Author: Amnewsworld

Supporters of Roc Marc Kabore staged a protest at the former President’s residence to prevent him from attending a meeting of Burkina Faso’s former heads of state in Ougadougou on Friday. Called by army ruler Sandaogo Damiba to ‘accelerate national reconciliation’, the function only had two former Presidents out of five; Blaise Compaore and Jean-Baptiste Ouedraogo. “This morning we were preparing for the meeting when I found the situation outside the door. There were people who were mobilized and demanding not to do this (not attend the meeting). It’s true that the CRS (police) have come. It’s hard to see…

One million pilgrims from across the globe amassed on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca to perform the initial rites of the hajj, marking the largest Islamic pilgrimage since the coronavirus pandemic upended the event — a key pillar of Islam. The hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime duty for all Muslims physically and financially able to make the journey. Pilgrims spend several days carrying out a series of rituals intended to bring them closer to God, walking the path traversed by Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. That includes praying around the cube-shaped Kaaba, the holiest shrine in Islam.…

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have agreed to a “de-escalation process” following weeks of rising tensions over rebel fighting in eastern DRC, the Congolese presidency said Wednesday after mediated talks. But the talks mediator, Angolan President Joao Lourenco, went further announcing a “ceasefire” — although giving no details. Violence has flared between is the Congolese army and the M23 rebels and is ongoing. The DRC has repeatedly accused Rwanda of backing the M23, a charge the small central African country always denied. “I am pleased to announce that we have had positive results, in our view, in that…

Animal markets in Sudan’s capital Khartoum are teeming with livestock, just days before Muslims mark Eid al Adha or the feast of sacrifice. But the celebration comes at a time many in the country are struggling to make ends meet and there are not many buyers. “The market was stagnant, but the demand and mobility [have] increased a little a few days before Eid. The prices were more reasonable last year, but the increase in prices of feed, fuel prices and transport costs, and the scarcity of animals drove the prices up this year,” said Abdulmunim Nur, a cattle breeder.…

French forces in the Sahel will switch operating mode after they leave Mali, acting more “in support” of local forces rather than substituting for them, their commander says. After nearly a decade fighting militants in Mali, France is pulling its troops out of the country after falling out with its military junta. President Emmanuel Macron announced the withdrawal in February, saying Operation Barkhane would continue elsewhere in the Sahel but in a smaller and reconfigured form. In an interview with AFP and Radio France Internationale (RFI), Barkhane commander General Laurent Michon said the force now had less than 2,000 men…

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he met Sudan’s coup leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Nairobi on Tuesday and that both committed to “dialogue” to resolve any differences. Their talks follow a clash in a volatile border region last month in which Khartoum said that Ethiopian forces had captured and killed Sudanese troops — claims denied by Addis Ababa. “We have both agreed that our two countries have plenty of collaborative elements to work on peacefully,” Abiy said in a Twitter post, accompanied by a picture of the two men. “Our common bonds surpass any divisions. We both made a…

The Suez Canal on Monday announced a record profit of $7 billion (about 6.7 billion euros) for the 2021-2022 fiscal year, after repeatedly raising transit fees for ships through the crucial passage for world trade. Between July 2021 and June 2022, some 1.32 billion tonnes of cargo transited through the canal, providing a $7 billion rent in transit fees, the highest in its history, Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said Monday. He added in a statement that this is an increase of 20.7% compared to the previous financial year (5.5 billion euros). “The international crises have…

Egypt’s first electrified light rail transit (LRT) system jointly built by Chinese and Egyptian companies started its trial run on Sunday. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi took the first ride on the LRT at its inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao Liqiang. The LRT project is the fruit of a 1.24-billion-U.S. dollar contract signed in August 2017 between Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels and the consortium of China Railway Engineering Corporation and AVIC International Holding Corporation. The rail project connects the New Administrative Capital being constructed east of Cairo…

Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi will meet his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame for talks in Angola this week, officials said on Monday, June 4. It is not clear what the subject of the meeting is, but it is expected that this would be an opportunity to discuss current diplomatic issues between both countries. There has been a surge of attacks in eastern Congo by the M23 rebel group – which Kinshasa accuses Kigali of backing. Rwanda denies supporting the rebels and has, in turn, accused Congo of fighting alongside insurgents – a face-off that has raised fears of…

Ready, set, mow… the annual lawnmowers World Championships took place in Heddington, Wiltshire over the 2nd and 3rd July. Undaunted by a schedule clash that saw the race go up against the F1 British Grand Prix from Silverstone, organizer Ian Radcliff believes that this sport could be even more competitive. The Ferraris and McLarens might have been missing, but there were several categories of racing depending on the sophistication of the vehicle. Driving conditions were tricky, slippy and initially very bumpy, so not great for this ‘grass roots’ motorsport. AMN/Sports.