Eye on Africa

An armed convoy attached to Libya's parliamentary-backed Prime Minister Fathi Bashagha moved towards Tripoli on Thursday before returning when he was about to take the lead in the capital, despite the incumbent refusing to relinquish power. Parliament swore in Bashagha as prime minister a week ago, and he said on Tuesday that he would arrive in Tripoli within two days and promised to take over the government there in peace. An attempt to install Bashagha in the capital, however, could lead to clashes…

On tonight's show: Some 250 Ukrainian peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo prepare to return home to confront Russian forces. In addition, Egypt prohibits exports of basic products such as wheat and flour in an effort to secure food reserves. The…

In tonight's edition: As commodity prices soar due to war in Ukraine, South Africa's finance minister warns the country could face fallout from food price inflation and oil, but that the conflict could also lead to an increase in the country's export earnings.…

Libya's interim prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah met with heads of diplomatic missions in the capital, Tripoli, on Tuesday to discuss the political situation in the midst of the eastern parliament's appointment of Fathi Bashagha as prime minister. A statement from the Unity Government noted that Dbeibah had told the Heads of Mission that the government was aiming to hold elections as part of the UN Roadmap. In response, the ambassadors told Dbeibah that the necessary work had to be done to hold…

In tonight's edition: African citizens are among the thousands evacuated from the besieged Ukrainian city of Sumy. Hundreds of mainland students had been stranded in the city since the invasion by Russian forces. Kenyan women living in informal settlements…

Libya has appointed an ambassador to Qatar for the first time in six years, sources said on Tuesday. Mohamed al-Lafi, one of the celebrities in the western city of al-Zawiyah, was named ambassador to the Gulf nation, the source told Anadolu Agency (AA). Al-Lafi has been a delegate to the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum since 2020, which contributed to the formation of the current interim executive branch in Libya. He also held various government positions, including the Chief of Staff of…

The European Union and Italy expressed support for the democratic process and electoral efforts in Libya on Monday. The President of the High National Electoral Commission, Imad al-Sayeh, held separate meetings with the EU Ambassador's Head of Delegation to Libya Jose Antonio Sabadell and the Italian Ambassador to Libya Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi in Tripoli. In his meeting with Sabadell, al-Sayeh discussed the latest developments regarding the electoral process and sought support for it, according to a…

In tonight's edition: In a historic call to action, a dozen international organizations are urging countries to do more to support the thousands of vulnerable people who travel the migration routes each year. Additionally, Nigeria is being hit hard by a fuel…

The French army announced on Monday that its anti-jihadist force in Mali had killed Yahia Djouadi, a "senior leader" of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in charge of finance and logistics. Djouadi,…

A long ceasefire has revived Tripoli's Algeria Square, its roundabout replanted with grass and customers lingering into the night at Aurora Cafe, but Libya's new crisis with two governments threatens to undo that peace. Home to the town hall, the post office and a mosque transformed from the colonial-era Italian cathedral, Algeria Square plays a major role in the capital's social life. But it is also close to likely front lines in a battle that many Libyans fear may soon erupt. Opposition escalated…