South Africa’s sports minister Gayton McKenzie says “no formal decision has been taken to relocate” the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) away from Morocco after his deputy announced that South Africa would step in and stage the finals. McKenzie issued a clarifying statement after Peace Mabe declared the nation “will be hosting” the tournament, which is scheduled to kick off on 17 March. “When Morocco said ‘We are not able to host’, South Africa, we said ‘Yes, we are available’. We are going to take it,” Mabe later told SABC Sport after her announcement at an awards ceremony on…
Author: Montage Africa
A first group of Palestinians reached the Rafah crossing on Monday as Gaza’s border with Egypt partially reopened, with state television showing ambulances and microbuses advancing from the Egyptian side as the gates swung open. Officials from Egypt and Israel said the opening is part of the ceasefire process, with around 50 people expected to cross in each direction during the first days. The move follows a pilot phase focused on logistics rather than travel. Rafah is Gaza’s only exit that does not lead to Israel and remains a lifeline for civilians, especially the wounded. Hospitals in Egypt have prepared…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies The African Union on Friday issued a statement strongly condemning the recent attacks in Niger, including an assault on Niamey’s main airport. Describing them as “heinous acts” the Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, reaffirmed the AU’s support for the country amid ongoing security threats. Armed men launched an attack on the Diori Hamani International Airport overnight on Wednesday during which explosions and shooting was reported. The defence ministry says four soldiers were injured and 20 attackers were killed in in the incident. Around 30 civilians died in a separate attack on 18 January in the…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Some 200 teenage girls from six countries took part in the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Under-17 girls’ tournament in Zimbabwe in December. But the focus of the competition was less about their games and more about raising awareness of cervical cancer and encouraging an uptake of the HPV vaccine. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is sexually transmitted and the primary cause of cervical cancer and the vaccine can prevent up to 90 per cent of cases. It is the fourth most common cancer among women, with Africa accounting for nearly a quarter of global deaths. Global…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP In a retaliatory move, Iran on Sunday declared the armies of European Union countries as “terrorist groups”. The announcement comes days after the EU foreign ministers agreed to add Tehran’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) to the bloc’s list of terrorist organisations. That decision followed the Islamic Republic’s bloodiest crackdown on nationwide protests since its establishment in 1979. Security forces, including the IRGC, have used extreme brutality against demonstrators in recent weeks with rights organisations estimating as many as 30,000 people have died. The announcement by speaker of Iran’s parliament and a former Guard…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive and peaceful dialogue between all people in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In a New Year’s address to the diplomatic corps in Kinshasa on Saturday, he said national unity was “more than ever a fundamental requirement”. His comments come as fighting continues in the east of country between the army and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. Called for by part of the opposition, the idea of an inter-Congolese national dialogue has also been promoted by Angolan President João Lourenço in recent weeks. Tshisekedi, however, set out conditions…
By Rédaction Africanews with Malaika Élysée In the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, traffic is slowly resuming on Lake Tanganyika after the government authorised movement once again. Transport on the lake was suspended for more than a month and a half by the government after the occupation of the town of Uvira by the AFC/M23 rebels. The resumption has been welcomed with relief by the local population, as it marks the return of a vital link for the local economy and daily life. A vital route reopens Boat engines are once again echoing across the waters of the…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies Egypt’s President Sisi welcomed Jordan’s King Abdullah to Cairo on Sunday for talks on restoring stability to the Middle East region. The two leaders reiterated their opposition to “any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency. They stressed the need to fully implement the Gaza ceasefire, allow unhindered humanitarian aid, and accelerate reconstruction efforts in the territory. The meeting came as Israel announced the partial reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the devastated Gaza Strip and Egypt. Cairo has long opposed plans to displace…
By Rédaction Africanews and Agencies A commercial flight has landed at Khartoum airport for only the second time since Sudan’s civil war broke out almost three years ago. The domestic flight operated by the national flag carrier SUDANAIR took off on Sunday morning from the Red Sea city of Port Sudan. The reopening of the airport is a crucial step in the government’s efforts to normalise life in the capital. “I have mixed feelings of joy and immense happiness because the airport is open, and with that, the country and the capital are back,” said Musab Suwar Al-Dhahab, a Sudanese…
By Dominic Wabwireh with AP In the forests of Ethiopia’s largest region, a shadow war grinds on. Hunted by government drones, Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) commander Jaal Marroo denies his fighters target civilians. Yet, as a hidden humanitarian crisis deepens, international investigators accuse both sides of atrocities, leaving millions trapped in a deadly stalemate. The government brands the OLA as terrorists, accusing them of ethnically motivated massacres. Rebel leader Marroo, in a rare interview, insists his troops operate under “strict military discipline.” However, UN investigators and rights groups like Amnesty International document a brutal reciprocity: the OLA accused of killings…