ABIDJAN, Feb 20 (IPS) - A week after President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and the electoral commission, thousands marched in the city of Bouaké, damaging cars and shops. There have been almost daily demonstrations in cities across the country as Côte d'Ivoire's political crisis deepens.

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 3 (IPS) - The International Criminal Court is to review its earlier decision not to add genocide to the charges against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.

ADDIS ABABA , Feb 01 (IPS) - Peace in Sudan remains an uncertainty ahead of the country’s first general elections in 24 years, according to the African Union Commission chief.

YENAGOA, Nigeria, Feb 1 (IPS) - Three flow stations in the oil-rich Niger Delta have had to be closed after a pipeline was sabotaged, according to Royal Dutch Shell.

NAIROBI, Jan 28 (IPS) - The testimonies of women who survived sexual violence during post-election conflict in 2008 should be heard, say advocates. The magnitude of the crimes committed against women because of their gender must be recorded and prosecuted to prevent such violence from occurring again.

TORIT, South Sudan, Jan 20 (IPS) - An old rite is long overdue in Paul Yugusak Tombe’s home village, in Central Equatoria State, south Sudan.

JUBA, South Sudan, Jan 19 (IPS) - Sudan is at a crossroads. Its future looks grim. "Only a miracle can save it from disintegrating. The signs are already on the wall," says Khamis Lako, a petty trader in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

ABIDJAN, Jan 12 (IPS) - Preparations for presidential elections scheduled for the end of February or the beginning of March - elections which have already been postponed numerous times since 2005 - have again reached an impasse in Côte d'Ivoire.

KANO, Dec 29 (IPS) - Government has again clashed with a religious sect in the state of Bauchi. Just under six months ago, an Islamist sect called Boko Haram launched attacks on police stations across four northern states, and hundreds of lives were lost before the situation was brought under control.

MONROVIA, Dec 26 (IPS) - More than a year ago several hundred newly trained Liberian soldiers staged a one-day strike at the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) headquarters.

FREETOWN, Dec 18 (IPS) - A new police force plan to recruit youths in each community, to help fight the country-wide spate of armed robbery, has provoked controversy and sparked a nationwide debate.

LUSAKA, Dec 17 (IPS) - Prisca Musonda is an ardent supporter of Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata and his party. She has travelled with him to most parliamentary constituencies campaigning in elections.

TORIT, southern Sudan, Dec 16 (IPS) - The five children of Mary Muwombi have grown up in the war of south Sudan. It was a harsh existence - living on the brink of death and eating whatever they could find just to survive.

TORIT, South Sudan, Dec 14 (IPS) - The atmosphere is heavily charged with political tensions, alliances are already in the offing, expectations are high and the pressure for the country to achieve a successful transition from an interim government to a democratically elected one is immense.

TSHWANE, Dec 11 (IPS) - While waiting in one of those interminable queues at a South African state hospital, Jullian Nwadu was asked when she was going back to Zimbabwe. "In December," she answered, welcoming what seemed like a stranger’s attempt at making friendly conversation. "When you go, you mustn’t come back."

JOHANNESBURG, Dec 10 (IPS) - "When the tenth man finished raping me they said they were going to rape my daughter. I cried out but I could not even stand up at this time...they raped my daughter (while) I was there and I couldn’t do anything to stop them. My daughter was five years old..."

KAMPALA, Dec 9 (IPS) - Sam Kubo had gone to lease out his 600 hectares of land in Kayunga district. But instead he went to his death.

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 8 (IPS) - Opposition parties are troubled by what they say is government’s strategy to keep them out of the general elections in May 2010.

SHAMVA, Zimbabwe
, Oct 15 (IPS) - Twenty years ago, Isaac Chidavaenzi would worry when his neighbours set up vegetable gardens on river banks, trying to get closer to water sources. The number of gardens on the rivers' banks has now decreased, but Chidavaenzi is even more worried.


MONROVIA, Sep 4 (IPS) - It was past midnight when Carroll Johnson was woken by angry shouting in his suburban neighbourhood of Fiamah. Around the corner a frenzied crowd with sticks had gathered in the darkness, and now stood menacingly over an armed robber called 'Bush Cat'.