News on Africa

US: No knowledge of Kadhafi whereabouts

2011-08-29T17:30:27Z

The White House said Monday it had no indication of Moamer Kadhafi's whereabouts after members of the ousted strongman's family surfaced in Algeria.

"We have no indication that he has left Libya," said White House spokesman Reuters) - An accused leader of the Somali militant group al Shabaab captured by U.S. forces and charged in a federal court sought to expand the group's operations beyond his home country, a U.S. official said on Wednesday.

Ahmed ABUJA (Reuters) - A Nigerian opposition party accused its political rivals of sabotage on Tuesday after its vice presidential candidate was forced to make an emergency landing due to a runway invasion by rams and goats.

Fola Adeola, vice presidential candidate for the United States is ready to help the Tunisian government hold elections after the fall of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's government, a key advisor to US President Barack Obama said Monday.

On a visit to ...

Obama condemns separate attacks in Egypt, Nigeria

2011-01-01T11:00:07Z

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Saturday condemned separate "outrageous terrorist bombing attacks" in Egypt and Nigeria and said the United States was prepared t...

Obama urged to press ahead with disarming Uganda rebels

2010-11-25T19:30:55Z

International non-government organisations on Thursday said a US plan to disarm Uganda's Lord?s Resistance Army rebels in Africa should be implemented urgently.

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday presented the plan to Congress following a law he proposed and Congress...

A failure in Somalia: Blackhawk down

2010-11-29T15:40:52Z

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President Barack Obama to visit Zimbabwe?

2010-10-14T11:57:17Z

President Barack Obama to visit Zimbabwe?

Can President Barack Obama visit Zimbabwe before his term of office ends? What are the chances that he will visit Zimbabwe? A dream visit to Zimbabwe by President Obama is realistic. I repeat it is realistic. But does Zimbabwe wants him to visit anywhere? Beyond doubt the administration in Zimbabwe is desperate for such moon landing visits. The Zimbabwe administration and media have been bragging when musicians visit, then what...

Ghana opposition names veteran for 2012 vote

2010-08-08T03:15:15Z

Ghana?s main opposition has nominated Nana Akufo-Addo to contest the 2012 presidential vote after he narrowly lost the last election in the west African nation seen as a democratic beacon.

President John Atta-Mills defeated Akufo-Addo, representing the President Barack Obama will Thursday welcome Liberian leader Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to Washington, the White House said in a statement.

The visit by Somali regime appealed to the US Supreme Court Wednesday to allow them to take legal action against an ex-leader they accuse of torture.

In a case which could leave the Obama administration in a delicate diplomatic position, the victims asked the court to rule whether charges can be bro...

Pressure mounts for Nigerian leader to give up power

2010-06-12T05:08:56Z

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's ailing president, in hospital overseas for the past two months, faced mounting pressure on Thursday to end a power vacuum that is increasingly worrying investors.

Critics want President Umaru Yar'adua to formally hand over executive powers to h...

Nigerian government sued over president's absence

2010-04-16T08:21:32Z

LAGOS (Reuters) - A leading Nigerian human rights lawyer has launched legal action to try to force President Umaru Yar'Adua to hand executive powers to his deputy while he is receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Femi Falana, who was a prominent pro-d...

U.S. settles suit with Muslims in post-9/11 abuse

2010-06-25T20:00:05Z

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. government will pay $1.26 million to five Muslim men detained for months without charges after the September 11 attacks who sued for unlawful imprisonment and abuse, their lawyers said on Tuesday.

The men claimed they suffered inhumane and degrading treatment in a Brooklyn detention center, including solitary...

REP PAYNE NARROWLY ESCAPES HARM IN SOMALIA

2010-10-22T11:57:08Z

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PIRATES ABOUND

2010-10-22T11:43:14Z

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Independent Mali

2010-10-22T11:28:29Z

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Presidents past and present shadow Clinton's tour

2010-04-16T10:50:42Z

Traveling through 7 African nations, Clinton always in shadow cast by US presidents

They followed her every step of the way. From Kenya to Cape Verde, the personalities and policies of the last three American presidents — Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in Liberia on Thursday in a show of support for Africa's only female leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has faced calls to quit after a probe into the country's civil war.

Clinton arrived in

Clinton seeks better ties with oil giant Angola

2010-04-16T10:55:23Z

LUANDA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will seek on a visit to Angola on Sunday to boost opportunities for U.S. business in the oil producer, widely seen as an emerging economic power house in Africa.

U.S. ...

National Democratic Party

2010-10-22T09:15:52Z

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Senegalese Democratic Party

2010-10-22T09:04:26Z

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Clinton pledges strong support for Somali government

2010-04-16T10:57:50Z

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged strong support for Somalia's fragile government Thursday and said that Eritrean interference in the Horn of Africa nation was "unacceptable."

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Clinton tells Africa investors want good governance

2010-04-16T10:59:07Z

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday investors will shun African states with weak leaders and economies riddled with corruption and crime.

Speaking at a trade meeting with sub-Saharan African countries, Clinton repeated a message given last month by

Sudan welcomes Obama envoy call for sanctions end

2010-04-16T11:04:17Z

Sudan on Friday welcomed a statement by the US Special Envoy that there was "no evidence" to support keeping it on a US terrorism blacklist that triggers punishing economic sanctions.

Retired general Scott Gration said such measures, aimed at punishing the Khartoum government, were "actually hurting the very development" needed to keep ...

Obama envoy: Sudan work hurt by US sanctions

2010-04-16T11:04:42Z

The US special envoy for Sudan on Thursday sharply assailed the country's inclusion on a US terrorism blacklist, saying it triggered painful sanctions that crippled economic development efforts.

Scott Gration, a retired US air force general, bluntly told lawmakers "there's no evidence in our intelligence community that supports (Sudan) being on the state sponsors of terrorism. It's a...

AP News in Brief at 5:58 p.m. EDT

2010-06-12T05:46:58Z

AP News in Brief at 5:58 p.m. EDT

Sonia Sotomayor will tell her story to jury tilted in her favor as high court hearings begin

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sonia Sotomayor has decided advantages as she begins the most important trial of her long legal career, a nationally televised consideration of her nomination to be the first Hispanic and just the third woman on the Supreme Court.

Beginnin...

Obama: Africa aid must be matched by good governance

2010-06-12T10:52:39Z

ACCRA (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama told Africans on Saturday that Western aid must be matched by good governance and urged them to take greater responsibility for stamping out war, corruption and disease plaguing the continent.

Obama delivered the message on his first visit to sub-Saharan...

Only small crowds greet Obama during Ghana visit

2010-04-16T11:23:48Z

Only small crowds greet Obama in Ghana in absence of outdoor events, heavy security

The lucky ones saw him waving from behind the bulletproof glass of his passing vehicle for a few fleeting seconds. The others, like the rest of the world, just watched President Barack Obama's visit on TV.

Despite the huge excitement and anticipation surrounding Obama's first tri...

Jubiliant welcome for Obama on landmark Africa trip

2010-06-12T10:52:43Z

Thousands of people poured onto the streets of the capital of Ghana on Saturday as US President Barack Obama launched into his first official trip into the heart of Africa to make a call for good governance.

Huge crowds lined the streets of Accra hoping to catch a glimpse of the first black President Barack Obama arrived in Ghana on Friday on his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa since taking office.

He was welcomed at Kotoka international airport in the oceanside capital Accra by Ghana's President John Atta-Mills to traditional ...

Obama's Ghana visit triggers soul-searching in Africa

2010-06-12T10:53:20Z

President Barack Obama was due in Ghana late Friday for a one-day visit that has made many others in Africa jealous and cast a spotlight on issues that some governments would rather keep quiet.

The Nation daily in Kenya said that the black US president paid a "public snub" to the country with his deci...

Analysis: Africa still on back-burner for Obama

2010-06-12T10:55:03Z

Analysis: For Obama, Africa still on back-burner, no special treatment

Never mind that Barack Obama has never set foot in Ghana before. This country has a message for the American leader when he makes his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president this we...

Desmond Tutu: Obama's 'complexion' helps in Africa

2010-06-12T11:07:40Z

Anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu says Obama's 'complexion' will help him deal with Africa

Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu says that President Barack Obama's background and race will help him influence African leaders.

The anti-apartheid icon says Obama would be freer to make demands ...

The PM Roundup: Remembering Luke Cole, More . . .

2010-10-24T09:56:31Z

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Al-Qaeda number two slams Obama's 'bloody messages'

2010-04-16T11:59:21Z

Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri said Tuesday that Muslims had heard Barack Obama's "bloody messages" ahead of the US president's trip to the Middle East, according to a US monitor of Islamist websites.

Congressional black caucus fasts for Darfur

2010-06-25T22:18:45Z

Black Congress members go without food, seek visit with Obama to press for aid for Darfur

Inspired by actress Mia Farrow, members of Congress announced Tuesday that they were beginning a limited hunger strike to show solidarity with the people in Sudan's Darfur region and demand

Obama to visit Ghana in July: White House

2010-06-12T11:09:55Z

Barack Obama, the first African-American US president, will visit Ghana in July, on his first official trip dedicated to the continent, the White House said Saturday.

Obama, whose late father was from Kenya, will visit Ghana b...

Obama to make first African visit in July

2010-06-25T22:20:45Z

ACCRA (Reuters) - Barack Obama will visit Africa for the first time since being sworn in as the first black U.S. president when he travels to Ghana in July, a trip many Africans hope will herald powerful help for their poor co...

Obama to reach out to Muslims in Egypt speech

2010-06-16T11:35:43Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will deliver a much anticipated speech to the Muslim world in Egypt next month, seeking to repair ties that were severely damaged under his predecessor George W. Bush.

Many Arab and Muslim nations were angered by the invasions of Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he will seek to reassure Saudi and Egyptian leaders this week that Washington's diplomatic approach to Iran will not jeopardize long-standing ties to Arab states in the region.

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane ahead of a visit to

US seeks to reassure Arabs on diplomacy with Iran

2010-04-16T12:32:38Z

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he will seek to reassure Saudi and Egyptian leaders this week that Washington's diplomatic approach to Iran will not jeopardize long-standing ties to Arab states in the region.

Speaking to reporters aboard his plane ahead of a visit to

Americans fascinated by pirate story

2010-04-16T13:37:07Z

Human drama or pop-culture fascination, Americans are riveted by the pirate story

We're going through a crippling recession. The CIA is under fire over its interrogation techniques. And U.S. policy toward Cuba may be about to change. But the most-followed news story of late? A tale of pirates on the high seas.

Some who study pop culture suspect that's at least p...

Obama and the Pirates

2010-10-21T09:30:38Z

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US agencies plot piracy response

2010-06-26T01:14:22Z

Agencies across the US government met Friday on stepping up the fight against pirates days after the dramatic rescue of a US captain off Somalia shot the issue to the top of the new administration's agenda.

Representatives from agencies including the State, Defense and Justice Departments were taking part in a strategy session to formulate a united response to the scourge blighting the global shipping industry.

The meeting comes ...

US senator: Obama must not neglect Somalia

2010-04-16T15:37:15Z

A leading US Democratic senator warned President Barack Obama Monday not to neglect Somalia after the latest piracy incident off the country's coast and a mortar attack on a US lawmaker.

"For years, Somalia's growing instability was neglected by the Bush administration and the international community. The new administration ...

Obama vows to confront pirates

2010-04-16T15:37:10Z

President Barack Obama made a fresh vow to confront piracy on Monday, hours after a Somali pirate chief warned of revenge against Americans following the dramatic rescue of a US sea captain.

Obama said the United States was resolved to hold those who prey on merchant shipping accountable, following the freeing of Gabriel Wlemongar bangs his fist on the table. "Why don?t you people understand? he demands. "Don?t you know that if you allow these Lebanese or Indians to naturalise they will buy all the land?"

Only blacks are allowed to hold citizenship and own land in Liberia, a country founded by freed slaves, but Barack Oba...

White House will extend status of Liberians

2010-04-16T15:56:49Z

White House to extend protected status of some Liberians living in the United States

President Barack Obama has signed an executive order allowing roughly 3,600 Liberians living in the United States to stay in the country for an additional 12 mon...

Sudan 'optimistic' about Obama despite bad Clinton memories

2010-06-26T01:04:05Z

Sudan is optimistic about relations with US President Barack Obama but has bad memories of the administration of ex-president Bill Clinton, whose wife Hillary is the new US secretary of state.

"We are hopeful, we are optimistic," foreign ministry spokesman Seal, who is of Nigerian and Brazilian origin, says Barack Obama's knack will be to show Americans "they are the change."

Speaking to AFP during a music industry trade fair in this Riviera town, the 45-year-old singer whose album "Soul" has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, evoked the first bla...

US politicians debate Obama in Africa

2010-06-25T18:28:16Z

US politicians debate Obama, Africa at symposium in Nigeria

President-elect Barack Obama, soon to become the United States' first African-American leader, will focus greater attention on Africa, outgoing Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe Tuesday dismissed US calls for him to quit as "stupid," saying they represented "the last kicks of a dying horse" as George W. Bush prepares to leave office.

Speaking to supporters at a funeral, Mugabe again hit back at growing pressure from Western powers for him to step down, as

Mugabe dismisses 'stupid' US calls to quit

2010-04-16T13:43:50Z

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe dismissed US calls for him to quit as "stupid" Tuesday, saying they represented "the last kicks of a dying horse" as George W. Bush prepares to leave the White House.

"Only two days ago, the American administratio...

Darfur groups pin high hopes on Obama team

2010-04-16T13:52:18Z

Darfur advocates see 'dream team' in Obama, national security nominees

Human rights activists waging a high-profile campaign to end the violence in Sudan's western Darfur region are pushing President-elect Barack Obama and his team to re-energize efforts to end the nearly six-year conflict.

Even before Obama takes offi...

Mugabe congratulates Obama, Harare ready to mend ties

2010-04-16T14:36:26Z

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe said on Friday that his government is ready to mend relations with United States, as he congratulated president-elect Barack Obama on his election this week.

"I take this opportunity to assure you Mr President-elect that the govern...

Africa hails Obama victory

2010-04-16T14:57:53Z

African leaders Wednesday hailed the prospect of the first black US president entering the White House, with Nelson Mandela saluting Barack Obama for living the dream of change.

South Africa's first black leader -- the icon of the anti-apartheid moveme...

The Morning Read: Monday, July 28, 2008

2010-04-16T16:33:21Z

Anthony Weiner used money from his Congressional campaign to buy Fernando Ferrer’s email list.

Bill Thompson has a bleak economic outlook for New York City.

Michael Bloomberg...

Documenting Dafur

2010-10-19T12:54:54Z

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'Africans Back Obama Because He's Black - It's That Simple'

2010-10-23T11:07:47Z

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Current Comment

2010-11-02T16:21:54Z

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Zimbabwe critical of new US envoy

2010-09-10T13:38:43Z

Zimbabwe Critical of New US Envoy Who Called Government `authoritarian'

Zimbabwe's government newspaper offered a chilly, racially tinged welcome Tuesday to the new U.S. envoy.

In his column in The Herald, a government mouthpiece, political editor Senate Committee Supports State, Local Efforts to Pressure Sudan to Ease Suffering

The Senate Banking Committee unanimously approved legislation Wednesday endorsing some state and local gove...

Rep. Jefferson indicted in bribery probe

2010-09-09T00:10:02Z

Grand Jury Indicts Louisiana Rep. Jefferson in Bribery Investigation

Louisiana congressman William Jefferson received more than $500,000 in bribes and sought millions more in nearly a dozen separate schemes to enrich himself by using his office to broker business deals in Africa, according to a federal indictment Monday.

The charges came almost two y...

Mideast Egypt Church Attack

2011-01-04T14:32:25Z

Angry Copts chant anti-government slogans during a protest before clashing with Egyptian riot police in Cairo, Egypt, late Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. The head of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church appealed to the government on Monday to address Christians complaints about discrimination to ease tensions as fierce riots broke out in the capital following a New...

APTOPIX Mideast Egypt Church Attack

2011-01-04T14:32:25Z

Two Coptic men, center and unseen, warn off two others wielding kitchen knives, left and right, who were trying to kick down the doors of a mosque, seen behind, during heavy clashes between Coptic youths and riot police, in the streets outside the Saints Church and a neighboring hospital, in Alexandria, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. A powerful bomb, possibly from a suicide attacker, exp...

Egypt Al Qaida

2011-01-04T14:32:22Z

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2010 file photo, hundreds of Egyptian Muslims gather following prayers outside Ibrahim Mosque in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Egypt, protesting against what they allege was Egypt's Coptic Church holding two women captive for converting to Islam. In the weeks before the New Year's Day suicide bombing of an...

South Sudan Bashir

2011-01-04T05:30:43Z

Pro-separation activists hold signs and chant pro-independence slogans outside the Juba airport in southern Sudan where Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011. President Bashir and his government in Khartoum support the ongoing unity of Sudan, a position fiercely contested by south...

APTOPIX South Sudan Bashir

2011-01-04T03:31:28Z

The President of the Republic of Sudan Omar al-Bashir, center, is escorted by Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Vice President of the Republic of Sudan , left,as he arrives at the airport in the southern Sudanese capital of Juba on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011. Bashir visited Juba just five days before southerners are se...