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Camels replace cows in Kenya due to climate change

Three years of drought have decimated cattle herds in the Samburu region. Herders are now investing in one-humped camels whose highly sought-after milk is increasingly consumed.

Published today at 4:11 am (Paris) Noé Hochet-Bodin

In Depth Subscribers only

In Central African Republic, Wagner has imposed its 'Pax Russica' and prospers

With 1,500 to 2,000 men, the Russian private military company has allowed the Central African Republic army to recapture many rebel-held territories, but at the cost of numerous abuses.

Published today at 3:08 am (Paris) Christophe Châtelot

News

Cyril Ramaphosa re-elected president of South Africa after coalition deal

Despite an election that produced no clear winner, lawmakers voted to put the 71-year-old back in office for five more years.

Published yesterday at 3:03 am (Paris), updated yesterday at 11:13 am Le Monde with AFP

In Depth

Africa shrugs at prospect of far-right French PM: 'It won't make much of a difference to us'

Most African leaders are indifferent to the idea of a French government led by the Rassemblement National's Jordan Bardella, highlighting how relations between Paris and its former colonies have changed.

Published on June 14, 2024, at 4:17 am (Paris), updated on June 14, 2024, at 9:28 am Noé Hochet-Bodin Coumba Kane

News

UN adopts resolution demanding end to siege in Darfur city

The Security Council cites 'credible reports' that El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, has been the target of 'ethnically motivated violence.'

Published on June 14, 2024, at 12:53 am (Paris), updated on June 14, 2024, at 7:11 am Le Monde with AP

News

Comoros launches vaccine drive after more than 130 people die from cholera

The outbreak is believed to have arrived in February by boat from Tanzania, where cholera is endemic.

Published on June 13, 2024, at 5:15 pm (Paris), updated on June 13, 2024, at 5:23 pm Le Monde with AFP

News

Malawi's vice president and 9 others have died in a plane crash, president says

The military plane carrying Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others went missing Monday.

Published on June 11, 2024, at 1:14 pm (Paris), updated on June 11, 2024, at 1:19 pm Le Monde with AP

News

A plane carrying Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima goes missing

Aviation authorities have been unable to make contact with the plane carrying Malawi's Vice President Saulos Chilima since it 'went off radar' on Monday.

Published on June 10, 2024, at 6:53 pm (Paris), updated on June 11, 2024, at 2:14 am Le Monde with AP

News

In Sudan, paramilitary forces accused of killing 40 in shelling near Khartoum

The US State Department condemned 'horrific attacks... on unarmed civilians' in Wad al-Noura, urging accountability and a resumption of ceasefire talks.

Published on June 7, 2024, at 10:43 pm (Paris), updated on June 7, 2024, at 10:44 pm Le Monde

Investigation Subscribers only

Sadat, the 'Turkish Wagner' whose shadow hangs over West Africa

The mercenaries in the private security company close to Turkish President Erdogan could play a growing role in Niger and Mali, following their operations in Libya and Azerbaijan.

Published on June 7, 2024, at 5:10 pm (Paris) Nicolas Bourcier Frédéric Bobin Morgane Le Cam

News

Nigeria rescuers dig for some 30 trapped miners

The miners have been trapped since Sunday after torrential rains caused a huge pit to fall and trap them. The exact number of those trapped is not known.

Published on June 5, 2024, at 1:35 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

Russia's foreign minister visits Africa, again

Sergey Lavrov arrived in Guinea on Monday. He has visited the African continent several times in the past couple of years as Russia seeks support amid the invasion of Ukraine.

Published on June 4, 2024, at 1:19 am (Paris), updated on June 4, 2024, at 8:40 am Le Monde with AP

Editorial

South Africa: A moment of truth for the ANC

After the May 29 general elections, the African National Congress will have to share power for the first time.

Published on June 3, 2024, at 12:00 pm (Paris) Le Monde

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Benghazi, Libya's new hub for illegal immigration to the US

Chartered flights from the capital of eastern Libya recently landed at an airport in Managua, Nicaragua. On board were South Asian migrants eager to reach the US.

Published on June 3, 2024, at 3:59 am (Paris), updated on June 3, 2024, at 7:45 am Nissim Gasteli

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South Africa: The ANC's historically low score signals the end of its political dominance

For the first time since the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela's party will have to join forces with its main rivals to stay in power, against a backdrop of rising populism in the country.

Published on June 3, 2024, at 2:27 am (Paris), updated on June 3, 2024, at 7:41 am Mathilde Boussion

News

South Africa's president urges parties to find common ground in talks after election deadlock

The governing African National Congress lost its 30-year-old majority, with only 159 seats out of 400. It will need to agree on a coalition with another party or parties for the first time to co-govern.

Published on June 2, 2024, at 7:27 pm (Paris), updated on June 2, 2024, at 11:39 pm Le Monde

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Female Moroccan minister summoned to talk about her private life

Leila Benali, in charge of the country's energy transition, is suspected of a conflict of interest due to an alleged relationship with the founder of an Australian mining group. Feminists argue her treatment differs from that reserved for men.

Published on June 2, 2024, at 4:30 am (Paris), updated on June 2, 2024, at 9:47 am Alexandre Aublanc

News

Outcry in Morocco after Netanyahu presents map of kingdom without Western Sahara on French TV

Even though the Israeli prime minister has recognized Rabat's sovereignty over this territory, Moroccan newspapers see it as a provocation.

Published on June 1, 2024, at 3:00 am (Paris), updated on June 1, 2024, at 8:34 pm Alexandre Aublanc

News

South Africa's ruling ANC looks set to lose its majority in national election

An ANC loss would be a momentous change for South Africa, where the ANC has been dominant for all 30 years of its young democracy and the only governing party many have known.

Published on May 31, 2024, at 9:12 am (Paris) Le Monde with AP and AFP

News

Senegal's President Faye visits coup leaders in Mali and Burkina Faso

On Thursday, Senegal's new president made his first visit to the leaders of two recent coups d'état in West Africa, determined to put an end to the crisis in the region.

Published on May 30, 2024, at 3:01 pm (Paris) Jules Crétois

Investigation Subscribers only

Rwandan regime used Pegasus spyware on opponents and allies for years

'Rwanda Classified.' Spyware from the Israeli company NSO Group has been a particularly important part of the government's arsenal of surveillance and repression tools under President Paul Kagame.

Published on May 29, 2024, at 6:01 pm (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 6:02 pm Florian Reynaud Phineas Rueckert

Investigation Subscribers only

In Rwanda, a formidable soft power system ensures the regime's tranquillity

'Rwanda Classified.' Despite the involvement of Rwandan soldiers in the unrest in the DRC, Kigali enjoys the goodwill of African countries and the West, notably by making itself indispensable to UN missions.

Published on May 29, 2024, at 4:17 pm (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 4:19 pm Christophe Châtelot

Editorial

Tunisia's alarming regression under Kais Saied

The birthplace of the 'Arab Spring' is the scene of an authoritarian toughening, raising fears of a return to the dictatorial practices of the Ben Ali era.

Published on May 29, 2024, at 12:57 pm (Paris) Le Monde

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France-Gabon: General Oligui Nguema, a putschist friend in Paris

French authorities, citing the interim president's compliance with the transition timetable, are banking on a rapprochement with the central African country to offset their loss of influence in West Africa.

Published on May 28, 2024, at 11:48 pm (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 8:09 am Coumba Kane

Investigation Subscribers only

The death of journalist John Ntwali in Kigali: an impossible investigation

'Rwanda Classified.' One of Rwanda's last independent journalists was killed in a road accident in January 2023. In a country that represses media critical of the government, many question the official version.

Published on May 28, 2024, at 6:01 pm (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 4:19 pm Le Monde

Profile Subscribers only

The dark side of Paul Kagame, the Rwandan autocrat who fascinates the West

'Rwanda Classified.' The president has transformed a country battered by the 1994 genocide. But at what price? Amid repression, surveillance and influence, Rwandans will be voting on July 15 in a presidential election that is a foregone conclusion, with opponents sidelined.

Published on May 28, 2024, at 6:01 pm (Paris), updated on May 29, 2024, at 4:19 pm Christophe Châtelot

News

Tunisia: Kais Saied dismisses two of his ministers amid factional struggles

With just a few months to go before the presidential election, the Tunisian president has broken with some of his closest allies, who have been by his side since the 2011 revolution.

Published on May 28, 2024, at 1:59 pm (Paris), updated on May 28, 2024, at 1:59 pm Monia Ben Hamadi

News

Tunisia replaces interior, social affairs ministers

The surprise cabinet reshuffle follows a wave of arrests of human rights activists, lawyers, and journalists, that has raised fresh fears for the health of the young democracy.

Published on May 26, 2024, at 5:49 am (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

Burkina Faso military rule extended for five years

'The duration of the transition is fixed at 60 months from July 2, 2024,' Colonel Moussa Diallo, chairman of the organizing committee of the national dialogue process, said. He added that coup leader and acting president Traoré could run in any elections at the end of the transition period.

Published on May 25, 2024, at 10:38 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News analysis

Tunisia: Kais Saied's inclination to turn to Iran

The Tunisian president went to Iran to attend the funeral of his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash.

Published on May 25, 2024, at 5:49 pm (Paris) Frédéric Bobin

In Depth

Ethiopian coffee is threatened by European deforestation regulations

Unable to meet the new traceability requirements imposed by Brussels, Ethiopia could see its exports start to fall drastically in 2025.

Published on May 25, 2024, at 2:36 am (Paris), updated on May 25, 2024, at 9:47 am Noé Hochet-Bodin

Profile Subscribers only

In Egypt, the rise of a notorious former smuggler turned key figure in El-Sisi's regime

The Bedouin chief Ibrahim Al-Organi, who has cornered the profitable business of entering and leaving the Gaza Strip, has been promoted to head a tribal union, responsible for securing the country's borders. His rise to power raises many questions.

Published on May 24, 2024, at 8:00 pm (Paris) Eliott Brachet

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Tunisia, the target of Moscow's growing attentions

Russian aircraft landings on the island of Djerba are just one sign of Russia's multi-faceted entry strategy on Tunisian territory.

Published on May 24, 2024, at 6:00 pm (Paris) Frédéric Bobin Nissim Gasteli

Investigation Subscribers only

Migrants speak: In the Sahara, 'the Moroccan police set dogs on us'

Many migrants arriving from Mauritania report having been abused and abandoned in the desert by Moroccan security forces who receive resources from European countries.

Published on May 21, 2024, at 5:10 am (Paris) Tomas Statius Andrei Popoviciu Maud Jullien

Investigation Subscribers only

How EU funds enable North African countries to push back Europe-bound migrants into the desert

An investigation carried out by Le Monde, Lighthouse Reports and seven international media outlets found that migrants are being arrested by the hundreds and deported to desert areas in Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania. Human rights are being violated with the backing of the European Union's resources.

Published on May 21, 2024, at 5:01 am (Paris), updated on May 23, 2024, at 10:25 am Nissim Gasteli, Maud Jullien, Tomas Statius and Andrei Popoviciu

Investigation Subscribers only

In Tunisia, Cameroonians are intercepted at sea and abandoned at the Algerian border

Using patrol boats donated by Italy, Tunisian authorities are blocking the sea route to Lampedusa, before removing migrants to desert areas.

Published on May 21, 2024, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on May 21, 2024, at 7:32 am Nissim Gasteli

News

South Africa's top court rules former president Zuma cannot stand in election

Jacob Zuma was disqualified from next week's election because he was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2021.

Published on May 20, 2024, at 11:48 am (Paris) Le Monde with AP

News

Niger reaches agreement on the departure of US troops by September 15 'at the latest'

This decision comes after several days of discussions between a delegation from the US Department of Defense and their Nigerien counterparts in Niamey this week.

Published on May 19, 2024, at 5:44 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

Shooting in Kinshasa is a failed coup d'état, says Congolese army

Gunfire erupted in the DRC capital early Sunday morning, as armed men in military uniform clashed with guards at the home of politician Vital Kamerhe.

Published on May 19, 2024, at 12:41 pm (Paris), updated on May 19, 2024, at 10:58 pm Le Monde with AP

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In Mali, democracy has been indefinitely postponed

Since the coup d'état in 2020, democratic norms have been abandoned by the putschists. The 'transition' to democracy, extended 'from two to five years,' will remain in effect, and the date of the next presidential election is unknown.

Published on May 19, 2024, at 12:15 pm (Paris) Morgane Le Cam

News

Twenty-three people missing at sea off Tunisia

The group, attempting to reach Europe from Nabeul, had taken to the sea at the beginning of May. The search is still underway.

Published on May 19, 2024, at 10:01 am (Paris), updated on May 19, 2024, at 10:53 am Le Monde with AFP

News

Sudan paramilitaries say they will open 'safe passages' out of key Darfur city

The Rapid Support Forces, which have been fighting the regular army for over a year, said they were willing to let citizens leave El-Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur, which they are seeking to control.

Published on May 18, 2024, at 11:53 am (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

News

Senegal's new PM criticizes French military presence

Ousmane Sonko, who became Prime Minister in April 2024, has repeatedly pushed for full self-determination for Senegal.

Published on May 18, 2024, at 5:09 am (Paris) Le Monde with AP

News

Chad junta leader declared winner of presidential election

Chad's constitutional council confirmed that Mahamat Déby Itno, who seized power in 2021, was elected president in the May 6 vote and rejected an appeal by his main opponent.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 10:54 pm (Paris), updated on May 17, 2024, at 8:43 am Le Monde with AFP

Conversation Subscribers only

Cannes 2024: Life imitates art for the star of L'Histoire de Souleymane

In France for six years, the 23-year-old Guinean Abou Sangare, who gives a dazzling performance in Boris Lojkine's film, has just had his application for legal residency rejected.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 8:30 pm (Paris), updated on May 17, 2024, at 1:44 pm Laurent Carpentier

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Mélenchon seeks African allies with Senegal trip

The leader of France's radical left is on a four-day visit to Senegal, where he has met with the new prime minister, Ousmane Sonko.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 5:57 pm (Paris), updated on May 17, 2024, at 8:44 am Coumba Kane

Editorial

'Clean cooking,' a development lever in Africa

The summit on modernizing cooking methods in Africa, held in Paris on May 14, highlighted a subject with huge implications for improving women's living conditions, as well as for health and the climate.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 12:35 pm (Paris) Le Monde

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Fear reigns in Tunisia as repression intensifies

Arrests have stepped up since late April, affecting both anti-racist activists and media personalities. In his crusade against elites, President Kais Saied has even had the Tunisian Swimming Federation president and the anti-doping agency head arrested.

Published on May 16, 2024, at 12:48 am (Paris), updated on May 16, 2024, at 8:54 am Monia Ben Hamadi

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War in Sudan: In Darfur, city of El-Fasher under siege by Hemedti's paramilitaries

A dreaded assault by Hemedti's Rapid Support Forces could lead to ethnic clashes in the region where the scars of the 2003 war never healed. More than a million civilians are trapped in Darfur's historic capital.

Published on May 15, 2024, at 3:54 pm (Paris) Eliott Brachet

In Depth Subscribers only

Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa seeks to address women's and climate issues

The International Energy Agency is organizing a summit in Paris to put a neglected issue back at the top of the international agenda. It affects the health of almost a billion people on the continent.

Published on May 14, 2024, at 3:42 am (Paris), updated on May 14, 2024, at 8:48 am Laurence Caramel

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South Africa calls on ICJ to order Israel to halt its operations in Rafah

300,000 people have fled Rafah. Pretoria denounces the 'extreme risks' faced by the population.

Published on May 13, 2024, at 2:33 am (Paris), updated on May 13, 2024, at 9:27 am Stéphanie Maupas

Timeline Subscribers only

Rafah, the strategic crossing at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The status of the terminal between the Sinai desert and the Gaza Strip, recently conquered by the Israeli army, has changed over the years.

Published on May 12, 2024, at 12:07 pm (Paris), updated on May 13, 2024, at 9:42 am Benjamin Barthe

News

After Mahamat Idriss Déby's disputed victory in Chad, N'Djamena is under heavy surveillance

The incumbent president officially won 61% of the vote, but his main opponent Succès Masra is contesting the results.

Published on May 11, 2024, at 9:23 am (Paris), updated on May 11, 2024, at 3:15 pm Carol Valade

In Depth Subscribers only

The headache of returning Emir Abdelkader's sabers to Algeria from France

Key to the reconciliation of memories between the two countries, Algiers' request to recover the national hero's possessions currently held in French museums is likely to come up against a legal dilemma.

Published on May 10, 2024, at 10:00 pm (Paris) Frédéric Bobin

News

Chad's junta chief Mahamat Idriss Déby declared winner of presidential election

According to provisional official results, the transitional head of state won this week's presidential election in the first round with 61.03% of the votes on Thursday. His opponent, Succès Masra, is challenging these results.

Published on May 9, 2024, at 11:57 pm (Paris), updated on May 10, 2024, at 8:30 am Le Monde with AFP

News

South Sudan mediation talks launched in Kenya with a hope of ending conflict

High-level mediation talks on South Sudan were launched in Kenya with African presidents in attendance calling for an end to a conflict that has crippled the country's economy for years.

Published on May 9, 2024, at 8:43 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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Morocco to become rare military drone manufacturer, thanks to cooperation with Israel

Israeli company BlueBird Aero Systems has announced the imminent start-up of a production facility in Rabat.

Published on May 9, 2024, at 6:20 pm (Paris) Alexandre Aublanc

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Israel-Hamas war: Behind the scenes of negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza

The text submitted by Israel on April 27 had raised hopes of an agreement, which the American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators have so far failed to achieve.

Published on May 7, 2024, at 10:58 pm (Paris), updated on May 8, 2024, at 9:12 am Benjamin Barthe Louis Imbert Hélène Sallon

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Pro-Palestinian voices are silenced in Egypt

The Cairo authorities have arrested and intimidated citizens to prevent their solidarity with Gazans from evolving into a protest movement that could potentially challenge the current regime.

Published on May 7, 2024, at 12:51 am (Paris), updated on May 7, 2024, at 4:51 pm Eliott Brachet

News

Voter in Chad election shot dead at polling station

According to Chadian election officials and local authorities, a gunman who did not have a voter card 'burst into the voting station' and, on being barred from voting, 'drew his weapon and fired' indiscriminately, killing a 65-year-old voter.

Published on May 6, 2024, at 5:59 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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