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Civilian casualties escalate in war on Sahel jihadists
Civilian casualties escalate in war on Sahel jihadists
by  AFP

Conflicts involving jihadists in the Sahel are causing more and more deaths each year, a huge number of them civilian casualties, statistics show. Between 2012 and 2017, civilian deaths in the Sahel were reported in the hundreds.

Thousands in Khartoum rally against military rule
Thousands in Khartoum rally against military rule
by  AFP

Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Sudanese capital Khartoum and its suburbs Thursday, demanding an end to military rule, AFP correspondents said. An AFP correspondent said internet and phone lines had been disrupted since the early hours of Thursday, a measure the Sudanese authorities often impose to prevent mass gatherings.

UN Ethiopia investigators get green light to visit capital
UN Ethiopia investigators get green light to visit capital
by  AFP

UN investigators probing alleged human rights violations by Ethiopia in its northern conflict said Thursday they had been given the green light to visit the capital Addis Ababa but called for wider access. The commission, established by the UN Human Rights Council, probes alleged violations by all parties to the conflict.

Young Arab artists dream of freedom in unique talent show
Young Arab artists dream of freedom in unique talent show
by  AFP

Young musicians, dancers, actors and comedians from across the Arab world took to the stage in Tunisia to express their visions of freedom, more than a decade after the Arab Spring uprisings. Syrian refugee and stand-up comedian Mohamed al-Kurdi, one of the performers in Saturday's show, said that today, "young people's freedom is restricted, and not just in the Arab world".

Kenya arrests 'fake policewoman' after TV appearance
Kenya arrests 'fake policewoman' after TV appearance
by  AFP

Kenyan investigators said Wednesday they had arrested a would-be MP for impersonating a police officer after she appeared in full regalia on a television programme where she talked about law and order. Under Kenyan law, someone found guilty of impersonating a police officer can receive a prison sentence of up to 10 years, a fine of up to a million Kenyan shillings ($8,500), or both. ho/np/ri

Security tight in Eswatini on protest anniversary
Security tight in Eswatini on protest anniversary
by  AFP

Police and troops deployed in force in Eswatini's major cities on Wednesday on the anniversary of the start of bloody pro-democracy protests in the tiny kingdom. Eight people died in clashes with the security forces, initiating protests over the following months that have since become sporadic.

Senegal bars new demo ahead of tense poll
Senegal bars new demo ahead of tense poll
by  AFP

Authorities in the Senegalese capital Dakar have banned a demonstration announced for Wednesday at a time of mounting tension in the runup to legislative polls. It also said the demonstration would breach laws banning "disguised" propaganda taking place within 30 days of the official start of an election campaign.

Kenyan pilot project to put price on nature's treasure
Kenyan pilot project to put price on nature's treasure
by  AFP

The bird count gets underway -- two members of the superb starling family, a Nubian woodpecker, and so on. Under it, carbon polluters can offset their greenhouse-gas emissions by "purchasing" emissions that are reduced or saved by other members in the scheme.

Mozambique still haunted by civil war as new conflict rages
Mozambique still haunted by civil war as new conflict rages
by  AFP

As Mozambique battles a brutal Islamist insurgency, the legacy of a decades-long civil war still haunts the African nation where many former rebels refuse to disarm. This area of central Mozambique was a bastion of RENAMO, the rebel movement that battled the government for decades.