Long crowned by his legion of fans as the king of Afrobeat, the late Fela Kuti is finally being recognised by the global music industry. The Nigerian star will posthumously receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys – almost three decades after his death at the age of 58. “Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double victory,” his musician son Seun Kuti tells the BBC. “It’s bringing balance to a Fela story,” he adds. Rikki Stein, a long-time friend and manager of…
Author: Montage Africa
Dozens of worshippers kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria’s northern Kaduna state have returned home weeks after their abduction, police have confirmed. They were among 177 people seized last month from three churches in the remote village of Kurmin Wali. Police say the 80 escaped on the same day they were taken but hid in neighbouring villages for a fortnight “due to fear of being captured again”, state police spokesman Mansur Hassan told the BBC. The authorities say efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining 86 people still being held. The attack was part of a wave of…
By Rédaction Africanews with AP Iranian missiles and drones have hit the United Arab Emirates, shaking Dubai’s image as a safe, tax-free haven for foreigners. The Associated Press’ Jon Gambrell explains more. Dubai has not been spared from the conflict raging in the Middle East. The city known for its high-rise buildings and wealthy foreigners has become a collateral victim of the missile exchanges between the US, Israel and Iran. Officials say debris from intercepted weapons fired by Iran at American military bases sparked fires at major landmarks. A person was killed at Abu Dhabi’s airport, and seven others were…
By AFP A blood-red moon will soon grace the skies for a total lunar eclipse. Skywatchers will be able to see the spectacle on Tuesday morning in several continents. Sadly people in Africa and Europe won’t be able to enjoy the celestial show, but many others are in for a visual feast. On Tuesday morning people in North America, Central America and the western part of South America will be treated to a total lunar eclipse. Australia and eastern Asia can catch it on Tuesday night. Partial stages of the eclipse with small bites taken out of the moon will…
By Agencies In Guinea-Bissau, the country’s two principal opposition parties have made a public appeal for dialogue with the military junta that seized power in a coup in late November 2025, seeking a way out of the ongoing political crisis. The move comes amid deepening instability since the Haut commandement militaire pour la restauration de la sécurité nationale et de l’ordre public — the junta that ousted President Umaro Sissoco Embaló in November — took control of the government and suspended the electoral process. Opposition leaders, including figures from the main party coalition led by Domingos Simões Pereira, have sought to open…
When Marin Petrović arrived in Bamako in early September last year, he was elated. The Bosnian national had spent years applying for tourist visas to Mali, only to be repeatedly denied on security grounds. The West African country has long been afflicted by civil war, foreign military interventions, and Islamist insurgencies. “Now it was finally approved and I couldn’t wait to start this trip,” he wrote in Bosnian in a public Instagram post on 15 November 2025. Petrović declined to speak to the BBC for this article. The plan was to visit some of the country’s dramatic landmarks, before returning home.…
By Agencies Iran on Sunday night announced the end of search operations for victims of a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, reporting 165 deaths. The Shajareh Tayyebeh School is located in Minab, home to a military base of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It was struck on Saturday amid a large-scale offensive jointly conducted by Washington and Tel Aviv. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the residents of Minab. He condemned the airstrikes in a statement, calling them “inhumane” and a barbaric act that “adds another…
The US has declared a stark policy shift towards three West African countries which are battling Islamist insurgents and whose military governments have broken defence ties with France and turned towards Russia. The state department announced that Nick Checker, head of its Bureau of African Affairs, would visit Mali’s capital Bamako to convey the United States’ “respect for Mali’s sovereignty” and chart a “new course” in relations, moving “past policy missteps”. It adds that the US also looks forward to co-operating with Mali’s allies, neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, “on shared security and economic interests”. Absent from the agenda is…
By Rédaction Africanews with agencies Witnesses have accused Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of kidnapping children during attacks in Darfur, including its capture of the city of al-Fashir in October. The 26 people told Reuters news agency that at least 56 youngsters – ranging from a two-month old baby to teenagers – had been abducted in separate incidents over several years. They said that in some instances, the RSF fighters killed the children’s parents first, while in others, families were told their children would be used as slaves or to herd livestock. People who witnessed the kidnappings were reportedly often…
South African singer Tyla has won her second Grammy, beating four others, including three Nigerian artists, to take the Best African Music Performance award. The 24-year-old won for her song Push 2 Start, which was preferred over tracks by Ayra Starr, Burna Boy and Davido, as well as Ugandan singer Eddy Kenzo. Tyla bagged the same prize in 2024 for her global hit Water, also beating a host of Nigerian stars. Reacting to her win after the awards ceremony in Los Angeles, she exclaimed: “This is insane, this is so insane! I’m just so lucky to be here and I’m so…