Africa

Libyan forces in the country’s east say they have cleared the final remaining pockets of the city of Benghazi of Islamist militiamen and armed opponents. The head of the self-styled Libyan National Army, Gen. Khalifa Hifter, says that all that remained were some land mines and bombs to clear. He …

Clashes between armed groups killed three people in northeastern Mali on Thursday, a security source said, as the United Nations condemned repeated ceasefire violations by the combatants. Mali’s north is controlled in parts by armed groups loyal to Bamako and in others by former rebels who want greater autonomy for …

United States President Donald Trump has spoken with his Egyptian counterpart about the ongoing dispute between Qatar and four Arab countries. The president called Egypt’s Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi from Air Force One on Wednesday, while en route to Poland. He called on “all parties to negotiate constructively to resolve the dispute” …

The US military says it has carried out an airstrike against al-Shabaab in Somalia as the Trump administration quietly steps up efforts against the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa. Pentagon spokesperson Major Audricia M Harris said the strike occurred on Sunday afternoon Somalia time and the US was assessing …

Egypt’s parliament has approved a presidential decision to extend the state of emergency nationwide for another three months. President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi initially imposed the state of emergency after suicide bombings struck two Coptic Christian churches on Palm Sunday in an attack that was claimed by the Egyptian

Morocco’s top diplomat said on Tuesday that the United Nations is to lead efforts to end a dispute over a partially recognised state in Western Sahara that Rabat considers its territory. Speaking in Addis Ababa at his first African Union summit since Morocco returned to the bloc in January, Foreign …

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mali on Sunday to boost Western backing for a regional anti-jihadist force, with France urging greater support for the Sahel region amid mounting insecurity. The so-called “G5 Sahel” countries south of the Sahara – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger – have pledged …

Egypt says it will host a meeting of Arab nations that have cut off ties to Qatar. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid says foreign ministers of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates will meet in Cairo on Wednesday. He says the meeting will discuss the future …

Egypt’s military says its air force destroyed 12 vehicles loaded with weapons, ammunitions and explosives, after receiving intelligence that “criminal elements” were attempting to cross the western border with Libya.

Egyptian cabinet decided on Thursday to extend the state of emergency in the country for three more months. The decision to extend the emergency state was made during a cabinet meeting.