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.

Southern African leaders meet on Zimbabwe crisis

MAPUTO (AFP) - - Zimbabwe's rival leaders met with the head of a regional security body Thursday, ahead of an emergency summit aimed at hauling a fragile power-sharing deal out of a three-week impasse.

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

Guinea coup leader says he "regrets" massacre

CONAKRY, Guinea - The man who led Guinea's most recent coup says he "bitterly regrets" the deaths of civilians who were gunned down by soldiers at a protest last month.

Zimbabwe: Regional summit set for Thursday

HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's neighbors will hold a summit this week to try to break an impasse that threatens the southern African nation's unity government, a spokesman for Zimbabwe's prime minister said Monday.

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.

Fresh diplomatic push to break Zimbabwe impasse

HARARE (AFP) - - Zimbabwe's neighbours Monday intensified efforts to break an impasse threatening a fragile unity government, as Congolese leader Joseph Kabila met with feuding leaders and a new summit was set for this week.

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.

New regional summit on Zimbabwe set for Nov 5

MAPUTO (AFP) - - Mozambique will host a regional summit on Zimbabwe on Thursday in hopes of breaking a deadlock that threatens Harare's fragile unity government, the foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

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.