Africa News Headlines

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Even before the first drops flow, Uganda's oil sector is beset by bribery allegations against officials, tax-related cases abroad that cost the government millions in legal fees, and the alleged interference of a president whose firm control of the sector worries transparency campaigners.

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Officials in Ivory Coast say the military has detained a militia leader accused of grave crimes during the country's 2010-11 postelection violence whose forces had been illegally occupying a national park.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's military declared a 24-hour curfew Saturday on neighborhoods in a northeastern city that's the spiritual home of an Islamic extremist network as soldiers continued the government's emergency campaign in the region, with authorities saying they killed 10 suspected insurgents.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's military has declared a 24-hour curfew in several neighborhoods of a northeastern city as its campaign against Islamic extremists in the region continues.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Twenty-three youths have died in the past nine days at initiation ceremonies that include circumcisions and survival tests, South African police said Friday.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Soldiers in Nigeria launched their first raid against suspected Islamic extremists in a campaign to take back control of the nation's northeast, killing at least 21 people, a security official said Friday.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Friday he is poised to sweep to victory in upcoming presidential elections and return the nation to the world community after years of isolation.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's prime minister says he is poised to win the presidency in upcoming elections and return the nation to the world community after years of isolation.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Soldiers in northeast Nigeria shelled suspected camps of Islamic extremists in the first military action of a new offensive against the insurgents, killing at least 21 people, a security official said Friday.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says one of its medical facilities located in a rural but violent region of South Sudan has been ransacked and destroyed.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police say 23 youths have died over a period of nine days at initiation ceremonies that include circumcisions and survival tests.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Mobile phone service was cut off Thursday in areas of northeast Nigeria as jet fighters streaked through the sky and more soldiers were deployed to fight Islamic extremists waging a brutal insurgency.

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Mobile phone service has been cut in areas of northeast Nigeria as the military sends more soldiers to the region to fight Islamic extremists.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Hundreds of sweating Sufis chant and sway as the lead sheik moves into the middle of a circle of worshippers and bursts into a chant louder than anyone else's

PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — South African soldiers who are training for a United Nations military mission in Congo will be adequately prepared even though the South African army as a whole is overstretched and underfunded, the army chief said Thursday.

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria rumbled to a war footing Wednesday as soldiers and equipment moved into its northeastern states as part of an emergency military campaign against Islamic extremists waging a bloody insurgency.

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — The Congolese army says that 32 were killed in fighting between soldiers and Mai Mai militiamen.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Dozens of paintings, a silver tea set and other items belonging to Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie will be auctioned next week to pay off debts she owes to a South African school.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Dozens of paintings, a silver tea set and other items belonging to Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie will be auctioned to pay off debts she owes to a South African school.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Six people were killed and dozens more injured when a four-story building under construction collapsed in eastern Rwanda, police said Wednesday as the rescue effort ended.

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Police in Rwanda say a four-story building that was under construction collapsed, killing at least three workers and injuring 21 more people.

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Admitting Islamic extremists now control some of his nation's villages and towns, Nigeria's president declared a state of emergency Tuesday across the country's troubled northeast, promising to send more troops to fight what he said is now an open rebellion.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A safari guide rushed on foot toward an elephant at a South African game park while fellow guides whooped and laughed at the foolhardy stunt, which cost the ranger his job when a video of the incident was posted online.