West Africa news stories on Newser

Mali President Resigns; West Africa Sighs With Relief

Neal Colgrass — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:20:05 CDT

A military coup in Mali is becoming a more orderly transfer of power and drawing support from the nation's rather nervous West African neighbors, Al Jazeera reports. About two weeks after a military coup , President Amadou Toumani Toure has agreed to step aside for parliament speaker Diouncounda Traore to take...

Western Black Rhino Extinct

Rob Quinn — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 03:36:00 CST

The western black rhino, one of four subspecies of black rhino, is now a thing of the past, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "Red List." The group has declared the black rhino species native to West Africa extinct and says another rhino species, Central Africa's northern...

African Dictator's Son to Build $380M Yacht

Matt Cantor — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:38:48 CST

The son of a West African dictator is having a boat built for himself with a price tag of $380 million—or nearly triple what his country spends on health and education every year, AOL News reports. Teodorin Obiang, Equatorial Guinea’s agriculture minister, makes much more than most in his...

Sotheby's Halts Sale of Looted Nigerian Mask

Mark Russell — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:40:10 CST

Sotheby's has canceled the planned auction of a 16th-century ivory mask from West Africa after online protesters and the Nigerian government complained that the precious artifact had been looted from the country by British troops, reports the Independent . The mask, believed to have been worn by the king of Benin...

Bank Cuts Off Gbagbo From Ivory Coast Funds

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 10:41:02 CST

Laurent Gbagbo's access to state funds is being cut off, stepping up pressure on the man who refuses to concede defeat amid post-election violence that has killed at least 173 people and prompted fears of civil war. The move is expected to complicate Gbagbo's efforts to pay civil servants and...

US Wades Into Chaos in Guinea

Jason Farago — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:40:00 CDT

Hillary Clinton has stepped into the crisis in the junta-ruled nation of Guinea, calling for "appropriate actions" against the military government, which she said "cannot remain in power." Clinton took the unusual step of dispatching a senior diplomat, who pinned blame for the recent killings and rapes of unarmed protesters...

Russians Find Mystery Ship, Crew Alive Onboard

Kevin Spak — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:00 CDT

The Russian ship that mysteriously disappeared nearly three weeks ago has been found off the West African coast, with all 15 crew members aboard, Russia’s defense minister announced today. The crew is now aboard the Russian frigate that found them. The defense minister said the crew was not under armed...

Leaders Fly to Guinea-Bissau to Prevent Coup

Jason Farago — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:57:59 CST

West African leaders are holding an emergency meeting in Guinea-Bissau today following the assassination of the country's president, reports the BBC. João Bernardo Vieira was killed a day after the chief of staff of the army, reputed to be a rival of Vieira's, died in a bomb blast. The army...

President of Guinea-Bissau Assassinated

Jason Farago — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 06:49:45 CST

The president of the West African republic of Guinea-Bissau was shot dead today, reportedly by soldiers. The Times of London reports that João Bernardo Vieira was assassinated only hours after the head of the army died in a bomb attack. While it's unclear whether a coup is taking place, the...