Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) – The Mauritian Prime minister, Navin Ramgoolam, left the island on Thursday for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to attend the proceedings for the 21st ordinary session of the conference of African Union heads of State and government, official sources told PANA. Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – The UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, arrived in Kigali on Thursday for a two-day visit during which he will hold talks with senior government officials on several issues such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has constituted Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – The Mauritian Foreign Affairs Minister, Arvin Boolell, on Thursday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said there was still a way out of the current political crisis in Madagascar despite the controversy trailing the candidatures for the next presidential polls in July, PANA reported here. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – “What kind of Africa are we creating?”, a prominent Kenyan scholar and international consultant raised the question this week at an exclusive discussion about the continent’s governance and related economic, social and political issues. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – A proposal to scale down the financial contributions of some member-states of the African Union (AU), especially the island nations, is now before the sub-committee on members' financial contributions, ahead of the 21st AU summit beginning Saturday in Addis Ababa. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - Mauritania and Senegal have agreed to implement mechanisms aimed at tackling new cross-border security threats, according to an official statement released here late Wednesday. Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghana's President John Mahama left Accra on Thursday for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to take part in activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU). Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Thursday saluted President Robert Mugabe for signing into law Zimbabwe’s new Constitution. Full text...

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) - Zambia's President Michael Sata was due to leave Lusaka Thursday for Ethiopia where he will his country's delegation to the 21st Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly, scheduled to take place on 26-27 May in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) – The UN Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of the UN political mission in Guinea-Bissau to assist in finding solutions to the political and economic crisis. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan has sent representatives of 35 civil society organizations, known as the Sudan National Group on Human Rights, to take part in the events marking the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU), apart from the official delegation that will be headed by the Head of state, General Omar Al Bashir. Full text...

Bamako, Mali (PANA) – The Malian interim president, Dioncounda Traoré, will leave Bamako on Friday for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to attend the 21st Summit of African heads of State and government, holding 25-26 May, official sources told PANA here Wednesday. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – Sao Tome and Principe could be sanctioned by the African Union (AU) for failing to pay its annual contribution to the continental organization for two years running, if a proposal before the 26th executive council of the AU is anything to go by. Full text...

Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - Mauritius will organise a series of events Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of the African Union, Mauritian Arts and Culture Minister Mookhesswur Choonee, said Wednesday in Port-Louis. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The African Union (AU) has only been able to mobilize to date US$ 77.3 million on a draft budget of approximately US$ 278.2 million for the financial year 2013, according to a report by its sub-committee on contributions from member states, obtained by PANA Wednesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma Wednesday called upon Africa’s leadership to provide a mission framework that will result in rapid change, sustained effort and united action by a united Africa. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Africa needs to review the nature of its relations with the international community in order to bring about its structural transformation, according to Carlos Lopes, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - There is a glimmer of hope for Africa’s rejuvenation as a result of the progress achieved over the last decade, Ethiopia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, told his African counterparts meeting here Wednesday, on the eve of the golden jubilee of the Organisation of African Unity/African Union (OAU/AU). Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Ten years after its creation, the Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has received acclaim for its contribution to sustainable growth and development in the continent. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The Executive Council of the African Union (AU) starts its 23rd ordinary session here Wednesday to deliberate on different reports of ministerial meetings organised by the AU Commission in the last six months. Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected on Thursday in Rwanda for a two-day working visit, according to a communiqué issued on Tuesday in Kigali. Full text...

Tripoli Libya (PANA) – The Libyan National Congress (Parliament) has accepted the nomination of Mohamed Khalifa al-Cheikh by Prime minister Ali Zeidan as the new Interior minister. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's lower legislative chamber, the House of Representatives, on Tuesday joined the upper Senate in approving the state of emergency imposed on three states in Nigeria's North-east by President Goodluck Jonathan last week. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – Central African Republic, Guinea Bissau and Madagascar have been banned from attending the 21st summit of the African Union (AU), to be held from 25 to 27 May in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved the proclamation by President Goodluck Jonathan on the imposition of a State of Emergency on three states in the country's North-east: Adamama, Borno and Yobe state. Full text...

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - Africa's most populous nation and one of the continent's economic giants has again been left out as US President Barack Obama plans to embark on his third trip to Africa, and the second to sub-Saharan Africa, since he was first elected into office. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - All legal obstacles have been cleared to allow the trial of former Chadian President Hissene Habré in Senegal next year, African Union (AU) Legal Adviser Djenna Diarra told PANA Tuesday. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) – The Libyan Prime Minister, Ali Zidane, on Sunday said there was no evidence to suggest that Qatar aided perpetrators of a car bomb attack in Libya. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) has yet to deliver on the lofty promises of good governance, deepened democracy and the advancement of human rights in the continent, according to civil society organisations meeting here ahead of the African Union (AU) summit next week. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - Though the last 50 years of Africa’s history have been fraught with so many challenges, Africans today are very proud of their achievements, according to Ethiopia’s Ambassador Kongit Sinegiorgis. Full text...

Washington, DC, US (PANA) - US Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his country's willingness to strengthen its economic partnership with the Central African nation of Cameroon Full text...

Accra, Ghana (PANA) - Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama has agreed to a request from Kenya to champion its quest for an expansion of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) at this week's African Union (AU) summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Mr. Albert Gerard Koenders of the Netherlands as the head of the recently-established UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). Full text...

Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is urgently seeking Burundi's participation in the regional peacekeeping force for the Central African Republic (CAR), which is in turmoil following the recent violent change of government in the country. Full text...

Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday met with Mr. William Ruto, the visiting Kenyan Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – Africa’s young people will be at the heart of social and political discourse during the African Union’s 50th anniversary celebrations starting in Addis Ababa on Sunday under the theme "Pan Africanism and African Renaissance". Full text...

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) – Year-long celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU) kick off in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Sunday with a preparatory meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC), according to the official schedule released on Saturday by the AU Commission. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - As thousands of Nigerian troops poured into the country's north-east to battle the Islamic sect Boko Haram, the US has called on the troops to apply "disciplined use of force" in all operations. Full text...

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya’s Home Affairs Minister Achour Chawali sent his letter of resignation to Prime Minister Ali Zedan two weeks ago, but has continued to function in his official capacity. Full text...

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The arrest of at least nine activists who were trying to organise a peaceful demonstration in Equatorial Guinea is further evidence of the authorities’ determination to clamp down on free speech ahead of up-coming elections, Amnesty International said. Full text...

Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) – The Coordination of Mauritanian Opposition (COD), an umbrella of a dozen political parties in Mauritania, on Thursday published a document setting conditions to be met by government before they will participate in the next legislative and local government polls, PANA reports. Full text...

Libreville, Gabon (PANA) - Caretaker President of the Central African Republic (CAR) Michel Djotodia met with President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon on Wednesday, but details of their meeting were not disclosed. Full text...

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - The South African Cabinet has vowed to sanction those involved in the landing of a private plane at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, which has sparked a national outcry. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said that the UN was committed to ensuring a stable and prosperous future for Mali. Full text...

New York, US (PANA) - Ms. Margaret Vogt, Special Representative for the UN Secretary-General in the Central African Republic, on Wednesday said that a neutral security force was urgently needed to help restore the stability and counter the absence of law and order in the country. Full text...

Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) – China is to give Rwanda CFA Franc 5 billion to support the African country in its bid to process and promote the bamboo culture. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - The Nigerian military said on Wednesday it had begun a massive deployment of troops to secure the country's borders, a day after President Goodluck Jonathan declared emergency rule in three northern states to curb the activities of the rampaging Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Full text...

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The European Union (EU) on Wednesday said that the killing last Sunday of Mohamed Bashar, a signatory to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), and several other members of the Justice and Equality Movement-Sudan, was detrimental to the peace process and to the people in Darfur. Full text...

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigeria's main opposition party Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on Wednesday rejected the state of emergency declared in three states in the northern part of the country to stem the Boko Haram crisis, saying the government's action ''lacks original thinking''. Full text...