Africa: News and Reviews from The New York Times

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

How Boko Haram Trains Abducted Women and Girls to Be Suicide Bombers
Of all the many horrors of Boko Haram’s rampage, one of the most baffling has been its ability to turn captured women and girls into killers.

Jacob Zuma, Under Siege, Finds Political Refuge in Rural South Africa
As urban South Africans call for his resignation, the president remains popular in the villages and towns that are his party’s stronghold.

International Criminal Court Drops Case Against Kenya’s William Ruto
Mr. Ruto, Kenya’s deputy president, faced charges of crimes against humanity in connection with deadly violence after the 2007 elections.

Despite Several Blows to Shabab, Worries Persist About Their Resilience
The recent strikes against the militant group in Somalia will “hurt them, no doubt,” an analyst said, “but they tend to regenerate.”

Zika Forest Journal: In a Remote Ugandan Lab, Encounters With Zika and Mosquitoes Decades Ago
A forested site where science and exploration overlapped in the discovery of numerous viruses is today a little patch of forest, but research into the Zika virus continues.

Jacob Zuma Impeachment Debate Begins in South Africa
The opposition party motion to impeach Mr. Zuma, which was begun over a long-running corruption case, is given little chance of passage.

World Briefing: Ivory Coast: Politician Acquired Tons of Weapons, U.N. Investigation Finds
During the 2011 civil war, Guillaume Soro, the parliament speaker, acquired 300 tons of weapons, many of which remain under the control of his loyalists in the army.

Global Health: Yellow Fever Outbreak in Angola Strains Health Organizations
A crisis threatens other countries, including China, and exposes how poorly prepared the world is to fight two mosquito-borne epidemics at once.

Gunfire in Republic of Congo as Police Stations Attacked
An armed group rampaged overnight in Brazzaville, the capital, shattering a relative calm since the re-election of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso.

2 Libyan Guantánamo Inmates Are Transferred to Senegal
Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated the Obama administration’s arguments that the American military prison in Cuba should be closed.

Drones Marshaled to Drop Lifesaving Supplies Over Rwandan Terrain
Zipline, based in California, raises $18 million and partners with the small African country to shuttle packages of blood and emergency medicine.

Contributing Op-Ed Writer: False News From the Sisi State
As hundreds of young Egyptians continue to disappear, no one believes the government’s explanations.

Op-Ed Contributor: Jacob Zuma Must Go
A court ruling that South Africa’s president has abused his office should herald a new era of democratic accountability.

Libya’s U.N.-Backed Government Ventures Farther Into Tripoli
The unity government, which landed by boat on Wednesday, appears to be getting some support from other factions.

Somali Militant Leader Believed Killed in Drone Strike
Hassan Ali Dhoore, considered an important member of the Shabab security and intelligence wing, had been under U.S. surveillance for some time.

Jacob Zuma Says He’ll Repay South Africa for Home Improvements
Mr. Zuma said that the upgrade of his private home had caused “frustration and confusion,” but that he never meant to subvert the Constitution.

New Ebola Case Confirmed in Liberia; Guinea Tries a Vaccine
Although the World Health Organization no longer considers Ebola an international emergency, new cases in Liberia and Guinea show the disease’s resilience.

A Bad Week for Lions in Kenya
Two lions were killed in separate incidents near Nairobi this week.

Second Lion Killed in Kenya in 2 Days Reignites Outrage
A 2½-year-old lion known as Lemek was found killed by a spear one day after rangers shot another lion that confronted a crowd.

World Briefing: Somalia: Suicide Bomber Strikes Cafe in Central Town
At least nine people were killed and 10 others wounded near a hotel in the town of Galkayo, a police official said.

Retired Rwanda Politician Dies While Jailed in Burundi as a Spy
Jacques Bihozagara’s death is under investigation at a time of escalating tensions between Burundi and Rwanda.

Uganda’s Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Presidential Election
The challenge by the third-place finisher, Amama Mbabazi, argued that President Yoweri Museveni was not validly elected and that false results had been disseminated.

U.N. Peacekeeping Hit by New Allegations of ‘Sickening’ Sex Abuse
The allegations, if confirmed, would expand the scope of the sexual abuse committed by peacekeepers deployed in the Central African Republic.

Jacob Zuma Violated Constitution, South African Court Rules
The Constitutional Court said the president flouted laws by refusing to pay back part of millions of dollars in public funds used for private home improvements.

Mohawk, a 13-Year-Old Lion, Is Killed by Kenya Wildlife Rangers
The male lion was shot by wildlife officials several times after he knocked a man off a motorcycle near Nairobi National Park.

World Briefing: South Africa to Fight Parole for Killer of Anti-Apartheid Activist
The government said it would appeal the release of Janusz Walus, who had been serving a life sentence for the murder of Chris Hani in 1993.

Businessman and Dictator Face Off as Congo Lurches Toward Abyss
Analysts say the tycoon Moïse Katumbi is best positioned to win Congo’s next election. There is just one problem: There might not be an election.

Is Europe Safe for Travelers? Yes, Experts Say, but Here Are Some Tips
American tourists seem unfazed by recent terror attacks, but travel experts do suggest some basic precautions.

Emergency Over Ebola Has Ended, W.H.O. Says
West African countries can contain the few new cases that arise, and “the likelihood of international spread is low,” the World Health Organization concluded.

World Briefing: Angola: Members of Book Club Are Convicted of Plotting a Coup
A group of 17 political activists known as the Luanda Book Club received prison sentences for plotting to overthrow Angola’s government.

EgyptAir Flight Hijacked and Diverted to Cyprus
Flight 181 was en route to Cairo from Alexandria, Egypt, when it was hijacked, but most of the passengers have been released.

World Briefing: Central African Republic: More Peacekeepers Accused
The United Nations is investigating two new suspected cases of sexual abuse committed by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic.

World Briefing: Cameroon: Doubts That Bomber is Kidnapped Student
The authorities in Cameroon expressed doubt that a would-be suicide bomber she was one of the Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014.

The Saturday Profile: Ebola, Ruthless to Families, Leaves Liberian Man Alive and Alone
Gaye Dumbai got the news that greets so many other survivors: His relatives — 13 in all — were dead. Now, more than a year later, he has his life back, but it is not the same life.

World Briefing: Kenya: Exam Board Linked to Cheating on College Entrance Tests
The government on Thursday dissolved the national examination board and will arrest its members after they were implicated in widespread cheating, officials said.

World Briefing: Angola: Yellow Fever Outbreak Kills 178
More than 450 people have been infected by the disease since December, the World Health Organization said, and there is a global vaccine shortage.

World Briefing: Congo Republic: President Is Re-elected
President Denis Sassou-Nguesso has won a new five-year term with more than 60 percent of the vote, the interior minister said, but the opposition rejected the outcome.

World Briefing: Burundi: Army Officer Is Assassinated in the Capital
The officer, Lt. Col. Darius Ikurakure, was shot inside the army headquarters, multiple military officials said.

Ebola Fears Shut a Liberian Border
Liberia closed its border with Guinea as a precaution against the spread of Ebola after at least four deaths from the virus in Guinea.

Morocco Asks That U.N. Close Western Sahara Military Office
The request was an indication that an escalating dispute between the Moroccan authorities and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon over the disputed territory is not abating.

World Briefing: Congo: U.N. Warns of Election Violence
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to help United Nations peacekeepers preserve political stability in Congo.

BP and Statoil Pull Employees From Algeria Gas Fields After Attack
An affiliate of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a grenade attack that hit one of the largest natural gas fields in Algeria.

Attack Reported on Mali Hotel Used by European Union Military
The European Union’s military mission said in a Twitter post that its headquarters in Bamako had been assaulted. It reported no casualties.

Congolese Politician, Jean-Pierre Bemba, Is Convicted of War Crimes
Mr. Bemba led a militia that committed rape and murder in the Central African Republic in 2002 and 2003, the International Criminal Court found.

Congo Clamps Down for Election
The Republic of Congo’s government has ordered the country’s two largest telecommunications providers to block all communication during a presidential election on Sunday for security reasons.

Gas Facility in Algeria Is Attacked With Rockets
The identities of the attackers, who struck the site that is jointly operated by Statoil and BP, were not known, and there were no immediate reports of injuries.

A Lion Escapes a Kenyan National Park Again, Injuring a Man
It was the fourth time in less than a month that one of the animals at a Nairobi reserve escaped and headed into the capital.

Sinosphere: China Resumes Diplomatic Relations With Gambia, Shutting Out Taiwan
The move raised the prospect of a renewed contest between China and Taiwan over allies, as Gambia had maintained ties to Taiwan for nearly 20 years.

U.N. Officials Warned That Congolese Soldiers Were Linked to Rape
Just months after troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived on a peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, allegations of sexual abuse began piling up.

Morocco Orders U.N. to Cut Staff in Disputed Western Sahara Territory
Reacting to comments from the U.N. leader, Morocco demanded the evacuation of 84 members of the organization’s mission in Western Sahara, where it has played a peacemaking role for 25 years.

Elephant in Stealth Mode: A Bull Named Morgan Survives Somali War Zone
Morgan briefly crossed from Kenya into Somalia, where elephants are thought to have been wiped out during the 1980s and ’90s as the country descended into chaos.

Ebola Flare-Up Has Ended in Sierra Leone, W.H.O. Says
The World Health Organization said two incubation periods – or 42 days – had passed since the last known victim had tested negative for the deadly virus.

Jacob Zuma Denies Letting Gupta Family Pick South Africa’s Ministers
President Zuma denied accusations that the Guptas, a wealthy family with widespread business interests and links to his own family, had influenced his appointments.

Op-Ed Columnist: ‘Big Government’ Looks Great When There Is None
What Republican candidates consider an American weakness seems like a strength when viewed from South Sudan.

World Briefing: Morocco: U.N. Chief Angers Officials
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently described Morocco’s hold on the Western Sahara territory as an occupation.

World Briefing: South Africa: A Rich Family’s Clout
A senior government official said that a wealthy family close to President Jacob G. Zuma had offered him a cabinet position, a revelation that added to corruption allegations against the president.

2 Female Suicide Bombers Attack Nigerian Mosque, Killing Over 20
The militant Islamic group Boko Haram is suspected of carrying out the bombings, which wounded 18 people, an army spokesman said.

Monrovia Journal: Fearing the Tide in West Point, a Slum Already Swamped With Worry
About 75,000 Monrovia residents await word on whether infrastructure will be improved to withstand the sea, or if they will be relocated.

Al Qaeda’s African Offshoot Makes a Lethal Comeback
Only a few years after French troops scattered its fighters, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has regrouped and extended its reach in three nations.

News Analysis: Is the U.S. Now at War With the Shabab? Not Exactly
Last week’s airstrike against a training camp in Somalia shows how the executive branch has stretched a 2001 congressional authorization for military force originally aimed at Al Qaeda.

World Briefing: Nigeria: Huge Methamphetamine Lab Built With Mexican Help, Officials Say
Nigerian officials arrested four Mexicans who were accused of creating a lab capable of producing billions of dollars’ worth of methamphetamine.

European Union Suspends Aid to Burundi Over Political Crisis
Officials announced a halt in financial support over a political crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives, but said humanitarian aid would continue.

Witness Recalls Ivory Coast Attack: ‘Shooting, Then Boom, Boom, Boom’
Charline Burton, who works for a nonprofit, hid in a bathroom with her 1-year-old daughter as gunmen outside carried out a bloody rampage.

Gunmen Carry Out Fatal Attacks at Hotels in Ivory Coast
Gunmen stormed resort hotels in Ivory Coast on Sunday, piercing the calm that has prevailed in recent years.

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.