Africa (except North Africa)

MOGADISHU, April 22 (Reuters) - Six people were killed on Friday by a blast at a seaside restaurant in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, an ambulance service official told Reuters.

"So far we have carried six dead civilians and seven others injured," Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of Aamin Ambulance Service said.

Somalia's Islamist group al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the blast, with their military operations spokesperson Abdiasis Abu Musab telling Reuters they were targeting "security officers and politicians of the apostate government."

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — When abuses were reported in recent weeks in Mali — fake graves designed to discredit French forces; a massacre of some 300 people, mostly civilians — all evidence pointed to the shadowy mercenaries of Russia’s Wagner Group.

Even before these feared professional soldiers joined the assault on Ukraine, Russia had deployed them to under-the-radar military operations across at least half a dozen African countries. Their aim: to further President Vladimir Putin’s global ambitions, and to undermine democracy.

April 2022; MEMO: The Tunisian central bank said yesterday it had signed a $700 million loan deal with Africa Export Import Bank (Afreximbank).

The deal was signed in Egypt on 13 April and the loan falls within the framework of mobilising external resources included in the state budget for the year 2022.

The loan, which has a 5.76 per cent annual interest rate, will be repaid over seven years, including a two-year grace period.

DAKAR, April 20 (Reuters) - The United Nations is "extremely concerned" that Mali has prevented its investigators from visiting a town where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians, the world body said on Wednesday.

At least 300 men are believed to have been summarily executed during a March 27-31 raid on Moura, a town of about 10,000 inhabitants infiltrated by Islamist militants, according to a Human Rights Watch report. 

JOHANNESBURG, April 18 (Xinhua) -- As the cost of last week's floods which badly affected KwaZulu-Natal Province reached billions of rands, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a National State of Disaster on Monday night.

The cabinet met in a special session Sunday night and decided to declare a National State of Disaster, Ramaphosa said in his televised address.

JOHANNESBURG, April 17 (Reuters) - Floods have killed more than 400 and caused at least 10 billion rand ($684.58 million) in damage in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), a senior provincial official said on Sunday, as rescuers hunted for the missing and more rain was expected.

The floods have left thousands homeless, knocked out power and water services and disrupted operations at one of Africa's busiest ports, Durban.

KWANDENGEZI, South Africa, April 16 (Reuters) - Rains that have killed around 400 people and left thousands homeless in South Africa this week began pounding the east coast again on Saturday, threatening more flooding and forcing many to take refuge in community centres and town halls.

The heavy downpours in Kwazulu-Natal Province have already knocked out power lines, shut off water services and disrupted operations at one of Africa's busiest ports of Durban, the main eastern coastal city. 

KIGALI, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Local reactions to a Rwanda-Britain deal to move asylum-seekers attempting to enter the United Kingdom to Rwanda for resettlement were mostly positive, with some expressing reservations.

The agreement was signed by British Home Secretary Priti Patel and Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, on Thursday.

HARARE, April 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 32 people died Thursday night when a bus carrying members of the Zion Christian Church was involved in an accident in Chipinge, southeastern Zimbabwe.

State broadcaster ZBC reported Friday that about 40 others were seriously injured in the accident which happened near the Jopa Market at around 11 p.m.

This marks a bad beginning to the Easter weekend. 

CAPE TOWN (South Africa), April 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has appointed Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa, to its task force to mediate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, South Africa’s parliament said.

The appointment was made after the global organization of national parliaments adopted a resolution to form a task team to engage the parliaments of Russia and Ukraine, thereby joining forces with other mediating parties to end the conflict.