African Spotlight Spotlighting Africans at Home and Abroad

Zimbabwe’s three main political leaders stood together on Friday to condemn political violence, and said parties should freely hold meetings at a time when tensions are rising ahead of possible elections in 2012. Last week, MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai said violence was on the increase and Zanu PF leader Robert Mugabe’s supporters and state security agents were to blame. On ...

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Alain Juppe, on Saturday said his country was ready to support Nigeria in fighting the menace of the Boko Haram sect. Juppe said this in Abuja on Saturday at a joint press conference with his Nigerian counterpart, Mr.Olugbenga Ashiru. He said his country was ready to share information, coordinate intelligence with Nigeria and ...

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was confirmed the victor of a run-off poll boycotted by the opposition, and vowed to reach out to her opponents and reconcile the divided nation. Sirleaf’s re-election was seen as a foregone conclusion after rival Winston Tubman pulled out of the race and urged his supporters to boycott the polls over fears the process was ...

Nigeria’s first house built from discarded plastic bottles is proving a tourist attraction in the village of Yelwa in northern Nigeria. “Millions of plastic bottles in the country are dumped into waterways and landfill each year causing pollution, erosion, irrigation blockages, and health problems. Bottle houses take this dangerous waste out of the environment and make it useful,” the environmental ...