Africa

At least seven people have died and many others are missing after a boat carrying about 200 migrants attempting to reach Europe capsized off the coast of The Gambia, authorities say. The boat overturned on Wednesday midnight near Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found …

Mali and Burkina Faso say they will bar US citizens from entering their countries in response to a similar move by the Trump administration. The two West African states were recently placed under full entry restrictions under US President Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban. In separate statements, they said they …

Guinea has restricted access to social media platforms TikTok, YouTube and Facebook as the country awaits the final results from Sunday’s presidential election. Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks reported that access to the popular sites, via key providers Orange and MTN, had been disrupted. Initial results published late on Monday show …

Wedaeli Chibelushi, Ameyu Etana,BBC Afaan Oromooand Farah Lamane,BBC Somali AFP via Getty Images Residents of Somaliland’s capital city, Hargeisa, have been celebrating Israel’s declaration China has joined the chorus of countries staunchly condemning Israel’s recognition of the breakaway state of Somaliland as an independent nation. “No country should encourage or …

Makuochi OkaforBBC Africa Gift Ufuoma/BBC Buildings in Nukuru village were damaged by the ferocity of the missiles that struck 10km away on Christmas Day Deep fear has long pervaded the arid savannah plains and highlands of north-western Nigeria – even before the US air strikes on the Islamist militants who …

Radio Gaalkacyo Saabirin’s death sparked calls for child protection measures to be properly implemented A woman is currently awaiting execution in Somalia after being convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl in her care. The murder of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the horrific details that emerged about the circumstances …

Some of African football’s greatest players never got their hands on the Africa Cup of Nations trophy. With the 2025 tournament under way in Morocco, BBC Sport Africa’s Ian Williams profiles five big names who missed out the continent’s biggest prize. Presenter/Producer: Ian Williams Edited by: Jenna Abaakouk BBC News

Paul MellyWest Africa analyst AFP via Getty Images Voters in Guinea and the Central African Republic will get to vote for president On Sunday, citizens of Guinea and the Central African Republic (CAR) will go to the polls to elect their presidents for terms of office of seven years. Both …

Tom McArthurand Abdirahman Ali Dhimbil Getty Images Somaliland’s president Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi called the declaration “historic” Israel has become the first country to formally recognise Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland as an independent nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel intended to immediately expand cooperation in agriculture, health, and technology. …

President Donald Trump has said the US launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against the Islamic State (IS) group in north-western Nigeria. The US leader described IS as ” terrorist scum”, accusing the group of “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians”. Trump said the US military “executed numerous perfect …

To understand the significance of this moment, it helps to understand the magnitude of Kipchoge’s success. As well as those Olympic titles, Kipchoge’s honours have included a world title, 11 World Marathon Major victories and two official world records. In one of sport’s most impressive feats, he became the first …

Eleven suspects have been arrested in connection with a mass shooting that left nine people dead at a tavern in South Africa on Sunday. Police launched a manhunt for the 12 unidentified gunmen who had opened fire at patrons at around 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT Saturday) in the Bekkersdal …

BBC Several people are feared to have been killed and injured in Nigeria after a suspected suicide bomber carried out an attack on a mosque in Borno state. Eyewitnesses said the blast happened during evening prayers. One report suggests seven people were killed, but there has been no official confirmation …

Alfred LasteckBBC Africa, Dar es Salaam BBC At first light in Tanzania’s main city Dar es Salaam, some of its six million residents begin their day with a frantic search for water. Christmas is approaching, but the festive mood is dampened by the dry pipes, as the city experiences serious …

Khanyisile NgcoboJohannesburg Gallo Images via Getty Images Senzo Mchunu was suspended as police minister after corruption allegations emerged about him, which he denies South Africans have long suspected corruption and political interference were at work in the police force but in the past few months allegations appearing to confirm this …

Only Manchester City‘s Erling Haaland has eclipsed Brentford‘s Brazilian striker Igor Thiago’s 11 goals in this season’s Premier League, while Ouattara has also played an important role by scoring three times and winning four penalties – the most of any player in the division. Burkina Faso international Ouattara is now …

There is growing anger in Malawi over a post-Christmas fortnight trip to the UK that one of the country’s vice-presidents is due to take. Jane Ansah’s visit will be in a private capacity but the reported size of both her entourage and overall cost of the trip has ignited fierce …

The nearly 90,000 refugees who fled to Burundi after the recent escalation of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo face dire conditions in cramped camps with limited access to food and water, aid agencies say Congolese M23 rebels recently captured the city of Uvira, near the Burundi border, and …

Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge has all the running accolades he needs but he is now focusing on new goals. He now wants to run a marathon on all seven continents, including Antarctica, he told the BBC. It will all be part of efforts to raise money in order to build …

The perpetrators are not known and the authorities have yet to comment. Kidnapping for ransom by criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, has become common across parts of northern and central Nigeria. Although the handing over of cash in order to release those being held is illegal, it is thought …