Eye on Africa

Libya's interim prime minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah announced plans for elections this summer, rejecting the eastern parliament's bid to oust him. Dbeibah, who heads the Government of National Unity (GNU) in the western part of the country, reiterated his promise to resign only after a national vote, defying the Eastern-based parliament's appointment of former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha to replace him as prime minister. Dbeibah also said that GNU will hold a parliamentary election followed by a…

The UN Special Adviser to Libya, Stephanie Williams, reiterated her call on Libyans to focus on the electoral process and maintain peace amid rising concerns for the country's future on Sunday. Last week, during a meeting with Libyan senior politicians, she highlighted the need for free and fair elections in Libya "in the shortest possible time". "I stressed the need for the various Libyan political forces to strive for the broadest possible consensus, through an inclusive and transparent process,"…

At least 16 folks had been killed and 20 others injured when a feminine suicide bomber blew herself up at a restaurant in Beledwayne, the regional capital of Hiiraan province, police informed the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) on Saturday. The feminine bomber entered the restaurant, which is often visited by residents and authorities troopers, at lunchtime. "We have collected the bodies of 12 dead people, including the bomber himself," mentioned senior regional police officer Hassan Dhi'isow. he…

Ethiopia will begin producing energy from its controversial mega-dam on the Blue Nile from Sunday, authorities officers advised Agence France-Presse (AFP). The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which might be the most important hydropower mission in Africa, has been at the middle of a regional dispute since Ethiopia broke floor in 2011. "Tomorrow will be the first energy generation of the dam," an Ethiopian authorities official mentioned on Saturday. A second official confirmed the knowledge.…

Burkina Faso's junta leader Lieutenant Colonel Paul Henri Sandaogo Damiba was sworn in as president on Wednesday, less than a month after mutinous soldiers took control of the West African country in a coup. The inauguration ceremony, which is not open to the public, was held at the Constitutional Court. Speaking to the nation on state television after taking the oath, Damiba praised the security forces and the people of the country who he said had been facing threats from extremism for more than six…

Al-Shabab militants attacked a number of police stations and safety checkpoints in Somalia's capital Mogadishu early Wednesday, officers and militants mentioned, as a present of power because the nation prepares for a much-delayed presidential election. The al-Qaeda-linked militants are finishing up frequent assaults on the federal government and final week attacked a minibus carrying delegates. The group's spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, mentioned warriors hit authorities targets in 4 districts of the…

The Ethiopian parliament on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency imposed in November final yr when Tigrayan rebels threatened to advance towards the capital, the Foreign Ministry introduced and eased restrictions sooner than anticipated. "The people's representatives of #Ethiopia have today approved the revocation of the six-month state of emergency," the ministry mentioned on Twitter. The vote by lawmakers adopted a proposal by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's cupboard final month to ease the state of…

A new power struggle has deepened the Libyan crisis following the Tobruk - based House of Representatives' appointment of former Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha as prime minister on Thursday, while incumbent Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah promised to remain in office until national elections are held. The failure to hold discussions on the legitimacy of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), originally scheduled for December 24, has led to differences of opinion in the western part of the…

Free and fair elections in Libya should be held "in the shortest possible time," said UN Special Adviser to Libya Stephanie Williams as she met with senior politicians, stressing the need for calm. Williams said on Twitter that she met the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and also Fathi Bashagha, named by the parliament of the East-based pro-Putist General Khalifa Haftar, to lead a new government in a process rejected by the government. incumbent Prime Minister.…

The coastal metropolis of Mananjary in Madagascar was largely destroyed after the tropical cyclone Batsirai, help staff stated on Saturday, when extra aids arrived by airplane. The storm killed 120 individuals, principally on the east coast of the island nation within the Indian Ocean, which was hardest hit. "At the moment, the first evaluations made are very alarming. We are talking about nine out of 10 homes damaged by the cyclone, especially around Mananjary," stated Martin Marin, logistics…