A court has heard recordings of a former Nigerian oil minister allegedly confronting two oil tycoons from whom she is accused of accepting bribes, after their relationships had broken down. Prosecutors allege that Diezani Alison-Madueke was provided with “a life of luxury” in the UK, which they say was paid for by those who sought lucrative oil contracts from the Nigerian government. In one conversation recorded on her phone, Alison-Madueke, 65, could be heard saying: “I will be happy to escort all of you to jail along with myself.” She denies five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of…
Author: Montage Africa
By Rédaction Africanews and AP Zimbabwe has abruptly pulled out of talks with the United States over a new health aid deal meant to replace a program dismantled under President Donald Trump. The agreement would have provided $367 million over five years, supporting 1.2 million Zimbabweans receiving HIV treatment. Officials say the negotiations were halted because the terms threatened national autonomy, with concerns that the pact could shift control of disease response and grant Washington broad access to health data. The US has been pursuing similar agreements across Africa under its “America First” strategy, partly to counter China’s influence on…
By Rédaction Africanews and AP In the rugged hills of Somaliland, officials say vast treasure lies beneath the earth. The breakaway territory in northern Somalia claims it holds abundant critical minerals and potentially billions of barrels of oil, resources that could transform its economic future. “We have gemstone minerals and industrial minerals,” said Mohammad Ali Adam, an expert at Somaliland’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals. “We also have highly sought-after minerals like lithium, cobalt, carbide, and titanium. We expect this will improve the lives of our people.” Authorities say Israel’s recognition of Somaliland in December could be a game changer,…
Strategic leadership appointment underscores BCG’s long-term investment in Africa and commitment to developing top local talent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) today announced the appointment of Mandisa Mazibuko as Managing Director and Partner (MDP) for South Africa. Her appointment reinforces BCG’s sustained commitment to strengthening its leadership presence on the continent and expanding the firm’s impact across Africa’s most critical growth markets. Mandisa Mazibuko Mandisa Mazibuko brings almost two decades of experience in strategy advisory, transformation leadership, and marketing & sales excellence across African markets gained by working extensively with clients in consumer industries, banking, and telecom. “Mandisa’s appointment strengthens our leadership team at a crucial time…
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has thanked his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for helping to secure the return of 17 South Africans allegedly tricked into joining the Russia-Ukraine war. Last November, the South African government said it had received distress calls from the group of men who had joined mercenary forces in the conflict. The men believed they were going to Russia for bodyguard training but instead ended up on the front line of the war in Ukraine. Ramaphosa’s office confirmed that four of them had returned last Friday, 11 others would be “on their way home soon” and another…
By Rédaction Africanews with AFP Egypt on Tuesday urged the international community to better support Lebanon’s armed forces as the country moves forward with a plan to disarm the militant group Hezbollah and bring all weapons under state control. Speaking at a preparatory meeting in Cairo ahead of next month’s Paris conference in support of the Lebanese army, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty praised “the success of the Lebanese army in completing the first phase of the plan”. “This achievement reflects the efficiency of the military institution and requires intensifying international support to complete the remaining phases of the plan,”…
By AFP The number of people in Somalia experiencing crisis-levels of food insecurity has nearly doubled in the past year to 6.5 million people, UN-backed experts warned Tuesday. The Horn of Africa country has been plagued by conflict and suffered two consecutive failed rainy seasons, as well as a drop in the amount of food aid available amid international funding cuts. The population classified as being in a “crisis or worse” situation “has nearly doubled between February–March 2026 to a staggering 6.5 million people since early 2025,” according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC), a UN-backed group…
France has returned the historic Djidji Ayôkwé “talking drum” to Côte d’Ivoire, more than a century after colonial troops seized the artifact in 1916. The extraordinary artifact—more than three meters long—was used by the Ebrie tribe to transmit messages over long distances and will be permanently displayed in a new museum under construction in Abidjan. Ivorian Culture Minister Françoise Remarck described the handover ceremony in Paris as an emotional milestone, reflecting growing efforts to reclaim heritage taken during colonial rule. The restitution comes as France prepares new legislation to speed up the return of African artifacts, responding to mounting requests from former…
Intensified drone attacks on the new front line of Sudan’s civil war have led to mass civilian casualties in recent weeks and are increasingly shaping the course of the conflict. The epicentre of the fighting has shifted to the south-central Kordofan region since both sides consolidated their gains in the other main battlefields of this nearly three-year war. The conflict between the Sudanese regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has become one of the deadliest in Africa for civilians and shows no sign of abating despite US-led peace efforts. The near-daily drone strikes have hit targets including…
CANEX Creations Inc. (CCInc), the intellectual property investment subsidiary backed by Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), announced its investment in the feature film Clarissa, a Nigerian-produced drama directed by twin filmmakers Arie and Chuko Esiri. The film has been acquired for worldwide distribution by NEON, which will oversee theatrical release in the […] Congo Presidential Election 2026 Africa24 Group Provides Comprehensive Coverage The Republic of Congo will hold its presidential election on March 15, 2026, a vote that represents a significant milestone in strengthening democratic governance, political dialogue, and institutional stability in the country. Discover Congo: https://apo-opa.co/4kPdZqw…