Africa (except North Africa)

ABIDJAN, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire's President Alassane Ouattara officially inaugurated on Monday his third term as head of Cote d'Ivoire at the presidential palace in Abidjan.

This is the first time that an elected president has been sworn in on the Constitution in Cote d'Ivoire. The oath-taking hearing was conducted by the President of the Constitutional Council, Mamadou Kone, in the presence of members of this institution.

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Hundreds of Nigerian students are missing after gunmen attacked a secondary school in the country’s northwestern Katsina state, police said, while the president said the military was in gunfights with bandits in a forest as it tried to find the students.

The Government Science Secondary School in Kankara was attacked Friday night by a large group of bandits who shot “with AK-47 rifles,” Katsina State police spokesman Gambo Isah said in a statement.

08 Dec 2020; MEMO:  Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen announced on Saturday that his country is working with the Sudanese government to return refugees and displaced persons to their homes.

This came in a phone call with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Jeppe Kofod, reported the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

GOMA (DR Congo), Dec 7 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Eight people were killed by unidentified gunmen in a shootout in a working-class neighbourhood of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the governor of North Kivu said.

“Two individuals arrived on a motorbike at a barber shop and killed two people, firing without warning. Then they stole some phones. They then fired indiscriminately on the population, resulting in a death toll of eight people,” Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, governor of North Kivu told newmen.

NIAMEY, Dec 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An OIC fund raising campaign for The Gambia to support its legal battle seeking redressal of Rohingya genocide in International Court of Justice (ICJ) drew so far US$1.2 million while the West African nation said it urgently needed $5million to pay the lawyers.

Officials at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the grouping of 57 countries having large Muslim populations, General Secretariat said Bangladesh appeared to be the largest contributor to the fund donating half a million dollar of the US$ $1.2 million.

YAOUNDE, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon's first ever regional elections polling ended on Sunday evening despite interruptions by armed separatists in the country's English-speaking regions.

Authorities said by the time voting ended at 6 p.m. local time, there had been no reports of major incidents that could derail the elections.

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Voters lined up early in Ghana to cast their ballots in presidential and legislative elections likely to test the West African nation’s credentials as one of the most politically stable countries on the continent.

YAOUNDE (Reuters) - Cameroon holds its first ever regional election on Sunday, which the government says hands more power to the provinces but opponents fear only maintains President Paul Biya’s long hold on power.

Biya hopes the vote will appease critics who say he has long neglected the Central African country’s 10 regions, and end a four-year separatist insurgency in the English-speaking west which has become the greatest threat to his near 40-year rule.

Separatist fighters have vowed to disrupt the vote in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

ACCRA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- As Ghana's general elections approach, the majority of people have expressed confidence that the elections will be held peacefully.

On Monday, more than 17 million eligible Ghanaians are expected to cast their ballots at 38,622 polling stations across the country to elect a president and 275 members of parliament.

John Osei Tutu Agyeman, a former broadcaster and media consultant, believes in the ability of the security services to ensure a peaceful atmosphere before, during and after the elections.

ARUSHA (Tanzania), Dec 3 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The East African Community is optimistic that the US President elect Joe Biden will revive the negotiations and implementations of the EAC-US Trade and Investment Partnership.

This came to the fore as leaders from the EAC congratulated Biden for his election win, with many expressing hope that his presidency will boost ties with the regional bloc.