Africa News

KHARTOUM (AFP) - The African Union will ask the United Nations to defer any proceedings for alleged Darfur war crimes against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir, its chairman said in Khartoum on Monday.

HARARE (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki arrived at Harare's airport on Monday, where he was met by President Robert Mugabe, in a bid to revive stalled power-sharing talks between Zimbabwe's political rivals.

CAIRO (Reuters) - The death toll from a rockfall that sent boulders crashing down on dozens of houses in a crowded Cairo shanty town rose to 51 on Monday, with a number of people still missing, Egyptian security sources said.

CAIRO (AFP) - At least 47 people were killed in a massive rockslide which flattened homes in a Cairo shantytown, a security official said Monday, with yet more bodies pulled from the rubble two days after the tragedy.

HARARE (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki will meet on Monday in Harare with leaders of Zimbabwe's rival political parties in an effort to revive stalled power-sharing talks, the foreign ministry said.

HARARE (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in Zimbabwe's power-sharing talks, will meet with the country's political parties in Harare on Monday in his latest bid to end the country's political turmoil.

RABAT (Reuters) - The heart of many homes is the kitchen and that is where Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi hosted Condoleezza Rice for a Ramadan meal this week, a symbolic gesture to try to end decades of enmity.

GWERU, Zimbabwe (AFP) - Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called on Sunday for fresh elections, supervised by international observers, if deadlocked power-sharing talks do not reach a breakthrough.

RABAT (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held talks in Morocco Sunday on issues including terrorism as part of a tour of North Africa, where an Al-Qaeda-linked group has claimed attacks.

BERLIN (AFP) - Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of the organising committee for the 2010 World Cup, insisted Sunday South Africa "is on time" to host the tournament and dismissed rumours Germany could step in as a replacement.

MAPUTO (AFP) - Former Zambian president Kenneth Kaunda, one of Africa's senior statesmen and a close friend of President Robert Mugabe, on Sunday urged Zimbabwe's political rivals to bury their differences.

KHARTOUM (AFP) - Dozens of Darfur rebels and Sudanese government soldiers have been killed in fierce clashes in North Darfur state, fighters from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) said on Sunday.

LAGOS (AFP) - Nigerian militants on Sunday killed one sailor and kidnapped another when they hijacked a vessel belonging to the Nigerian unit of Italian oil company Agip, a military spokesman said.

GWERU, Zimbabwe (AFP) - Zimbabwe's main opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai called Sunday for fresh elections, supervised by international observers, if problems in power-sharing talks persist.

GWERU, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - MDC opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Sunday that it would be better for his party to pull out of power-sharing talks in Zimbabwe than accept an unsatisfactory agreement.

HARARE (AFP) - Teachers in Zimbabwe's public schools have gone on strike to press for higher pay, a union spokesman on Sunday, despite a pay rise for civil servants announced by the government.

KHARTOUM, Sudan - A Darfur rebel group says it has successfully repelled a government assault in North Darfur, but the Sudanese government denies it carried out any operations in the area.

CAIRO (AFP) - At least 30 people were killed after dozens of homes in a northern Cairo shantytown were crushed by a massive rockslide, state television reported on Sunday, updating an earlier toll.

KHARTOUM (AFP) - Fashion-conscious women in Sudan anxious to look their best for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan are scouring the capital in search of this season's must-have item -- which may not even exist.

RABAT (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Morocco Saturday on the last leg of a North Africa visit after holding talks on terrorism in Algeria with President Abedelaziz Bouteflika.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - Cameroon came from behind to trump Cape Verde Islands 2-1 Saturday and become the second country to reach the final African qualifying phase for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

ALGIERS (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talked terrorism in Algeria Saturday with President Abedelaziz Bouteflika, as her North Africa visit edged towards its conclusion.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - The South Africa Rugby Union (SARU) denied Saturday a report claiming national coach Peter de Villiers was the victim of sex blackmail.

LAGOS (AFP) - A Nigerian court has granted bail to a former state governor facing corruption charges, court officials said Saturday.

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (AFP) - South Africa fell 1-0 to Nigeria Saturday and lost virtually all hope of playing in the African Nations Cup five months before hosting the 2010 World Cup.

ALGIERS (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice touched down in Algeria's capital for several hours Saturday, continuing a North Africa tour that earlier took in Tunisia and Libya.

LAGOS, Nigeria - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua returned to the West African country Saturday after more than two weeks in Saudi Arabia, where he reportedly spent a lengthy stint in a private hospital, officials said.

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese forces launched ground and air attacks on two rebel bases in North Darfur on Saturday, killing an unknown number of people, insurgent groups said.

LAGOS (AFP) - Nigeria's President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua returned home from Saudi Arabia Saturday, a government official said, amid questions about his health.