Africa
Congo Rebels to Pull Back on Two Fronts in Peace Move
Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo said they will withdraw on two northern fronts to demonstrate their commitment to peace initiatives spearheaded by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Somali pirates demand ransom for Sirius Star
Somali pirates who hijacked the Saudi oil super-tanker Sirius Star have demanded a ransom, a man presented on Al-Jazeera television as one of the authors of the attack said on Wednesday. "Negotiators are located on board the ship and on land. Once...
Giant Saudi oil tanker seized by pirates nearing Somali coast
The Sirius Star is reported to have two British crew members on board. The super crude oil tanker was attacked and its crew overcome off the coast of Kenya, according to a spokesman for the US Navy's 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain.
DR Congo rebels seize army base
![Nkunda is demanding direct talks with the government on Congo's future [AFP]](/philuche/images/en/339743_t.jpg)
Rebel fighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo have overrun a government army base despite their leader's pledge to respect a ceasefire and engage in UN-backed peace talks.
Congo rebel leader promises to back UN efforts
JOMBA, Congo (AP) — Congo's main rebel leader promised a U.N. envoy Sunday to support a cease-fire and U.N. efforts to end the fighting, and the diplomat said he hoped the warring sides would hold peace talks in Kenya.
Hundreds Attend Memorial for "Mama Africa"
Hundreds of mourners attended a memorial service for South African recording star and anti-apartheid champion Miriam Makeba Saturday.
Sudan president calls immediate Darfur ceasefire
KHARTOUM (AFP) — Sudan's President Omar al-Beshir has called an immediate ceasefire in Darfur and a campaign to disarm feared militias in a speech dismissed by rebels as a propaganda stunt for the West.
3,000 more peacekeepers needed in Congo: UN chief
The head of the United Nations is requesting 3,000 more peacekeepers to help allay the conflict in Congo, calling it a "very serious and dire situation." Speaking at a news conference in New York Tuesday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the ...
UN agency struggles for donations as need to feed Zimbabwe grows
The UN's World Food Programme warns that it will have to cut food rations for hungry people in Zimbabwe this month in order to make its stretched resources go further. The relief agency reports that it will have to feed four million people in Nove...
Chemical tanker hijacked off lawless Somalia
(CNN) -- Armed pirates have hijacked a Philippines chemical tanker off the coast of Somalia, but Indian forces thwarted an attack on one of its vessels, authorities said Tuesday.
2 Italian Catholic nuns kidnapped in Kenya
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Gunmen firing automatic weapons dragged two Italian Roman Catholic nuns from their home in rural Kenya on Monday and drove them into lawless Somalia in a rare cross-border kidnapping, officials said.
Mugabe to Attempt New Government
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe says he will form a new government as quickly as possible, and said he hopes Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai will change his mind and accept a proposal by regional leaders to set up a unity government. P...
Killing of civilians in Congolese town is war crime, warns UN
The UN has accused Tutsi rebels and Congolese militias of war crimes over the systematic killing of civilians in the town of Kiwanja, as fighting in the east of the country continued to spread yesterday.
Zimbabwe's Power-Sharing Accord Collapses at Regional Summit
Efforts to implement a power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe unraveled today, as the main opposition rejected regional mediators' proposals to share control of the police force with the ruling party.
UN troops fail to protect Congo civilians
Undermanned UN troops have been unable to protect the lives of thousands of civilians suffering another wave of violence in the Congo.
UN chief, African leaders hold summit on Congo war
NAIROBI, KENYA — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched an emergency summit here Friday with seven African presidents in an attempt to shore up a rebel-declared cease-fire that seemed close to unraveling in eastern Congo.
KINSHASA (AFP) — Rebels and pro-government militia have killed at least 20 civilians in recent fighting, Human Rights Watch said Thursday, on the eve of a regional summit on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
6 aid workers kidnapped in Somalia
At least six foreign aid workers have been kidnapped at gunpoint in Somalia. Two French, two Kenyans, a Belgian and a Bulgarian were abducted by assailants who stormed an airstrip on Wednesday morning, a European Commission spokesman said.
Congo rebels fight for second day
Rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have forced thousands of civilians out of a town which they have taken from a pro-government militia.
To Kenyan Village, Obama Is 'King of The World'
KOGELO, Kenya -- Barack Obama may already be suffering from the curse of lofty expectations here, the village where his father was born and buried. Many of the U.S. president-elect's relatives still live here. When villagers heard Wednesday mornin...