attended traditional festivities at the historical site were taken to hospitals while many others were reported missing. “According to preliminary information … a situation of severe overcrowding, linked in particular…

Pope Leo XIV wants to “turn the world’s attention to Africa”, according to a senior Vatican official, as he embarks on a significant tour of the continent addressing themes of peace, migration and dialogue between religions. The 11-day trip, which starts on Monday, is Pope Leo’s second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy in May last year, and is a reflection of Africa’s increasing importance to Catholicism. More than a fifth of the world’s Catholics are in Africa, some 288 million people, according to figures from 2024. It is one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.…

Montage Africa Mines and Solid Minerals Limited has achieved a significant milestone in its growth trajectory with the award of an official Exploration Licence by the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office (NMCO), under the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The licence, granted in accordance with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007, further strengthens the company’s position as an emerging force in Africa’s gold and solid minerals sector. The newly awarded licence (No. 70448 EL) covers a 20 square kilometre area comprising 100 cadastral units located in Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. The exploration title permits the company to…

The traditional institution of kingship among the Igbo is both deeply rooted in history and uniquely dynamic. In Awka—the capital of Anambra State—this tradition finds expression in the revered title of Eze Uzu, a cultural symbol that blends heritage, craftsmanship, and communal leadership. Within this context emerges the figure of Austin Chukwuezugo Ndigwe, widely recognized as Eze Uzu III of Awka Ancient Kingdom, a man whose personality, influence, and contested ascension have sparked both admiration and debate. Historically, Awka’s governance reflects the broader Igbo republican tradition, where authority is shared among elders, titled men, and community stakeholders. The title…

By Rédaction Africanews and AFP Djibouti’s leader Ismail Omar Guelleh held his final campaign rally on Wednesday ahead of Friday’s presidential election. Facing a divided and largely silenced opposition, Guelleh is expected to extend his 27-year rule of the strategically located Horn of Africa nation. Speaking to a packed and enthusiastic crowd, Guelleh urged citizens to come together: “For the country to move forward, we must be united. All of you, regardless of your party or organisation, the essential thing is that we are Djiboutians, brothers and sisters, united.” Since taking office in 1999, Guelleh has ruled with an iron…

By Sarah Miansoni with AP Hundreds of workers, union members and opposition supporters marched in Senegal’s capital Dakar on Wednesday to protest what they say are broken government promises and a worsening cost-of-living, as the country is plagued by a severe debt crisis. The protest was organised by the country’s main labor unions and the Front for the Defense of Democracy and the Republic, also known as FDR, opposition coalition. Mody Guiro, secretary-general of the National Confederation of Senegalese Workers, the country’s largest labor union, said the government had betrayed a deal last year that had frozen strikes in exchange…

By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies Madagascar has declared state of emergency over concerns about energy supplies to the Indian Ocean nation. President Randrianirina has signed a decree authorising the government to take emergency measures to secure fuel supplies, including requisitioning stocks. If necessary, authorities can also suspend the automatic price adjustment mechanism currently in place. It sets the cost of petrol based on its purchase price on the international market. Most of the island’s electricity is generated from oil and it depends on fuel imported from Oman, just south of the Strait of Hormuz, currently closed by Iran. While Madagascar…

By Rédaction Africanews and AP Emergency workers in Beirut searched for survivors on Thursday after Israeli strikes on busy commercial and residential areas of the Lebanese capital the previous day. The attacks came without warning, hours after a ceasefire was announced in the US-Israel war with Iran. Any sense of relief after the truce was announced soon turned to panic as Israel launched what it said was its largest coordinated strike of the current war – hitting 100 targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. Lebanon said it was the deadliest day of the…

Gabriel Kwaku Agbeshie, a passionate 2025 Aspire Leaders Program alumnus and moderator from Ghana, channels his own childhood struggles with vision into a powerful mission: identifying visual impairments in underserved schoolchildren early so they can receive the eye care needed to succeed in school and life. Through iScreen4Kids, an initiative he developed with the help of Aspire’s Seed Fund grant, Agbeshie delivers essential eye screenings, education, and support to children, helping them overcome vision barriers before they become lifelong obstacles. The Early Impact of Impaired Vision Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Agbeshie lived with undiagnosed myopia. Eye care for children was not commonplace, and…