Africa News

ICC prosecutor confident over Kenya suspects

NAIROBI (AFP) - - Top war crimes prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said on Saturday he has a strong case against the masterminds behind last year's post-election violence in Kenya.

Zimbabwe's premier counting on South Africa

Tsvangirai calls off Zimbabwe unity government boycott

MAPUTO (AFP) - - Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday called off a boycott of power-sharing ties with President Robert Mugabe that had paralysed the fragile unity government for three weeks.

43 Somalis rescued by EU warship handed to UNHCR

NAIROBI, Kenya - The EU Naval Force says it has handed over 43 Somalis abandoned at sea by their human smugglers to the United Nations refugee agency in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti.

South Africa cancels Airbus contract

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's government says it has canceled a contract to buy eight Airbus military aircraft that had set off a debate about public spending.

Top rebel commander 'surrenders' to Uganda troops

KAMPALA (AFP) - - Senior Lord's Resistance Army commander Charles Arop, who was implicated in leading a massacre on Christmas Day that killed at least 143 Congolese, has surrendered to the Ugandan military, the army spokesman told AFP on Thursday.

Air Zimbabwe plane smashes into wild pigs

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's transport ministry says one of the national airline's planes collided with five wild pigs on the runway in the capital during takeoff.

Report: Suspend Zimbabwe over diamond smuggling

JOHANNESBURG - Investigators for the world's diamond control body say Zimbabwe should be suspended because its security forces are raping women, killing illegal miners and smuggling gems out of a diamond field in the troubled country's east.

British coup-plotter arrives in Britain

LONDON - Freed mercenary Simon Mann has expressed his gratitude for being able to return to Britain after serving time in prison for attempting to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea.

African kings, queens, chiefs to honor Mandela

JOHANNESBURG - Dancers clad in animal skins opened a royal ceremony Tuesday, a nod to tradition for the forward-thinking kings, queens and chiefs who jetted in to Johannesburg from across Africa to launch an institute they hope will expand their roles on the continent

Peace Corps to return to Sierra Leone

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone - A US official says the Peace Corps will return to Sierra Leone after 16 years' absence.

Liberian government official reportedly killed

MONROVIA, Liberia - Liberian media are reporting that a government official has been shot and killed by a gang of men outside the African country's capital.

Rival Somali groups fight over British couple

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Rival pirates and militia groups have fought for control over a British couple held hostage for more than a week, an Islamic militia commander and a local elder said Monday.

Two killed in high seas shootout off Somalia: officials

MOGADISHU (AFP) - - Two sailors were killed in an exchange of fire off the northeast coast of Somalia on Sunday, after apparently trying to attack a Norwegian warship, Somali officials and an EU naval commander said.

Mozambique vote: Incumbent president, party lead

MAPUTO, Mozambique - Incumbent President Armando Guebuza leads in Mozambique's elections by a wide margin, with more than 80 percent of votes counted.

South Sudan leader calls for southern secession

Devastating drought alters life for Kenya nomads

DELA, Kenya - When 64-year-old Jimale Irobe was a young man, he guided his herds of cows and camels through knee-high grass.

Clinton in Morocco to meet with Arab leaders

MARRAKECH, Morocco - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived in this North African city early Sunday for a series of meetings with Arab leaders to discuss Middle East peace and other issues.

Police: Zimbabwe man kills 3 children with ax

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's state media say a man allegedly killed three of his children with an ax and wounded two others in what police describe as Zimbabwe's most brutal crime in recent years.