Africa: News on Africa from The New York Times

Here is the latest in African News from The New York Times.

Peace Event Hosts Wives of South Sudan Leaders Tied to Rape
The spouses of two South Sudanese rivals accused by the United Nations of using sexual violence as a war tactic are participating in a United Nations panel.

Angolan President, in Power Nearly Four Decades, Says He’ll Step Down
José Eduardo dos Santos, a former guerrilla who came to power in 1979, has been criticized for human rights violations and rampant inequality in Angola.

Juba Journal: In South Sudan, City of Hope Is Now City of Fear
The Republic of South Sudan is not even five years old, but already 50,000 people have been killed in an ethnically driven civil war.

U.N. Reports Systematic Rape in South Sudan Conflict
The rapes are part of wider violence against civilians in the civil war, with government-allied forces the worst offenders, the United Nations said.

World Briefing: Nigeria: Building Collapse Kills 34
The collapse of a complex under construction killed mostly foreign workers from Benin and Niger in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, officials said.

Arts | Long Island: Documenting Violence Against Women, Even if It’s Hard to Look
A new exhibit at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County explores the brutal treatment of women around the world.

Killer of Chris Hani, Anti-Apartheid Activist, Is Granted Parole
Some South Africans expressed outrage over the paroling of Janusz Walus, who had been serving a life sentence for the 1993 killing.

World Briefing: 34 Countries Need Food Aid, Report Says
The report said conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and the Central African Republic had taken a heavy toll on agricultural production.

19 Shabab Fighters Die in Somalia in Strike Aided by U.S.
The commando attack occurred at a village 40 miles west of Mogadishu on Tuesday night, with the help of American military advisers and helicopters.

U.S. Broadens Sanctions on Joseph Kony and His Group
The Treasury Department action against Mr. Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army, an African guerrilla organization, could hamper their ability to raise money by selling poached ivory.

Pentagon Plan to Fight ISIS in Libya Includes Barrage of Airstrikes
A bid to aid Western-backed militias in a ground battle against the Islamic State in Libya has drawn warnings about an effect on diplomatic efforts.

Egyptian Aviation Student Who Made Trump Threat Is Leaving U.S.
Emadeldin Elsayed’s comments on Donald J. Trump’s idea to bar Muslims from the United States stirred debate about what is a threat or “mouthing off.”

Shabab Claim Responsibility for Blast at Somali Airport
A bomb in a laptop computer went off at a security checkpoint at the airport in Beletwein in central Somalia, wounding at least six people, officials said.

U.S. Strikes Kill 150 Shabab Fighters in Somalia, Officials Say
The strikes hit a camp where officials said fighters with the Shabab militant group were preparing an attack against American troops and their allies.

Global Health: Studies Offer Hope for Malnourished Children
Research on mice indicates that the gut bacteria of healthy children can fix that of starving children, and that breast milk can be improved.

Clash at Military Barracks Near Tunisia-Libya Border Kills at Least 27
The assault comes at a time of growing concern that the war in Libya, where the Islamic State has aggressively expanded, is spilling over.

Money Given to Kenya, Since Stolen, Puts Nike in Spotlight
According to email exchanges, letters, bank records and invoices, Nike’s attempt to maintain sponsorship of Kenya’s runners has precipitated a scandal.

Hassan al-Turabi, Islamist Who Championed Bin Laden, Dies at 84
After the expulsion of Al Qaeda from Sudan, his home country, in 1996, Mr. Turabi sought to reposition himself as a mainstream politician.

Boko Haram Falls Victim to a Food Crisis It Created
Across northeastern Nigeria and bordering Cameroon, farmers have fled, herdsmen have rerouted cattle drives, and markets have shut down.

World Briefing: South Africa: Oscar Pistorius’s Appeal of Conviction Is Rejected
South Africa’s highest court on Thursday dismissed a final appeal from the former track star to overturn his murder conviction in the 2013 death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.

Egypt’s Parliament Expels Lawmaker Who Dined With Israel’s Ambassador
The lawmaker, Tawfik Okasha, had already been attacked with a shoe by a fellow lawmaker three days earlier over the same episode, which highlighted Egyptian sensitivity toward Israel.

Lens Blog: Young Africans, Wrapped in Tradition
Joana Choumali, a photographer from Ivory Coast, is documenting modern African women wearing traditional clothing. She said these portraits allow her subjects to reconnect with their family history.

Shell and Nigerian Partner Are Sued in Britain Over Spills
Farmers and fishermen in the Niger Delta say they have suffered for years because of large spills from oil pipelines.

Debris in Mozambique Is Thought to Come From Malaysia Airlines Flight
Pieces that washed up could be part of the wreckage from Flight 370, which vanished almost exactly two years ago, NBC and CNN reported.

World Briefing: Zimbabwe: Ex-Ally Challenges Mugabe
Joice Mujuru, a former vice president, on Tuesday announced plans to run in elections scheduled for 2018.

Letter From Africa: Raw Tensions Over Race Fester in South Africa
Bitter controversies on social media have shown that two decades of democracy have muted neither the perception nor the reality of inequality.

In Zimbabwe, Mugabe’s Birthday Is Rife With Political Jockeying
The visible frailty of President Robert G. Mugabe has focused attention on the increasingly fierce struggle within his party to succeed him.

Cape Town Journal: Muslim Enclave Forged in Apartheid Now Faces Gentrification
Residents of the vibrant and historic Bo-Kaap neighborhood fear that their traditions and close-knit community are at risk as money pours in.

Twin Suicide Bombings Kill at Least 20 as Shabab Violence Intensifies in Somalia
The Islamist militant group the Shabab said it carried out consecutive suicide bombings in the city of Baidoa that killed at least 20 people.

The Killing Fields of South Sudan
Atrocities are being committed by a government that the United States has helped establish.

Shabab Militants Claim Deadly Attack on Hotel in Somalia
At least 10 people were killed and dozens were wounded in an attack on a hotel and public garden in Mogadishu. Security forces managed to stop militants from storming the building, officials said.

At Least 14 Dead as Shabab Gunmen Attack Hotel in Somalia
Gunmen forced their way into a hotel in the Somali capital on Friday night, exchanging fire with hotel guards and leaving 14 dead before government security forces ended the attack, the police said.

In DNA, Clues to the Cheetah’s Speed and Hurdles
A big cat named Chewbaaka has enabled scientists to sequence and decrypt the cheetah’s complete genome.

Editorial: Helping Women in Africa Avoid H.I.V.
A promising new device lowered infection rates for some women, but more work and research is needed.

World Briefing: South Africa: Student Protesters Force Their University to Close
North-West University said the protesting students burned an administration building and science center at the campus in Mafikeng on Wednesday night.

U.S. Plans to Put Advisers on Front Lines of Nigeria’s War on Boko Haram
The deployment of dozens of Special Operations advisers would push American troops hundreds of miles closer to the battle that Nigerian forces are waging against the militants.

Rights Group Reports Deepening Violence in Burundi
Human Rights Watch said it had found “an alarming new pattern of abductions and possible disappearances” in the Central African country.

World Briefing: South Africa: Students Injured in Clash
University guards fired rubber bullets and tear gas after disruption at a student council event, officials said.

World Briefing: Burundi: President to Free Detainees
President Pierre Nkurunziza has promised to release 2,000 people detained during months of unrest.

World Briefing: Zimbabwe: Government Seizes Mining Operations
All diamond mining will now be managed by the Zimbabwe Consolidated Mining Company, wholly owned by the government.

John E. Reinhardt, Ambassador and Head of U.S. Information Agency, Dies at 95
Dr. Reinhardt was the first black American ambassador to Nigeria, and the first career diplomat and first university educator to lead the information agency.

Vaginal Ring With Drug Lowers H.I.V. Rates in African Women
A flexible ring that slowly releases an antiviral drug into the vagina helped protect African women against H.I.V. infection, two studies reported.

Uganda Opposition Candidate Taken From Home
Kizza Besigye, the runner-up in the presidential election last week, had been under house arrest, and the United States had called for his release.

U.S. Scrambles to Contain Growing ISIS Threat in Libya
As U.S. intelligence agencies say the number of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria has dropped, the group’s ranks in Libya have roughly doubled.

Newly Elected Central African Republic Leader Faces Hard Realities
Faustin Archange Touadéra, a former prime minister, was declared the winner of the presidential election in the Central African Republic, which emerged from a civil war with a devastated economy.

U.S. Calls for Release of Uganda’s Opposition Leader
The police arrested the most popular challenger to the president, before the results of a flawed election were announced.

Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s President, Wins a Widely Criticized Election
Mr. Museveni, the country’s longtime president, cruised to victory in an election marred by irregularities, violent protests and the arrest of his main opponent.

Former Prime Minister Wins Central African Republic’s Presidential Runoff
Faustin-Archange Touadéra inherits the enormous task of trying to restore order in a country where armed rebel groups still control much territory.

Cameroon Blames Boko Haram in Pair of Suicide Bombings
A week after Cameroon began a new offensive against the militant group, two attackers detonated explosives in Mémé, local reports said, killing nearly two dozen people.

Kizza Besigye, Main Opposition Candidate in Uganda, Is Arrested Again
Mr. Besigye was arrested for the second time in two days as voting continued amid unrest in the capital.

Nairobi Park’s Lions, a Draw for Tourists, Take a Trip of Their Own
A number of lions that slipped out of Nairobi National Park on Friday, but the police did not report any unwanted encounters.

U.S. Strikes ISIS Camp in Libya, Killing More Than 30
The airstrikes targeted a senior Tunisian operative linked to two major terrorist attacks in Tunisia last year, a Western official said.

Letter From Africa: Truth, Reconciliation and Now, a Prosecution in South Africa
Four police officers will be tried in the torture and murder of an anti-apartheid courier in 1983, a triumph for the judicial process, however slow.

World Briefing: Ghana: Dozens Killed in Road Accident
A head-on collision between a passenger bus and a truck killed at least 61 people in the deadliest road accident in recent memory in the country, officials and witnesses said Thursday.

Top Opposition Candidate in Uganda Is Arrested on Election Day
Kizza Besigye, the main challenger to President Yoweri Museveni, was apprehended by the Ugandan authorities, who did not comment on the arrest.

With a Boom Before the Cameras, Nigeria Redefines African Life
Nollywood is resonating across the continent with its stories of a pre-colonial past and of a present caught between village life and urban modernity.

News Analysis: Uganda, Firmly Under One Man’s Rule, Dusts Off Trappings of an Election
The pressure for multiparty democracy seems to be fading in African politics, but many longtime leaders feel the need to go through the motions.

Editorial: A Tale of Horror at the United Nations
The organization is failing some of the world’s most vulnerable children by not cracking down on sexually abusive peacekeeping troops.

World Briefing: Zimbabwe: Owner of Impounded Jet Says Body on Board Was a Stowaway
The American corporate owner of the cargo jet impounded in Zimbabwe after the bloodied body of a man was discovered aboard during a refueling stop confirmed that man was a stowaway.

Nigerian Women Freed From Boko Haram Face Rejection at Home
Community members worry that the women and girls, many of whom were raped, have been radicalized and might try to recruit for the militant group.

Op-Ed Contributor: Uganda’s Least Equal Voters: The L.G.B.T.I.
One hate law has been overturned, but the government still finds ways to silence and punish L.G.B.T.I. activists and groups.

Americans and Dutch Train Senegal Commandos as Fears of Terrorism Grow
The exercises come at a time of heightened worries after recent Qaeda attacks at luxury hotels in the capitals of Mali and Burkina Faso.

U.S.-Owned Plane Carrying Corpse and Cash Is Impounded in Zimbabwe
The cargo jet, transporting money for the South African Reserve Bank, was seized during a refueling stop after a body dripping blood was found on board.

Op-Ed Contributor: Le procès Habré, un succès à ne pas répéter
Jamais dans une affaire de crimes contre l’humanité la voix des victimes n’aura été aussi dominante. Et l’Union africaine conclut : ne recommençons pas.

Op-Ed Contributor: The Landmark Trial of Hissène Habré
Never in a trial for mass crimes have the victims’ voices been so dominant. And the African Union is saying: Never again.

Opposition Candidate Arrested Days Before Uganda’s Presidential Vote
Kizza Besigye, a onetime confidant of President Yoweri Museveni who is now challenging him for the presidency, was detained as he was holding a rally.

Malawi Gets Its First Grammy Nomination, With Album by Prison Inmates
The work has been an unexpected boon for the tiny African nation and now goes up against the works of well-known artists in the world music category.

Trial of Chad’s Ex-President Is Punctuated by His Noncooperation
Guards had to confine Hissène Habré, the former president of Chad, to the defendant’s chair nearly every day for four months.

Shabab Claims Plane Attack
A man who set off a bomb was sucked out of a Daallo Airlines plane through a hole when the blast ripped open the cabin in flight, officials said.

Congo Rebels Killed 6 and Kidnapped 14, Group Says
A statement from the group blamed the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group with origins in neighboring Uganda.

War, Disease, Scandals: Slugging It Out in Sierra Leone’s Soccer Politics
Isha Johansen, the president of Sierra Leone’s soccer association, is one of just a handful of women in the world to have held such a post.

Ex-Guantánamo Detainee Is Freed From Moroccan Prison
Younis Shokuri had remained in custody for months despite assurances from Morocco that he would probably be released soon after his transfer from the prison in Cuba.

Rivals Disrupt Jacob Zuma’s Speech on South African Economy
Rocked by scandal, Mr. Zuma gave a state of the nation address more humbled than he has ever been. The opposition took the chance to demand his resignation.

South Sudan Leader Takes Major Step to Ending Conflict
President Salva Kiir said he was reappointing his rival as first vice president, an important condition of a deal to end more than two years of war.

Nigeria Vexed by Boko Haram’s Use of Women as Suicide Bombers
Three girls sent by Boko Haram this week to attack a camp for those seeking to escape violence revealed a weakness in defenses against the militants.

Op-Ed Contributor: Don’t Forget Darfur
A reckless new military offensive by the Sudanese regime threatens another humanitarian disaster in the region.

Suicide-Bomber Girls Kill 58 in Nigerian Refugee Camp
The victims were among the more than 50,000 people forced from their homes by Boko Haram, only to be terrorized in the place they had sought refuge.

Security Fears Hang Over African Marathons
The marathon circuit in Africa has expanded in recent years to countries like Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Gabon, despite concerns over potential terrorist attacks.

Tunisian Town Simmers With Unrest Over Lack of Jobs and Investment
In a country where nearly a third of young people are unemployed, the jobless in Kasserine have occupied part of the governor’s office and declared a hunger strike.

Ring of Elephant Poachers Broken Up by Tanzanian Authorities
An inquiry into a British pilot’s death led to nine arrests — including a conservation intelligence officer — on charges of poaching elephants for their ivory.

Released From Guantánamo, but in Legal Limbo in Morocco
Younis Shokuri feared being repatriated to Morocco, and his lawyers said they were assured there was a deal between the U.S. and Moroccan governments. Yet he remains in custody in his native country.

world briefing: Somalia: Residue From Explosives Found in Jet, Airline Says
The top executive of the airline, whose jetliner was damaged in an explosion shortly after takeoff this week, cautioned that the findings were inconclusive.

world briefing: Nigeria: Separatist Groups Deny Any Role in Ship’s Hijacking
Claims that the ship was boarded last week by separatists are probably a cover to lend legitimacy to a kidnapping for ransom, a maritime security expert said.

U.N. Report Accuses Rwanda of Training Rebels to Oust Burundian Leader
The report said investigators had spoken with 18 Burundian rebels who claimed to have been trained inside Rwanda.

Matter: DNA Study of First Ancient African Genome Flawed, Researchers Report
When other researchers studied the 4,500-year-old-genome, they discovered that the conclusion that much of Africa has Eurasian ancestry was incorrect.

U.N. Peacekeepers Accused of Rape in Central African Republic
A Human Rights Watch report on abuse by peacekeepers in Central African Republic added to what the United Nations has called a serious problem.

Obama Is Pressed to Open Military Front Against ISIS in Libya
The number of Islamic State fighters in Libya has grown to between 5,000 and 6,500, Pentagon officials said, more than double the estimate of last fall.

Bomb Suspected in Deadly Explosion on Somali Jet
The blast above the plane’s right wing on Tuesday sucked one passenger out, killing him, and injured two others. Shabab militants are suspected.

Jacob Zuma, South African Leader, to Repay Part of Money Spent on His Home
The president has been dogged by reports about $23 million in public funds used to make extensive upgrades to his homestead.

Trial of Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo Will Test International Criminal Court
The former leader of Ivory Coast will be the first ex-president to be tried by the court when it opens on Thursday.

World Briefing: Sudan: President Opens Border With South Sudan
The border was closed in 2011, when relations deteriorated after the south seceded after a civil war.

World Briefing: Nigeria: Deadly Explosions Erupt in Northern Market
At least 12 people were killed when explosives were detonated in the northern town of Chibok, where Boko Haram militants abducted more than 200 girls almost two years ago.

Eat: The Generosity in Senegalese Stew
Learning how to cook chicken mafe includes unexpected lessons in hospitality.

Lens Blog: South Africa’s Pantsula Dancers Bring Life to the Streets
Pantsula, a South African dance that is more like a way of life, captivated Chris Saunders, who set out to document a subculture with roots in jazz and hip-hop.

Burundi Mass Grave Clues Seen in Satellite Photos, Group Says
The Amnesty International analysis added to growing evidence of atrocities. Separately, two foreign journalists who had been detained were released.

Peacekeepers Accused of Sexual Abuse in Central African Republic
The latest cases, uncovered by investigators in January, add to concerns about the failure of the United Nations to address a long-running scandal.

World Briefing: Nigeria Plans Inquiry Into Deadly Clashes Between Army and Shiite Sect
Members of the sect, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, have said that as many as 800 people were killed during the clashes in December.

Boko Haram Burns Villages in Northeastern Nigeria
At least 50 people, including children, were killed by gunmen and suicide bombers in a series of raids on villages outside the city of Maiduguri, officials said.

Cartoonist Is Arrested as Egypt Cracks Down on Critics
The arrest of the cartoonist Islam Gawish escalated a crackdown by the government on even moderate forms of dissent.

African Union Says Crisis in South Sudan Is Worsening
A new, nine-page report blames government forces and rebels for the declining humanitarian situation, in which starvation, lack of government oversight and violence reign.