North Africa

As forest fires blown by windy temperatures and dry-dry conditions flame through Algeria's Kabylie region, the death toll has risen further. At least 65 people, including 25 soldiers, have died in fires that broke out east of the Algerian capital Algiers, state television reported on Wednesday. Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane had previously revealed that the death toll was 42 on Tuesday. He also told state television that the government had asked for help from the international community and was…

Sudan said on Sunday it had ordered its envoy to Ethiopia's home for consultation after a government spokesman in Addis Ababa rejected a Sudanese initiative to mediate a ceasefire in the Tigray War, accusing it of occupying Ethiopian territory. The move announced in a statement from the Foreign Ministry was the latest sign of deteriorating relations between the African neighbors. Tensions began after Sudan deployed troops to the fertile border area of ​​Al-Fashaga at the end of last year, which it says…

Libyan authorities unearthed 10 bodies from a mass grave in the city of Tarhuna, south of the capital Tripoli, reported on Sunday. The mass grave was discovered on Saturday in a large agricultural area called Mashrou 'Alrabet in the city, Lutfi Tawfiq, head of the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons, told Anadolu Agency (AA). He said the tomb is the second to be discovered in the city in the last ten days. In March, the authority said it had lists of 3,650 missing…

On Tuesday, the East African country of Sudan took the first step towards joining the International Criminal Court. The country's cabinet's decision to join the Rome Statute is a step forward in the long-awaited trial of suspected war crimes and genocide suspects in the Darfur conflict, including former President Omar al-Bashir. However, the bill still needs to be ratified by a joint meeting of Sudan's sovereign council and cabinet. Together they function as an interim parliament. The Cabinet did not…

Khalid al-Mishri was re-elected chairman of Libya's top government for a four-year term on Tuesday. Al-Mishri won 73 of the 128 votes in the vote in the capital, Tripoli, Council spokesman Mohamed Nasser told Anadolu Agency (AA). He noted that al-Mishri's victory came "during the second ballot" in which he defeated his rival Salah Mito. Saeed Kula also ran for the position in the first round but received the least number of votes, forcing him out of the second round. Following his re-election,…

Tunisia's parliamentary speaker Rached Ghannouchi was discharged from hospital after undergoing medical checks, his party in Ennahdha said in a statement on Sunday. The party said Ghannouchi was admitted to hospital on Saturday after feeling unwell. Ghannouchi "left the hospital after undergoing medical check-ups and receiving treatment," the statement said. His adviser, Maher Medhioub, also confirmed on Twitter that Parliament's speakers were in good health, but gave no further details. Last month,…

Tunisia should quickly return to its "democratic path," a White House official told President Kais Saied on Saturday, days after a coup that disrupted the country's parliament. In an hour-long conversation with Saied, President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan noted support for "Tunisian democracy based on fundamental rights, strong institutions and a commitment to the rule of law," according to a White House statement. According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), the call "focused…

Turkey welcomes the resumption of the strategic road Misrata-Sirte, which connects eastern and western Libya, the Foreign Ministry said late on Saturday. "We welcome the official opening of the Misrata-Sirte coastal road on July 30, 2021, which has been closed for a long time," it said in a statement. Turkey also praised the efforts of the Presidential Council, National Unity Government (GNU), led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, the UN Support Mission in Libya and the 5 + 5 Joint…

On Sunday, President Kaïs Saïed fired his prime minister, froze the work of the National Assembly for 30 days and lifted the deputies' immunity. However, one week after Tunisia, if the president has not yet appointed a new prime minister, Kaïs Saïed has been very active, while the economic horizon is still blocked and the epidemic is progressing.…

This Saturday, July 31, it was difficult for Ivory Coast with Marie-Josée Ta Lou's fourth place in the 100 meters and elimination of football players in the quarterfinals. The only good news for the Ivorians: the qualification of Arthur Cissé for the semifinals of the 100 meters. The second clarification came from the Angolan handball players who are relaunching before the quarter-finals.…