Senegal

DAKAR, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed an estimated 55 million Africans into extreme poverty in 2020 and reversed more than two decades of poverty reduction in Africa, said a report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

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.

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. 

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Congo’s army says rebels in the country’s east have shot down a United Nations helicopter carrying eight peacekeepers and U.N. observers.

The helicopter shot Monday was among two carrying out reconnaissance for the U.N. mission in Congo, according to a statement from Congo’s army on Tuesday. Those on the helicopter were assessing the movements of communities that had been attacked by a rebel group in order to coordinate humanitarian assistance.

DAKAR, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese President and current Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Macky Sall on Wednesday held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on securing a "lasting ceasefire" in Ukraine.

Sall later said in a tweet that as president of the AU, he is delighted about his talk with Putin "to press for a lasting ceasefire."

He also welcomed the "listening" and "willingness" of his Russian counterpart "to maintain dialogue for a negotiated solution to the conflict."

DAKAR, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Tuesday China and Africa have reached important consensus on China-Africa relations and cooperation at the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Wang made the remarks at a joint press conference with Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall after the conference concluded.

DAKAR, Nov 29 (Reuters) - South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that the world needed to resist unjustified and unscientific COVID-19 travel restrictions that mostly hurt developing nations.

Global authorities have reacted with alarm to the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, which was detected in South Africa, with various countries re-imposing travel curbs. 

South Africa said on Saturday it was being punished for its advanced ability to detect new variants early, as bans and restrictions threaten to harm tourism and other sectors.

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday warned a shadowy Russian company with connections to the Kremlin not to interfere in efforts aimed at restoring democracy in the West African nation of Mali.

As he wrapped up a weeklong, three-nation tour of Africa that was dominated by crises across the continent, Blinken said it would be “unfortunate” if the Wagner Group became active in Mali, where there are internationally backed plans to have a democratically elected government in place by April.

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up a weeklong, three-nation tour of Africa that the Biden administration hopes will highlight its assistance on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and climate change.

On a trip overshadowed by crises elsewhere on the continent, Blinken was in Senegal on Saturday promoting American-built infrastructure projects, sustainable development, women’s empowerment and other human rights initiatives to bolster faltering democracies across Africa.

DAKAR, Aug 23 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Flash floods affected the area of Keur Massar in the outskirts of the Senegalese capital, Dakar in the past week. A heavy downpour has led overflow of tributaries affecting local families.

Hundreds of families have abandoned their homes following a heavy downpour. Malang Sambou is one of the affected people who have lost almost everything.