West Africa

In Mauritania, it's official, the current head of state, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who has been in power since 2019, announced his candidacy for the presidential election on June 29, 2024, in a letter addressed on Wednesday, April 24th. his bid did not come as a surprise to anyone in Nouakchott; the outgoing president and current African Union president is seen as the top contender in the upcoming election. His party won 107 out of 176 seats in the last parliamentary elections.

On the twelfth day of the campaign, activity picks up as candidates compete to win over voters with various strategies, including giving out gifts, flyers, and even food. Targeted meetings and door-to-door visits are the most popular tactics in the capital city.

The 15th edition of the contemporary African art biennial was scheduled to open on May 16th in Dakar. However, the event has been postponed due to insufficient funds, which is disappointing for both the organizers and fans of this globally recognized artistic gathering.

Good evening Here are tonight's highlights: According to Human Rights Watch, soldiers in Burkina Faso executed 223 civilians in a single day. Nairobi in Kenya is experiencing heavy rainfall, causing roads to flood. Ghana has been using a new malaria vaccine for a year now, with over two million doses given to children.

On April 25, 1974, young captains rebelled in Portugal, overthrowing the Salazar dictatorship and paving the way for African colonies independence. However, many are unaware that it was African freedom fighters who wore down the Portuguese colonial army and triggered the April captains' uprising in Lisbon. Mario Cissoko was one of them.

The freshly minted Senegalese president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, dropped a batch of appointments on Wednesday night. Key positions at the gendarmerie, public television, and even the port of Dakar were filled.

The Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security, and Development (CSP-PSD) transforms into the Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad (CSP-DPA). It will be led by the head of the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), a Northern armed group member of this coalition, Bilal Ag Acherif. This name change also aligns with a redefinition of goals.

The national phase of inter-Malian dialogue, set to wrap up proceedings, will take place in Bamako from May 6 to May 10, 2024. This dialogue is portrayed by Malian authorities as a domestic substitute for the 2015 peace agreement, struck with Northern rebel groups. Yet, the organization of this dialogue - from which Malian rebel or jihadist groups are excluded - appears to gradually unveil another aim: the extension of the transition period.

Human Rights Watch reported that 223 civilians, including infants and numerous children, were tragically killed by military forces in Burkina Faso.

It happened fifty years ago, on April 25, 1974. Young captains rose up in Portugal, overthrew the dictatorship, and paved the way for the independence of the last African colonies. Consequently, today, several African heads of state are in Lisbon to celebrate this anniversary with the Portuguese. Their presence is even more justified because it was the African independence fighters of the time who brought down Lisbon's dictatorial and colonial regime. Pedro Pires served as a military commander for Amilcar Cabral's PAIGC…