African Union
AFRICAN UNION
Zimbabwe's Mugabe takes over as African Union chairman
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe took over the post of African Union (AU) chairman on Friday, replacing Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
WEST AFRICA
African Union backs 7,500-strong force to fight Boko Haram
The African Union has endorsed a plan to set up a regional task force of 7,500 to fight Boko Haram militants, a senior official said on Thursday, in a key step towards securing…
WEST AFRICA
West African leaders want to create anti-Boko Haram force
West African leaders will seek authority next week from the African Union to create a multi-national force to fight Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist insurgents, Ghanaian President…
SOMALIA
Al Shabaab militants attack African Union base in Somalia
Eight Islamist gunmen infiltrated the main African Union (AU) base in Mogadishu on Thursday and killed three peacekeepers and a civilian contractor, the AU mission in Somalia said.
BURKINA FASO
Burkina's interim military leader wants transition 'within two weeks'
Burkina Faso’s interim military leader on Tuesday offered assurances that power could be peacefully handed to a civilian government within the time frame previously set by the…
SOMALIA
Al-Shabaab dislodged from seaside stronghold
This week, African Union troops and Somalia's military scored a big success against terrorist group al-Shabaab, forcing it from the port of Barawe. A major urban centre, it…
SOMALIA
Video: African forces in final push on al Shabaab stronghold
African Union and Somali soldiers remained on their guard after gaining ground on al Shabaab militants in the port city of Barawe over the weekend. FRANCE 24 reports from the…
SOMALIA
AU, Somali troops in push for al Shabaab stronghold
The African Union and Somali troops are making a major push this weekend for control of the al Shabaab stronghold of Barawe, a strategic port city that the al Qaeda-linked group…
AFRICA NEWS
Somalia rape charges: Authorities begin investigation into AU troops
Somalia says it will be launching an investigation into charges levelled in a damning report from Human Rights Watch. Troops are accused of having raped girls who came to them…
SOMALIA
African Union troops 'raped Somali women', HRW says
Internationally-funded African Union troops in war-torn and impoverished Somalia have raped women and girls as young as 12 and traded food aid for sex, Human Rights Watch said in…
AFRICA - SECURITY
Can the dream of an African security force come true?
At a security summit in Paris this week, representatives of 53 African states stressed the need for a pan-African military force. But that’s an old idea that hasn’t worked…
The Debate
Africa's Newest Failed State: How to Stop Civil War and Famine in South Sudan? (part 2)
It's the third anniversary of independence for Africa's newest nation, South Sudan. With a brutal civil war now in full swing, the outgoing UN representative has…
The Debate