Young people staged the biggest anti-government uprising in a generation, triggered by relentless police brutality. Rattled, politicians are promising reforms, but using repressive tactics, large and small.
Author: Ruth Maclean
With Elections Ahead, Some African Presidents Try Engineering Results
Presidential elections are scheduled soon in at least 10 African countries. Many incumbents are changing constitutions and bending rules to ensure they stay in power.
With Elections Ahead, Some African Presidents Try Engineering Results
Presidential elections are scheduled soon in at least 10 African countries. Many incumbents are changing constitutions and bending rules to ensure they stay in power.
The Pilgrimage Must Go On: Senegal Holds Festival That Could Draw Millions
Pilgrims from across the West African country flocked to the holy city of Touba, where they slept, ate and prayed together for the Magal religious festival — despite coronavirus concerns.
Mali Appoints New President After Military Coup
Regional leaders have insisted the West African country return to civilian rule. The new interim president is a retired colonel and former defense minister who served under the ousted president.
A Nigerian State Plans to Castrate Convicted Child Rapists
A harsh new law to punish those who rape children in the state of Kaduna has drawn praise from some, and accusations of “legislative sadism” from others.
Eye on Beirut, Senegal Port Rushes to Truck Away Tons of Ammonium Nitrate
After nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate caused a devastating explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, the West African nation of Senegal discovered the same amount sitting in its port in Dakar.
Outspoken Atheist, Arrested in Nigeria for Blasphemy, Hasn’t Been Seen Since
Mubarak Bala, head of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, was seized by the police and has disappeared in custody. Other Nigerian nonbelievers fear more detentions are coming.
Africa Celebrates the End of the Wild Poliovirus (but Not the End of All Polio)
A virus that once paralyzed tens of thousands of children a year is said to have been eradicated on the African continent, though a minor strain still infects hundreds.
Mali’s President Exits After Being Arrested in Military Coup
The rebellion came amid a growing protest movement in the West African nation over charges that President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta stole a recent parliamentary election.